ABOUT US
A Refuge for Mindfulness in the Green Mountains
Nestled in the peaceful hills of southern Vermont, Green Mountain Meditation & Wellness Center is a sanctuary for those seeking stillness, clarity, and compassion.
Rooted in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, yet open to people of all faiths and backgrounds, our center offers a welcoming space for spiritual practice, inner healing, and community connection.
Our home is at Serenity Central of New England, where nature, mindfulness, and loving-kindness come together in harmony. Surrounded by forests and quiet trails, it serves as both a physical and spiritual refuge — where anyone may come to rest the mind, open the heart, and remember the peace that already lies within.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is simple — to awaken peace, compassion, and wisdom in the hearts of all.
Through meditation, mindful living, and gentle spiritual guidance, we offer tools for cultivating awareness and balance in daily life. Our space provides a place for reflection, dialogue, and understanding between all paths — Buddhist and beyond.
We believe that when people learn to live with a heart that is full of mindfulness and compassion, the whole world begins to heal.
OUR ROOTS
After a successful lifelong career in education and leadership, Dr. Joseph Burke retired and felt a strong desire to help those seeking spiritual healing and growth. His own journey led him to become interested in meditation as a tool for peace and well-being. He also saw the need to support individuals in addiction recovery and felt that he must act. A meditation enthusiast, Joe teamed together with Bhante Rathana, and Serenity Central of New England came to be formed. Their shared vision was to establish a refuge for anyone seeking guidance in mindfulness, Dhamma study, and inner transformation.
Drawing from his rich experiences and background in Buddhism, Bhante Rathana additionally established the Green Mountain Meditation & Wellness Center. Serenity Central of New England is happy to provide a home for this organization to offer weekly meditation sessions, day retreats, and interfaith programs designed to help individuals cultivate peace and compassion in their daily lives. The Green Mountain Meditation & Wellness Center welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds to learn mindfulness as a tool to help alleviate their suffering and live harmoniously together.
Our Teacher — The Green Mountain Monk
Bhante Rathana
Abbot and Spiritual Advisor at Green Mountain Meditation & Wellness Center, and Serenity Central of New England
Affectionately known as the “Green Mountain Monk”
Bhante Rathana is a Theravāda Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka who has dedicated his life to sharing the timeless wisdom of the Buddha through mindfulness, loving-kindness, and compassionate service.
Residing in Jacksonville, Vermont, Bhante Rathana serves as the Abbot and Spiritual Advisor of the Green Mountain Meditation & Wellness Center, and Serenity Central of New England a peaceful sanctuary dedicated to meditation, Dhamma study, and holistic well-being—open to all, regardless of background or belief.
Ordained at the age of 13 in 1999, Bhante began his monastic journey with deep devotion and discipline. He received his Buddhist education at Vidyaraja Maha Pirivena and Vidyodaya Pirivena in Sri Lanka, where he studied the Buddha’s teachings, Buddhist culture, and classical languages including Pāli, Sanskrit, and Sinhala. He later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Kelaniya.
With over 26 years of monastic experience in both Sri Lanka and the United States, Bhante has served as a teacher, mentor, and spiritual guide to many. His compassionate service includes teaching meditation, offering Dhamma talks, guiding monastics, and supporting the well-being of all whom he encounters.
In 2016, Bhante was invited to the United States by the late Most Venerable Alutnuwara Sumanatissa Nāyaka Thero, founder of the Lankarama Buddhist Institute in Los Angeles, where he served until 2021. He then joined the Bhavana Society Forest Monastery in West Virginia, where he had the rare honor of serving for nearly three years as personal assistant to the renowned meditation master, Venerable Henepola Gunaratana (Bhante G). Bhante also trained under both the Pa-Auk Forest Tradition and the S.N. Goenka Vipassanā system.
Drawing from these rich experiences, Bhante Rathana founded the Green Mountain Meditation & Wellness Center, and Dr. Joseph Burke founded Serenity Central of New England together with Bhante as a refuge for mindfulness, Dhamma study, and inner transformation. The center offers weekly meditation sessions, day-long retreats, and interfaith programs designed to cultivate peace and compassion in daily life.
Bhante’s teachings are grounded in the early discourses of the Buddha, including the Ānāpānasati Sutta (Mindfulness of Breathing), the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Four Foundations of Mindfulness), and the Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification). His guidance is founded upon:
- Breathing Meditation (Ānāpānasati)
- Loving-Kindness Meditation (Mettā)
- Walking Meditation
- Contemplation of the Four Great Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air)
Through these practices, Bhante helps individuals move beyond habitual thought and emotional restlessness, discovering greater clarity, compassion, and peace.
Affectionately known as the Green Mountain Monk, Bhante Rathana brings warmth, humility, and depth to his spiritual leadership. He is deeply committed to serving the well-being of the Southern Vermont community through interfaith collaboration, outreach, and accessible meditation programs for all.
Bhante continues to offer classes, retreats, and talks both at the center and in partnership with community organizations, schools, and congregations throughout the region.
“These ancient teachings still speak to us today.
Through mindful presence, we can transform suffering into wisdom,
fear into compassion, and loneliness into connection.”
— Bhante Rathana (The Green Mountain Monk)