Bhikkhu Bodhi
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Bhikkhu Bodhi (born 1944) is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College in 1966 and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School in 1972.
Drawn to Buddhism in his early 20s, after completing his university studies, he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received novice ordination in 1972 and full ordination in 1973, both under the late Ven. Ananda Maitreya, the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk in recent times.
He was appointed editor of the Buddhist Publication Society (in Sri Lanka) in 1984 and its president in 1988. Ven. Bodhi has many important publications to his credit, either as author, translator, or editor, including The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha -- A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (co-translated with Ven. Bhikkhu Nanamoli, 1995) and The Connected Discourses of the Buddha -- a New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (2000).
In May 2000, he gave the keynote address at the United Nations on its first official celebration of Vesak (the day of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing away). He returned to the U.S. in 2002 and since July 2002 has been living and teaching at Bodhi Monastery. He is currently the president of the Sangha Council of Bodhi Monastery and the chairman of Yin Shun Foundation.
