The German Dharmaduta Society (GDS) was founded to propagate Buddhism and establish the Buddha Sasana in Germany and other Western countries. The society was founded in 1952 by Asoka Weeraratna.
The GDS sponsored the first Buddhist Mission to Germany in 1957, and continues to send monks to reside and conduct Dharmaduta work at the Berlin Buddhist Vihara in Germany. The GDS administers the Berlin Vihara which was founded in 1957 by Asoka Weeraratna (later known as Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thero). In 1967, he founded the meditation monastery Nissarana Vanaya[1]