Venerable Dhammachari was born in 1955 in a village near the Rockhill Monastery in the Kandy district of Sri Lanka. Her spiritual journey began in her youth, inspired by a transformative meditation retreat led by Bhante. This profound experience motivated her to dedicate her life to the Dhamma as a Buddhist nun.

Before her ordination, she trained and prepared for monastic life under the guidance of Venerable Ginigathene Susila Sobani at a nunnery. On April 25th, 1980, she was formally ordained. Following her ordination, she pursued further studies in Buddhism at the Buddhist University in Kandy, deepening her knowledge and understanding of the teachings.

For 35 years, Venerable Dhammachari had the privilege of learning directly from Bhante. Under his mentorship, she immersed herself in advanced meditation practices, studied the English language, and developed the skills to share the Buddha’s teachings with a global audience. She actively supported his work, assisting in meditation retreats and contributing to their success.

Venerable Dhammachari also traveled alongside Bhante, extending their Dhamma work to Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and India. She took part in a sacred pilgrimage and represented the teachings at the Buddhist Women’s Sakyadhita Conference, demonstrating her dedication to spreading the Dhamma worldwide.

Since Bhante’s passing, she has worked tirelessly to continue his legacy. Over the past eight years, she has focused on teaching the Dhamma to both local communities and international visitors. Today, Venerable Dhammachari remains a compassionate and inspiring teacher, guiding others on their spiritual journey while upholding the wisdom and practices instilled by her mentors.

Bhante Kassapa was the founder of Rockhill hermitage, an international Vipassana Meditation and Dhamma study centre in Sri Lanka in the Theravada Tradition. He was a disciple of the Most Venerable Agar Maha Panditha Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Maha Nayaka Maha Thera. This renowned Sri Lanka monk was one of the great spiritual figures of the 20th century whose spiritual message touched the lives of people from many religious backgrounds. He was respected and loved in both the
Buddhist and non-Buddhist world. Venerable Ananda Maitreya passed away in July 1998 at almost 102. His teaching is continued by his disciples.
Bhante Kassapa was a very senior teacher and taught in many meditation centers around the world - Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, India, New Zealand and The Netherlands. He lectured in both local and international universities and at the Monash Medical Centre (Melbourne, Australia) Bhante participated in many national and international events including
the inaugural Australasian Buddhist Convention(2002)and the visit of the Dalai Lama to Australia(2002), during which he was invited to participate in the panel discussions with the audience. He attended an Interfaith Forum, sponsored by the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Australia in response to the events of September 11, 2001. The Vipassana Insight Meditation Foundation (VIMF) and Dhamma study group was initiated by
Bhante in Melbourne, Australia. Under Bhante's guidance, about 15 Westerners and more than 20 monks from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been ordained at Rockhill Monastery, another 10 women became Buddhist Nuns (Dasa Sil Mathas).