Ashin Mandalarlankara
Country: Mandalay Myanmar (Burma)
Languages: English, Burmese, Pali
Organizations: Sangha Council of Myanmar
Expertise: Education
Focus area: Religious
Religious affiliation: Buddhism
Ashin Mandalarlankara is a young Buddhist monk who is currently working as a teacher in a monastery in Myanmar. He has been teaching children the basics of Buddhism since 2008, and he occasionally discusses with his fellow monks and novices the importance of understanding other religions. He is interested in teaching, sharing knowledge and making friends with people from different religious and cultural backgrounds. In 2013, he attended a seminar on Islam conducted by Fr Tom Michael, a Catholic priest and scholar on Islamic studies from the United States. There he met Muslim leaders and built many friendships. He also took an iPACE course on Conflict Transformation and English at the Jefferson Center in Mandalay. Having completed this course, Mandalarlankara is eager to learn more about peace-building and how to engage young people in interreligious dialogue. His motto is “be patient with everyone and have good thoughts”.