Abhaya Arana is the short “Doing Business As” name or DBA of the Ariya Chinthashrama USA Inc. The Pali word “Abhaya” in general means fearless. However, in the context of Lord Buddha’s teachings, Abhaya means the Nibbana (Sanskrit: Nirvana) or enlightenment. The Pali word Arana means “without war” or peace. Therefore, Abhaya Arana is a state or place where one may achieve the ultimate peace of mind. Abhaya Arana is the name we chose for the Buddhist temples and a meditation centers registered in the states of Virginia and North Carolina. The goal of the Abhaya Arana is to facilitate the practice of meditation and mindfulness to anyone interested in understanding Lord Buddha’s teachings (Buddha Dhamma). A 16-acre land in Alton, Virginia, USA has already been purchased and dedicated for this purpose. This land will be the main center of the Abhya Arana temple and the meditation center. We plan to establish a worship hall, meditation hall, a residence for monks, and individual meditation cells within this property within next 5 to 10 years.  To serve immediate needs of the community, we have purchased a property in Reidsville, North Carolina, USA with an approximately 5100 square feet building that has a 2400 sq. ft worship/meditation hall, rooms to accommodate resident monks, a kitchen and a dining hall, and public restroom facilities. This property will be the home to Abhaya Arana while we establish the main meditation center and the temple in the land in Alton, VA.

Abhaya Arana is classified as an organization providing religious services. We do not believe in charging fees for our Dhamma services, and therefore, all services are provided free of charge. Participants may make voluntary contributions if they wish. All donations are tax deductible under the US Code of Federal Regulation sections 501(c)(3) and 170(b)(1)(A)(i) governing tax-exempt organizations.