Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha

Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha

Logo of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha
Formation	18 June 1951
Type	Buddhist monastic order
Headquarters	Galduva Aranya (Sri Gunawardhana Yogasramaya), Kahawa, Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka
Leader	Most Ven. Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera (Head)
Key people	Most Ven. Kadawedduwe Jinavamsa Mahathera (Founder)

Śrī Kalyāṇī Yogāśrama Saṃstha (Pali: Siri Kalyāṇī Yogassama Santhā, Sinhala: ශ්‍රී කළ්‍යාණී ‍යෝගාශ්‍රම සංස්ථාව), also known as the Galduwa Forest Tradition is an independent part of the Sri Lankan Ramañña Nikāya Buddhist ordination line, with their headquarters in Galduv, Kahawa - Ambalangoda. They are keeping a strict standard of Vinaya (commentarial interpretation), recognised as the strictest standard of any major organisation in Sri Lanka. It is the largest forest sect of the Sri Lankan Sangha. Their monks are easily recognised by the palm-leaf umbrella they are using and by the habit of wearing the Sanghati (double robe) whenever they walk outside the monastery boundaries. Remarkably for Sri Lanka, all castes are accepted for ordination. Foreign monks, who wish to become resident at one of their monasteries, are usually expected to undergo the so-called "Dalhi-Kamma" at Galduva, a short ceremony meant to reconfirm the validity of their original Upasampada according to Galduva standard. After that they are accepted according to their normal seniority.

Related Forest Traditions are also found in other culturally similar Buddhist Asian countries, including the Thai Forest Tradition of Thailand, the Taungpulu Forest Tradition of Myanmar and a related Lao Forest Tradition in Laos.

The (modern) history of arañña senasana or forest hermitages of Sri Lanka runs back to 1951, when Ven. Kadawedduwe Sri Jinavamsa Mahathera (sometimes spelled Jinawansa) Thera, with the guidance of Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera, founded the Galduva Aranya, which was to become the centre point of the Śrī Kalyāṇī Yogāśrama Saṃstha - the first Association of meditation monasteries in Sri Lanka.

Ven. Kadawedduwe Sri Jinavamsa Mahathera himself was ordained at the age of 13, and founded the Thebuvana Granthakara Pirivena (monk school) when he was only 25 and served as head instructor for over 20 years. He started the Yogāśrama Saṃstha at the age of 45, and enjoyed a long life of 98 years.

Following the way of the Buddha he strongly believed that all the riches of life meant nothing without vimukti (vimutti, "freedom" or "deliverance") which he understood was the goal of Buddhist meditation and the reason d'etre for Buddhist monks. Consequently, he left all his students except for one, Ven.Gatamanne Vimalavamsa Thera, who accompanied him in his quest for a fitting dwelling for deep meditation. The support rendered by Ven. Gatamanne Vimalavamsa Thera and Matara Sri Nanarama Mahathera in this quest, was immense.