This Is Also
in the Mind
In The Presence of Venerable Ñāṇavimala Mahāthera
The personal encounters and handwritten training notes of a disciple under one of Sri Lanka's greatest solitary forest masters. Preserved in private for a quarter-century, now offered freely to all seekers.
“Tasmātihānanda attadīpā viharatha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā.”
“Therefore, Ānanda, be islands unto yourselves, be your own refuge, having no other; let the Dhamma be your island, let the Dhamma be your refuge, having no other refuge.”
— Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (DN 16)
On a roadside in Sri Lanka, a young disciple spoke eagerly of perceiving impermanence, weaving his experiences with physics and philosophy. Venerable Ñāṇavimala listened in silence before quietly saying:
The sentence cut through every layer of self-assurance. What he had taken to be profound realizations were seen for what they truly were—formations of the mind. At that moment, he knew he had found his teacher.
Inside the Book
This Is Also in the Mind is an intimate account of a disciple's training under Venerable Ñāṇavimala Mahāthera—a German monk who walked deeper into the Buddha's path than most dare to go, living with uncompromising simplicity and purity in Sri Lankan forests. Kept private for twenty-five years, these teachings reveal a direct, heart-to-heart transmission rarely seen in the modern world.
Through handwritten notes and personal encounters preserved by the disciple Venerable Gnanaloka, alongside reflections from narrators who received this transmission from him, this book opens a doorway into a nearly vanished tradition. These are not mere records, but living guidance—a master's words pointing back to the Buddha's original teachings.
The Master's Instructions
Verbatim, unedited handwritten notes recorded by Venerable Gnanaloka over sixteen years of discipleship. Direct instructions on mental restraint, deep meditation, overcoming sensual traps, and adhering strictly to the Buddha's original words.
Recommended for serious practitioners & meditatorsThe Living Witness
Intimate personal encounters revealing how the master lived his teachings—from quiet composure when confronted by armed robbers, to enduring severe bodily decay with complete letting go, walking twenty-five years in radical simplicity.
Inspiring reading for all seekers & newcomersWhat You Will Discover
Practical Dhamma
Teaching on finding complete peace through living with almost nothing. Wisdom from practice, not philosophy.
From Ethics to Liberation
A complete guide on ethical living, facing attachments, and cultivating the mind for true liberation.
Sixteen Years of Training
The inspiring training of a disciple by an elusive solitary monk who embodied the path to freedom.
Wisdom for Today
Timeless guidance for finding stillness and sanity in the midst of a noisy, distracted modern world.
Venerable Ñānavimala Mahāthera
Born Friedrich Möller in Germany, 1911. A job posting to India, then Ceylon, became his chance escape from Nazi conscription—a narrow miss. When World War II began, he was interned as an “enemy alien.”
In that internment camp, he encountered the Buddha's original words through Venerable Ñāṇatiloka. The Dhamma turned in his heart—and never stopped.
He ordained in 1955. Trained eleven years at the Island Hermitage. Then walked Sri Lanka for twenty-five years as a wandering monk—living with nothing, teaching rarely, embodying radical simplicity.
Venerable Ñāṇavimala Mahāthera remained almost entirely out of public view. He didn't build monasteries or seek followers.
He simply walked the Buddha's path until his body could walk no more.
This is a record of what he taught, and a disciple's encounters with him.
Venerable Bambalapitiye Gnanaloka Thero
Among those who trained under Venerable Ñāṇavimala was Venerable Gnanaloka, who kept meticulous handwritten notes of what he witnessed—not just dharma talks, but quiet exchanges, daily encounters, the way his teacher walked the path with complete sincerity.
These notes, preserved for 25 years, form the heart of this book.
One day, Shanaka saw him slowly making his way back to his kuti. At that time, Ven. Ñāṇavimala was already well into his eighties. Decades of walking barefoot across Sri Lanka had worn his body thin. A hip injury sustained in his youth had worsened with age. He leaned heavily on his cane, walking slowly, each movement deliberate.
Out of concern, Shanaka approached and asked, “Bhante, can I help you?”
Ven. Ñāṇavimala slowly turned, his eyes calm and bright, and replied,
“This body is not mine—why should I give it to somebody else?”
That response left Shanaka speechless. In just a few words, Ven. Ñāṇavimala revealed what deep letting go truly looked like. This was the source of his unshakeable composure: when the body is no longer taken as ‘self,’ by means of wisdom, its inevitable decay is no longer a personal tragedy.
He advised Shanaka once: “Don't rely on anybody or any person or anything that is external. They can separate at any moment and are all unreliable. But depend on your own mind that is developed and the All Enlightened One as your guide.”
It was the kind of teaching that could only come from someone who had tested it against hunger, against danger, against the collapse of every external support—and found it true.
Years earlier, during his cārikā, Ven. Ñāṇavimala had been confronted by robbers seeking valuables. They demanded he strip to just his under-robe while they rummaged through his belongings. He quietly stepped away and hid. When he returned, he found his possessions scattered across the ground—but nothing had been taken.
Even these desperately poor thieves had found nothing worth stealing. His books were completely written in, margins filled with notes. His robes were weathered. Every item bore the marks of years of use and utter simplicity. There was simply nothing of value to take—not even to those who had nothing.
Chapter Preview
The Master's Training Curriculum
Readings for Enlightenment
Recommended Sutta study path
Walking Contemplations
Meditation on the road
Readings for Laypeople & Saṅgha
Targeted canonical guides
Canonical References
Detailed Sutta citations
Start Your Journey
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Sri Sambuddha Mission Charitable Trust
Founded by Venerable Bambalapitiye Gnanaloka Thero
Established in 2017 • Deed of Trust No. 95
Sri Sambuddha Ramaneeya Ashramaya, Ethaudakanda, Thalawathura, Dunumala, Galapitamada, Sri Lanka.