Mihiri Tillakaratne (she/her) is an associate editor at Lion’s Roar. She has a PhD in Ethnic Studies and Gender, Women, and Sexuality (UC Berkeley), a M.A. in Ethnic Studies (UC Berkeley), and a M.A. in Asian American Studies (UCLA). She learned Pali and studied Sinhala Buddhist nationalism in post-independence Sri Lanka at Harvard. Mihiri is the director of I Take Refuge, a documentary on Sri Lankan American Buddhist identity, and the founder of Sri Lankan Americans for Social Justice.
Mihiri Tillakaratne
Recent Articles
Asian American & Buddhist
What are the challenges, joys, and practices of today’s Asian American Buddhists? And what does the future hold for Asian American dharma communities? Mihiri Tillakaratne, Renato Almanzor, sujatha baliga, Chenxing Han, and Rev. Marvin Harada engage with these and other questions.
Meet a Teacher: Jonathan Relucio
Mindful action, mindful breathing, and mindful centering—these are the ABC’s of trauma-informed mindfulness. In conversation with Mihiri Tillakaratne, Jonathan Relucio talks about why these ABC’s help us heal.
4 Buddhists Share What Vesak Means to Them
Thomas Calobrisi, Lama Hun Lye, Mihiri Tillakaratne, and Noel Alumit explore the meaning and lessons of Vesak, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha.
Welcome to “Bodhi Leaves: The Asian American Buddhist Monthly”
Editors Noel Alumit and Mihiri Tillakaratne on why “Bodhi Leaves” centers Asian American experiences and how it’s part of a larger movement creating a more inclusive American Buddhism.
“May We Gather” Buddhist memorial and pilgrimage honors Asian American ancestors
Lion’s Roar associate editor Mihiri Tillakaratne reports on the 2024 “May We Gather” event in Antioch, California, which marked the three-year memorial of the Atlanta-area spa shootings.