One-Day Camp at Wat Lao Buddha Khanti
Saturday, February 21, 2026 | 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Schedule (may be subject to change)
We're thrilled to announce an extraordinary year of teachings, as we warmly welcome Buddhist masters and practitioners from diverse traditions to share their wisdom, compassion, and unique practices with our community.
Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan
Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan is the abbot of Wat Lao Buddha Khanti in Snellville, Georgia, where he serves the Lao Buddhist community and the wider public through teachings, ceremonies, and compassionate care. Known for his humility and dedication to peace, he offers guidance rooted in the Theravada tradition and lived experience.
Ven. Maha Dam has also supported interfaith and peacebuilding efforts beyond the temple. He was an original participant in the Walk for Peace, joining when the pilgrimage began in Fort Worth, Texas, and later welcoming the Walk to his temple during its journey to Washington, D.C. His resilience and generosity—especially during his recovery from a serious accident during the pilgrimage—embody the very meaning of his temple’s name, Khanti (Pāli), which refers to patient endurance, forbearance, and gentle strength—qualities at the heart of Buddhist practice.
Venerable Priya Sraman
Venerable Priya Sraman currently serves as the Buddhist Chaplain at Emory University, where he supports Emory's diverse Buddhist and mindfulness communities through weekly gatherings, pastoral care, educational programs, and interfaith engagement as part of the university's multifaith chaplaincy team. Before coming to Emory, he spent four years as the Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts University, offering spiritual care, leading Dharma practice groups, and collaborating with local monastics to bring teachings to campus. An ordained Theravada bhikkhu who has lived and practiced across South and Southeast Asia, Ven. Priya brings a rare blend of classical training and contemporary insight. We are grateful to have him guiding our community once again-this Janurary alongside his brother, Venerable Sajalmegh.
Venerable Sister Pearl (Viên Thanh Châu)
Venerable Sister Pearl was ordained in 2019 at Đại Đăng Monastery in San Diego, California, by her root teacher, Venerable TN. Như Đức, abbess of Viên Chiếu Monastery in Saigon, Vietnam. Trained in the Bamboo Grove Vietnamese Zen School under Zen master Thich Thanh Tu and influenced by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Pearl bridges both Vietnamese and Soto Zen traditions. Before ordination, she served nearly a decade as a physician assistant in Cancer and Palliative Care at Mayo Clinic. Currently a resident at the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and chaplain intern at Emory Decatur Hospital, Sister Pearl aspires to bring the Dharma alive for children, teens, and young adults through mindfulness and compassionate practice
Venerable Jampa Thakchoe
Venerable Jampa Thakchoe, who joined us at the recent one-day camp, is a Tibetan monk from Sera Jey Monastery and a current Tenzin Gyatso Science Scholar at Emory University.
His work bridges traditional Buddhist philosophy with modern scientific research, including collaborations with Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, University of Groningen and Northwestern University. Jampa la's teachings illuminate the meeting point between Dharma wisdom and contemplative science.
Venerable Sister Dieu Tinh
Venerable Sister Dieu Tinh is a Vietnamese monastic in the Mahayana tradition. She entered the monastic life in 2000 and dedicated herself to the study and practice of the Dharma. She has served as a teacher to youths and newly ordained sisters. A graduate of the University of the West in California, she earned her Master of Religious Studies degree in 2013 and her Master of Divinity degree in 2024. She is currently a spiritual health clinician resident at Emory University Hospital. She enjoys having slow mornings, drinking tea, hiking, and reading a good book.