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
I’m the Aunty Now!
For Mihiri Tillakaratne, “aunty” is a verb. It’s what she does to support and shape her community.
Lessons on the Three Poisons from Barbie and Ken
Following the <em>Barbie</em> film’s win for best song with “I’m Just Ken” at the 2024 Critics’ Choice Awards, associate editor Mihiri Tillakaratne explores what Ken's journey teaches us about Buddhism's three poisons: craving, anger, and ignorance.
Buddhas and bodhisattvas inspire at Norton Simon Museum’s “Benevolent Beings”
Lion’s Roar associate editors Mihiri Tillakaratne and Noel Alumit visit the “Benevolent Beings” exhibition at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.
Liberation for All Women
What are the challenges for today’s Buddhist women, and how can they be overcome? Mihiri Tillakaratne discusses these pressing questions with Lama Karma Chotso, Arisika Razak, Sharon Suh, and Brooke Schedneck.
AAPI Month: LGBTQ+ Asian American Buddhists
This week, for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, we're exploring stories by and about queer Asian American Buddhists.