Like an enchanting ornate tree house, Dhyāna was built in synergy and kinship with the local jungle and the upper branches of its lush green canopies full of birds. It was designed by local architect and antiques collector Waruna Jayasinge to evoke its namesake - the second stage of meditative contemplation within the त्रयम् एकत्र संयम / trayam ekatra samyama, the three limbs of संयम / samyama described in the eightfold path of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (3.4).

The first stage is धारणा / dharana, “just before meditation; the goal [being] to become aware of nothing but the object on which you are concentrating”. The second stage is ध्यान / dhyāna, “when the mind has dissolved (līna) in the object of meditation”, and the third is समाधि / samadhi, “the stage where the mediator merges with its object of focus and transcends the self altogether to a higher understanding”. For decades, Waruna has devoted his architecture practice to the creation of spaces that embody these three teachings of संयम / samyama. This is his gift to the world.

Waruna’s life work is a tribute to his late father (pictured above). At the young age of twenty, Waruna was handed his father’s furniture restoration business, $100 and the responsibility of becoming the family breadwinner. From these seeds and with keen determination, Waruna grew the family business into Waruna’s Antiques which was opened in 1990 and has since evolved into an overflowing treasure chest attracting local and international interest. Devotional objects, artisan craftsmanship, cultural artwork, traditional jewellery, fabrics, furniture and more - each ornate relic contains stories within stories within stories from distant and ancient pasts. It is much more than an antique shop, it is a living archive, an altar to local histories and cultural lineages. Waruna custom designed the building that hosts his antique collection, this being the beginning of his journey as a self-taught architect intuitively drawing upon the “metaphysical essences of form” as done in Vastushastra Vedic architecture. At this time, his muse was the first limb of संयम / samyama: धारणा / dharana, the gathering of the mind to concentrate or focus.

Expanding from this, Waruna then purchased an abandoned tea estate around 30 km outside of Kandy. For years, he and a team from the local villages carefully restored and reforested the land, slowly building an ayurvedic healing retreat with expert ayurvedic practitioners. The Kandy Samadhi Centre was born - designed to facilitate the deep absorption that leads into the final stage of संयम / samyama, ecstatic union and transcendence of self. Imbuing mysticism and architectural practice, Waruna created a truly enigmatic range of eco-accommodation and wellness and healing spaces with a capacity for around thirty-five guests. Woven seamlessly into the contours of the land and thoughtfully decorated with treasures “dating back to the era when Kandy was a royal realm”, The Kandy Samadhi Centre has been described as “a small perfectly balanced micro kingdom that now serves as a retreat to nurture, renew and rejuvenate one’s mind, body and soul”. It has gained national and international attention and led to Waruna being the only non- architect in history nominated for the prestigious Geoffrey Bawa Award for Excellence in Architecture.

To complete his triptych life work inspired by the three limbs of संयम / samyama, Waruna has launched this latest initiative of Dhyāna – a sanctuary in which to immerse in deep contemplation and meditation. Designed, built and curated over the past ten years like a carefully considered mosaic, Dhyāna is the culmination of Waruna’s mystical, architectural and artistic journeys with a community twist. The four-level building rises along the body of a hill covered in tall trees, its handcrafted wooden pillars join them in reaching for the sky.

The warm welcoming entrance on the top level leads down a beautiful set of stairs that, with each descent, take you deeper into the jungle’s embrace, and into the intentionality of this space. Waruna’s enchanting use of repurposed materials, high end antiques and a touch of regal luxury enriches the guest accommodation, dining, gallery and wellness spaces, which have not only been curated to invoke experiences of ध्यान / dhyāna, but also with a clear sense of social responsibility to the local community. Various projects within Dhyāna seek to channel tangible benefits to an array of local artisans, artists and creatives that Waruna collaborates with to realise his visions, as well as cultivate a positive unifying legacy for the people of Sri Lanka and the world.