He continued his higher education through studies in Pāli, Sanskrit, and Philosophy at the University of Peradeniya, where he received an undergraduate certificate with Distinction in 2019. He later completed a BA in Philosophy at Oxford Brookes University in 2023, graduating with Strong Upper Second Class Honours (2:1). His undergraduate thesis, “Aristotle and Buddhism: A Critique of the Aristotelian Concept of Eudaimonia and the Buddhist Perspective of Nibbāna,” explored important points of dialogue between Western philosophy and Buddhist thought.

In 2024, Venerable Samitharathana completed an MA in Buddhist Studies at SOAS University of London with Distinction. Under the supervision of Prof Ulrich Pagel, his research examined “Buddhaghosa’s Critique of Meditation (Visuddhimagga): An Emphasis on Ethics, Epistemology, and Metaphysics in Buddhist Meditation.” His postgraduate studies at SOAS were also recognised through the Tibet Foundation Award for outstanding academic merit in Buddhist Studies.

He subsequently pursued an MPhil in Buddhist Studies at the University of Oxford, St Cross College, completing the degree in June 2026 with Higher Merit. Supervised by Prof Kate Crosby, his MPhil thesis, “Epistemology of Exegesis: A Critical Study of the Saddhammappakāsinī through the Lens of Pāli Hermeneutics,” investigated Buddhist exegetical methodology and the philosophical foundations of interpretation within the Pāli tradition. During his Oxford studies, he received the Glorisun Graduate Scholarship in Buddhist Studies in both 2024 and 2025, as well as the Vajiramedhi Scholarship in Pāli Studies in 2025 in recognition of his academic achievement and research ability in Pāli. His scholarly interests extend across Pāli hermeneutics, Buddhist philosophy, meditation, ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, comparative philosophy, Buddhist modernity, and the relationship between classical Buddhist thought and contemporary society. He is the author of books and numerous academic articles addressing Buddhist Studies, philosophy, religion, language, and comparative thought. His more recent research includes work on Humanistic Buddhism, Buddhist liberation, meditation, Pāli exegesis, Buddhist modernity, and the philosophical dimensions of mindfulness.

Venerable Samitharathana has presented research and delivered invited lectures at universities, conferences, monasteries, and Buddhist organisations internationally. His academic presentations have included events at the University of Oxford, international conferences in New York, Berlin, Paris, Zurich, and academic gatherings in Sri Lanka and Germany. He has also presented scholarly work in Pāli and Sanskrit, reflecting his extensive engagement with classical Buddhist and South Asian languages. Alongside his research, he is actively involved in academic and interfaith communities. He has been a Fellow of the Oxford Interfaith Forum since 2025 and has served as H-Interfaith Network Editor for the Forum since March 2026. In 2025, he founded the Oxford Mindfulness Society at St Cross College, University of Oxford, and earlier founded and served as President of the Oxford Brookes Buddhist Society. He has also held student welfare, academic editorial, conference, literary, and educational leadership roles in both the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka.

Beyond academic life, Venerable Samitharathana has a long-standing commitment to Buddhist education and community service. He has served as a Dhamma School teacher and educator in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom and was Headmaster of the Oxford Dhamma School, operating under the governance of the Oxford Buddhist Society, from 2023 to 2024. Since 29 January 2023, he has served as the Founding President and Managing Trustee of the Oxford Buddhist Society. Through the Society, he supports the development of an inclusive Buddhist community in Oxford centred on meditation, Dhamma study, ethical living, Buddhist education, interfaith understanding, and compassionate engagement with wider society. Venerable Samitharathana regularly conducts Dhamma talks, meditation programmes, mindfulness sessions, retreats, workshops, and community discussions in the United Kingdom and internationally. His teaching seeks to communicate the Buddha’s wisdom in ways that remain faithful to the Buddhist tradition while addressing the realities of contemporary life.

Inspired by the Buddha’s teachings on wisdom (paññā), ethical discipline (sīla), and mental cultivation (samādhi), his work brings together scholarship, contemplative practice, education, and community service. Through these endeavours, he continues to promote mindfulness, compassion, critical understanding, harmony, and spiritual well-being for the benefit of individuals and wider society.