Candradasa (Michael Venditozzi) was born in Canada and grew up in Scotland. He is a writer, web designer, commissioning editor, audio producer, and podcast presenter, and is the founder of Free Buddhist Audio, The Buddhist Centre Online and (forthcoming in 2026) Dharma Club.

As a Dharma teacher, Candradasa is ordained within the Triratna Buddhist Order and is a co-founder and former Chair of the Portsmouth Buddhist Center. He currently serves as the Director of Dharmachakra, a UK charity & U.S. non-profit providing free public access online to community resources on Buddhism, meditation and mindfulness worldwide. He lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA.

Selected Publications

DHARMA

Buddhism for Teens, Rockridge Press, 2022
50 Mindfulness Activities, Meditations, and Stories to Cultivate Calm and Awareness

POETRY

Read selections from Candradasa's published poetry

Versions of poems on this site were previously published (sometimes as Michael Venditozzi) in Acumen (Vol. 51, print only), Agenda (Vol. 39, 1-3, Vol. 39, 4, broadsheet 2, print only, and broadsheet 3), Black Bough, Deep Time, Volume 2, Carapace (South Africa, Vol. 26, print only), Chapman (Vol. 106), Finished Creatures, Issue Four: Stranger, Iamb, Wave Seven, The Scotsman, The Times (of London), Vajra Bell (Vol. 8, 1), Urthona (various vols., print only). Various anthologies, including The Heart As Origami: Contemporary Buddhist Poets.

PODCASTS (PRODUCED / PRESENTED)

The Buddhist Centre, community, reality, life
Buddhist Voices, long-form interviews
Free Buddhist Audio, free full-length Dharma talk every week
Dharmabytes, bite-sized inspiration twice a week

WEBSITES (FOUNDED & DESIGNED)

Free Buddhist Audio
The Buddhist Centre Online
The Buddhist Centre [Live]
Dharma Stories

ESSAYS & OTHER WORDS

Keeping the Dragons in Mind (Candradasa), The Buddhist Centre Online.
Life of the Buddha (Michael Venditozzi, co-author), audiobook.
My Journey To Independence (Through Living Abroad) (Michael Venditozzi), Medium.
Reviews of Poems for the Millennium, Vols. 1 and 2 by Jerome Rothenberg and Pierre Joris (Michael Venditozzi), Urthona, print only.