By the middle of the 1970s the full functioning Buddhist Temples were very few in the United States. Today Buddhist temples and communities from different countries have sprung up and continue to grow in numbers. Therefore, an international organization wholly dedicated to collaboration and cooperation among the Buddhist communities in the United States is urgently needed.

With this end in view, a small meeting was convened at Wat Thai Washington, DC on August 29, 2015 under the leadership of Ven. Thanat Inthisan (Ph.D.) and Ven. Katugastota Uparatana, and it was agreed by those present that an International Buddhist Association having these purposes should be founded.