ASHIN
JANAKABHIVAMSA
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Nayaka Sayadaw of Mahagandharama
Monastery
Amarapura, Mandalay Division, Myanmar
The boy who was to grow up to become a celebrated teacher of Pali Scriptures and the Abbot of the famous Mahagandharama Monastery of Amarapura, Mandalay Division, was born on Tuesday the fourteenthth waning day of Tabodwe 1261, ME. (27 February 1900) of U Zaw Ti and Daw Ohn Hline in Tha-yine village, Wetlet township, Shwebo district, Sagaing Division.
In 1266, when he was five years old, he was sent to the local monastery and was initiated for the first time in accordance with traditional custom into the Order of the Samgha as a novice, samanera. Nine years later in 1275 when he was initiated for the second time into the Order, it was to spend his life-time as a disciple of the Buddha in His Dispensation.
At the age of eighteen in 1279 M.E. (1918) while he was still a samnanera, he passed the Government examination at the higher level Pathamagyi.
When he came of age he was ordained a full-fledged Buddhist monk with the title of U Janaka on the Full-moon day of Tabaung 1280 M.E. (1919). He had the distinction of being ordained thrice in his life, the second time on the Full-moon day of Nayon 1281 M.E. (1920) and the third on the Full-moon day of Tabaung, 1281 M.E. (1920).
His preceptor saw to it that he studied under the best teachers in the two most prominent centres of Pariyatti learning in Myanmar, namely, Mandalay and Pakhokku. The advanced courses in the Pali Canon, the Commentaries, Sub-commentaries, exegeses, and expositions were thoroughly learned from the most distinguished teachers of these centres where he was afforded the opportunity of acting as a probationary teacher himself under their guidance.
Thus to pass the Government Pathamagyaw examination in 1287, standing first, and to gain outright success in the specially difficult Sakyasiha-Lecturership examination in 1289 for the title of Pariyattisasanahita Dhammacariya were for him just matters of routine.
By that time he had already started launching his whole time job of writing books which were to be useful guides and manuals for his thousands of students who later gathered round him till he passed away. He also wrote many small manuals for lay Buddhists who have no opportunity to study the Teaching of the Buddha directly from the Pali Canon.
It was at the time when the rumblings of the World War II began to reach the shores of Myanmar and the Japanese forces began to appear at the eastern border that the Venerable Janakabhivamsa who had already become a noted teacher and writer began to settle down in his own monastery at Amarapura, about 6 miles south of Mandalay. It was an old monastery called Mahagandharama which belonged to his mentor the First Mahagandharama Sayadaw. There were only three dilapidated buildings with five resident monks including himself when he decided to settle down there and bring it up to be a prosperous monastic educational institution.
That he had succeeded in his endeavour even beyond his expectations was evidenced by the fact that when he passed away in 1977, there were over 500 bhikkhu and samanera disciples under his charge as residential students of Tipitaka, strictly following the Vinaya (Disciplinary) Rules as laid down by the Buddha, and 97 monastic dwellings donated by devotees. He had managed to provide residential accommodation for all his students and early morning meal for all of them. The midday meal was collected by the students by going on alms-round. He was among the first recipients of the title of Aggamahapandita, the Superior Learned One, bestowed by the first President of Independent Myanmar.
For full thirty five years between 1942 and 1977, he was intensely and incessantly active in the cause of purification and propagation of the Sasana, conducting courses of instruction in Pitakas, writing text books and sub-commentaries and many religious handbooks for lay people.
At the time of the Sixth Buddhist Council which was begun in May 1954, he was busily engaged in various committees: as an advisor, Chattha Sangiti Ovadacariya Samgha Nayaka; as Performer of various duties at the Sixth Council, Chattha Sangiti Bharanittharaka, as an editor of Pali Texts, Chattha Sangiti Palipativisodhaka; and a Reader of Texts which have reached the final stage of redaction, Osanasodheyyapattapathaka.
Throughout all these years while he was actively engaged in teaching, in administration of his fast growing monastery with attendant supervision of constructions and provision of accommodation and meals for increasing number of students and attending to duties incumbent upon being appointed a member of many committees of the Sixth Council, he never failed to continue writing books and managing their publication.
He wrote in all 74 books made up of 11 books on Pali grammar, 14 books on Vinaya, 14 books on Abhidhamma, 8 books on Suttanta Pitaka and 24 books on miscellaneous subjects dealing with all aspects of Buddhist Teaching and Sasana; he managed to publish 50 of them before he passed away.
He started writing books from the time he became a Thera of ten years standing at the age of thirty (1930) and continued to do so till 5 days before his death on December 1977. He had great desire to help the bhikkhu students of Pali Canon master easily the teachings of the Buddha including their expositions in the Commentaries and Sub-commentaries. He also had in mind to give as much Buddhist education to the lay disciples who are incapable of devoting entirely to the study of scriptures, by writing popular books such as this one, "Abhidhamma in Daily Life", for example. "The Last Ten Months of the Buddha" was another book written for the benefit of laymen. It was a strange coincidence that as the Revered Sayadaw was coming to an end of his discourse on the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, Mahavagga of Digha Nikaya and its Commentary in December, 1977, eleven months away from his demise he started writing "The Last Ten Months of the Buddha".
It was also during these last eleven months that he compiled an autobiography "Tabhava Samsara" dealing with all aspects of his life, touching on his struggles, pains, hostilities, jealousies, triumphs and above all on his metta, karuna, cetana for all beings with the greatest kindness for Myanmar people. He managed to complete his autobiography up to 13 days before he expired, the last gap being filled and completed by his devoted disciple Bhaddanta Candobhasa.
The illustrious author, the Venerable Bhaddanta Janakabhivamsa passed away after a short illness, at the age of 78 on the 2nd waning of Nattaw, 1339 M.E., 27th December 1977, a great loss for all Myanmar and the Buddha Sasana.
(From 'Abhidhamma in Daily Life', translated by U Ko Lay, 1999)
SADDHAMMARANSI SAYADAW ASHIN
KUNDALABHIVAMSA SADDHAMMARANSI MEDITATION CENTRE (Born in 1921) The Sayadaw was born in Waw Township, Bago District, Myanmar in 1921 to U Tha Phyo and Daw Pu. He became a samanera at the age of nine at the Waw Monastery. He studied at various learning monasteries, amongst which are the two well-known Shwe-hintha forest monastery and the Maydhini forest monastery. He attained the title of Dhamma Lecturership in 1956, and another title of Dhamma Lecturership in 1958. On 4th January 1998, the 7th Waxing of Pyatho, 1359 M.E (the Golden Jubilee Independence Day of Myanmar) he attained a yet higher title of Dhamma Lecturenship, that of Agga Maha Kammatthanacariya. The Sayadaw taught Buddhist Scriptures to about two hundred monks daily at the Maydhini forest monastery for twenty years. After having meditated under the tutelage of the late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw for a year, the Sayadaw decided to teach meditation. He founded the Saddhammaransi Meditation centre in 1978. The centre is now catering to two hundred yogis daily. The Saddhammaransi meditation centre has three branches: - (1) Sukhapatipada Saddhammaransi meditation centre at Kyauk-kon, Yangon, founded in 1993. (2) Vivekatawya Saddhammaransi meditation centre founded in 1994, at Nyaunglebin (3) Khippabhinna Saddhammaransi meditation centre of Jndyne, founded in 1995. The Sayadaw is also a prolific writer and has published several Dhamma books. He is one of the chief advisory Sanghas in the main Mahasi meditation centre in Yangon. Recently he has visited Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Australia, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia at the invitation of the devotees, to conduct meditation retreats and to give dhamma talks. |
VENERABLE DR. REWATA DHAMMA,
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ASHIN PYINNYATHIHA(1950 - ) Ashin Pyinnyathiha was born on Thursday, the 13th waning day of Tansaungmone in 1312 of Burmese (Kawja) Calendar, 7 December 1950, in Thaungon Village,Hsinbyukyun Township, Magwe Division, Myanmar (Burma). He ordained as a Samanera (Novice) at the age of eleven. He was ordained a Bhikkhu (Monk) at Jawtikaron Monastery in Pyay Township in 1969. In 1970 and 1971, he attained the certificates on Pitaka Lectureship level namely Dhammacariya and Digha Nikaya. In 1982, he was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). During his years in Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, Ashin Pyinnyathiha practised meditation under the guidance of the Late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, and he later gave training to Yogis . He has been the Resident Sayadaw the at the 'London Vihara' in Wembley, London from 1986 to 1995 when he moved to the Loka Chantha or the Universal Peace Buddha Temple in New York, on the invitation of the America Burma Buddhist Association (ABBA). He has been serving religious duties as a devout Bhikkhu at Mahasi Satipatthan Yeiktha in New Jersey, which is a branch of the Loka Chantha Monastery. |
Venerable Dhammasami(1965 - ) Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre, London Venerable Dhammasami was born in 1965, on 22nd November in Laikha, Shan State, Union of Myanmar (Burma), he became a novice (samanera) at his early teens in Sirimangalatemple, a branch of the Mahasi meditation Centre. He has his education in Laikha and Taunggyi. He received Buddhist education mainly in Taunggyi, Ywanhwe and Pegu where he taught at the Sasana Mandaing Pali University for a year. He completed the Dhammacariya degree ( a degree in Buddhist literature) at the age of 19 being just a novice (Samanera) in the Dhammacariya Examination held by the Government in 1985. He also has the same degree in Shan medium in the Dhammacariya Examination held in Shan State 1986. He taught in Aung Mye Bon Tha Shan Pariyatti Temple in Yangon (Rangoon) before leaving for Sri Lanka in 1990 to proceed his postgraduate studies. Apart from the Dhammacariya degrees in Myanmar, He holds one MPhil and two MA degrees from two Sri Lankan Universities. While in Colombo, he taught at YMBA for four years. He also joined the Buddhist missionary work in Thailand in 1989. He has been teaching Buddhism to children and adults alike at the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre, London since 1996. He conducts Vipassana meditation on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. He speaks Shan, Burmese, Thai, English and Pali. He is at the moment studying for a DPhil degree in 'Aspects of Theravada Buddhism in Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka' at the University of Oxford as an full-time student. |
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