Webu Sayadaw

1896-1977

       The Webu Sayadaw was born on the 17th of February 1896 in Ingyinbin, a small village near Shewbo in upper Burma. He was ordained as a novice at the age of nine and was given the name Shin Kumara. At the age of twenty he was ordained as a full member of the Sangha, now being addressed as U Kumara. ("Webu Sayadaw" is a title meaning "the holy teacher from Webu," given to him after he became an established teacher.)

       U Kumara went to Mandalay to study at the famous Masoyein Monastery, the leading monastic university of the time. In his seventh year after full ordination he abandoned the study of the Pali scriptures and left the monastery to put into practice what he had learned about meditation.

       After leaving the monastery, U Kumara spent four years in solitude. Then he went to his native village Ingyinbin for a brief visit. He taught his former teacher at the village monastery on request the technique of meditation he had adopted. He said: "This is the shortcut to Nibbana. Anyone can use it. It stands up to investigation and is in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha as observed in the scriptures. It is the straight path to Nibbana.

       The Webu Sayadaw emphasized the practice of meditation as the only way to bring the teachings of the Buddha to fulfillment. The study of the scriptures, though helpful, is not essential for the realization of Nibbana. The technique of meditation taught by the Webu Sayadaw is anapana sati, "mindfulness of breathing," which requires one to be aware of breathing in while breathing in, of breathing out while breathing out, and of the spot or area which the stream of air touches while the breath is entering and leaving the nostrils. Though anapana sati is basically a way of developing samadhi, one-pointed concentration of mind, the Webu Sayadaw said that when concentration is developed to a sufficient degree, the meditator can gain insight into the three characteristics of nature -- impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and non-self. The direct understanding of these three characteristics is called pañña, wisdom, which is the most essential quality required of a meditator to reach Nibbana.

       The Webu Sayadaw was not a scholar and his discourses do not cater to the intellectual who prefers the study of Buddhist philosophy to the practice. His refreshing simplicity, his patience, his lovely sense of humor, and his humility, all revealed in his dialogue with his audience, illumine a side of Buddhism which cannot be perceived by reading treatises and texts. The statements of the people in the audience offer us a glimpse of how Buddhism is practiced in Burma today.

       The Webu Sayadaw undertook pilgrimages to the Buddhist sites of India and Sri Lanka. He passed away on the 26th of June 1977 in the meditation center at his native village Ingyinbin. He was believed by many to have been an Arahat, a person who has in practice fully understood the Four Noble Truths and attained the end of suffering.

Myit-tha Sayadaw Ashin Vasava

Dhamma Kathika, Bahujana Hitadhara

(Born 1935)

         Venerable Ashin Vasava who is to become the future Myit-tha Sayadaw and President of Kammatthanacariya Nayaka Committee of Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, Yangon (1992-94) was born of U Pho Oo and Daw Lay Mya of Nga-lun village, Nga-zun township, Sagaing Division, on Wednesday, the 8th waxing day of Nnaung Ta-gu 1296 Burmese Era (April 10, 1935).

         At the age of' twelve, he was initiated into novicehood as a samanera, the pabbajja ceremony was held at the Thumingala Monastery in Nga-zun town with his uncle Bhaddhanta Vannnita Thera as his Preceptor, who named him "Ashin Vasava". After primary education and cultural study of Mangala sutta, Parittas and Metta bhavana in both Pali and prose, Ashin Vasava became proficient in Pali grammar and Tipitaka Scriptures, and excelled in the understanding of Vinaya Pitaka and five volumes of Pali canon.

          Ashin Vasava moved to the Yadana-beikman Pali Tekkatho (University) in Sagaing to continue his studies under the able tutelage of' Taik-ok Sayadaw Ashin Dhamma Nandabhivamsa, Tutor Ashin Vannita (Dhammacariya) and Ashin Panna Thiribhivamsa and prepare for the government certification examinations . He passed the Pathama-nge in 1953, and the Pathamalat and Pathamagyi in 1954, all within a period of only two years.

         On May 17, 1953 (BE 1317, the 9th waxing day of Nayone), Samanera Ashin Vasava received higher ordination and his preceptor was Sayadaw Ashin Vannita Thera. After his ordination, Ashin Vasava returned to the Yadana-beikman Pali Tekkatho in Sagaing to perform detailed studies of Pali canon, Atthakathas and Tikas in preparation for the Dhammacariya Examination held under the auspices of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Government.

         Venerable Ashin Vasava passed the three fundamental subjects and five special subjects with distinction within a period of one year only, in March 1955 (in the month of Tabaung, 1317 BE) He passed the remaining special subject at first attempt in March 1956 (Tabaung, 1318 BE.), and graduated as a Dhammacariya.

         Venerable Ashin Vasava was then appointed Lecturer at the Yadana-beikman Pali Tekkatho in Sagaing where he taught the Buddhist Scriptures to young monks. He later moved to the Ma-so-yein Monastery, Ahgama-nayu-padetha Kyaung, in Mandalay to continue advanced studies in the teaching methods on Buddhist literature under prominent and acclaimed teachers there.

         Venerable Ashin Vasava also studied the teaching methods of the famous Teachers of Pakkoku for two years at the Pakkoku A-lai-taik that is another prestigious Center for teaching of Buddhist Scriptures in Myanmar. He then came to the Yangon A-lai-taw-ya Monastery as a Lecturer to teach the Buddhist Scriptures to the monks there for a period of five years.

          In addition to the teaching of Buddhist Scriptures, Ashin Vasava yearned for Patipatti achievement and he searched for competent teachers of Vipassana meditation. He studied two volumes on the Methods of Vipassana Meditation composed by the Most Venerable Mahasi Mahathera and came to the realization that the Most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw's method is in accord with Buddha's teaching. In June 1968 (Waso, 1330 B.E.), he decided to come to the Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha (Centre) to practice Vipassana meditation intensively, and stayed the whole vassa.

         After completion of the meditation course Ashin Vasava was assigned the duties of Roving Teacher to travel all over the country and conduct Dhamma talks to all kinds of audiences. He served as a Roving Dhmmakathika for ten years after which he became the Kammatthanacariya Nayaka of Myit-tha Te-daw-yar Mahasi branch on direct assignment by the Most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw.

         In 1992, Venerable Ashin Vasava was elected President of the Kammatthanacariya Nayaka Committee for the teaching of yogis at the Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha headquarters in Yangon, where he spared no pains in performing the multifarious duties of the Yeiktha. Sayadaw Ashin Vasava is re-elected as President of the Kammatthanacariya Nayaka Committee for the year 1994 also.

(Other Sayadaws)