• A sayadaw is the senior monk or abbot (chief resident monk) of a monastery.
  Sayadaw is often used interchangeably with the term “U”.
  
• A distinguished sayadaw would often be referred to as sayadawgyi as a sign of reverence.
  
• The terms “sayadaw” and “sayadawgyi” originally corresponded to the senior monks who taught the former Burmese kings.
  They may be influential teachers of the Buddhist Dhamma and also outstanding meditation practitioners.
  They usually are abbots of monasteries or monastery networks with a large number of resident monks and a lay following.

Honorific Terms

• Several honorific terms exist for Buddhist monks, reflecting their achievements and number of Vassa spent.
• The given name is extended with Prefixes, Suffixes and Titles

Prefix

• Achan (used in Thailand)
• Ashin
• Baddhanta
• Bhikkhu
• Maha Thera
• Oo
• Sayadaw
• Sayadawgyi
• Shin
• Upazin
• Uzin
• U
• Thera
• Venerable

Suffix

• [A]bhivamsa”
  Pass “Set kyar thi ha Dhammacariya” examination before age 26
• Lankara
  Pass Lankara dhamma exam as a novice
• Pa hta ma gyaw
  First in the “Pa hta Ma Pyan” examination
• Thi ro ma ni
  Finished 9 “kyans” in a single year
• Wun tha ka
  First in the “Set kyar thi ha Dhammacariya” examination

Title

Some monks may highlight their accomplishments

• Dhammacariya
  Dhamma lecturer
• Thamane Kyaw
  Stood first in the Lankara examination
• Pali Paragu
  Completed the examination in Pali
• Agga Maha Pandita
  Senior sage
• Tipitaka Dara
  Completed Three Baskets — “Vinaya”, “Sutta”, and “Abhidhamma”
• Dwee Pitaka Dara
  Completed Two Baskets
• [informal] “Ta Pone Saung“
  Completed One Basket
• [informal] “Hna Pone Khwair Saung“
  Completed “Vinaya”, “Sutta” and the first part of “Abhidhamma”

U Vicittasarahhivamsa

A monk may be addressed by

• his given Dhamma name
  e.g. U Vicittasara
• a qualified name,
  e.g. U Victtasarabhivamsa (with the suufix -abhivamsa)
• by the name of his monastery
  e.g. Mingun Sayadaw
• title
  e.g. Tipitakadara
• and the combination
  e.g. Tipitakadara Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhimvamsa

Venerable Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa, served as “Chief Respondent” at the Sixth Buddhist Council (1954 – 1956) in Yangon,

He earlier passed the Tipitaka Examination with Distinctions in all subjects.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized his memory and the feat of reciting 8000+ pages of the Pali Canon.

Thus, he could be addressed in several ways “

• Mingun Sayadaw
  Reference to his home monastery at Mingun
• U Vicittasara
  Name given at the Ordination
• U Vicittasarabhivamsa
  Passed the Mandalay Setkya Thiha examination before age 26
• Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa
  Chief Resident Monk
• Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa
  Chief Resident Monk of a monastery in Mingun
• Tipitaka Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa
  Passed Tipitaka examination
• Tipitakadhara Dhammabhandakarika Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa
  First monk to be awarded the titles Tipitakadhara (“Bearer of the Tipitaka) and Dhammabhandakarika (“Treasurer of the Dhamma”).