U SilanandaThree Abhidhamma ScholarsAt Insight Meditation Society
First Rector, International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University
Trailblazer for the Buddhist monks doing Dhamma Duta missions in the USA and beyond. See the book by Nyaung Kan Aye Sayadaw.
Ovada Sayadaw and Spirtual Advisor of Monasteries (Dhammanada Vihara, TMC, Abayarama, Mahasi) & Meditation Centers (DMC).
Lexicographer, Tipitaka Pali-Myanmar Dictionary
Author — Books (in Burmese & English)
Dependent Origination
Courses — Fundamentals of Buddhism, Abhidhamma (in Burmese & English), Consecration of Sima, Dhamma Topics & Discussions
CourseCD
Passed away on August 13, 2005. I was Emcee of the Memorial Service. I accompanied Saya U Myat Htoo (TBSA) and carried the Box of Sayadaw’s ashes to be scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge.
I was Contributing Editor of the book “Paying Homage to Sayadaw U Silandabhivamsa”.
Book 1
Sarah Marks transcribed Sayadaw’s talks on Abdhidhamma. It was published in three volumes.
Abhidhamma
A Thai devotee published “Paritta Pali and Protective Verses” as a birthday present for Sayadaw.
Paritta
Sayadaw’s first book “Taya Oo” was reprinted for Sayadaw’s 75th Birthday. It also had Sayadaw’s Biography.
Bio 1Bio 2
10th Anniversary
In August 2015, TBSA celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Sayadaw’s demise
I read Sayadaw’s biography
Remember 1Remember 2Remember 3Remember 4
Last Journey
Sayadaw (Rector, ITBMU and Chief Resident Monk, Dhammananda Vihara, Half Moon Bay, California) passed away on August 13, 2005.
I had the honor to serve as Master of Ceremonies at the Services.
50+ Theravada monks from Burma, USA, and UK paid respect to Sayadaw.
U Nandamalabhivamsa (then Pro-Rector, Academic, IMBTU) and Dr. Myint Kyi (then Pro-Rector, Admin, IMBTU) attended the ceremonies as Representatives of IMBTU.
Devotees mourned that “The sun that rose in the East has set in the West”
Sayadaw was cremated.
I had the honor to carry the box containing Sayadaw’s ashes to be scattered from a yacht into the waters near Golden Gate Bridge.
Saya U Myat Htoo (C68, President of TBSA) led the procession.
Sayadaw’s last journey is recorded as a 2-set DVD.
Paying Homage
I served as a Contributing Editor and the Committee member for compiling and publishing the book “Paying Homage to Sayadaw U Silananda”.
Homage
In August, 2015, the saydaws and devotees of Dhammananda Vihara to celebratethe 10th Anniversary of Sayadaw’s demise. See photos
Many monasteries have libraries with texts in Pali, Burmese/Myanmar & English. Some have indexed the library collection.
It is difficult if not impossible to read all the books in a library.
Libraries in Monasteries (Northern California)
Dhammananda Vihara Half Moon Bay
Kuthalakari, Fremont
Mettananda Vihara, Oakland (formerly at Fremont & Castro Valley)
Mudita Shwe Kyaung, Hayward
Tathagata Meditation Center, San Jose
Training and Teaching Centers
Mingalar Byu Har (မင်္ဂလာဗျူဟာ), Dhamma Byu Har (ဓမ္မဗျူဟာ), Dhammacakka Society (ဓမ္မစကြာအသင်းအဖွဲ့ ), Pathan Sar Thin Taik (ပဌာန်းစာသင်တိုက်) and the various training and teaching centers have helped sustain, promote, and propagate Sasana.
Theravada Canon
Theravada means “Way of the Elders”.
At the First Buddhist Council and at the subsequent Councils, the sacred texts are reaffirmed. The Teachings are not added, deleted, or modified.
Burma hosted the Fifth & Sixth Buddhist Councils.
Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa initiated two projects: one to digitize the marble slabs inscribed during the Fifth Buddhist Council in Mandalay, and the other to compile a CD of the Tipitaka texts that were re-affirmed at the Sixth Buddhist Council in Rangoon/Yangon.
The Pali-Myanmar Tipitaka Dictionary was compiled under the guidance of the Sayadawgyis (e.g. Mahasi Sayadaw) and the [then young] Sayadaws (e.g. U Silananda). Myanmar translations of the Tipitaka texts were published by the Department of Religious Affairs.
Mahagandaryone Sayadaw U Janakabivamsa
He wrote texts for both the sanghas and the lay people. They include
Ba Tha Thway ဘာသာသွေး
Yadana Gone Yi ရတနာ့ဂုဏ်ရည်
A Na Gut Thar Tha Yay အနာဂတ်သာသနာရေး (Future of the Dispensation)
Ko Kyint Abhidhamma ကိုယ်ကျင့်အဘိဓမ္မာ (Abhidhamma in Daily Life)
Shin pone shin kyint wut ရှင်ပုံ ရှင်ကျင့်ဝတ် (rules for the samanera/novices)
The Illustrated History of Buddhism (with drawings by Sayagyi U Ba Kyi)
Dhamma Recording
Tape Recorders
In the 50’s and 60’s, the Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS) used mostly Ampex tape recorders for high fidelity.
The general public used less expensive brands such as Akai, Grudig and Sony for recording.
Sixth Buddhist Council
During the Sixth Buddhist Council (1954 – 1956), BBS broadcast the sessions where Mahasi Sayadaw served as the Questioner and Mingun Tipitaka Sayadaw served as the Reciter/Expositor.
The archives are being offered as dhamma dana in Audio CD and MP3 formats.
Kudos to those who are trying to preserve, practice, and propagate the Sasana (Teachings of the Buddha).
Teachings of Sayadaws
Individuals and organizations have provided access to their dhamma archives.
Sun Lun Sayadaw
Recordings (dhamma talks, kammavaca, …) of Myingyan Sun Lun Gu Kyaung Sayadaw U Kavi were made by his disciples. They can be downloaded from the Sun Lun web site.
Mogok Sayadaw
U Sway Tin and his team recorded 500+ talks of the Mogok Sayadaw U Vimala. They also transcribed the tapes for distribution as books. The advances in technology make possible the redistribution of the archives as Audio CDs, MP3s, and e-Books.
Dhammananda Sayadaw
Recordings of Sayadaw U Silananda (Abdhidhamma, “Words of the Buddha”, …, dhamma talks given at the meditation retreats) were made by his disciples at Dhammacakka Center, Theravada Buddhist Society of America (TBSA), Tathagatha Meditation Center (TMC), and Zen Buddhist Temple. Some works are available as Audio CDs, MP3s and books. I was honored to edit the dhamma talks (transcribed by Sayadaw U Osadha) before presenting them to SayadawU S ilananda for final review and editing. The book was published in 2003 by the Malaysian yogis organized by Pauline Chiong.
Taya Oo
TMC Publications
Tathagata Meditation Center
TMC was founded by the Vietnamese disciples of Sayadaw U Silananda.
TMC is located at 1215 Lucretia Avenue, San Jose, CA 95122
Conducts about six long-term meditation retreats per year.
Offers two week-end retreats for months when there are no long-term retreats.
Holds summer classes : one for children and the other for young adults.
Published several books for Dhamma Dana distribution. They include teachings by Mahasi Sayadaw, U Pandita, U Silananda, and books to study Pali.
Pali
For the past few years, U Dhammika-bhivamsa (Tharmanay Kyaw) taught Pali courses using selected Suttas to interested yogis to have an appreciation of Buddha’s teachings without delving into the details of Pali grammar.
The course materials were prepared by Som Tu (Director of TMC, Retired executive in Technology) under the guidance of Thamanay Kyaw Sayadaw.
Reference Books
I used to volunteer as Translator/Interpreter for Meditation Retreats at Tathagata Meditation Center (TMC).
Beelin Sayadaw U Pannadipa (then Resident Sayadaw at TMC, currently Padana Nayaka Sayadaw at Panditarama Shwe Taung Gone in Yangon) gave me the book “A Pali Myanmar-English Dictionary of the Noble Words of the Lord Buddha”.
The book was compiled by U Myat Kyaw (Myanmar Sar Ah Phwe) and translated into English by U San Lwin.
TMC gave me the book “Buddhist Dictionary” by Ven. Nyantiloka.
It is subtitled “Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines”.
The first edition was published in 1946.
The third revised & enlarged edition was edited by Ven. Nyanaponika in 1970.
U Hla Myint, who had passed Dhammacariya & several monastic exams as a monk, gave me a PDF version of his manuscript “An Introduction to Pali” for study and review.
The book is available as Dhamma Dana distribution from TMC.
He studied Pali under the guidance of Mahagandayone Sayadaw U Jananabhivamsa (one of the greatest Pali scholars in the 20th century) and with the outstanding teachers U Vijaya-lankara and U Dhamika-bhivamsa (with pen name “Thamanay Kyaw”).
He studied English under the guidance of Sayadaw U Pandita-bhivamsa and with the eminent teachers such as U Aung Myat Thut, U Aye Maung and U Hla Maung.
He has written, translated and edited several books for TMC.
U Hla Myint
Triple Gem Publications
Founder Members
Harry Than Htut (Canada)
U Htay Aung (Victor, Australia)
Dr. Maung Maung Lwin (UK)
U Tin Htoon (USA)
Daw Tin Tin Myint (Emma, Singapore)
Sample Publications
Emptying the Rose-Apple Seat A day-to-day guide to Buddhist meditation methods as taught by a renowned meditation master by Aggamahapandita Bhaddhanta Dr. Rewata Dhamma Foreword by Joseph Goldstein
The Buddha’s Prescription A selection of talks and essays by Dr. Rewata Dhamma
Inward Path Publisher
Background
IPP is in Penang, Malaysia.
Aims at disseminating the noble teachings of Wisdom and Compassion of the Buddha to a wide segment of readers through the printing of Dhamma books and booklets.
Dhamma Dana
Inward Journey Books (free Dhamma books) include the following :
One Truth Only A Compilation of Passages from Mahasi Sayadaw’s discourses
The Way to the Happiness of Peace Understanding the Basics of Insight Meditation By Sayadaw U Pandita
Paritta Pali and Protective Verses A Collection of Eleven Protective Verses & An English Translation By Sayadaw U Silananda
Volition An Introduction to the Law of Kamma By Sayadaw U Silananda
No Inner Core An Introduction to the Doctrine of Anatta By Sayadaw U Silananda
Idriya The Nine Causes which Sharpen the Controlling Faculty of a Vipassana Meditating Yogi By Sayadaw U Kundala
Vipassana Bhavana Basic Principles of Mindfulness Meditation By Sayadaw U Kundala
Time and Priceless Treasures of Thabyekan Sayadaw Compiled by Tharmanay Kyaw
Triple Gems Publications, in collaboration with Suki Hoti Publications, have made available dhamma dana books. See the relevant postings.
Theravada Web Sites
Thanks to the websites (such as those listed below), the Teachings of the Buddha and His disciples can easily be studied, practiced, and propagated.
The course in Burmese is available in CD and MP3 tapes.
The course is English is available as a 3-volume book.
Abhidhamma Course (in Burmese)
Abhidhamma (Burmese)
Sayadaw U Silananda gave a course at Dhammananda Vihara (then in Daly City) over several weekends.
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) completed the course.
Some devotees converted the 26 tapes into MP3 format.
Ko Jeffrey (from Fremont) loaded them onto an MP3 player, and offered them as dhamma dana to students taking Abhidhamma courses.
Handbook of Abhidhamma Studies
Three Volumes by Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda
Transcription by Sarah E Marks
Abhidhamma (English)Back cover
Dr. Nandamalabhivamsa
Dr. Nandamalabhivamsa
He succeeded U Silanandabhivamsa as Rector of IMBTU
He taught Abhidhamma in Myanmar and beyond.
Fundamental Abhidhamma Part I was first taught in 1997 at Maryland, USA. The book was edited by Dr. Khin Maung U (First in Burma in the Matric exam of 1963). The second edition was published by the Center of Buddhist Studies (CBS), Sagaing Hills in 2005.
Fundamental Abhidhamma Part II was published by the Center of Buddhist Studies (CBS), Sagaing Hills in 2007.
Fundamental
Fundamental Abhidhamma
Part I
By Dr. Nandamalabhivamsa
First edition : June 1997
Editor : Dr. Khin Maung U
Myanmar-Buddhist Meditation Society, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Second, extended edition : January 2005
revised : November 2005
Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS), Sagaing Hills, Sagaing, Myanmar
Contents
The History of Abhidhamma
(1) Why is it called Abhidhamma? (2) Who is the author? … (8) The role of Abhidhammattha sangaha (9) The role of Vibhavani (10) Ledi Sayadaw (11) Paramatthadipani, the critic of Vibhavani
Ashin Garudhamma teaches two courses at the monastery in Spady, Fremont.
One is Pali.
The other is Abdhidhamma.
Gary dhamma
Abhidamma Newsletter (1999)
Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa was Patron of Dhammachakka Meditation Center, Berkeley, C.A.
Abdhidhamma Newsletter was published by the Abhidhamma Study Group of DMC.
Abhidhamma Newsletter
Abhidhamma Newsletter Volume 1 Number 3 (April 1999) Adviser: Venerable U Silananda Editor: Maung Tin-Wa (Ph.D.) Editorial Board: James Cameron, U Aye Cho, Aung Khin (M.D.). Marc F. Lierberman (M.D.), Yan Naing Lwin (Ph.D.), Sarah E, Marks, Tin Than Myint (M.D.), Bach Dong Nhut, U Han Nyo, Phil Rohrer, Larry Rosenberg, Anna Spievogel (M.D., Ph.D.), Tin Myo Than (M.D.), Hla N. Tin (Ph.D.), Rita Adelman Graphic Designer: Scott Jordan Transcribing and Word Processing: Pat McMahon Published by the Abhidhamma Study Group of Dhammachakka Meditation Center, Berkeley, C.A.
He practiced vipassana meditation with the instruction of Mahasi Sayadawgyi in 1953-54. He served as Palipatiwisodhaka (editor of Pali scriptures) at the Sixth Buddhist Council. He was meditation teacher at the Sasana Yeiktha from 1967 – 1977.
Dhamma Duta Mission
He was a member of Mahasi Sayadaw’s Dhamma Dhuta Mission to Europe and US in 1978 – 80 along with Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa, and Sayadaw U Kelasa.
Yeiktha
Sayadaw established the Chanmyay Yeiktha Buddhist Meditation Center in Myanmar (Burma).
There are branches in several countries (US, Singapore, Australia …)
Myingyan Sunlun Gu Kyaung Sayadaw U Kavi (ဆရာတော်ဦးကဝိ)
U Kavi
Biography and dhamma talks
Myingyan SunLun
First KabaAye Sunlun Gu Kyaung Sayadaw U Vinaya (ဆရာတော်ဦးဝိနယ)
U Vinaya
Early devotees of Sayadaw include U Khin Maung Latt, Daw Khin Myo Chit, U Thein Nyunt and U Win Pe
Wrote a book “The Yogi & Vipassana (Buddhist Meditation : The Sunlun Way)”
Passed away in his late 90s
Book by U Vinaya
“The Yogi and Vipassana” BUDDHIST MEDITATION : THE SUNLUN WAY Author : Sunlun Shin Vinaya Publisher : Sunlun Buddhist Meditation Center 7 1/2 Mile, Prome Road, KabaAye P.O., Rangoon
CONTENTS The Yogi and Vipassana (Page 1 – 18) The Sunlun Way of Mindfulness (Page 19 – 33) Explanatory Notes for Beginners and Those Proceeding Along the Sunlun Way of Vipassana (Page 34 – 50)
KabaAye Sunlun Gu Kyaung Sayadaw U Wara
(ဆရာတော်ဦးဝရ)
U Wara
U Win Paing won Golf trophies (some with his younger brother U Kyaw Paing).
Meditated at KabaAye Sunlun.
He gave away his Golf Set. Entered monkhood after the Final exam for Chemical Engineering in 1970.
Served as Taik Oke Sayadaw of Kaba Aye Sunlun Gu Kyaung for nearly four decades.
Succeeded Sayadaw U Vinaya as Chief Resident Monk.
Passed away on August 26, 2021
Siblings : Dr. Myo Paing (Medical Research & Malaria), U Soe Paing (RIT EE, UCC co-founder, UN), U Kyaw Paing (Lawyer, Entrepreneur, Champion Golfer)
U WaraObituaryFour Paing Brothers
Vipassana Retreats
KabaAye Sunlun Gu Kyaung
Kyauk Pa Daung
Hong Kong
Dr. Khin Maung Win
Son of U Khin Maung Latt & Daw Khin Myo Chit
Retired Professor of Mathematics
Published “Notes on Vipassana meditation”
UCC
Yahan Khan
In the 1970s, the staff and students of Universities’ Computer Center hosted “Donlaba Yahan Khan” for Thingyan at selected monasteries.
The initial venue was KabaAye Sunlun Gu Kyaung.
UCC Yahan Khan 1UCC Yahan Khan 2
Updates
Sayadaws — U Kavi, U Vinaya & U Wara — have passed away.
Several devotees — U Khin Maung Latt, Daw Khin Myo Chit, Dr. Khin Maung Win, U Thein Nyunt, Tekkatho Shwe Yee Win, U Soe Myint, U Win Pe — are GBNF.
Mr. Salvitore was working as a Chemist in the USA.
Received a book as Christmas present from his supervisor. A chapter was “Dhammapada”. After reading it, Samvega (sense of urgency) crept in.
Quit his job. Left for Burma to be ordained as a Buddhist monk. Became “U Lokanatha”.
Wrote “I became a Buddhist. My supervisor remained a Christian.”
Was from a devout Catholic family. Elder brother was a Priest.
My paternal grand mother offered a monastery for U Lokanatha in Bawdigone (Windermere), Rangoon.
Practiced Dhutanga. Preached & took Dhamma Dhuta missions to India and Ceylon.
Passed away in Maymyo in 1966.
Ashin Ananda
(Latvian monk)
Fled Communist Rule
Rev. Friedrich V. Lustig’s mentor was the Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia and Lithuania. When the Communists invaded their country, they sought refuge in Burma. The government provided them a monastery in the “Ah Le Pyit Sa Yan” of Shwe Dagon Pagoda.
Moke Seit
Known as “Moke Seit Phone Gyi” for his beard. Came for alms to our parent’s house in Windermere Road.
After his mentor’s demise, he became Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia & Lithuania.
Ashin Ananda
Shaved his beard
Ordained as a Theravada monk with the title “Ashin Ananda”
Laureate Poet & Translator. Wrote poems in English. Translated selected Burmese poems into English.
In July 1969, he gave my poem “Men on the Moon” to Mr. Hall (USIS) to be forwarded to Apollo 11 astronauts. Gave a copy to the Guardian newspaper for publication.
Men on the Moon
U Thilawuntha (Mon Sayadaw)
Built pagodas worldwide
Mon Sayada
Dat Paung Zon Aung Min Gaung Sayadaw U Thilawunta (fondly known as “Mon Sayadaw”) built pagodas in Burma/Myanmar, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and several other countries.
In the ’50s, Sayadaw visited the United Nations and U Thant. He built the first Burmese pagoda in the Allegheny mountains near New York.
First pagoda in USA
During his visit to California, Sayadaw would spend time with his devotees such as Russell Wolfe (Santa Cruz) and U Aung Myint (Donald, Milpitas).
Sayadaw U Zeya
Monastery in Las Vegas
Las Vegas has some monasteries including Thai monasteries supported by members of the Royal Family.
Sayadaw resided at a Thai monastery and rose up in the ranks. Gave dhamma talks in Thai, English & Burmese. Several devotees offered him a monastery.
In May 2013, several dhamma friends in the Bay Area rented a van to attend “Htee Tin Pwe” of the pagoda inside U Zeya’s monastery compound.
Donated for two Nagas at the Las Vegas Monastery in memory of our parents and in-laws.
Engineers & Architects
Dr. Lwin Aung (A59)
Dr. Lwin Aung
Entered monk-hood after retirement
Was Professor of Architecture and Pro-Rector of YTU
Volunteered as a Consulting Architect for the construction of dhamma buildings
Due to health, he left monk-hood after several vassa.
U Bo Gyi (A59)
U Bo Gyi
Founded “Architect Incorporated” with U Tin Htoon (A60) & U Aung Kyee Myint (A60)
Later joined PWD along with his partners
Designed Mausoleum for Daw Khin Kyi, and was shunned by the higher authorities.
Hobbies : music (piano) and modeling (sculpture)
He is now GBNF.
U Han Nyo (Met60)
He helped conduct meditation retreats in Southern California and Mexico.
U Myo Tun (A69)
U Myo Tun
Ashin Pannagavesaka
Won prizes for essays under the name “Errol Than Tun”
Made dhamma duta mission to Vietnam
Was Dhamma Librarian for Moulmein Pa Auk Tawya Monastery
Edited Pa Auk Sayadaw’s books
Taught English to Dhammacariya Sayadaws
U Aung Chaw (C69, SPHS63)
U Aung Chaw
Ashin Ukkamsa
Resided in Sagaing
Later moved to the Irrawaddy Delta region
Met him in 2018 when he came to Yangon. Attended some breakfast gatherings by the 69ers. Kyaw Win (SPHS63) offered soon to Sayadaw at Shwe Ba Htamin Saing, and also offered Nawakamma.
U Wara (Win Paing, ChE70, SPHS64)
U Wara
Younger brother of Saya U Soe Paing (EE, UCC)
Entered monkhood after the Final Year ChE exam
Chief Resident Sayadaw, KabaAye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung
Was Taik Oke Sayadaw for Sayadaw U Vinaya
He is now GBNF
U Jotika (EE73)
Prolific writer and an outstanding Dhamma Lecturer
Spent vasa at Taung Pu Lu Kaba Aye monastery in Boulder Creek
Revisited US about a decade ago
Frequently visited Singapore and other neighboring countries
Ashin Pannobhasa (M91)
Met him in SF Bay Area with his mentor (Sayadaw from Myanmar).
Born in April 1966 Thursday (2nd Waning day of Kason 1328 BE) in Pyapon, Irrawaddy Division.
After finishing his Mechanical Engineering degree from Yangon (Rangoon) Institute of Technology he received higher ordination as a Bhikkhu or a monk at the age of 24 in the Ordination Hall, Pyapon Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha under the preceptor of Venerable U Vannita, Pyapon Mahasi Sayadaw, Pyapon Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha on 27th July 1991.
Chief Resident Monk at a monastery in Seattle, Washington
Sobhana : mental state with virtue : 25 types = 19 + 3 + 2 + 1
Mental states that are common to all types of sobhana citta : 19 types
Faith, Mindfulness, Moral shame, Moral dread, Non-attachment, Non-hatred, Equanimity, Tranquility of mental factors, Tranquility of mind, Lightness of mental factors, Lightness of mind, Pliancy of mental factors, Pliancy of mind, Adaptability of mental factors, Adaptability of mind, Proficiency of mental factors, Proficiency of mind, Rectitude of mental factors, Rectitude of mind
Mental state that abstains from evil speech, action, and livelihood : 3 types
Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood
Mental state that has limitless objects on which one must be practiced : 2 types
Mr. Salvitore was working as a Chemist in the USA.
He a book present from his supervisor for Christmas. A chapter was “Dhammapada”. After reading it, Samvega (sense of urgency) crept in. He quit his job.
Left for Burma to be ordained as a Buddhist monk. Became “U Lokanatha”.
Wrote “I became a Buddhist. My supervisor remained a Christian.”
Was from a devout Catholic family. Elder brother was a Priest.
My paternal grand mother offered a monastery for U Lokanatha in Bawdigone (ဗောဓိကုန်း Windermere), Rangoon.
Sayadaw practiced Dhutanga (ဓူတင်ဆောင်) . Preached & took Dhamma Dhuta (ဓမ္မဒူတ) missions to India and Ceylon.
Passed away in Maymyo (မေမြို့) in 1966.
Ashin Ananda
(အရှင်အာနန္ဒာ)
Rev. Friedrich Lustig (Latvian monk)
Rev Lustig 1Rev Lustig 2
Fled Communist Rule
Rev. Friedrich V. Lustig’s mentor was the Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia and Lithuania. When the Communists invaded their country, they sought refuge in Burma. The government provided them a monastery in the “Ah Le Pyit Sa Yan” of Shwe Dagon Pagoda.
Moke Seit မုတ်ဆိတ်
Known as “Moke Seit Phone Gyi” for his beard. Came to our parent’s house in Windermere Road for alms.
After his mentor’s demise, he became Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia and Lithuania.
Ashin Ananda
Shaved his beard and was ordained as a Theravada monk with the title “Ashin Ananda”.
Laureate Poet and Translator. Wrote poems in English. Translated selected Burmese poems into English.
In July 1969, he gave my poem “Men on the Moon” to Mr. Hall (USIS) to be forwarded to Apollo 11 astronauts. Gave a copy to the Guardian newspaper for publication.
Men on the Moon (Poem)
U Thilawuntha
(ဦးသီလဝန္တ)
Mon Sayadaw (မွန်ဆရာတော်)
Mon Sayada
Dat Paung Zon Aung Min Gaung Sayadaw ဓာတ်ပေါင်းစုံ အောင်မင်းခေါင်ဆရာတော် U Thilawunta (fondly known as “Mon Sayadaw”) built pagodas in Burma/Myanmar, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and several other countries.
In the ’50s, Sayadaw visited the United Nations and U Thant (ဦးသန်ု). He built the first Burmese pagoda in the Allegheny mountains near New York.
During his visit to California, Sayadaw would spend time with his devotees such as Russell Wolfe (Santa Cruz) and U Aung Myint (Donald, Milpitas).
Las Vegas Sayadaw U Zeya (ဦးဇေယျ)
Las Vegas has some monasteries including Thai monasteries supported by members of the Royal Family.
Sayadaw U Zeya resided at a Thai monastery and rose up in the ranks. Gave dhamma talks in Thai, English, and Burmese. Several devotees offered him a monastery.
In May 2013, several dhamma friends in the Bay Area rented a van to attend “Htee Tin Pwe” of the pagoda inside U Zeya’s monastery compound.
Donated for two Nagas at the Las Vegas Monastery in memory of our parents and in-laws.
Engineers and Architects
Dr. Lwin Aung (A59) ဒေါက်တာလွင်အောင်
Uzin Dr. Lwin Aung
Entered monk-hood after retirement.
Served as Professor of Architecture and as Pro-Rector of YTU.
Volunteers as a Consulting Architect for the construction of dhamma buildings
Due to health, he left monk-hood.
U Bo Gyi (A59) ဦးဘိုကြီး
U Bo Gyi
Founded “Architect Incorporated” with U Tin Htoon (A60) and U Aung Kyee Myint (A60)
Later joined PWD along with his partners
Designed the Mausoleum for Daw Khin Kyi, and was shunned by the higher authorities.
Hobbies : music (piano) and modeling (sculpture)
He is now GBNF.
U Han Nyo (Met60) ဦးဟန်ညို
He helped conduct meditation retreats in Southern California and Mexico.
U Myo Tun (A69) ဦးမျိုးထွန်း
U Myo Tun
Ashin Pannagavesaka
Won prizes for essays under the name “Errol Than Tun”.
Made dhamma duta mission to Vietnam
Was Dhamma Librarian for Moulmein Pa Auk Tawya Monastery.
Edited some of Pa Auk Sayadaw’s books.
Taught English to Dhammacariya Sayadaws
U Aung Chaw (C69, SPHS63) ဦးအောင်ချော
U Aung Chaw
Ashin Ukkamsa
Resided in Sagaing
Later moved to the Irrawaddy Delta region
Met him in 2018 when he came to Yangon. Attended some breakfast gatherings by the 69ers. Kyaw Win (SPHS63) offered soon to Sayadaw at Shwe Ba Htamin Saing, and also offered Nawakamma.
U Wara (Win Paing, ChE70, SPHS64) ဦးဝရ / ဦးဝင်းပိုင်
U Wara
Younger brother of Saya U Soe Paing (EE, UCC).
Entered monkhood after the Final Year exam.
Chief Resident Sayadaw, KabaAye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung
Was Taik Oke Sayadaw for Sayadaw U Vinaya.
He is now GBNF
Paing Brothers
U Jotika (EE73) ဦးဇောတိက
U Jotika 1U Jotika 2
Prolific writer and an outstanding Dhamma Lecturer
Spent vasa at Taung Pu Lu Kaba Aye monastery in Boulder Creek
Revisited US about a decade ago
Frequently visited Singapore and other neighboring countries
Ashin Pannobhasa (M91) ဦးပညောဘာသ
Met him in SF Bay Area with his mentor (Sayadaw from Myanmar).
He was born in April 1966 Thursday (2nd Waning day of Kason 1328 BE) in Pyapon, Irrawaddy Division.
After finishing his Mechanical Engineering degree from Yangon (Rangoon) Institute of Technology he received higher ordination as a Bhikkhu or a monk at the age of 24 in the Ordination Hall, Pyapon Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha under the preceptor of Venerable U Vannita, Pyapon Mahasi Sayadaw, Pyapon Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha on 27th July 1991.
Chief Resident Monk at a monastery in Seattle, Washington
Sayadaw U Silananda resided at TMC when Dhammananda Vihara, Half Moon Bay was undergoing construction.
Activities
TMC conducted long-term meditation retreats and week-end retreats.
TMC held summer classes : one for children and the other for young adults.
TMC published several books (in English and Vietnamese) for Dhamma Dana distribution.
TMC also offered courses via Zoom.
Several activities were suspended during the pandemic.
Pali
Sayadaw Dhammika-bhivamsa (Tharmanay Kyaw) taught Pali courses using selected Suttas to interested yogis to have an appreciation of Buddha’s teachings without delving into the details of Pali grammar.
The course materials were prepared by Som Tu (Director of TMC, Retired Technology Executive) under the guidance of Thamanay Kyaw Sayadaw.
Reference Books
I volunteered as Translator/Interpreter for Meditation Retreats at TMC.
Myat Kyaw & San Lin
P M-E Dictionary
Beelin Sayadaw U Pannadipa (then Resident Sayadaw at TMC, later Padana Nayaka Sayadaw at Panditarama Shwe Taung Gone in Yangon) gave me the book “A Pali Myanmar-English Dictionary of the Noble Words of the Lord Buddha”.
The book was compiled by U Myat Kyaw (Myanmar Sar Ah Phwe) and translated into English by U San Lwin. U San Lwin is the older brother of Dr. Lyn Swe Aye, IM(2).
Buddhist Dictionary
Buddhist Dictionary
TMC gave me “Buddhist Dictionary” by Venerable Nyantiloka.
It is subtitled “Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines”.
The first edition was published in 1946. The third revised and enlarged edition was edited by [Venerable] Nyanaponika in 1970.
Intro to Pali
U Hla Myint (former Sayadaw who had passed several monastic exams) gave me a PDF version of his manuscript “An Introduction to Pali” for study and review.
The book is available as Dhamma Dana distribution from TMC.
He studied Pali under the guidance of Mahagandayone Sayadaw U Janakabhivamsa, U Vijayalankara & U Dhammikabhivamsa (“Thamanay Kyaw”).
He studied English under the guidance of Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa and with the eminent teachers such as U Aung Myat Thut, U Aye Maung and U Hla Maung.
He has written, translated and edited several books for TMC.
Updates
Sayadaw U Pandita, Sayadaw U Silandabhivamsa and Beelin Sayadaw have passed away.
HlaMin 