Tag: BaThan

Talk — Dana
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast

U Ba Than

Introduction
- Dana stands for offering, alms, and donation. It is for Sharing and Caring.
- Dana transcends religion and culture.
For Buddhists
- Dana provides opportunities to gain kusala (wholesome deeds) before, during and after the offering.
- One can share merits when performing a Dana. One can rejoice past Dana and gain merits.
- Dana may be performed anonymously, privately or publicly. Dana may be performed daily or on specific occasions (e.g. sabbath, birthday, anniversary).
Dhamma Dana

Individuals, groups and organizations offer free books and CDs covering dhamma talks. They include :
- Dhamma Download web sites
- Triple Gems Publications
- Tathagata Meditation Center (TMC)
An old saying states, “Dhamma Dana excels all Dana”.

Double Dana
- Sayagyi U Ba Than donates the Garwara Money that he received from the SPZPs and alumni back to Charitable Organizations.
- During one my visits, I witnessed the donation of One Lakh Kyat each to ten organizations.
  They include : Bo Bwa Yeik Tha, Little Sisters for the Poor, School for Deaf and Dumb, School for the Blind, U Hla Tun Foundation, Nar Yay Ah Thin.
Pyinnya Dana

It may stand for offerings made for the advancement of education (of the people and the society).

There are different forms of Pyinnya Dana. They include :
- Sponsoring scholarships (e.g. NorCal RITAA provide some financial assistance to eligible YTU students with the help of RITAA.)
- Donating to the “YTU Library Modernization”
- Sharing of experience, knowledge and wisdom
Health Care

Swel Daw Yeik Foundation (SDYF) provides some financial assistance to eligible sayas and sayamas for Hospitalization and Frequent visits to the Clinic.

Individuals and groups donated for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Variant strains of COVID-19 were reported in UK in December 2020 in UK; and in Japan in January 2021.

Cash and Kind

RIT Ah Nu Pyinnya Shins donate to the various noble causes (e.g. SPZP, Shwe YaDu, YTU Library) in cash and kind (e.g. paintings, cartoons).
August 8, 2025
Winner Inn
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025
- Winner Inn is run by Saya U Ba Than’s family : son Ye Than, daughter-in-law Win Mar Oo, grandson Aung Myo Myint and granddaughter Ei Khine.
U Ba Than
- Before the family moved to a new residential home (a little bit further down Than Lwin Road), Saya would entertain his relatives (visiting from abroad), former colleagues and students at Winner Inn.
Gatherings
- An informal gathering took place at Winner Inn in January 2017.
  Attendees include Dr. Khin Tun (Peter, GBNF) & Daw Win Mar, U Hla Win, U Aung Moung (GBNF), my spouse and me
- U Aung Moung came to see Saya U Ba Than and Daw Win Mar.
  It’s a small world. Win Mar’s older brother was a childhood friend of U Aung Moung.
- Sadly, U Aung Moung passed away in 2018.
  He was active in HMEE, SDYF and several social and religious organizations.
  Several monks arranged their own transportation to attend U Aung Moung’s last journey at Yay Way.
Dr. Peter Khin Tun (GBNF)
- Peter would usually come back to Yangon before January 12 to celebrate his mother Dr. Kyi Kyi Nyunt’s birthday. His father U Tin U is the elder brother of Saya U Ba Than.
- Peter would host some celebrations (e.g. engagement party of his elder son Min Ko) at Winner Inn.
- Sad to report that Peter was an early victim of Covid and lax UK Hospital policies about PPE. He passed away on April 13, 2020 (which was Easter Monday & start of Thingyan). The sad news is covered in BBC and some UK newspapers.
- His spouse Win Mar recovered after two weeks of treatment at the hospital.
- On a bright note, Peter was given awards posthumously and the UK hospital systems adopted better procedures.
August 2, 2025
Oct 2017
by Hla Min

Update : July 2025

69ers

The Class of 69 (mostly M69) paid respect to Sayagyi U Ba Than on October 1, 2017.

U Aung Min was the organizer.

U Ba Than

The group attended the birthday celebration ceremony and received blessing from sayargyi. The group handed over garawa birthday gifts that they had collected before and on the monthly breakfast gathering held earlier that day.

Sayagyi U Ba Than

Sayagyi usually performs dana with the Garawa money he received for his birthday and for attending the SPZPs and mini-SPZPs.

Sayagyi has supported various charitable associations for the needy, the sick, the blind, the deaf and dumb, old people and “Nar Ye” . They include
- Little Sisters for the Poor
- U Hla Tun Foundation
- Jivitadana ဇီဝိတဒါန
- Hnin Si Gone Bo Bwa Yeik Tha နှင်းဆီကုန်းဘိုးဘွားရိပ်သာ
- Mary Chapman
- Kyaw Thu Nar Ye (နာရေး အဖွဲ့)
- Medical Clinics
On his Birthday every year, Sayagyi offers “soon kwyay” ဆွမ်းကျွေး at Yaw Sayadaw’s monastery.

The Soon kwyay held on October 2, 2017 was attended by sayas, alumni, relatives and friends.

Updates
- During the pandemic, physical gatherings were put on hold. Celebrations were done virtually, e.g via Zoom
- U Tin Htoon compiled a Photo Album for Sayagyi’s 90th birthday in 2020.
U Ba Than
- Sayagyi passed away peacefully after his 94th birthday.
Posts
- B (Names)
- Dana
- Engineering Library
- Garawa
- HMEE
- Mechanical Engineering
July 16, 2025
Mechanical Sayas
by Hla Min

Updated : May 2025

Mech Sayas
- The photo was probably taken in the late 1980s.
- There were only two Sayamas among the 40 or so Mechanical Engineering Sayas & Sayamas.
The following sayas are GBNF
- U Maung Maung Than
- U Ba Than
- U Aung Than
- S. Arya
- U Khin Maung
- U Soe Lwin
- U Kyaw Sein
- U Tin Maung Oo
- Dr. Chan Nyein
- U Thein Tun Aung
- U Hla Thwin
- S Kyaw Aye
Comments
- The photo does not include U Tin Myint, Dr. Lu Aye and U Zaw Hein Kyaw — all M80. They were doing postgraduate studies in Melbourne, Australia.
- Dr. Jesse Htwe was in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000, but she did not attend SPZP-2000.
- I met several Mech sayas at the SPZPs and Mech Gatherings (as Guest) in Yangon.
May 31, 2025