Wunna Kyaw Htin Oo Ba Than - Biography of Maha Si Thera

Now, throughout the Union of Socialist Republic of Myanmar, there is no one who has not heard or known about the Venerable Sasanadhaja Siripawara Dhammasariya Agga Maha Pandita Maha Si Sayadaw, who is so famous that he is so well-known. Even before he became so famous, I had heard about him and his activities, and I became interested in him.

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In the year 1290 of the Kawza era, in the month of Nayon (June 1928), the Buddhist Association reopened the English-Burmese bilingual Shin Buddha Ghotha High School in Panbedan, Mawlamyine (from the site that had been damaged during the boycott). When it was opened, there was a need for a teacher to teach Buddhism and Burmese literature, so I, who was in Yangon, was appointed by the decision of the Buddhist Association.

As appointed, he entered the service in the month of Waso, 1290 (July 1982) and worked as a teacher teaching Buddhist Pali and Burmese. A year later, in 1291, before Waso, Venerable Sobana, who would later be called Mahasi Sayadaw (6th year of the monkhood), came to reside at the Taung Waing Kalay Monastery in Mawlamyine.

The monk lived in that monastery, which was a true monastery (Thursday school), less than five hundred kilometers from Mawlamyine, according to the motto: "Not far, not near, not far

1. Not too far from the city or village, not too close.

2. There is not much traffic, and there is no mixing with people.

3. Less risk of mosquito and tick bites,

4. There is no need to be sad about the four things, they are easy to obtain.

5. Being able to make a good friend.

He taught the fundamental teachings of the Path, which are the five elements of the Torah.

While I was working at Shin Buddha Ghotha High School, I was invited to participate as a member of the executive committee of the Sasanadhara Association with the agreement of the chairman of the Sasanadhara Association, the principal, U Pho Yin, a senior lawyer, and the headmaster, U Aung Bon, a senior lawyer.

The executive committee meets monthly to handle school affairs. Every month, I attend the meetings myself, and I also meet with the committee members (who usually go to the southern part of the village every Sabbath to observe the Sabbath). The committee members are...

1. U Tun Win, Minister of State, Senior Lawyer (now deceased)

2. U Kyar Pwint, Association Secretary (now deceased)

3. U Lay Sein, Secretary of Steel Brothers (now deceased)

Among those elders, U Tun Win and U Kyar Pwint were those who went to the Taung Waing (Kale Jetawan) monastery. U Lay Sein, who went to the Taung Ka Monastery and observed the Upasana, was one of the people who told me the most about the great monk, Taw Laung Ashin So Bana (the monk).

Mawlamyine religion at that time

Mawlamyine is the third largest city in Myanmar. It is a beautiful and pleasant city to live in due to its moderate climate, abundant food, and lush green scenery. However, from a religious perspective, there is no monastery with more than 100 monks. There are large monasteries with more than 100 monks in Nyaungdaw, Danuphu, and Pakokku, which are part of Mawlamyine. Shwe Hintha Tora Monastery in Nyaungdaw, Khinmakan Monastery in Danuphu, Taungpa Monastery, Gandharyon Monastery, and Maha Visutharayama Monastery (East-West) in Pakokku. These monasteries were crowded beyond the city. However, the cities where these large monasteries were located could not match the situation of Mawlamyine. At that time, the Pariyatti Saddhammapāla Association and the Suthumasara Association, which promoted Pariyatti, had not yet appeared in Mawlamyine. It is known that there was a Vinaya Nuggaha Association, which organized a Vinaya Agama Recitation Festival once a year and promoted it.

The Taung La Lone Monastery, Taung Pauk Monastery, Daung Kan Kaw Monastery, Bagan Taung Monastery, and Maha Myaing Monastery are all magnificent and spacious enough for monks to spend their time there. For yogis who want to practice the path of the path, Taung Waing Kalay Pada Nikaya, Jetawan Taik, Taik Kyaung, and Taung Waing Gyi Shwe Kyin Monastery are also notable for their quiet and peaceful location.

However, it could not be said that the magnificent monasteries in the city of Pariyatti and Patipatti were as high as they were. I think it was because the geographical location made it difficult for the monks to travel and come and go. There were also great monks in Patipatti who made great efforts on their own. At that time, the most famous monks for Patipat were the Monk Jongjong Kyattoara Sayadaw of Mudon and the Monk U Ohn Khaing of Donwun Kyattoara (Shwe Raung Pya Taung) in Thaton District. The Monk Jongjong Kyattoara Sayadaw who made great efforts on Patipatti passed away, and when he was surrounded by a large robe of the Dhukut, it was said that his body suddenly disappeared, leaving only the robe of the Dhukut that had been covered. He was such a great monk who worked so hard that even after his passing, there were not a few monks who went to the Joongjoong Forest to see the coffin and robes prepared for his body.

According to the accounts of those who entered the monkhood after his death and entered the Saddha Dharma School, “The monk lived alone, without any other belongings except for a bowl and three robes, which were the food of a monk. He did not have a pillow when he slept, but a human skull as a pillow. He was content with whatever he received from the surrounding villages. He did not have a fixed alms-giving village; he went from one village to another to receive alms.”

Because of the monk's fame, people from the surrounding towns and villages such as Mawlamyine, Muttama, and Thaton began to visit and pay homage to the monk. There were no monks who came to the monk and spent nine weeks in meditation. There was no place to live, sit, or meditate, except for the monastery where the monk lived. (I will explain more in the Maha Sitaw section.)

Mawlamyine was the capital of the Tanintharyi region, and as such, it was a place where rich people, wealthy people, royal courtiers, merchants, and ministers flourished. However, in terms of secular and religious affairs, there were no scholars or people with great spiritual values ​​that the entire country could look up to.

Unable to accept that the religious affairs were only a mere slush fund, U Ba Chit, the trustee of Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda, a timber merchant in Dai Wun Kwin, asked, “Sir, our city is a city that is complete with everything, but in terms of religious affairs, there is not a single monastery with more than 100 students. We have not found any prominent person who has come from other cities to learn from them. Why is that, sir?” He asked the author, “In my opinion, Mawlamyine is a city with good food and a very comfortable place to live. The rich and wealthy people who eat well are very wealthy and do not want to study much. There are very few educated people among the rich.” I could not say whether I was right or wrong, but U Ba Chit nodded his head. (U Ba Chit was a man who had a strong desire to spread the religion, and he has now passed away.)

At this time, while the hopes for religious affairs were still rising, Ashin Sobana arrived at the Taung Waing Kalay Monastery in Mawlamyine. At that time, he had not yet received the title of Mahasi, nor had he yet attempted the Pathipat. However, he had arrived at a place where the Upanissaya was a good foundation for attempting the Pathipat. Just as a person who would become a king steps on the path of victory by virtue of his honor, he stepped on the path of victory in Mawlamyine. The way he stepped on the path of victory will be clear.

"Forests are very pleasant, such

Ordinary people cannot enjoy themselves in the wilderness, but those who are mature in the Dhamma

People who seek pleasures (sensual pleasures)

"They are there."

The scriptures describe the forest and the person who enjoys the forest. If I were to point out a forest filled with such pleasant qualities, I would point to the mountain range.

Mountain range

Every visitor to Mawlamyine usually comes to Taung Waing Kalay. The mountain peaks form a backdrop, various trees grow in succession, and it is green all year round.