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Shwe Taung Gon Sayadaw - Ashin Panditabhivamsa

Audio tapes in Burmese:

No. Category Sayadaw Bwe Title Tapes
1 General Shwetaunggone Sayadaw U Pandita Be dhamma ssati in your heart 1

Audio tapes in English:

No. Category Sayadaw Bwe Title Tapes
1 Vipassana (Mahasi) Shwetaunggone Sayadaw U Pandita Guidance For Yogis At Interview 1

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Biography:

IN HIS OWN WORDS

(written by Sayadaw, excerpted from the book in Myanmar, Mahasi Practitioners)

U Panditabhivamsa was born on Thursday, the ninth day of the waxing moon of Waso, in 1283 Burmese Era (29 July, 1921) in Greater Yangon (formerly the town of Insein) in the Shwebosu Quarter of Tadahgalay Village. His parents were U Hpe and Daw Chit Su. He was the ninth of ten children.

When he was seven years of age his parents enrolled him in the Kocheh Village Monastery School, Pegu Township, Pegu District, under the auspices of U Jagara Thera, and had him study subjects suitable for young people to learn. When he was a schoolboy he passed the First Lower and First Middle Standards of the Scriptural Ahgone Examination held at the Dakkhinayone Shwegyin Daik, Ohnneh Village, Kawa Township, Pegu Division. When he was twelve years old, he became a novice under this same U Jagara. As a novice he studied basic texts for the Tipitaka, Visuddhayone grammar books, grammar rules, translation rules, and Abidhamma summary books, under the teacher U Gandodaga at the Kochech Village Monastery.

When he was eighteen years old he was sent by U Jagara Thera to the most venerable Sayadaw U Kelasmhay Thera, of the Mahabodhi Forest Monastery in Kyauktan Village, Pegu Division. When he arrived, he continued his studies of relevant texts both night and day under the Dhamma Lecturer and Assistant Sayadaw U Pandava and teachers U Nandiya, U Paññasiri, and U Obasa. While he was studying in this way, he passed the senior level of the Scriptural memorization examinations at the Mahabodhi Forest Monastery in Kyauktan village.

When he had reached twenty years of age, on the eighth day of the waxing moon of Dabodwe in 1302 BE (1941), U Pandita ordained as a monk in the Khanda Ordination Hall of the Mahabodhi Forest Monastery with his benefactor the Mahabodhi Forest Sayadaw himself as his preceptor. His sponsors were U Bo Han and Daw Thaung of Kyauktan village. Within ten months of becoming a monk, his studies had not progressed as much as he had expected, due to the hazards of the Second World War which had broken out. After the war, when he was a monk of three vassa, he went to the New Kyaikkasan Shwegyin Monastery, a branch of the Kyauktan Mahabodhi Forest Monastery. Continuing his studies there under his benefactor U Sucinta and the teacher U Chandadhika, he studied the senior level texts on the Pali Canon, the Commentaries, and the Sub-Commentaries both day and night. When the first-ever government Patama Pyan Pali examination was held in 1946 following the end of the Second World War, he passed the Middle Standard examination. In 1947, he passed both the independent Senior and Cetiyanganaparigiyatti examinations.

Studying like this for himself, on the one hand, and giving classes to other students as a tutor in addition, every minute of his day was occupied. In 1948, being extremely tired, he took a one-year rest from examinations. According to the New Kyaikkasan Shwegyin Monastery Sayadaw's instructions, he went to the New Mahavisuddhayone Monastery, taking dependence on Zipin Sayadaw U Siyatathera. While there, he continued his studies of concerned with the Dhammacariya examination and graduate level Pali Canon, Commentary and Sub-Commentary texts under such Mahatheras as Vissuddhayone Sishin Sayadaw U Kosalla and the teachers U Anandapandita (Varanasi Sayadaw), and U Suvannajoti, as well as the Most Venerable New Ma Soe Yein (No Worries) Monastery Sayadaw together with Pathan Sayadaw U Visuddhabhivamsa, U Vicettabhivamsa and U Candobhasabhivamsa.

In Yangon, in addition to studying some of the Nikaya under the teacher U Aung Myat Htut (formerly U Adiccavamsa) and at the Kyauk Tap Kyi Payah Kyi Monastery, he studied particularly procedures and methodology relating to the Dhammacariya texts under U Vasetthabhivamsa of Dhammikarama Monastery, Thabyekan Village, Than Lyin District, holder of the "Thiromani" title and author of the Great Paritta treatises. While studying the graduate level literature under these various prominent teachers, between 1949 and 1952 he passed the government Dhammacariya and Cetiya?gana examinations (1949- Siripavaradhammacariya and Sasanadhajasiripavara Dhammacariya; 1952- Cediyangana) In 1950, convinced that the Buddha-Sasana would endure only if study were followed by practical experience, he went to the Yangon Sasana Yeiktha of the Most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw and practiced Satipathana Vipassana with great effort according to the instructions given by his meditation teacher U Vicara, presently Nayaka Sayadaw of Warkheyma Sasana Yeiktha.

Beginning in 1950, his benefactor the New Shwegyin Monastery Sayadaw gave U Pandita full responsibility for literature instruction within the monastery. While carrying out these Pariyatti (scriptural study) duties he was involved with organization and with Pali editing during the Sixth Sangayana. In the month of Nayon, 1955, he resigned from his teaching duties at the monastery in order to return once more to continue to study and practice Satipatthana Vipassana. Coming to the Mahasi Sayadaw's place, he took up responsibilities there.

Attending the opening of a new meditation center in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 12 day of the waning moon of Nattaw in the year 1320 BE (January 1959), during his trip to Sri Lanka and India, the Mahasi Sayadaw invited U Pandita to come as a member of the group of meditation teachers. While going on pilgrimage to sites connected with the Buddha's life, he had the opportunity to learn of the regions associated with early Sasana. When he had been carrying out his duties teaching meditation in Sri Lanka for nearly three years, as best his physical and mental strength would allow, and in accord with his great teacher's guidance, he returned to Myanmar due to ill health. He continued to study personally extraordinarily deep methods of scholarship and practice with his benefactor the great Mahasi Sayadaw himself. During that time, training in the technique of his great teacher, he instructed monks and male lay yogis who came to meditate, on behalf of his teacher.

Having become a Nayaka (senior teacher) of the Yangon Sasana Yeiktha, Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa traveled to the Mandalay Yetanapoun Sasana Yeiktha to look after matters there in accord with Mahasi Sayadaw's directions. Thus, at present, in the year 1964, while looking after the Yetanapoun Sasana Yeiktha as Padhananayaka, leading meditation teacher, he is propagating the practical teachings of Satipatthana Vipassana.