Ānāpānasati First Jhāna - Pa Auk Sayadaw - 2006-05-13

The Most Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa, also commonly referred to as “Pa-Auk Sayadaw” (“the Sayadaw”), is the Abbot and principal teacher of Pa-Auk Tawya Forest Monastery, Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar. “Sayadaw” is a Burmese honorific title meaning “respected teacher.”

The Sayadaw was born in 1934, in Leigh-Chaung Village, Hinthada Township, in the delta region about one hundred miles northwest of the capital, Yangon. In 1944, at age ten, he ordained as a novice monk (*samanera) at a monastery in his village. During the next decade, he pursued the life of a typical scholar-novice, studying the Pali Texts (including Vinaya, Suttas, and Abhidhamma) under various teachers. He passed the three Pali language examinations while still a novice.

In 1954, at age twenty, the Sayadaw received the higher ordination as a bhikkhu. He continued his studies of the Pali Texts under the guidance of learned elder monks. In 1956 he passed the prestigious Dhammacariya examination and was conferred the title of “Dhamma Teacher”.

For the next sixteen years, he made forest-dwelling his primary practice. He spent these years in the southern part of Myanmar, in Mon State: three years in Mudon Township (just south of Mawlamyine) and thirteen years in Ye Township (approximately one hundred miles down the coast). During this period, he lived a very simple life, devoting his time to meditation and the studying of the Pali Texts.

During the next eight years, the Sayadaw continued his investigation into the Dhamma, traveling throughout Myanmar to learn from various well-known teachers. In 1964, during his tenth “rains retreat” (vassa), he turned his attention to intensifying his meditation practice and began to practice “forest-dwelling.” Although he continued with his studies of the Pali Texts, he now sought out and gained instruction from the revered meditation teachers of those times.

In 1997 the Sayadaw published his Magnum Opus, an enormous five-volume tome titled “The Practice that Leads to Nibbana”, explaining the entire course of teaching in detail and supported by copious quotations from the Pali Texts.

In 1981 the Sayadaw received a message from the abbot of Pa-Auk Forest Monastery, the Venerable Aggapañña. The abbot was dying and asked the Venerable Acinna to look after his monastery. Five days later, the Venerable Aggapañña passed away. As the new abbot of the monastery, the Venerable Acinna became known as the “Pa-Auk TawyaSayadaw.” Although he oversaw the running of the monastery, the Sayadaw would spend most of his time in seclusion, meditating in a bamboo hut in the upper forested area, which covered a deserted range of hills running along the base of the TaungNyo Mountain Range. This area later came to be known as the Upper Monastery.

Pa-Auk Sayadaw is held in high esteem by the international community of meditation practitioners for his role as an accomplished Dhamma and Meditation teacher. On January 4, 1999, in public recognition of the Sayadaw’s achievements, the government of Myanmar bestowed upon him the title Agga Maha Kammathanacariya, which means ‘Most Highly Respected Meditation Teacher’.

In brief, the system of meditation taught at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery is based on the instructions by The Buddha as found in the Pāli Canon (Tipiṭaka) and its commentaries. The system comprises the threefold training of strict observance of precepts (sīla), developing concentration (samādhi), as a basis for attaining wisdom (paññā). This is further subdivided into the seven stages of purification which provide a step-by-step formula for systematically purifying one’s body (physical actions), speech, and mind of defilements in order to realize Nibbāna in this lifetime.

Sayadaw speaks fluent English and has lectured and led retreats outside of Myanmar since 1997 such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore & Indonesia.

Sayadaw’s teachings and Dhamma talks have been printed both in Myanmar and English which are highly regarded internationally. There are 42 books written in Myanmar, and 14 in English. Most of Sayadaw’s books have been translated into Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese.