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U Sīlānanda () was a Burmese Buddhist monk and Vipassana meditation scholar. He was also the first rector of the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University.


Brief biography

Born in
Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
, he first ordained as a novice monk (
samanera A (Pali; ), is a novice male monk in a Buddhist context. A female novice nun is in , and in or . In Tibetan Buddhism, a female novice nun is known by the Tibetan language term , and a male novice monk is a .Thingyan Thingyan (/sɛŋkəmɑ/ ; , Old Mon language, Old Mon: သင်ကြာန် ), also known as the Myanmar New Year, is a festival that usually occurs in middle of April. Thingyan marks the transition from the old year to the new one, based on ...
celebrations. He was ordained under Sayadaw U Pannavata at the Mahavijjodaya Chaung Monastery on the Sagaing Hills and given the
Dharma name A Dharma name is a new name acquired during both lay and monastic Buddhist initiation rituals in Mahayana Buddhism and Pabbajjā, monastic ordination in Theravada Buddhism (where it is more proper to call it Dhamma or Sangha name). The name is ...
''Sīlānanda''. He attended the Kelly High School, an American Baptist mission school, before entering the monkhood. On 2 July 1947, he underwent higher ordination at the same monastery. Four days later, he was re-ordained at
Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
's Payagyi monastery. From 1946 to 1948, he passed three grades of the Burmese government religious examinations and given the status of ''Dhammacariya'' (Master of the
Dhamma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold'' or ''to support' ...
in 1950 and was conferred the title ''Sasanadhaja Siripavara Dhammacariya''. In 1950, he was ordained once again, at
Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...
's Kyaungtawya Shwegyin monastery. In 1954, he gained an honorific
suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns and adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can ca ...
''-abhivamsa'' for passing the religious examination of the Pariyattisasanahita Association in Mandalay. He travelled to University College Columbo and passed GCE Advanced Level Examinations with distinctions in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
and
Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
. In 1960, he became the chief abbot of the Mahavijjodaya Chaung monastery, where he had been ordained as a novice monk. In 1968, he moved to Abyarama Shwegu Taik monastery in Mandalay, and presided as chief abbot. He also served as the spiritual advisor of the Theravada Buddhist Society of America (TBSA) and abbot of TBSA's Dhammananda Vihara monastery in the United States. He taught Buddhist scriptures at
Sagaing Sagaing (, ) is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located on the Irrawaddy River, to the south-west of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing, with its numerous Buddhist monasteries, is an important religious and ...
's Atothokdayone Pali University and Mandalay Arts and Sciences University and compiled the
Tipitaka There are several Buddhist canons, which refers to the various scriptural collections of Buddhist texts, Buddhist sacred scriptures or the various Buddhist Scriptural canon, scriptural canons.
Pali-Burmese dictionary and became a distinguished editor of the Pali Canon at the
Sixth Buddhist council The Sixth Buddhist Council (; ; ) was a general council of Theravāda Buddhism, held in a specially built Mahā Pāsāṇa Guhā (Great Cave) and pagoda complex at Kaba Aye Pagoda in Yangon, Burma. The council was attended by 2500 monastics f ...
in
Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...
. He taught Pali language at
Mandalay University Mandalay University (also translated as University of Mandalay; ) is a public liberal arts and science university located in Mandalay, Myanmar and one of the sixteen autonomous universities under Ministry of Education (Myanmar), Ministry of Ed ...
, too. In 1999, at the request of
Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara (; ) best known as Sitagu Sayadaw (), is a Burmese meditation teacher and prolific Buddhist scholar. He is also the founder of Sitagu International Buddhist Academy. His work as a teacher began in 1977 and encompasses religi ...
, he agreed to become rector of International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University, opened in the same year. He was succeeded by Ashin Nandamalabhivamsa after his death in 2005. He died of a brain tumor on 13 August 2005 at the age of 78 in Northern California.


Family

He came from a distinguished family, born to ''Wunnakyawhtin'' Saya Saing, a renowned Burmese architect, and Daw Mone. His two brothers and two nephews are also prominent Burmese architects. Silananda's brother Ngwe Hlaing and his nephew Than Tun designed a replica of the
Karaweik Karaweik ( ) or Karaweik Hall is a structure and landmark on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake, Yangon, Burma. Etymology The word ''karaweik'' comes from Pali ''karavika'' (), which is a mythical bird with a melodious cry. History The struc ...
royal barge on
Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...
's
Kandawgyi Lake Kandawgyi Lake ( ; ), is one of two major lakes in Yangon, Myanmar. Located east of the Shwedagon Pagoda, the lake is artificial; water from Inya Lake is channelled through a series of pipes to Kandawgyi Lake. It was created to provide a clean wa ...
. His sister Daw Sandasari () is the chief abbess of Shwezedi Sathintaik near Sasanapala River on the Sagaing Hills.


Honours

In 1993, ''"Aggamahā Paṇḍita"'' was bestowed on him as a Buddhist honorific title by the Myanmar government and in 1999 he received ''"Aggamahā Saddhammajotikadhaja"''. On 26 October 2000,
Yangon University The University of Yangon (also Yangon University; , ; formerly Rangoon College, University of Rangoon and Rangoon Arts and Sciences University), located in Kamayut Township, Kamayut, Yangon Region, Yangon, is the oldest university in Myanmar's m ...
conferred the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) on Sayadaw U Silananda for his impressive qualifications. In 2005, he received the title of Abhidaja Aggamahā Saddhammajotika by the Myanmar government.


Bibliography


Myanmar

Some notable works in Myanmar are as follows: *The Biography of
Mahasi Sayadaw Mahāsī Sayādaw U Sobhana (, ; 29 July 1904 – 14 August 1982) was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk and meditation master who had a significant impact on the teaching of vipassanā (insight) meditation in the West and throughout Asia. In ...
*The first sermon of Lord Buddha *A Course on Sima (သိမ်သင်တန်း) *A series of Ahbidhamma lectures (book 1–5) *The Burmese Architect, Saya Saing (ဆရာဆိုင်) *Tipitaka Pali-Burmese Dictionary (as a chief compiler) *The Biography of U Narada of Phayagyi monastery, Mandalay


English

He authored many books in English, some of which are : *The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Wisdom Publications, 2002) *An Introduction to the Law of Kamma (INWARD PATH, 1999) *An Introduction to the Doctrine of Anatta (No-Soul) *Meditation Instructions *
The Benefits Of Walking Meditation
' (Buddhist Publication Society, Bodhi Leaf Series No. 137) *Paritta Pāḷi & Protective Verses: A Collection of Eleven Protective Suttas (International Theravāda Buddhist Missionary University, Myanmar, 2000) *Dependent Origination (Paticca-samuppada): The Wheel of Life (2010)


General References

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Citations

{{Authority control 1927 births 2005 deaths Burmese Buddhist monks People from Mandalay 20th-century Buddhist monks Burmese recipients of Agga Maha Pandita