Pannavamsa

U Paññāvaṃsa (Burmese: ဦးပညာဝံသ; Pyinnyawuntha), commonly known as the Penang Sayadaw and officially titled Bhaddantapaññāvaṃsa[1]) was a prominent Burmese Buddhist monk, known for his missionary work, particularly in Sri Lanka and Malaysia.[2][3] He was first selected to perform missionary work on Coco Islands on behalf of the Burmese government.[3] He was the chief abbot of the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple in Penang, Malaysia, where he resides. He was also abbot over the Burmese Buddhist Temple in Singapore.[2]

In this Burmese name, U is an honorific, not a given name.
Sayadaw U
Pannavamsa
TitleAgga Mahā Paṇḍitā
Agga Mahā Saddhamma Jotika
Personal
Born10 January 1928
Wakema, British Burma
Died24 November 2017 (2017-11-25) (aged 89)
Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolTheravada
Dharma namesPaññāvaṃsa
TempleDhammikarama Burmese Temple, Penang, Malaysia
Senior posting
AwardsSasanadaja Siripavara Dhammacariya (1953)

Biography

Venerable Sayadaw U Paññāvaṃsa was born at Wakema, Myanmar on 10 January 1928. He was ordained as a novice at the age of fourteen and received higher ordination as Bhikkhu on 16 April 1948. He studied Pali and Buddhism in Wakema, Rangoon and Mandalay's Masoyein Monastery, alongside U Kovida. In 1953, he passed Dhammacariya, the highest monastic examination in Pali, with distinction. The government of Burma awarded him the degree of Sasanadaja Siripavara Dhammacariya (Blessed Noble Dharmafarer, Banner of the Teaching)[2][4]

In 1954, he was selected by the government of Myanmar for missionary work in Cocos Island, and extended subsequently to Sri Lanka, Andaman Islands and Malaysia. In 1961, the Burmese government sent him to become the chief abbot of the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple in Penang, Malaysia.[5] In Malaysia, from 1970 to 1979, he served as a religious advisor to the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia and as chief examiner of the Malaysia Buddhist examination syndicate. He founded the Sunday Buddhist Institute, an organization for the study of Buddhism and meditation. In 1979, he became a lecturer in Buddha Abhidhamma at the University of Oriental Studies, Los Angeles.[2]

He has built eight Burmese Buddhist monasteries in cities worldwide like Los Angeles, Sydney, Chicago, Toronto, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Rangoon and Auckland between 1979 and 2002. He has written over 9 books in English including titles such as Maha Paritta Pali Sacred Verses, The Dawn of Buddhism and The Ten Perfections.[2] In recognition for his works, the Myanmar government conferred on him the religious titles of Agga Maha Pandita (Foremost Great Wise One)[4] and Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika (Foremost Great Light of the Sublime Dharma)[4] in 1994 and 1998 respectively.[2]

Death

Paññāvaṃsa died on 24 November 2017 from chronic kidney disease in Penang, Malaysia.[6][7]

References
  1. Lintner, Bertil (2009). The resistance of the monks: Buddhism and activism in Burma. Human Rights Watch. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-56432-544-0.
  2. "SAYADAW U PANNAVAMSA". Burmese Buddhist Temple Singapore. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  3. "The Buddhist Monks". Burma Democratic Concern. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  4. Pali translation by Piya Tan, a contemporary Buddhist scholar.
  5. "Myamar faced East for further spreading of Theravada Buddhism". ThisisMyanmar.com. 12 January 2002. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  6. "ပီနန်ဆရာတော် ပျံလွန်တော်မူ". Radio Free Asia (in Burmese). Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  7. "Funeral for 'Penang' Sayadaw on December 3". The Myanmar Times. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
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