A Brief Biography 

of 

 The Venerable Mon Le Sayadaw

 

             Venerable Aggamaha Kammatthanacariya

Monle  Sayadaw Bhaddanta Samvara

 

The Mon Le Sayadaw-to-be was born to U Ngwe Tun and Daw Say Yan on  Friday, 7th Jan, 1921 (the 13th waning moon of Nattaw, 1282, Myanmar era) at 1.00 A.M. in West Gangaw, in north-western Myanmar. The third of four children, his childhood name was Moung Wa Thane.

Losing his mother at the age of three, he was sent to novicehood by his step-mother Daw Say Thwe when he was fourteen. His novice name was samanera ‘Samvara’.

Disrobing after a year as a novice, he made a living dealing stone-beads, and as a boatswain along upper Myanmar’s Chindwin River. At the age of twenty four, Moung Wa Thane married Ma Chit Myaing of Shung Shi village, West Gangaw, and they had four children. When he asked Ma Chit Myaing’s permission to enter monkhood, Ma Chit Myaing readily gave him her consent. Unfortunately, Ma Chit Myaing died when Moung Wa Thane was fourty six years old, leaving him the responsibility to look after their young children.

Deciding that he would definitely enter monkhood one day, U Wa Thein kept the eight requisites ready at home, and lived observing the eight precepts everyday.

 

U Wa Thane became a novice when he was fifty six years old under the abbot Sayadaw U Jagara of Mon Le Taw Ya, West Gangaw. As a novice he stayed in a small hut near a pond in the south corner of Mon Le Taw Ya monastery. A year later, he was ordained, with U Aye Pe, the village merchant, and wife Daw Ohn Kyi as supporters. 

 

After spending six rainy retreats as a monk, U Samvara went to Mandalay and studied and practised Mogok Vipassana under ‘U Dhammissara’ of Mangala monastery, old Mandalay (Myo Houng), and under ‘U Sumana’ of Toung Byin Taik (Myo Houng).

While Mon le Sayadaw U Samvara was holding meditation retreats for locals from nearby villages in Monle Taw Ya, Gangaw, he was first found in 1989 by the then-Commander of the 50th Burma Regiment (Gangaw), Lt. Colonel Thet Shay and his wife Dr. Jenny Ko Gyi.

 Lt. Colonel Thet Shay and Dr. Jenny Ko Gyi, of 35 Goodliffe, Bahan, Yangon, and 27 C, University Avenue, Yangon, felt the unusual teachings of the Mon Le Sayadaw should reach devotees far and wide.

The commander and his wife therefore first invited the Mon Le Sayadaw to the residence of their parents, Sithu U Ko Gyi @ Hteik Tin Lwin, and Daw Amar (Grace) at 35 Goodliffe, Yangon, in April 1990, where the Mon Le Sayadaw’s first dhamma talks were given to a small group of the first batch of devotees outside his native Gangaw.

 

In February 1991, Capt. Oung Thane and wife Daw Khin Hla Wai of 50th Burma Regiment, Gangaw, held the Mon Le Sayadaw’s first retreat near 50th Buregt’s frontlines in Ma Bein, a small town in northern Shan State, on the banks of the Shwe Li River.

And during that dhamma trip in the early years of the Sayadaw's sasana, dhamma talks were also given to small groups of listeners in Mong Meik, Mogok, and Mandalay.

 

From 1992 onwards, Lt. Col. Thet Shay and Dr. Jenny, with the support of their their mother Daw Amar, their elder siblings U Aye Kyaw + Daw Khin Mar Yi, U Hla Myo and Daw Khin Win Maw (Diana Ko Gyi), annually hosted the Mon Le Sayadaw’s retreats at their parents’ place, temporarily making their houses the dhamma hall, the Sayadaw’s place, and dining and sleeping places for meditators.

U San Lwin, editor-in-chief of Dhamma Pictorial magazine and his group for the 'Development of Kalyana Puthujjana', also joined the family in holding the annual meditation retreats.

 

U Hla Myo and Daw Diana Ko Gyi donated land at 10th Mile, Inn-da-gaw, Bago, which is now the place of Yangon Monle Branch, The Mon Le Taw Ya Mogok Vipassana Forest Meditation Centre, where meditation retreats have regularly been held since May 1997.

 

With the spread of the Mon Le Sayadaw’s reputation, Sayadaw has continuously been invited to give dhamma talks, and to lead meditation retreats, in about fifty towns and villages in various states and divisions in Myanmar.

 

Sponsored by Daw Yin Yin Hmway, the Sayadaw held his first meditation retreat abroad in October, 1999, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Arranged by U Thant Zin + Daw Moe Thuzar of Parami, Yangon, and sponsored by devotees of the U.S.A. led by Dr. Than Naing and Dr. Wai Wai Lwin Oo, and Dr. Khine Swe Myint, Sayadaw has given dhamma talks and has held meditation retreats in numerous places in various states in the U.S.A.

 Sayadaw has also given dhamma talks in Australia at the invitation of U Aung Win, Daw Kathy Myo Than aka Pyu, in Sydney, Brisbane, Coff’s Harbour, Canberra.

The government of the Union of Myanmar bestowed upon the Sayadaw the title of ‘Agga Maha Kammatthanacariya’ in March, year 2000 (Fullmoon day of Taboung, 1361 Myanmar era).

 

The Venerable Mon Le Sayadaw is now head of Mon Le Taw Ya Mogok Vipassana Dhamma Centres in Gangaw, Bago (Yangon branch), Keng Tung (Eastern Shan State), Mandalay, and Min Ywa (Gangaw township).