Ven. Vicittasarabhivamsa from Myanmar
Mingun Sayadaw
Religion Buddhism
Dhamma Theravada
Name Ven. Vicittasarabhivamsa
Personal
Nationality Burmese Maung Khin
Born 28 November 1911, Kyipin Village, Myingyan District,
Mandalay Province
Died | 26 March 1992 (aged 80) Yangon, Yangon Division, Myanmar |
(1) How and why did he become a leader?
The Venerable Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabivamsa (28 November 1911 – 26 March 1992) was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk, best known for his memory skills and his role in the Sixth Buddhist Council.
Early life
Ven. Mingun Sayadaw was born Maung Khin to U Sone and Daw Sin in 1911 in Kyipin Village in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Province. During his youth, he was noted for being reserved and his cleanliness.
At the age of 5, he was sent to the village monastery according to Burmese Buddhist tradition, to get a basic monastic education. The presiding sayadaw was U Sasana who had been educated at the Nan Oo Monastery, a prominent monastery in Mandalay.
His grandfather, U Chai taught him Buddhist prayers and recitations. It was for these that he would gain great following and fame as the Mingun Sayadaw.
At the age of 7, he was temporarily noviciated as per Theravada tradition with U Sobhita as preceptor. Since that age, Maung Khin displayed great memorising ability.
Shin Vicittasara
At 10, his mother sponsored his initiation into the Sangha. He was conferred the monastic name Shin Vicittasara, which means Outstanding in Pali.
At 13, he sat for the Vinaya Examination held by the Sanghasamaggi Association in Myingyan, gaining prominence in the Myingyan religious circle. The next year, he sat for another exam, the Pariyatti Examination where he successfully recited the Abhidhamma from memory to the invigilating senior monks. Afterwards, he sat for various grading religious examinations.
Monkhood and Awards
In 1930, Shin Vicittasara moved to Mingun in Sagaing Division to continue his further studies at the Dhammananda Monastery. From that time till his death in 1992, he would be based in Mingun, thus became known as the Mingun Sayadaw. In the same year, he was ordained as a monk with the support of Sir and Lady Thwin. In 1933, he was conferred the rare title of Pahtamakyaw as he passed the Highest level religious Examination at the top of his cohort.
The Maha Sanghasamaggi Association, which conducted the religious exams conferred the suffix Abhivamsa to his name in 1934. Thus, the sayadaw had gained his dhamma name with which he would be renown throughout Myanmar
From 1950 to 1953, the sayadaw sat and passed the state conducted Tipitakadhara Selection Examination, for which the government of the newly independent Union of Burma conferred various titles and honours. In 1953, he became the first monk ever to be awarded the title of Tipitakadhara, meaning Keeper and Guardian of the Tipitaka.
(2) What are his leadership activities?
Sixth Buddhist Synod
The Sixth Buddhist Council was held in the purpose-built Mahapasana Cave at the Kaba Aye Pagoda in Yangon from 1954 to 1956. Alongside the venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, the Mingun Sayadaw played a key role in the Sangha Executive Committee. He participated in answering all questions concerning the Vinaya, the portion of the Tripitaka dealing with disciplinary rules of the Sangha.
It was said that the sayadaw recalled the exact book, page and line of every term in the Tripitaka.
Later work
At the Request of Prime Minister U Nu and the Buddha Sasana Council, he began work on a treatise on the Life Story of the Buddha, titled the Maha Buddhavamsa from 1955 to 1960. The Maha Buddhavamsa is considered the crowning achievement of the sayadaw's literary work.
In 1979, the Burmese government, now under the rule of General Ne Win and Burma Socialist Programme Party conferred the title of Agga Maha Pandita in recognition of his achievements and contributions. The next year, he served as the chief adviser for the convening of the First All Orders Sangha Congregation - an attempt by the government to rein in the different Buddhist sects in the country. And the Sayadaw established The Two State pariyatti Sasana Universities of Yangon City and Mandalay of Myanmar
(1) What are his leadership qualities?
1. The rare title of Pahtamakyaw as he passed the highest level religious Examination at the top of his cohort.
2. The Maha Sanghasamaggi Association, which conducted the religious exams conferred the suffix Abhivamsa to his name in 1934.
3. The title of Tipitakadhara, meaning Keeper and Guardian of the Tipitaka.
6. The title of Agga Maha Pandita
(2) How do the followers consider his leadership?
Guinness Record
In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records recorded the sayadaw as a record holder in the Human memory category. The exact entry was: Human memory: Bhaddanta Vicittsara (sic) recited 16,000 pages of Buddhist canonical text in Rangoon, Burma in May 1954. Rare instances of eidetic memory the ability to project and hence "usually" recall material are known to science.
Legacy
The sayadaw has come to embody the Burmese dedication to Buddhism and also of the Burmese Buddhist sangha. His recitations of the Patthana and the suttas are one of the most popular Buddhist audio materials sold in Myanmar.
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