The Most Venerable Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa Mahāthēra (), more commonly referred to as the Pa-Auk Sayadaw (), is a
Burmese Theravāda
''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...
monk, meditation teacher and the
abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...
of the
Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in
Mawlamyine
Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing; , ; ; , ), formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), ''World Gazetteer'' southeast of Yangon and south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River. Mawlamyine was an ancient ...
.
Most Venerable Āciṇṇa Mahāthēra ordained as a
novice
A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience.
Religion Buddhism
...
in 1944, receiving
full ordination in 1954. Immersed in the study of the
Pāli Canon
The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...
from his days as a novice, he gradually broadened his scope of attention to include
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
, initially training under
Mahasi Sayadaw and
U Paṇḍitā.
[ Not long after, he would also decide to become a forest monk. In the months and years to follow, he would deepen his meditation abilities under the Kathitwaing, ]Thanlyin
Thanlyin (; or ; , ; formerly Syriam) is a major port city of Myanmar, located across Bago River from the city of Yangon. Thanlyin comprises 17 quarters. It surrounding Thanlyin Township is home to the largest port in the country, Thilawa port ...
and Shwetheindaw sayadaws,[ eventually developing his own set of meditation methods, often collectively referred to as the "Pa-Auk method".
On July 21, 1981,][ at the latter's invitation, as the abbot of the Pa-Auk Forest Monastery.][ The monastery would then grow into a network of meditation centres across ]Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
and beyond, and is currently the largest network in Myanmar.
Awards and honours
In 1999, the national government awarded Āciṇṇa the title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...
of ''Aggamahākammaṭṭhānācariya'' (). In 2018, his title was raised to that of ''Abhidhaja Aggamahā Saddhammajotika'' (). In 2021, he received the title ''Aggamahāpandita'' () and in 2024, he received the highest title, ''Abhidhajamahāraṭṭhaguru'' ().
In May 2017, Āciṇṇa was conferred an honorary doctorate of philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University in Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
.
Publications
*
*
*
*
References
External links
Downloadable books by the Pa-Auk sayadaw
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acinna, Bhaddanta
1934 births
People from Ayeyarwady Region
Burmese Theravada Buddhists
Theravada Buddhist monks
Burmese Buddhist monks
Students of Mahasi Sayadaw
Students of U Pandita
20th-century Burmese writers
21st-century Burmese writers
Burmese spiritual writers
Living people