Mogok Sayadaw (Venerable Sayadawgyi U Wimala)
Mogok Sayadaw U Vimala (Burmese: မိုးကုတ် ဆရာတော် ဦးဝိမလ; 27 December 1899 - 17 October 1962) was a renowned Theravada Buddhist monk and vipassana meditation master.
Early life
He was born Maung Hla Baw to Daw Shwe Ake and U Aung Tun in a small village close to Amarapura in Mandalay Province, Burma on 27 December 1899.
Hla Baw began his education at 4, and enrolled as a samanera (novice monk) at age 9 under Sayadaw (Chief Abbot) U Jagara. He later left for the Mingala Makuna Monastery at Amarapura to continue his religious studies.
In 1921, he was ordained as a bhikkhu (monk) in the tradition of Burmese Theravāda Buddhism with the dhamma name of Vimala (Burmese: ဝိမလ).
As his monkhood was sponsored by the residents of Mogok, a town well known for rubies and gems, Ven. Vimala became known as Mogok Sayadaw. In 1924, Ven. Vimala became the Chief Abbot of Pikara Monastery.
He began to give sermons focusing on the Abhidhamma (the Ultimate Reality), and to teaching vipassana (insight) meditation.
Mogok vipassana meditation technique
The Mogok technique, developed and taught by Mogok Sayawdaw, elaborates on Buddha's teachings and emphasizes on the awareness of 'Arising' (phyit in Myanmar) and 'Passing away' (pyet in Myanmar) of everything, i.e., ( Impermanence or anicca) in body and mind.
Mogok Sayadaw emphasized that a meditator should learn the Cycle of Life Saṃsāra (endless rounds of rebirth) or the Dependent Origination Paticcasamuppada and the importance of practicing Insight Meditation Vipassana.
This method is basically what the Buddha himself used to become fully enlightened and preached afterwards.
Mogok Sayadaw is just reminding and stressing the importance of acquiring the theoretical aspects first by listening to the relevant Dhamma Talks (Budhha's Teachings) especially about the Cycle of Life before starting the actual Meditation Practice for better results.
Millions of meditators Yogis world wide pursue Mogok Sayadaw's Insight Meditation technique especially in Myanmar where it is most popular in most villages and towns
Requisites for Vipassana meditation
To achieve progress in the practice of Vipassana, you need the followings.
1. Listen to Dhamma and learn the technique from an experienced teachers, who may or may not have reached at least a Sotapanna stage (Stream winner) to show you the path he/she had walked towards Nibbana (Enlightenment or Liberation).
Listening to Dhamma can reap great benefits. It can get rid of doubts and wrong beliefs to a certain stage. It can help attain right view and understanding. It can make the mind clear and wholesome.
It can remove Kilesa (mental defilement) and hindrances Nivarana that are present in a person's mind. It can transform doubtful and suspicious minds into a clear, clean and tranquil mind.
2. Put the Dhamma you have listened and the technique you have learned into practice and become self-reliant and meditate.
3. If you try hard with right moral precepts, right effort and right concentration by Śīla (morality), samadhi (concentration) and Viriya (Efforts) then you can attain magga (path), phala (fruit) towards Full Enlightenment or liberation Nibbana.
It is important to follow the steps in sequence, so please don't start with Practice first.
If you have the right teacher and make the efforts, you can realize Nibbana, or become a Stream winner or the first stage Ariya Sotapanna within 7 days, 15 days, 1 months or 3 months, etc. according to the Buddha.
If you don't achieve within that time, you might need to put more effort in the steps mentioned above starting with the listening to the Dhamma. Note that no one (with the exception of Buddhas) can become Sotapanna without listening to the Dhamma. Just practicing without listening and learning Dhamma is may take longer. What kind of Dhamma should you have to listen? The Theory of Dependent Origination first. One will then learn phenomena of anicca (Impermanence), Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), and Anatta (no soul, no self).
If you can see anicca while meditating, then one can become a Stream-Winner Sotapanna sooner or later.
The full Enlightenment or Nibbana can be realized in this very life, and not only after death.
Excellent scholar and teacher of dhamma
As a lecturer of Buddha’s Dhamma, Sayadaw had taught many monks, novices and lay people.
1. He can elaborate the summarized Dhamma with detailed explanations.
2. He can show others the way to Nibbana as he had experienced.
3. He can give good examples for even the very complex Dhamma.
4. He left behind (Relics) presumably as proof of the Arahantship.
5. Many attest to Sayadaw's sixth sense and supernatural power (e.g. seeing with divine eyes).
6. He devised an effective way to teach the theory and practice of vipassanā (also called the Insight Meditation). The technique requires considerable effort to understand if one simply reads Tipitaka.
7. Sayadaw is an expert on the Pali canons known as Tipitaka three baskets: Sutta (discourses), Vinaya (disciplines) and Abhidhamma (ultimate reality).
8. Many monks studied under Sayadaw. Several, who wanted to listen to Sayadaw's lectures, had to sit under the trees near his monastery because the halls were full. Many people also attended the night-lectures meant for the monks.
9. It is said that if one has not studied Abhidhamma in Myanmar from the Master, one cannot claim to be an expert in Abhidhamma Pitaka.
10. Sayadaw wrote many Dhamma books used by monks, scholars and buddhists.
11. Mogok Sayadaw practiced vipassana intensively and was believed to became enlightened. He used his knowledge and practice to lead others to the path. Teaching Dhamma to others is one of the duties of the monks, but it is important to be qualified to teach others by acquiring at least some sort of Enlightenment.
Samatha and Vipassana
Some people like beautiful things and thoughts, so they will not be able to effectively practice concentration ( Samahta samadhi) with inpleasant objects (e.g. corpses) and scenes. Giving wrong kamahtan can delay or impede the progress. So, having a knowledgeable meditation teacher is extremely important.
So remember that teacher has to be Sotapanna himself at least at first to teach vipassana for his student. Otherwise if with other teacher for 15 days trip you may have to go with up to 3 months to success, yet remember that no teacher no succeeds, that wisdom is impossible to know without teacher.
Why go first Samatha and second Vipassana after maintained Śīla?
Because need to have right concentration (samadhi) at first to become to see though the wisdom (Pañña) in deepest level of mind by clear and clean mood, after penetrated through the deepest level of mind and then can be able to wipe out the dusts or bad things from the mind.
Dehti(Pāli) important:
Sayadaw Vipassana way is, to wipe the Dehti (wrong opinions, wrong view points) at first before practicing Vipassana meditation by knowledge so that essential thing must listen well-taught several Sayadaw’s Dhamma and then after wipe Dehti temporary by knowledge mind and then can get rip off permanently forever by Vipassana way and enlightenment wisdom, so that bad Dehti of wrong opinions will never come back.
So important that if without wiping out Dehti from the mind with temporary wisdom knowledge firstly and going to do Vipassana meditate then you cannot be a Sotapanna or Ariya and will take too long time delay to become Sotapanna.
Note that all Sotapannas had been experience the Nirvana of enlightenment.
That’s automatic things that attaining of enlightenment will be auto wipe out of bad minds ( 'Dehtis') and 'Visikitcha' ( Doubtful mind of life suffering existence) forever from internal mind stage.
To gain 'Megga' or enlightenment if there still presenting of Dehti opinions in your mind it called weak Vipassana and but only Strong Vipassana can achieve enlightenment, so you need to Boost up the Vipassana power by ripping of 'Dehtis .
Sayadaw teaching ways: So that repeatedly taught the wheel cycle of life ( Saṃsāra) and Parichasamopa ( cause and effect) until clearly understand so that can be able to remove Dehti temporary be acknowledging got from Dhamma lectures.
There were several books about Saydaw Dhamma for that and many Dhamma tapes, CDs, currently available by mp3 Format in Burmese so that had plan to translate and interpret all of them one day when capable enough. There are currently altogether over 800 mp3 in Burmese. But currently you may go to learn at nearest 'MoGok' Vipassana Centers.
The Way of Sayadaw teachings:
Even a lot of Highly educated people admit that they can understand well about Buddha’s taught and vipassana when the time after read Mogok Sayadawgyi Dhamma’s books and they greatly appreciatively for the 'Saydawgyi' and they congratulated that very clearly and very well explained that good to remove the doubts and non-understanding.
Mogok Sayadaw continued Ledi Sayadaw Abidama Dhamma mission and become infamous in whole country rapidly.
There were more and more Dhamma listeners people days after days and even included practicing Vipassana at the center as different races of Indian Panchapi and Gujarati.
Moved to Mogok Monastery:
In Myanmar year 1316, Mogok City residents donated a Monastery known as “ Mingalar building” to the Saydaw in Pyin Oo Lwin District of Mandalay Division State of Burma. Myanmar year 1303 is second world war WWII time.
In the WWII a lot people had died and big disasters with foods and clothes problems. In that time Sayadaw has spend the valuable self times, continued Vipassana practices and Become Fully Vitza as Arhat ( Rahandar) successfully.
Then again in Myanmar year 1314 Sayadaw taught again Vipassana to people and given lecturer to monks and opened big medication center known as Mingalar Maggin Meditation Center, also donor had build a lot of housings and Hostels for Yogi ( Mediators), a lot Donors were as strong eager as first donate as one after another for to get chances. People always come to listen Sayadaw’s Dhamma with so much crowded and even hard to get the front places like enjoyably New Year festival.
Medal For Honer In year 1324, Month Wa Sho 7 ( 08-07-1962, Eng Yr), From Free Burma government presidential Pyidaungsu Myanmar Nation organized, from Headquarter of Sasana ( Buddhist religious) management, given award Medal to Sayadaw gyi with (1962) Aggamahapandita Highest Monk Hood Honor award of the country.
Supernatural power or sixth sense of Sayadaw Gyi:
One day, Sayadaw gyi warned to Hinthata U Mya that to succeed Vipassana on time before he die and you are about to die. Hinthata U Mya didn’t believed and to effort seriously for Vipassana and he still believed that will continue living and he replied, “ I am hard to die”. And in that year when the time Sayadawgyi doing walking meditation near Pagoda and said to disciple U Saw Maung that Hinthata U Mya had dead. In that time Hinthata U Mya really dead in Yangon and that far distance from Amarapura City. But amazingly Saydaw Gyi knew that straightaway and even knew for future.
And Sayadaw Gyi continued said to U Saw Maung that, “ Ariyas weren’t speak out warning alert without actual reason and be caution and serious when given alert”, mean before too late, in Vipassana there are ways of practices in final time before die out, that ‘s dying combat Vipassana technique way should better succeed earlier before die or otherwise hard to succeed if try when the moment about to die, it is Vedananupasana Satipatanna Vipassana meditation technique and some ways to abide and avoid things when about to dying . Even told to U Mya straight openly but he wasn’t serious for that alert.
First Sign Alert 1:
U Saw Maung asked Sayadaw that, “ will you come to Yangon ( Rangoon) next year?”.
Sayadaw replied that, “ My body will describe you”. It is Myanmar term and Monk language, Myanmar people can understand the sense what mean.
Second Sign Alert 2:
Strange word spoke that not usual talk daily in Myanmar; Again in that year, Sayadaw asked cousin U Ba Tote that, “ I want to being seen this Street fix quickly on time immediately.” That’s street inside meditation Center. Myanmar only can understand that, In Myanmar language, I want to be being seen something else to do, mean not much time left for him to live and do this thing to accomplished before he die. For normal speak as usual as in two meanings absolute different between that “I want to see “and “I want to being seen”.
At One night with 5 men disciples inside room and serving for comfort and Sayadaw said that Maung Hla Buu, there is a Snake in my room you go and free it to safe place But Mr. Hla Buu looking for inside can’t find yet and none of all 5 discipline can’t find yet, so that Sayadaw said that don’t you see that it is in the Door Handle Ring.
So that Mr. Hla Buu go back and look in the Door handle ring and the snake showing his power like cobra behave, that snake is extremely red color and a kind of snake in Myanmar that very rare and very deadly poisonous.
Mr. Hla Buu is a Medical specialist, especially expert in curing poisons kinds was even very amazed that kind of snake.
So that he put inside pot and freed it. But he was so surprised that that door is too smooth and almost impossible for an ordinary snake to climb up since no easy source to climb.
Alert Sign 3:
Again, similar to Alert Sign 2, to fix some buildings from meditation center on time, as quickly as possible, I want to be being seen fixed that building. In Myanmar for normal word will say only as, “fix this building” but will not say that words, that word usually use in Myanmar as usually people said when believe to be die himself/ herself as final order words as, “ Kyi thwar Cha tel or [[Myin Thwar Chin Tel”). People who think themselves as plenty time to live won’t say that kind of words.
But Sayadaw is healthy well so that people don’t serious that and even they are thinking Sayadaw will come back to Yangon City.
Deva (Buddhism) Beings visited In the month of Thetinkyuit, after 12 midnight Saydaw was chatting with someone and continue happened in next nights too and those beings were even came out lights from their bodies.
Note that When the last time for Arhats, usually Deva (Buddhism) beings came and pay respect, that’s just customs.
Those sightseeing for a lot donor cooking people witnessed that flying lighting balls frequently fall and entried into Sayadaw building and then flying back into sky in the flash.
Then Sayadaw said later, tomorrow month of Thetinkyut 4th exactly time at 5AM in the morning on time all the disciples must attend to Sayadaw, no matter whatever important reason you may have, it has important reason to call you for that.
Last day of Sayadaw at in the month Thetinkyut 4th, Wednesday: Sayadaw given Dhamma pre-earlier about an hour since yesterday. In the time about 5 AM Sayadaw asked Tin Hla that, “ Hey go prepare my bed for to be ready, Tin Hla was very susprise that never happened and asked before. Please note that Monks are usually awake from bed since 3-4 AM in the morning so 5 AM is in fact monk already woke up time.
Sayadaw said to U Hla Buu that, “my body load is being heavy.” Note that in Monk language as off load the body means for pass away in Myanmar language. Then asked Tin Hla that, “don’t you have any strange dream these days?” She said dream about Sayadawgyi meditation under near the Pagoda inside Meditation Center and that big Pagoda burning smokey had collapse over but Sayadaw had nothing happened and fine.
So Sayadawgyi said it is an amazing Dream Sign and you try hard to meditate so that to be resist strongly like me.
In over 12 PM, Doctor Sony and Specialist Saw Mya Maung came but Saydawgyi said there is no much time left now and your injections were not useful anymore.
Time is 1 PM afternoon, Monk and people are looking with a lot worry and Sayadaw said that if you have body you will have suffering.
year 1324, Thethinkyut 4th afternoon 1:20 PM attained Nirvana.
Third time Honycomb and bee: When the time people carrying Sayadaw the bees flying cross over people and build Honeycomb above. MogokSayaDawGyi Relics 2, proofing as Arhat Sayadaw ( Monk), those Relics are from bones, Blood and body.
The above photo was Relic from Hairs.
Note that amazing thing in Arhat that if you already had Arhat's Hairs but just keep it at home and later automatically rolling and turned into Relics.
Famous Myanmar Monks and Teachers (Sayagyis)
- Ledi Sayadaw (1846–1943)
- Mohnyin Sayadaw (1873–1964)
- Sunlun Sayadaw (1878–1952)
- Taungpulu Sayadaw (1897–1986)
- Mogok Sayadaw (U Vimala)(1900–1962)
- Mahasi Sayadaw (1904–1982)
- Sayagyi U Ba Khin (1899–1971) lay meditation master
- Sayagyi U Goenka
Notable living teachers
- Ajahn Sumedho
- Ajahn Amaro
- Ajahn Brahmavamso
- Ajahn Sobin S. Namto
- S. N. Goenka
- Sayadaw Gyi Vimalaramsi
- Henepola Gunaratana
- Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Christopher Titmuss
- Gil Fronsdal
- Tara Brach
- Jack Kornfield
- Joseph Goldstein
- Larry Rosenberg
- Luangpor Thong
- Pa Auk Sayadaw
- Rodney Smith
- Mother Sayamagyi
- Sayadaw U Pandita
- Sharon Salzberg
- Shinzen Young
- ]]Sujin Boriharnwanaket\\
- Noah Levine
- Matthew Flickstein
- Frits Koster
- Sayadaw U Kundala
- [[Sayadaw U Rajinda[[
- Sayadaw U Pandita, Junior
- Sayadaw U Lakkhana
- Sayadaw U Janaka
- Sayadaw U Jatila
