In the Mahāmangalā Sutta (Snp 2.4), found in the Sutta Nipāta, the Buddha lists the greatest blessings in life. Among these is the association with wise teachers, which is considered a blessing that leads to the development of wisdom and understanding. One of the greatest blessings is to encounter and learn from wise teachers who can guide you on the path to liberation. Through the guidance of a teacher, one can avoid wrong views and tread the path leading to freedom from suffering. This sutta emphasizes that finding a good teacher is one of the greatest blessings, as it ensures that one follows the correct path toward enlightenment.
In this regard, I believe that being able to invite someone as esteemed as Venerable Sayadaw Paññādhikalankāra is an immense blessing. Once again, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Sayadaw for generously dedicating his precious time and mind to us, the lay practitioners who are lacking in many ways.
부처님께서는 숫타니파타에 수록된 길상경(Snp 2.4)에서 인생에서 가장 큰 축복들을 나열하십니다. 그중 하나가 바로 지혜로운 스승과의 교류로, 이는 지혜와 이해를 발전시키는 데 중요한 축복으로 여겨집니다. 즉, 가장 큰 축복 중 하나는 지혜로운 스승을 만나고 그로부터 배우는 것으로, 스승의 지도를 통해 우리는 그릇된 견해를 피하고 고통에서 벗어나는 길을 걸을 수 있습니다. 이 경전은 좋은 스승을 만나는 것이 가장 큰 축복 중 하나라고 강조하며, 이를 통해 올바른 깨달음의 길을 따르게 된다고 합니다.
이러한 측면에서 빤냐디깔랑까라 사야도와 같이 훌륭하신 분을 모실 수 있다는 것은 더없는 큰 축복이라 생각합니다. 여러모로 부족한 저희 재가불자들을 위해 귀한 시간과 마음을 내어주신 사야도께 다시 한 번 깊은 감사의 말씀을 드립니다.
Venerable Sayadaw Paññādhikalankāra
A brief biography of Venerable Sayadaw Paññādhikalankāra is as follows:
Venerable Paññādhikālaṅkāra was born in Myanmar. In 1996, he was ordained as a novice (Sāmaṇera)at the age of 13 and received higher ordination in 2004.
Education & Credentials
He studied in the traditional monastic education in Mandalay and was conferred the following titles:
- 2003 “Pariyatti-Sāsanahita Alaṅkāra”1) degree by Pariyatti-Sāsanahita Committee Myamar.
- 2004 “Vinayavidū”2) degree.
- 2006 “Sasanadhaja-Dhammācariya”3) degree by Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture of Myanmar. After graduating as Dhammācariya (Dhamma Teacher), he was appointed as a teacher in various Buddhist education centers.
- 2012 He graduated Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies (University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka).
Meditation
- 2004 After receiving higher ordination, he has practiced Vipassanā meditation in the main branch of Mahāsi Meditation Center.
- 2015 He followed the guidance of the Most Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw.
Contribution
- 2017 Lecturer at the Mahāvihāra Dhamma-Vinaya University (MDVU).
- 2019-2022 He was also appointed as the Registrar of MDVU.
- 2018 A member of representatives in a collaborative project between University of Chicago and Myanmar Buddhist scholars.
- 2019-2021 He served as a member of the Central Examination Board in Abhidhamma & Visuddhimagga, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture of Myanmar.
- 2019-2022 Abhidhamma Teachings - 2020-3 Abhidhamma
- 2023 The Profound Nikāya Study - hosted by Religious Studies Department of University of the West and Pa-Auk Tawya Georgia (English, trans - Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian)
Venerable Paññādhikalankāra is a Religious Spiritual Adviser & Instructor of Pāli and Abhidhamma to foreign students and meditators. He is the head and founder of Pyinnyaryaungchi Buddhist Education Centre in Myanmar.
He is currently studying PhD program at University of the West and teaching the Applied Abhidhamma and Sutta teachings in English and Burmese languages (with interpretation — Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indonesian) to the Buddhist students of Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and America.
Footnotes
- Pariyatti-Sāsanahita Alankāra Degree (The Adornment of the Study of the Dhamma for the Benefit of the Sāsana)
- The Pariyatti-Sāsanahita Alankāra degree is an advanced academic title within Theravāda Buddhism, particularly in countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It signifies the attainment of excellence in the study (Pariyatti) of the Buddha’s teachings for the benefit and preservation of the Sāsana (the Dispensation of the Buddha).
- This degree represents a high level of scholarship in Buddhist studies, particularly focusing on the Tipiṭaka (Pali Canon), and it is awarded to those who have demonstrated expertise in both academic study and the application of the Dhamma. The degree is an honorific title that reflects the holder’s ability to contribute to the long-term preservation and flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings.
- Vinayavidū Degree (Expert in the Vinaya)
- The Vinayavidū degree is a specialized academic title in Theravāda Buddhism, awarded to individuals who have achieved proficiency and expertise in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the section of the Pali Canon that deals with monastic discipline and rules of conduct for monks (bhikkhus) and nuns (bhikkhunīs). This degree indicates that the holder is an authority on the Vinaya, making them capable of teaching and interpreting the disciplinary rules of the monastic community.
- Sāsanadhaja-Dhammācariya Degree (Banner of the Sāsana – Teacher of the Dhamma)
- The Sāsanadhaja-Dhammācariya degree is one of the highest academic and honorary titles awarded within Theravāda Buddhist education, particularly in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. This degree signifies the recipient’s proficiency in the Dhamma (teachings of the Buddha) and their qualification as a teacher (ācariya) of the Dhamma. The title Sāsanadhaja (Banner of the Sāsana) symbolizes the recipient’s role as a leader and protector of the Buddha’s Dispensation (Sāsana).