Sayadaw U Pannadipa
(Beelin Sayadaw)
Beelin Sayādaw was born on March 16, 1933 at Hninpalei village, Bee Lin Township in lower Myanmar (Burma); therefore, he is called Beelin Sayādaw. His father was U Kyaw Hmu and his mother was Daw Hla Thin.
He began his elementary education at the village monastery at the age of eight. In 1945, at the age of 12, he was ordained as a novice (sāmanera) at Northern Monastery in the same Bee Lin Township. He culminated his early academic work at Hitlikaryi Buddhist Studies School in Thaton and passed with honors the Tipitaka study program there. At the age of 20, he was ordained as a monk and later passed the Dhammacariya examination. He also studied three Pitaka and commentaries under the guidance of many famous and great teachers. His post graduate work was completed in Yangon and in Mandalay. He became a Dhamma teacher (Sāsana Dhaja Siripavara Dhamma Cariya) and then served as lecturer at Hitakaryi Sangha University.
In 1967, he went to Mahāsi Yeikthā (Mahāsi Meditation Center) in Yangon and practiced intensive insight meditation (vipassanā) under Sayādaws U Pandita, U Janaka and U Sanwara. The following year he was sent to Gyopintha Sāsana Yeikthā near Prome as a meditation teacher where he taught for 17 years. Then he was recognized as a Senior Meditation Teacher (Nāyaka Kammatthāna Cariya) by Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa and was asked to teach at Mahāsi Meditation Center in Yangon and he did for six years.
Sayādaw has traveled extensively to other parts of the world including Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan… He once served at the Mahāsi Meditation Center branch near Wigan in the United Kingdom when the members of that community requested a teacher who is skillful both in study of scriptures (pariyatti) and meditation practice (patipatti).
In December 1999, he was assigned by Sayadaw U Panditabhivamsa to become the new abbot of Tathāgata Meditation Center (TMC) in San Jose, California. He had served in this capacity until May 2011. Under Sayadaw’s guidance, TMC became more popular and experienced the most growth in its history. His presence during the twelve-year period at TMC has contributed to the growth of Dhamma in yet another part of the world.
He was awarded the title Agga Mahā Sadhamma Jotika Dhaja for his Dhamma Dhuta work abroad.
