Biography of
Aggamahapandita, Aggamahasaddhammajotikadhaja.
Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa was born on Friday, December 16 1927 (the 8th Waning Moon of the month of Nadaw, Myanmar Era 1289) of parents Wunna Kyaw Htin Saya Hsaing and Daw Mone in Sadaik-tann, Mandalay, Myanmar. At the age of 16, on April 14, 1943 (on the 10th Waxing of Tagu in Myanmar Era 1305, also the third day of the Water festival) during the Japanese occupation, U Silanandadhivamsa became a novice at Mahavijjodaya Chaung Monastery in Sagaing Hills, Sagaing, Myanmar under the preceptorship of Sayadaw U Pannavanta. With the support of his own parents, on Wednesday, July 2, 1947 (on the Full Moon day of Waso, Myanmar Era 1309), he became a full-fledged monk at the same monastery with the same preceptor.
He received his early years’ education at Kelly High School, an American Baptist Mission School for boys in Mandalay. He had his religious education in Tipitaka under the guidance of his preceptor and many other renowned Sayadaws both in Sagaing Hills and in Mandalay. Some of which are: Masoeyein Sayadaw, Mandalay; Sayadaw U Narada; Sayadaw U Vacaka of Shwe Hin Tha Chaung, Sagaing. He got the degree of Dhamamacariya, Master of Dhamma, in 1950 and was awarded a title of Sasanadhaja Siripavara Dhammacariya. In 1954 he attained another degree when he passed the examination held by Pariyattisasanahita Association in Mandalay, and “abhivamsa” was added to his name. His full name is U Silanandabhivamsa, Sasanadhaja Siripavara Dhammacariya and Pariyattisasanahita Dhammacariya.
He went to Sri Lanka in 1954 and while there he passed the General Certificate of Education Examination held by the University of London in Sri Lanka with distinctions in Pali and Sanskrit. In the same year, he practiced Vipassana meditation with Mahasi Sayadaw.
He served as a member of Board of Editors for editing Buddhist Texts for the Sixth Buddhist Council held in Yangon in 1954 and onward, and was appointed the Head of Tipitaka Pali-Burmese Dictionary Department at the Buddha Sasana Council in 1957.
In 1960 he inherited the Mahavijjodaya Chaung Monastery after passing away of his preceptor and became the abbot of that Monastery. He taught at Atithokdayone Pali University in Sagaing Hills. Then, he moved to Abhayarama Shwegu Taik Monastery, Mandalay in 1968, and in 1969 he was appointed the Vice Abbot of the monastery. He is currently the Chief Abbot of this monastery. He taught Buddhist Scriptures, Pali, Sanskrit and Prakrit languages at Abhayarama Shwegu Taik Monastery. He was recently appointed a member of the Advisory Board of Meditation Teachers of Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha in Yangon.
In 1958, he visited Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan with the Joint Secretary Syadaw of Chatthasangayana Executive Committee, Venerable U Visuddhabhivamsa of Vijjalakara Kyaung Taik, Mandalay and Sayadaw U Sobhana of Myatheindan Kyaung Taik, Yangon.
In 1959 at the invitation of the U.S. Government, he visited the United States of America as a member of the four-member Buddhist Delegation: Anee-sakhann Sayadaw U Pandita in Sagaing Hills, Shwegyin Kyaung-thit Sayadaw U Kosalla in Yangon, Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa in KabAye Hill, Yangon, and U Ba Lay Pali lecturer at Yangon University, and on his way back he visited England, France and West Germany.
In 1960, he visited West Germany, Shweden, Denmark, France and England with Sayadaw U Thittila, U Chan Htoon. In 1978, he attended the World Fellowship of Buddhist Conference held in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, and visited Malaysia and Singapore on return.
In 1979 he accompanied Mahasi Sayadaw to United States. At the request of Burmese people, Mahasi Sayadaw left behind Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa and Sayadaw U Kelatha to teach Dhamma in the West. Since coming to United States in 1979, he has been teaching insight meditation, Abhidhamma, and Discourses, and leading retreats throughout the country, and in Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. He has been the Spiritual Advisor of the Theravada Buddhist Society of America, and founded the Dhammananda Vihara Monastery in Daly City, California. He is now the Chief Abbot of the new Dhammananda Vihara Monastery and Meditation Center at Half Moon Bay, California. He is also the spiritual advisor of the Dhammachakka Meditation Center in California, the Tathagata Meditation Center in San Jose, California, the Bodhi Tree Dhamma Center in Largo, Florida, and the Society for Advancement of Buddhism in Ft. Myers, Florida.