Thamanya Sayadaw

Who is Thamanya Sayadaw?

Thamanya Sayadaw U Vinaya was a prominent and influential Burmese Buddhist monk of Pa-O descent, best known for his doctrinal emphasis on metta.

He was first ordained as a novice at the age of 13 and received higher ordination at the age of 20. He established a monastery and meditation retreat near his hometown, on Thamanya Hill, where he taught meditation and discourses. The area around his monastery was declared a sanctuary where nonviolence and vegetarianism were practiced. By the mid-1980s, followers established a thriving community around Thamanya Hill, comprising 5,000 households in the late 1990s, as the Sayadaw doled out free land tracts around his monastery.

In 1991, the Burmese government conferred him the title "Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika" for his charity and missionary works. He was known for his education and infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Thanlwin Bridge, a road that connects Myawaddy to Mae Sot and his sponsorship of local schools. However, he publicly criticized the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council, refused its patronage and invitations to visit Yangon, while he publicly expressed support for Aung San Suu Kyi.