Sayadaw U Pandita (Paṇḍita) was born on 29 July 1921 in the village of Tadah Kalei in Yangon. He was the ninth child in a family of ten. He was four years old when his mother died and ten years old when his father died. He was ordained as a novice at the age of twelve, then a monk at twenty. In 1949 he was given the title of dhammācariya and in 1952 the title of abhivaṃsa. In 1951, at the age of 29, he began his first intensive retreat at the Mahasi Meditation Centre in Yangon under the guidance of Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw. He joined the centre as a permanent teacher in 1952, was appointed nayāka sayadaw in 1979 and finally succeeded Mahasi Sayadaw in 1982. He held this position for eight years. Out of compassion and a desire to spread Dhamma, he led several retreats abroad from 1984 onwards: in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal and China. In 1990, at the age of 68, he founded his own centre: Paṇḍitārāma Shwe Taung Gon Sāsana Yeiktha. Today there are several branches in Myanmar and abroad. Sayadaw passed away on 16 April 2016 at the age of 95, after having taught Dhamma tirelessly throughout his life. He never came to our centre, but trained many monks capable of teaching meditation, thanks to whom we can organise several retreats a year today. He is the author of several books, including “In this Very Life” which has been translated into nearly ten languages and “On the Path to Freedom”.

You can find his teachings here.

More information about Sayadaw U Paṇḍita in French here and in English here.