NAY PYI TAW May 26
Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing pays obeisance to remains of Chairman of State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Bhamo Sayadaw
Chairman of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Presiding Nayaka Sayadaw of the Bhamo Monastery in Mahanwesin Ward in Maha Aungmyay Township in Mandalay Region Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika Bhaddanta Kumara Bhivamsa passed away at 11.11 pm on 7th Waxing of Nayon in 1385 ME (25th May, 2023, Thursday) at the age of 94 years after attaining monkhood for 74 vassa.
The remains of the Sayadaw has been displayed for public obeisance at the Bhamo Monastery and Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, accompanied by Joint Secretary of the SAC Lt- Gen Ye Win Oo, Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Ko Ko, Chief Minister of Mandalay Region U Myo Aung, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Moe Aung, Commander- in-Chief (Air) General Tun Aung, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the commander of the Central Command and officials, paid obeisance to the remains of the Sayadaw this afternoon.
First, the Senior General and party paid obeisance to the remains of the Sayadaw. Then, the Senior General and party paid homage to State Ovadacariya Presiding Nayaka Sayadaw of the Masoeyein Taikthit Monastery in Mandalay Agga Maha Pandita Bhaddanta Vasaythabhivamsa and addressed matters relating to ceremony for funeral rites of the Bhamo Sayadaw. Then, the Senior General coordinated the requirements and offered alms to the Sayadaw.
Afterwards, the Senior General greeted members of the Sangha led by member of the SSMNC Presiding Nayaka Sayadaw of Minkyaung Pathamabyan Sarthintaik in Thanlyin Agga Maha Pandita Agga Maha Saddhammajotikadhaja Dr Bhanddanta Candimabhivamsa, who arrived in Mandalay to attend the funeral ceremony.
Then, the Senior General addressed the preparations to the Thanlyin Minkyaung Sayadaw saying the Bhamo Sayadaw is a long-lived Sayadaw who served as the Chairman of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee and the State Central Sangha Executive Committee for 13 years from 2010 until his passing-away. The Sayadaw was the first longest-serving chairman Sayadaw. During the period, the Sayadaw relentlessly served the interests of the Sasana. Preparations have been made to organize the funeral ceremony of the Sayadaw on a grand scale as a national level ceremony. The passing-away of the Bhamo Sayadaw, who served as the head of the Sasana since 2010 amounts to a great loss for the Sasana and the country. Systematic preparations will be made to allow the public to pay obeisance to the Bhamo Sayadaw. Then, the Senior General sought advice from the Sayadaw and offered alms to the Sayadaw.
Afterward, the Senior General presented cash donated by the SAC, officers, other ranks and families of the Tatmadaw (Army, Navy and Air) to hold the funeral ceremony of the Bhamo Sayadaw to the union minister for Religious Affairs and Culture.
Then, Chairman of Myanmar Economic Corporation Lt-Gen Nyo Saw and Adjutant General Lt-Gen Soe Min Oo presented cash for the funeral ceremony of the Sayadaw donated by the MEC and the Myanmar Economic Holding Public Company to the union minister for Religious Affairs and Culture.
Afterward, the Senior General and party meditated on the sermon delivered by the Mosoeyein Taikthit Sayadaw and shared merits for cash donations.
Then, the Senior General and party paid obeisance to the remains of the Bhamo Sayadaw. The would-be Bhamo Sayadaw was born of U Po Thit and Daw Aye Thike in Yabe Village in Taungtha Township in Mandalay Region on 14th Waxing of Tawthalin in 1291 ME. After receiving permissions from the parents, the future Sayadaw attained novicehood under the ordination of Hsinmin Monastery Sayadaw Bhaddanta Panica in Hsinmin Village in Taungtha Township in Mandalay Region on 8th Waxing of Waso (Monday) in 1304 ME. With the permission of his parents, the Sayadaw attained noble monkhood under the ordination of Kanmye Kam-U Monastery Sayadaw Bhanddanta Sobita in Yabe Monastery in Taungtha Township on 10th Waxing of Tabodwe in 1310 ME. The Sayadaw continued to study Pariyatti literature and received Pariyatti Sasana Hita Dhammarcariya, Vatansaka, B.A (Mandalay University), Sasanadhajasiri Pavara Dhammarcariya in 1315 ME, Palisirawmani title in 1318 ME, D.Litt conferred by State Pariyatti Sasana Universities Central Administration Committee in 1378 ME, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) conferred by Yangon University in 2003 AD and Ph.D conferred by Sehan University in Korea in 2016 AD. The Sayadaw participated in the original Sangha executive committee (66-member) and served religious duties by travelling in Mandalay Region to deliver sermons.The Sayadaw served as a member of State Central Sangha Executive Committee from the first committee to the sixth committee in March in 2010 and as executive member of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee from March to July in 2010 and as the chairman of the SSMNC from July in 2010 until his passing-away. The Sayadaw also served as the chancellor of State Pariyatti Sasana Universities.
As the Sayadaw served the interests of the Buddha Sasana enthusiastically and persistently and met the criteria of attributes, the government conferred the Abhidhaja Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika title in 2009 and the Abhidhaja Maha Rattha Guru title in 2011. The Sayadaw passed away at 11.11 pm on 7th Waxing of Nayon in 1385 ME (25th May, 2023, Thursday) at the age of 94 years after attaining monkhood for 74 vassa. The passing-away of the leading Sayadaw who served the duties of the chairman of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee and the State Central Sangha Executive Committee for almost 13 years amounts to a great loss for the Sasana and preparations have made to organize the Puja Ceremony for final rites of the Sayadaw on a grand scale at the national level under the guidance of the Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister.
100