SAYADAW U PANNAVAMSA
(AGGA MAHA PANDITA, AGGA MAHA SADDHAMMA JOTIKA)

DHAMMIKAYAMA BURMESE BUDDHIST TEMPLE, PENANG, MALAYSIA
MAHA SASANA RAMSI BURMESE BUDDHIST TEMPLE, SINGAPORE

Venerable Sayadaw U Pannavamsa was born at Wakema, Burma on 10 January 1928. He was ordained as a novice at the age of fourteen and received higher ordination as Bhikkhu on 16 April 1948. He studied Pali and Buddhism in Wakema, Yandoon and Mandalay. In 1953, he passed Dhammacariya, the highest examination in Pali, with distinction. The government of Burma awarded him the degree of Sasanadaja Siripavara Dhammacariya.

In 1954, he was selected by the Government of Burma for missionary work in Coco Island. He extended his missionary work to Sri Lanka and Andaman Islands. He successfully organized and founded the Andaman Buddhist Mission. Then he went to Madras to supervise thirteen branches of Buddhist missionaries in Southern India. From 1965 to 1969 he was back in Rangoon to serve as a lecturer at the Aungmingalasiddhi monastery. In 1970, he was selected by the Government of Burma to succeed the resident Chief Monk of the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Penang, Malaysia.

In Malaysia, during 1970 to 1979, he served as a religious advisor to the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia and as chief examiner of the Malaysia Buddhist examination syndicate. He founded the Sunday Buddhist Institute, an organization for the study of Buddhism and meditation.

He became a lecturer in Buddha Abhidhamma at the University of Oriental Studies, Los Angeles, in 1979. Then he was selected as vice-president of the Buddhist Sanga Council of Southern California. He founded the International Burmese Buddhist Sangha Organisation in 1985.

He built Burmese Buddhist Monasteries in Los Angeles, Sydney, Chicago, Toranto, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Rangoon and Auckland during 1979 to 2002.

He wrote books in English including Maha Paritta Pali Sacred Verses, The Dawn of Buddhism, The Ten Perfections.

Burmese Government conferred on him the religious titles of Agga Maha Pandita and Agga Maha Saddhamma Jotika in 1994 and 1998 respectively.

To date, at the age of 85, Sayadaw is still healthy and serving Buddha Sasana Duties, residing at Dhammikayama Burmese Buddhist Temple in Penang, Malaysia.

Temples Built by Sayadaw U Pannavamsa
1979  The Burmese Buddhist Monastery in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
1986  The Buddhist Monastery in Sydney, Australia.
1987  The Buddhist Temple in Chicago, U.S.A.
1987  The Mahadhammika Buddhist Temple, Toranto, Canada.
1991  The Burmese Buddhist Temple, Singapore.
1999  The Myanmar Malaysia Buddhist Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
1999  The Maha Santisukha Buddha Sasana Center, Rangoon, Burma.
2002  The Ratana-Dipa Buddhist Temple, Auckland, New Zealand.

Books Written by Sayadaw U Pannavamsa
1973  Hand book of Buddhist Recitation.
1976  The Essential of Buddhism
1990  Dhammikarama Abhidhamma Pali Chanting
1995  The Ten Perfections
1998  The Book on Pairs (Yamaka) Vol.1
1999  The Literal Teaching of the Buddha, Part 1
2000  The Compendium of Buddhism
2002  Dawn of Buddhism
2003  Maha Paritta Sacred Verses

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