Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda

Full Name: Sayadaw U Silananda
Dhamma Name: Sīlānandabhivamsa
Born: December 16, 1927, Mandalay, Myanmar
Passed away: August 13, 2005, San Francisco, California, USA
Practice: Theravāda, Mahāsi tradition

Early Life and Education

Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda was born into a devout family in Mandalay. His father, Saya Saing, was a renowned architect who contributed to many religious buildings in Myanmar. From a young age, Sayadaw demonstrated exceptional scholarly abilities, excelling in Pāli and Buddhist studies.

At 16, he was ordained as a novice monk at Mahavijjodaya Chaung Monastery under Sayadaw U Pannavata, receiving the Dhamma name Sīlānanda, and received higher ordination in 1947. By 1948, he had passed all three Government Pāli examinations and earned advanced scholarly degrees in the following years.

Scholarly Contributions

Between 1954 and 1956, Sayadaw U Silananda served as an editor of the Tipiṭaka and Commentaries during the Sixth Buddhist Council in Rangoon. He also compiled the Tipiṭaka Pāli-Burmese Dictionary, contributing greatly to the preservation and dissemination of Theravāda Buddhist texts.

Teaching and Meditation Practice

Sayadaw U Silananda was a prominent teacher of Vipassanā meditation in the Mahāsi tradition. In 1979, he traveled to the United States with Venerable Mahāsi Sayadaw to teach meditation and Dhamma. He remained in the U.S., serving as Spiritual Advisor of the Theravāda Buddhist Society of America and guiding several other Buddhist centers.

At the Tathāgata Meditation Center, his teachings continue to inspire practitioners, emphasizing direct experience and personal investigation on the path to enlightenment.

Legacy

Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda’s contributions to Buddhist scholarship and meditation practice have left a lasting mark on the global Dhamma community. His teachings and guidance continue to inspire practitioners worldwide, preserving the Theravāda tradition for future generations.