Theravāda is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha's teaching or Buddha Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over a millennium.
Ledi Sayadaw U Ñaṇadhaja was an influential Theravada Buddhist monk. He was recognized from a young age as being developed in both the theory (Abhidharma) and practice of Buddhism and so was revered as being scholarly. He wrote many books on Dhamma in Burmese and these were accessible even to a serious lay person, hence he was responsible for spreading Dhamma to all levels of society and reviving the traditional practice of vipassana meditation, making it more available for renunciates and lay people alike.
The Vipassanā movement, also called the Insight Meditation Movement and American vipassana movement, refers to a branch of modern Burmese Theravāda Buddhism which promotes "bare insight" (sukha-vipassana) to attain stream entry and preserve the Buddhist teachings, which gained widespread popularity since the 1950s, and to its western derivatives which were popularised since the 1970s, giving rise to the more dhyana-oriented mindfulness movement.
A sayadaw is a Burmese Buddhist title used to reference the senior monk or abbot of a monastery. Some distinguished sayadaws would often be referred to as a sayadawgyi (ဆရာတော်ကြီး, as a sign of reverence. The terms "sayadaw" and "sayadawgyi" originally corresponded to the senior monks who taught the former Burmese kings. These sayadaws may be influential teachers of Buddhism and also important meditation practitioners. They usually are abbots of monasteries or monastery networks with many resident monks and a lay following.
Webu Sayadaw was a Theravada Buddhist monk, and vipassanā master, best known for giving all importance to diligent practice, rather than scholastic achievement.
Jambuka is an ascetic described in the 70th verse of the Dhammapada, a Buddhist text.
Kalapa or rupa-kalapa is a term in Theravada Buddhist phenomenology for the smallest units of physical matter, said to be about 1/46,656th the size of a particle of dust from a wheel of chariot. Kalapas are not mentioned in the earliest Buddhists texts, such as the Tripitaka, but only in the Abhidhammattha-sangaha, an Abhidhamma commentary dated to the 11th or 12th century, and as such not part of common Theravada doctrine.
Nissarana Vanaya is a renowned meditation monastery in Sri Lanka. It is located in Mitirigala in the Western province close to the town of Kirindiwela.
Hinthada Township is a township of Hinthada District in the Ayeyarwady Division of Myanmar.
Dhammadharini Vihara is a Buddhist women's monastic residence (vihara) in the Sonoma Hills of Santa Rosa, California. The name "Dhammadharini" is interpreted as a "holder" or "upholder" of the Buddhadhamma as a "flowing" or "streaming" reality, teaching and practice. A "vihara" is a monastic residence, and place of Dhamma and meditation teaching and practice.
The Nissarana Vanaya Meditation System was developed by Matara Sri Ñāṇārāma Mahathera, a highly respected senior meditation master of Sri Lanka and the first Upajjhaya of Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha. This Buddhist meditation system uses samatha and vipassanā techniques in combination to allow what it claims are more intense insight results than ‘dry insight’ meditation. It was refined over decades by the head monks of the Nissarana Vanaya.
Nā Uyana Aranya Senāsanaya is a Buddhist forest monastery in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, associated with the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha. It spreads over more than 5000 acres of forest on the 'Dummiya' mountain range and is residence to about 150 Buddhist monks. Na Uyana is so named because of the old Ceylon ironwood forest that forms part of the monastery.
Most Ven. Nauyane Ariyadhamma Maha Thera was a Sri Lankan bhikkhu and a senior meditation teacher. He was the spiritual advisor of the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Samstha, and for many years resided at the Na Uyana Aranya. In 2011 he moved to Meetirigala Dharmayatanaya to help revitalize this long-standing place of learning and dhamma practice.
Nibbinda Forest Monastery is a Theravada forest monastery situated at Mukim 5, Balik Pulau, Penang, Malaysia. The monastery is located on top of a hill in Balik Pulau, surrounded by mountains and facing the sea.
Thamanya Sayadaw U Vinaya was a prominent and influential Burmese Buddhist monk of Pa-O descent, best known for his doctrinal emphasis on metta.
Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung is a Buddhist religious complex located in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region, Myanmar (Burma). It is known for the Giant Standing Buddha statue, the third tallest in the world, and for the Great Attitudes of U Narãda, who built the monastery. This Sāsana (religious) site contains thousands of Buddha statues beneath thousands of Bo trees, the Giant Reclining Buddha Statue, Aung Sekkya Stupa, and other large Buddha statues. Currently, a Sitting Buddha Statue, which is expected to become the world's largest Sitting Buddha Statue, is in construction. Many Buddhist monks can study the Buddhist Pariyatti literature at the monastery. Moreover, meditation centres or Vipassãnā centres are opened at this monastic site both for monks and laypersons.
Dhamma Joti is one of the first Vipassana meditation centres in Myanmar, founded by S.N Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Kin in accordance with the teaching of Ledi Sayadaw. The centre is situated on an area about 12 acres contributed by the venerable Bhaddanta Sobhita of Wingabar Yele Monastery. It has been conducting Vipassana meditation courses since October 1993. The courses include 10 days for new students, and 3 days, 7 days and Sunday group sitting for old students.
The Most Venerable Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa (ဘဒ္ဒန္တအာစိဏ္ဏ), more commonly referred to as the Pa-Auk Sayadaw, is a Burmese Theravāda monk, meditation teacher and the abbot of the Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Mawlamyine.
The Dhammadūta Chekinda University is a Buddhist missionary university, located in Auk War Nat Chaung village, Hmawbi Township, Yangon Region. It was founded in 2017 by Dhammaduta abbot Dr. Ashin Chekinda and opened on February 24, 2019.
Bhaddanta Vimala Ashin Kovida, best known as Vasipake Sayadaw (ဝစီပိတ်ဆရာတော်) is a Burmese Buddhist monk and astrologer from eastern Shan State. He played a major role in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. Vasipake Sayadaw has been accused of providing the coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing with his astrological advice for the takeover. He was reportedly blamed for advising the senior general to tell security forces to shoot protesters in the head. Most of the people killed were hit in their heads.
