Taunggwin Sayadaw

Taunggwin Sayadaw U Visuddha Silacaraha

The Taunggwin Sayadaw U Visuddha Silacaraha (တောင်ခွင်ဆရာတော် ဦးဝိသုဒ္ဓ သီလာစာရဟာ) holds a significant place in Burmese Buddhist history as the last monk to officially hold the title of Thathanabaing of Burma. This high ecclesiastical office, responsible for the administration and discipline of the Buddhist Sangha, was abolished upon his death in 1938, marking the end of a long tradition of monastic leadership.

Life and Ministry

Born Maung Hlut on November 13, 1844, in Amarapura, he came from a distinguished Burmese family. His father, U Po, was a Burmese official, and his mother, Me Shwe Wa, was the daughter of a high-ranking minister. Young Maung Hlut entered monastic life at the age of nine, under the guidance of U Adicca. He was ordained as a novice monk (samanera) at fourteen and received full ordination as a bhikkhu at nineteen. Later, he moved to Mandalay and pursued advanced studies in the Vinaya under the esteemed Maungdaung Sayadaw.

In 1873, King Mindon Min bestowed upon him the honorific title of sayadaw, meaning 'royal teacher.' He subsequently took charge of a monastery funded by the Chief Queen. His importance grew when, in 1877, he was invited by the Taunggwin Mingyi to oversee a group of monasteries known as the Taunggwin Kyaukdaik. During the reign of King Thibaw Min, he served as the Deputy Thathanabaing, assisting the Thathanabaing in resolving disputes among monks and enforcing monastic rules.

Appointment as Thathanabaing

Following the death of the previous Thathanabaing in 1895, the office remained vacant until 1901 when the Moda Sayadaw was elected, though he died shortly thereafter. On October 24, 1903, the Burma Gazette announced the appointment of the Taunggwin Sayadaw as the new Thathanabaing, with jurisdiction over Upper Burma. He was formally installed in his office on November 13, 1903, at a ceremony held in Mandalay. He served in this capacity until his death in 1938, after which the office was dissolved.