From: antony272b2
Message: 5847
Date: 2004-12-06
> Dear members,it
>
> I recently came across this webpage on Tipi.takadharas of Myanmar
> which I thought might be of interest to you:
>
> http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/tpdkdhra.htm
>
> A Tipi.takadhara is a title given to one who has the whole Tipi.taka
> memorized. According to this webpage it has only been given to 11
> bhikkhus in Myanmar from 1948 to 2001. In addition, there are other
> higher titles given to some of them, ie. Tipi.takakawida, Maha
> Tipi.takakawida, and Dhammabha.n.daagaarika.
>
> In 1982, I had the good fortune of meeting a young and brilliant
> Burmese bhikkhu (travelling in North America with the Sayadaw U
> Thilawunta) who had the whole Tipi.taka memorized except for the
> Yamaka and Pa.t.thaana which he still had to do. I'm not sure if he
> ever succeeded in getting the title of a Tipi.takadhara. His name is
> Ven. Ashin Thitzana which I don't see among the 11 but then he could
> be under a Pali name. He was supposed to have come back to Canada to
> teach me in particular starting about 1988 but it never came to pass
> as the conditions didn't seem right for it at the time and I called
> off. We did have some letter exchanges and on the letterhead of his
> letters around 1986-7 is a list of his titles as follows:
>
> "dvipi.takadhara, dvipi.takakovida, saasanadhaja siriipavara
> dhammaacariya, paa.lipaaraguu"
>
> Best wishes,
> Jim Anderson