Re: the title 'Sayadaw'

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the feedback on memorization...I am very interested in that. If
you ever happen to meet the Ven. Tipitakadhara again, may I ask for the
request that someone of their level would provide more information on
memorization techniques?

Long time ago, when I was practicing as a monk in Sri Lanka, I started with
the Majjhima Nikaya. Did get further than I thought. It actually really
lends itself for memorization.

BTW, if you have never heard of Ven. Nyanananda, it is my pleasure to
introduce you. But I can almost not believe that his writings never crossed
your path.
I attached his (Dhammadana) famous Nibbana Sermons which became legendary in
Sri Lanka - you will definitely enjoy them.

Besides his best known books are "Concept and Reality", "Magic of the Mind".
He was a former lecturer of Pali at the Univ. of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka,
before he went into the forests and became a monk and meditator under the
Ven. Sri Matara Nyanarama.

much metta,

Lennart

On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 8:42 PM, Jim Anderson <jimanderson_on@...>wrote:

>
>
> Hi Lennart,
>
>
> > reminds me very much of Ven. Katukurunde Nyanananda... :-) But I
> guess he is > known a little bit better in the West for his "Concept
> and Reality" as well > as Nibbana sermons...
>
> That's a new one for me.
>
>
> > I sure would love to hear or see a book, written by a Tipitakadhara,
> about > best techniques to memorize Pali books and/or their experience
> and > challenges by doing so...would be quite interesting to know.
> Especially when > it comes to entire books.
>
> I have seen an explanation on the web of how one famous Sayadaw set
> out to memorize the Tipitaka. U Thitzana once told me that in Myanmar
> they memorize at the rate of 6 leaves a day. I think that's about one
> bhanavara. I'd be doing well if I could do that much in one month.
> There is also the work of keeping the memory of the text regularly
> refreshed. It would be interesting to memorize a text orally instead
> of from printed pages. You learn the text from someone who knows it by
> heart.
>
> Here's Susi Goetz's summary of the message she got from a friend in
> Germany. The German message follows after.
>
> << Georg says that the honorific title Sayadaw is not bestowed
> officially, as far as he and his wife know, and therefore there are no
> definite prerequisites for this title.
>
> People begin to address an elder monk (old in age or "ordination age")
> with a certain expertise who is regarded as wise/ advanced on the
> spiritual path as "Sayadaw". This is often/mostly the case for those
> who have become abbots of a monastery, but the title can well be also
> applied to monks who are held in an especially high esteem by the lay
> people and other monks. >>
>
> ========================
> "Sayadaw ist ein Ehrentitel (Saya - Meister/Lehrer/Ajarn, daw- edel,
> ehrwürdig, verehrungswürdig) der unseres Wissens nicht formell
> verliehen wird und daher auch keine bestimmten, klar definierten
> Voraussetzungen hat. Vielmehr werden ältere/langjährige Mönche mit
> entsprechender Erfahrung und dem Ruf, ein besonders weiser/auf dem
> geistlichen Weg fortgeschrittener Mönch zu sein irgendwann von immer
> mehr Menschen als Sayadaw angeredet - das gilt vor allem für die, die
> dann Vorsteher eines Klosters werden, kann aber durchaus auch andere
> von der Bevölkerung und anderen Mönchen als besonders verehrungswürdig
> empfundene Mönche betreffen."
> =====================
>
> Best wishes,
> Jim
>
> 
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]