Re: the title 'Sayadaw'

To Susi, Chris, and all,

Here's another contribution to add to the discussion on the term. This
one was sent by Ma Vajira on Aug. 30:

<< Saya means teacher and daw is a suffix used for royalty, monks and
currently for certain people in uniform.  There isn't any specific
qualification related to the title 'Sayadaw', and in some parts of
this country this form of address would never be used for a young monk
(under 60).  But people use it nowadays in a looser way, in addressing
monks whom they respect. >>

For those who have joined the list this year, Ma Vajira is an American
Buddhist nun who lives in Myanmar. As far as I know she is the only
Westerner to have passed the Dhammaacariya exam in Myanmar. She is
fluent with the Burmese language and teaches Burmese nuns. One of
the courses she teaches is Kaccaayana's grammar.

Best wishes,
Jim

Susi wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> here is another useful information by my friend Georg Noack who has
recently completed his Ph.D. degree in Myanmar Studies (well,
officially Southeast Asian Studies, I suppose) at the Humboldt
University in Berlin AND has also become father of three very sweet
half-Burmese children during the last four years :-).
>
> Susi
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hallo Susi,