Shwegyin Sayadaw
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Thathanabaing (1878–1885, not recognised by British after 1885)
28 July 1822
Shwegyin Sayadaw ရွှေကျင်ဆရာတော် | |
|---|---|
| Title | First Shwegyin Sayadaw Thathanabaing (1878–1885, not recognised by British after 1885) |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Maung Than 28 July 1822 Shwegyin village, Wetlet Township, Shwebo District, Sagaing Region, Konbaung Burma |
| Died | 26 March 1893 (aged 70) Mingun Ngwe Taung forest monastery, Sagaing Region |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
| School | Shwegyin Nikāya (founder) |
| Ordination | 1842 (sāmaṇera) 1848 (bhikkhu) |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Wetmasut Wuntha Sayadaw U Vara |
Shwegyin Sayadaw (Burmese: ရွှေကျင်ဆရာတော်; 28 July 1822 – 26 March 1893), born Maung Than, reverentially known as Ashin Zāgara (အရှင်ဇာဂရ), was a prominent Burmese Theravāda Buddhist monk who founded the Shwegyin Nikaya, one of the nine legally recognised monastic orders in Myanmar. He is regarded as the first monk to establish a strict Vinaya-reform sect during the reign of King Mindon (r. 1853–1878). The Shwegyin Nikāya remains the strictest and most forest-oriented monastic lineage in Myanmar today.[1]
Shwegyin Sayadaw was born on 28 July 1822 in Shwegyin village (one of five large villages founded by relatives of King Dhamazedi of Pegu), near the present-day Wetlet Township, Shwebo District, Sagaing Region. His parents were U Maung and Daw Myat Mit. At age seven he began studying under the local monastery teacher, later identified as Ven. U Vara (U Waraboddi). He became a sāmaṇera (novice) at age 14 in ME 1198 (1836–37) and received the name Shin Zāgara (“the vigilant one”).
He studied at several monasteries, mastering Pali grammar, Abhidhamma, and Vinaya. At age 20 (ME 1208, 1846) he received higher ordination (upasampadā) under Ven. U Vara at Ywatha monastery in Ywathitgyi village. From then on he strictly observed the 13 dhutaṅga (austere practices) and became known as a dhutaṅga monk.
Monastic career and founding of the Shwegyin Nikāya
Ashin Zāgara spent years in forest monasteries, emphasising strict adherence to the Vinaya. In ME 1222 (1860) King Mindon, seeking to purify the Saṅgha, granted him and his followers independence from the Thudhamma Nikāya (the royal monastic hierarchy) and full royal patronage. This marked the formal establishment of the Shwegyin Nikāya, named after the founder’s birthplace.[2]
The king built five monasteries for the new sect in Mandalay (collectively called the “Shwegyin Five Monasteries”) and appointed Ashin Zāgara as its leader. The sect emphasised: - Strict observance of the 13 dhutaṅga practices - Forest-dwelling (araññavāsi) orientation - Independence from royal or state control over monastic affairs