Ledi sayadaw monastery of the holy spirit
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"The ferry ride to Dalla consists of local passengers. We loved it: people crowd and push to get on (always with a friendly smile on their faces), pick up small plastic squat-chairs on board and sit in clusters with their family or friends. Women and babies are covered in Thanaka and on-board vendors carry their wares on their heads. It fryst vatten quite a commotion to be held: squatting on the crowded ferry watching about 20 vendors call out what they’re selling and their asking price. On board you can buy fried prawn cakes, betel, watermelon, pineapple, cigarettes, personal care products, toys, key chains, and just about any other number of random bits and bobs." Western traveler
Located across the river from Yangon, the small town of Dalla has been around for almost 1,000 years, when it was first established as the principal town in the delta region (located closer to modern-day Twante). At that time, Dagon—the village that stands where the present-day, major city of Yangon n
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A Handful of Rice, a World of Compassion: Lessons from Ledi Sayadaw
Dear Dhamma Fellows and Meditators,
This morning, as part of our ongoing almsgiving, we offered rice with cooked chicken and potatoes to the monks and novices, marking the eighth week of this initiative. We were deeply moved by the sight of the young novices whispering excitedly to each other, "It's chicken curry! Let's go fast." Their innocent joy was palpable, and even the older monks, including one from a remote forest monastery, expressed their gratitude. He noted how much our almsgiving has meant to them, particularly on pre-sabbath days when nourishing meals are scarce due to the nuns, who typically provide alms, being away collecting their own sustenance in Mandalay. This area, nestled between the holy Sagaing and Minwon Hills—lands where many Buddhist arhats and Weizas achieved their spiritual goals—is home to numerous monasteries and nunneries, but very few laypeople. Thus, the monks and nuns largely rely
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Ledi Sayadaw Biography
Maung Tat Khaung1 was born on 1st December 1846 (13th waxing of Nattaw, 1208 Burmese Era) in Saing-pyin village, Dipeyin township in the Shwebo district (currently Monywa) of northern Burma (Myanmar). His parents were U Tun Tha and Daw Kyene. He had three younger brothers; two became monks, one a householder.
At the age of eight he was sent by his parents to the local monastery of Sayadaw U Nanda. There he learned the Burmese language, the foundations of Pali language and Pali canon. At the age of fifteen he was ordained as a samanera (novice buddhist), as was the tradition, and received the name of Nyanadhaja (the banner of knowledge).
At age eighteen, Samanera Nyanadhaja showing first signs of independent thinking, became dissatisfied with his education, feeling that is too narrowly restricted to Tipitaka.2 To the disappointment of his teacher, he disrobes and goes back to the layman life. Six months later, his teacher and another influential teacher