Agga Maha Pandita
Encyclopedia
Agga Maha Pandita is an honorific title
used in Theravada
Buddhism
in reference to Buddhists, usually monks, who are considered to be unusually wise, noble, and enlightened.
had disciples who held title of Agga Savaka and Maha savaka who were already enlightened Ariyas and regarded as leaders of the communities of monks known as the Sangha oe Samgha.
The title of Agga Maha Pandita is awarded every year in January by the Head of Government of Myanmar (Burma) after rigorous and subtle examination of a monk's wisdom and achievement by the Committee of Sangha Nayakas.
word 'Aggasavaka' ( agga thawaka in Burmese). This title 'Aggasavaka' was given by the Buddha to the two top disciples, Sariputta and Mahamoggallana. 'Maha' is also derived from the Pali and it usually means 'Great'. The third word 'Pandita' means 'wise or learned person' and denotes possession of wisdom and knowledge of Tipitaka.http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.019.than.html Therefore, Agga Maha Pandita can be translated as "Foremost Great and Wise One".
The title 'Agga Maha Pandita' has been awarded to many Sayadaw
s (Senior Monks) in Myanmar
by successive governments.
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
used in Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in reference to Buddhists, usually monks, who are considered to be unusually wise, noble, and enlightened.
Usage
The title is usually awarded to holy monks who are highly proficient in teaching the Dhamma or those who are believed to be enlightened (Arahants). The BuddhaBuddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
had disciples who held title of Agga Savaka and Maha savaka who were already enlightened Ariyas and regarded as leaders of the communities of monks known as the Sangha oe Samgha.
The title of Agga Maha Pandita is awarded every year in January by the Head of Government of Myanmar (Burma) after rigorous and subtle examination of a monk's wisdom and achievement by the Committee of Sangha Nayakas.
History
The prefix 'Agga' is derived from the ancient PaliPáli
- External links :* *...
word 'Aggasavaka' ( agga thawaka in Burmese). This title 'Aggasavaka' was given by the Buddha to the two top disciples, Sariputta and Mahamoggallana. 'Maha' is also derived from the Pali and it usually means 'Great'. The third word 'Pandita' means 'wise or learned person' and denotes possession of wisdom and knowledge of Tipitaka.http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.019.than.html Therefore, Agga Maha Pandita can be translated as "Foremost Great and Wise One".
The title 'Agga Maha Pandita' has been awarded to many Sayadaw
Sayadaw
A sayadaw is the senior monk or abbot of a monastery. Some distinguished sayadaws would often referred to as a sayadawgyi * U Vicittasarabhivamsa* Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa* Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabhivamsa...
s (Senior Monks) in Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
by successive governments.
List of monks recognized as Agga Maha Pandita and the year when the Title was awarded
- Ledi SayadawLedi SayadawThe Venerable Ledi Sayadaw U Ñanadhaja was an influential Theravada Buddhist monk. He was recognized from a young age as being developed in both the theory and practice of Buddhism and so was revered as being both scholarly and saintly...
(1911, Title offered by the Government of India), - Ashin Janakabhivamsa (1948)
- Mahasi SayadawMahasi SayadawThe Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw U Sobhana was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk and meditation master who had a significant impact on the teaching of Vipassana meditation in the West and throughout Asia...
(1952) - Sayadaw U Thittila (1956)
- Anisakhan Sayadaw U Pandita
- Mogok Sayadaw, U Vimala (1962)
- Mingun SayadawMingun SayadawThe Venerable Mingun Sayadaw U Vicittasarabivamsa was a Burmese Theravada Buddhist monk, best known for his memory skills and his role in the Sixth Buddhist Council.-Early life:...
U Vicittasarabhivamsa (1979) - Myaungmya Sayadaw U Nyanika (1991)
- Birmingham Sayadaw U Rewatadhamma
- Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara
- Sayadaw U Silananda (1993)
- Sayadaw U Pannavamsa (1998)
- Yaykyi Mingala Kyaungtaik Sayadaw, Bhaddanta Indobhasa
External links
- List of Some Sayadaws with Agga Maha Pandita Title
- http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5cx-aeuMkQkJ:www.phil.uni-passau.de/fileadmin/group_upload/45/pdf/research/zoellnerwp10.2.pdf+%22Agga+Maha+Pandita%22+definition&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESg8emJADn8zu4OqKQwTl4cCdsCeCVKqUrfgT4ygSSNs0QEXo7U94WixIgdfv-hlXEckvzOF_lkPgQq6L8hNEKgUZwpZumNxu1QGpXBCTaVrexqMuzzvGQ0Zsbm-v22_sUYbofDM&sig=AHIEtbT__U-2qCU5eg1kJ68CqRsJlY6VJg"Myanmar Literature Project" - Southeast Asian Studies Passau]
- Myanmar Theravada Buddhism website in English