Pe Maung Tin
Encyclopedia
Pe Maung Tin was a scholar of Pali and Buddhism
and educator in Myanmar
, formerly Burma. Born an Anglican and named Maung Tin at Pauktaw, Insein Township, Rangoon, he was the fifth child of U
Pe and Daw
Myaing. His grandfather was the first Burmese
pastor
of Henzada
. He learnt the basic Buddhist texts at a local private school before he went to Rangoon Government High School where he won a scholarship at age 14.
degree from University College, Rangoon in 1909 and an M. A.
degree from the University of Calcutta
in 1911. Pe Maung Tin became the first national professor
of Pali language at University College, Rangoon, and also, at the age of 24, the youngest professor in Burma in 1912. The position came with the post of librarian of Bernard Free Library and the job of Honorary Secretary of the Burma Research Society
as well as editor of its journal JBRS.
He was called "M.A. Maung Tin" or "Pali Maung Tin" because of his knowledge of Buddhism
. He obtained his Bachelor of Letters (B. Litt.) degree from Oxford University in 1922. He had also visited Paris for further studies (1920–21), and was invited back to lecture on Asian literature in 1936.
Pe Maung Tin was the only Burman to be appointed to the commission set up in 1918 to establish Rangoon University independent of Calcutta. He then worked hard to raise the status of Burmese literature as an Honours degree subject. He himself brought out texts
to teach. The first course was taught in 1924, and the first student was Sein Tin who graduated in 1927 and later became famous under the pen name
Theippan Maung Wa
.
He was close friends with professors J S Furnivall of the BRS and Gordon H Luce
, who married his sister Tee Tee
in 1915. He contributed to various language debates held by the Society (1922–1925). The year 1934 saw the publication of Hkit san pon byin , a collection of short stories
in a new style of writing, by his students Theippan Maung Wa, Zawgyi
and Min Thu Wun
, followed by an anthology
called Hkit san kabya . Professor Pe Maung Tin explained in his foreword that he coined the word hkit san as he wanted his students to experiment and test the reaction of the readers. He was also an accomplished musician and had helped sponsor the Rangoon College Philharmonic Society.
Pe Maung Tin became principal of University College, Rangoon University, in 1937. In 1939 he was elected president of the Burma Research Society. After the Second World War in 1946, he retired at age 58. He was however asked to serve as principal of the University of Adult Education
in 1947. He then became chairman of the University Translation and Publication Advisory Board and professor emeritus of Pali the following year. He was re-elected president of the BRS in 1950, and awarded an honorary doctorate LL. D. by Rangoon University in 1952.
In 1957-58 Pe Maung Tin visited the United States of America to lecture on Buddhism at the University of Chicago
which awarded him an honorary doctorate. He was also invited to speak at Bucknell University
, Pennsylvania
. In May 1959 he attended the East Asia Christian Conference
meeting in Kuala Lampur, and later went to China
as a member of a cultural exchange delegation.
From 1960 to 1964, Pe Maung Tin served as chairman of the Burma Historical Commission. He led the Burma Translation Society
in compiling the Burmese Encyclopedia
. In 1968 the BRS marked his 80th birthday with a special celebration. The Pali Text Society
in 1972 requested him to become their editor for the 50 volume publication of the Atthakatha
, the year before he died in 1973 at age 85.
Many did not realize that he was a Christian and thought he was a former Buddhist monk because of his knowledge of Buddhism. He was a leader of the Christian Literature
Society of the Burma Council of Churches. A popular story was that some of his students asked him to become a Buddhist because of his familiarity with the religion and the similarity of his thoughts with Buddhist philosophy. Pe Maung Tin reportedly told them that it has been a long time that he was Christian, and at his age, he doesn't want to abandon his 'old wife' for a new one.
lexicographer and missionary
Adoniram Judson
(1788–1849) and exhorted the contemporary missionaries to study the best of Burmese literature so their sermons could be more effective. Another early publication was titled Notes on Dipavamsa
, a Buddhist text, in 1912.
He was also professor of Oriental studies
and was honored by the Pali Text Society for his translation of the Visuddhimagga
, an encyclopedia of the dhamma written by Buddhaghosa
, into English. It was for this work that he had received the B. Litt. from Oxford. His first translation work for the PTS, started in 1916, was The Expositor (Atthasalini): Buddhaghosa's Commentary on Dhammasangani
The First Book of the Abhidhamma Pitaka
published by the Oxford University Press
in 1920-21. He co-authored, whilst in London
with Lilias E Armstrong, a Burmese phonetic reader in 1925.
Pe Maung Tin was a prodigious writer, and his works, such as a Burmese grammar (1951–1955), selections of Burmese prose, a history of Burmese literature (1938), and the Visuddhimagga, are still used as references. Pe Maung Tin with Gordon Luce translated the Glass Palace Chronicle
. It was the first time he signed the name Pe Maung Tin to the introduction dated 1 November 1922. The year 1928 saw the publication of Selections from the Inscriptions of Pagan
compiled with Luce.
He also edited Kinwon Min Gyi
's London and Paris Diaries (1927–28) among several works for the Burma Education Extension Association (BEEA) founded by Furnivall after he retired.
and literature
and librarian, lives in London
. She is on the council of the Britain Burma Society
She organised a symposium on her celebrated father's 110th anniversary in 1998 at the School of Oriental and African Studies
in London. His centenary was overshadowed by the momentous events in Burma in 1988
.
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...
and educator 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....
, formerly Burma. Born an Anglican and named Maung Tin at Pauktaw, Insein Township, Rangoon, he was the fifth child of U
Burmese name
Burmese names lack the serial quality of most modern names. The Burmese people have no customary patronymic or matronymic system and thus there is no surname at all. In Burmese culture, people can change their name at will, often with no government oversight, to reflect a change in the course of...
Pe and Daw
Burmese name
Burmese names lack the serial quality of most modern names. The Burmese people have no customary patronymic or matronymic system and thus there is no surname at all. In Burmese culture, people can change their name at will, often with no government oversight, to reflect a change in the course of...
Myaing. His grandfather was the first Burmese
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Henzada
Henzada
Hinthada is a city located on the Irrawaddy River in Ayeyarwady Region, Burma . In the 1983 census the city itself had a population of 82,005. By 2010 it had grown to 170,312...
. He learnt the basic Buddhist texts at a local private school before he went to Rangoon Government High School where he won a scholarship at age 14.
Distinguished career
He graduated with a B. A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from University College, Rangoon in 1909 and an M. A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
in 1911. Pe Maung Tin became the first national professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Pali language at University College, Rangoon, and also, at the age of 24, the youngest professor in Burma in 1912. The position came with the post of librarian of Bernard Free Library and the job of Honorary Secretary of the Burma Research Society
Burma Research Society
The Burma Research Society was founded on 29 March 1910 at a meeting held at the Bernard Free Library in Rangoon by J S Furnivall, J A Stewart, Gordon H Luce and Pe Maung Tin....
as well as editor of its journal JBRS.
He was called "M.A. Maung Tin" or "Pali Maung Tin" because of his knowledge of 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...
. He obtained his Bachelor of Letters (B. Litt.) degree from Oxford University in 1922. He had also visited Paris for further studies (1920–21), and was invited back to lecture on Asian literature in 1936.
Pe Maung Tin was the only Burman to be appointed to the commission set up in 1918 to establish Rangoon University independent of Calcutta. He then worked hard to raise the status of Burmese literature as an Honours degree subject. He himself brought out texts
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
to teach. The first course was taught in 1924, and the first student was Sein Tin who graduated in 1927 and later became famous under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Theippan Maung Wa
Theippan Maung Wa
Theippan Maung Wa , born in Mawlamyaing and real name Sein Tin, was a Burmese writer who pioneered the literary movement of Hkit San that searched for a new style and content in Burmese literature before the Second World War starting with Hkit san pon byin .-Early works:He started writing...
.
He was close friends with professors J S Furnivall of the BRS and Gordon H Luce
Gordon H Luce
Gordon Hannington Luce was a colonial scholar in Burma. He was born on 20 January 1889 and died on 3 May 1979. His outstanding library containing books, manuscripts, maps and photographs - The Luce Collection - was acquired by the National Library of Australia in 1980, as part of its major research...
, who married his sister Tee Tee
Tee Tee Luce
Tee Tee Luce was an award-winning Burmese philanthropist and wife of Gordon Luce, a Burmese colonial scholar.Tee Tee married her brother's close friend Gordon Luce, a Burmese scholar, on 20 April 1915. She was a founding member of the Children's Aid and Protection Society...
in 1915. He contributed to various language debates held by the Society (1922–1925). The year 1934 saw the publication of Hkit san pon byin , a collection of short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
in a new style of writing, by his students Theippan Maung Wa, Zawgyi
Saya Zawgyi
Zawgyi , born in Pyapon, Irrawaddy Division, real name U Thein Han , was a distinguished and leading Burmese poet, author, literary historian, critic, scholar and academic....
and Min Thu Wun
Min Thu Wun
Min Thu Wun was a Mon - Burmese poet, writer and scholar who helped launch a new age literary movement called Hkit san in Burma.-Distinguished career:...
, followed by an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
called Hkit san kabya . Professor Pe Maung Tin explained in his foreword that he coined the word hkit san as he wanted his students to experiment and test the reaction of the readers. He was also an accomplished musician and had helped sponsor the Rangoon College Philharmonic Society.
Pe Maung Tin became principal of University College, Rangoon University, in 1937. In 1939 he was elected president of the Burma Research Society. After the Second World War in 1946, he retired at age 58. He was however asked to serve as principal of the University of Adult Education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
in 1947. He then became chairman of the University Translation and Publication Advisory Board and professor emeritus of Pali the following year. He was re-elected president of the BRS in 1950, and awarded an honorary doctorate LL. D. by Rangoon University in 1952.
In 1957-58 Pe Maung Tin visited the United States of America to lecture on Buddhism at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
which awarded him an honorary doctorate. He was also invited to speak at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In May 1959 he attended the East Asia Christian Conference
Christian Conference of Asia
The Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 17 National Councils and 100 denominations in 21 countries:- Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan,...
meeting in Kuala Lampur, and later went to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
as a member of a cultural exchange delegation.
From 1960 to 1964, Pe Maung Tin served as chairman of the Burma Historical Commission. He led the Burma Translation Society
Burma Translation Society
The Burmese Translation Society was formed on August 26, 1947. Its first President was Prime Minister U Nu, who started a Burmese translation job at Judson College . Its purpose is to translate world culture, literature, education for the Burmese public.Burma Society noticed that independent Burma...
in compiling the Burmese Encyclopedia
Burmese Encyclopedia
The Burmese Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia published by the Burma Translation Society under the direction of former Burmese Prime Minister U Nu. The project began in 1947, and the first volume was later published via Stephen Austin & Sons Ltd, Hertford, Great Britain. Each of fifteen volumes has...
. In 1968 the BRS marked his 80th birthday with a special celebration. The Pali Text Society
Pali Text Society
The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts".Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved...
in 1972 requested him to become their editor for the 50 volume publication of the Atthakatha
Atthakatha
Atthakatha refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. These commentaries give the traditional interpretations of the scriptures. The major commentaries were based on earlier ones, now lost, in Old Sinhalese, which were written down at the same...
, the year before he died in 1973 at age 85.
Many did not realize that he was a Christian and thought he was a former Buddhist monk because of his knowledge of Buddhism. He was a leader of the Christian Literature
Christian literature
Christian Literature is writing that deals with Christian themes and incorporates the Christian world view. This constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing.-Scripture:...
Society of the Burma Council of Churches. A popular story was that some of his students asked him to become a Buddhist because of his familiarity with the religion and the similarity of his thoughts with Buddhist philosophy. Pe Maung Tin reportedly told them that it has been a long time that he was Christian, and at his age, he doesn't want to abandon his 'old wife' for a new one.
Publications
The first of his numerous articles and reviews to appear in the JBRS, in 1911, was titled Missionary Burmese which acknowledged the achievements of the American BaptistAmerican Baptist
American Baptist may refer to:* American Baptist Association* American Baptist Churches USA* Baptist who is an American...
lexicographer and missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson, Jr. was an American Baptist missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma...
(1788–1849) and exhorted the contemporary missionaries to study the best of Burmese literature so their sermons could be more effective. Another early publication was titled Notes on Dipavamsa
Dipavamsa
The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa", is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka.It means Chronicle of the Island. The chronicle is believe to be compiled from Atthakatha and other sources around the 3-4th century. Together with Mahavamsa, it is the source of many accounts of ancient history of Sri...
, a Buddhist text, in 1912.
He was also professor of Oriental studies
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
and was honored by the Pali Text Society for his translation of the Visuddhimagga
Visuddhimagga
The Visuddhimagga , is the 'great treatise' on Theravada Buddhist doctrine written by Buddhaghosa approximately in 430 CE in Sri Lanka. A comprehensive manual condensing the theoretical and practical teaching of the Buddha, it is considered the most important Theravada text outside of the Tipitaka...
, an encyclopedia of the dhamma written by Buddhaghosa
Buddhaghosa
Bhadantācariya Buddhaghoṣa（Chinese: 覺音）was a 5th-century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. His best-known work is the Visuddhimagga, or Path of Purification, a comprehensive summary and analysis of the Theravada understanding of the Buddha's path to liberation...
, into English. It was for this work that he had received the B. Litt. from Oxford. His first translation work for the PTS, started in 1916, was The Expositor (Atthasalini): Buddhaghosa's Commentary on Dhammasangani
Dhammasangani
The Dhammasangani is a Buddhist scripture, part of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism, where it is included in the Abhidhamma Pitaka.Translations:* A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics, tr C. A. F...
The First Book of the Abhidhamma Pitaka
Abhidhamma Pitaka
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is the last of the three pitakas constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism....
published by the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
in 1920-21. He co-authored, whilst in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with Lilias E Armstrong, a Burmese phonetic reader in 1925.
Pe Maung Tin was a prodigious writer, and his works, such as a Burmese grammar (1951–1955), selections of Burmese prose, a history of Burmese literature (1938), and the Visuddhimagga, are still used as references. Pe Maung Tin with Gordon Luce translated the Glass Palace Chronicle
Glass Palace Chronicle
The Glass Palace Chronicle of the kings of Burma is a historical work written in Burmese commissioned by King Bagyidaw in 1829, and compiled by scholars to consolidate and compile all works of the history of Burmese rulers...
. It was the first time he signed the name Pe Maung Tin to the introduction dated 1 November 1922. The year 1928 saw the publication of Selections from the Inscriptions of Pagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
compiled with Luce.
He also edited Kinwon Min Gyi
Kinwon Min Gyi
Kinwon Min Gyi was a minister under King Mindon's and King Thibaw's reigns. He attempted to westernise the Burmese kingdom's existing bureaucracy into a more democratic system. Because of such attempts to do so, Kinwun Min Gyi was accused by many to have allowed Britain to win the Third...
's London and Paris Diaries (1927–28) among several works for the Burma Education Extension Association (BEEA) founded by Furnivall after he retired.
Family
Pe Maung Tin married at the age of 40 to Edith Kyi Kyi, daughter of U Pho Dan and Daw Mya Gyi and 13 years his junior, on 9 June 1928, at an Anglican church in Thayarwady. Their youngest daughter Tin Tin Myaing (Brenda), a scholar of French languageFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
and librarian, lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She is on the council of the Britain Burma Society
Britain Burma Society
The Britain Burma Society is a society founded in 1957 under the distinguished patronage of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Sir Hubert Rance , Miss Dorothy Woodman, the Rt. Hon. Malcolm MacDonald, the Rt. Hon...
She organised a symposium on her celebrated father's 110th anniversary in 1998 at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
in London. His centenary was overshadowed by the momentous events in Burma in 1988
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
.
External links
- The Path of Purity being a translation of Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga Pe Maung Tin 1922
- Disapramok Inscription (U Pe Maung Tin 1936) Jon Frenquest, Burmese Epigraphy Blog, February 19, 2008
- U Pe Maung Tin Symposium 1998 Center for Burma Studies, Northern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
- The Journal of Burma Studies - Special Issue in Homage to U Pe Maung Tin, Vol.9 2004 NIU
- A Note on the Development of the Burmese Language Pe Maung Tin, JBRS 1924