Biodata of Chanmyay Sayadaw

Chanmyay Sayadaw is the chief abbot of Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation centre, Yangon, Myanmar. His given name is Sayadaw Ashin Janakabhivamsa.

The Venerable Sayadaw began to study the Buddhist scriptures at the age of fifteen as a Samanera (novice monk). He received the higher ordination in 1947 and continued advanced studies of Buddhist scriptures. He practised Vipassana meditation under the instruction of the most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw in 1953-54. Then he was invited by the State Buddha Sasana Organization to be an editor of the Buddhist scriptures in Pali (Palipatiwisodhaka) for reciting Buddhist scriptures at the Sixth Great Buddhist Council in Myanmar.

In 1957 the Venerable Sayadaw spent six years in Colombo Sri Lanka, where he continued his studies of English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Sinhalese languages. While at Colombo he took the London G.C.E. (A level) examination and passed.

In 1967 he was appointed by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw as a meditation teacher at Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, Yangon. In 1977 Sayadaw Ashin Janakabhivamsa took up residence at Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Center which was donated to him by some devotees and became the abbot of the center. He has been since then well known as Chanmyay Sayadaw.

He accompanied the most Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw as an assistant in Dhamma mission to Europe and USA in 1979-80. From 1981 onwards he has been undertaking Dhamma missions alone to twenty-five countries in Asia, Australia, Europe, the United States, Africa and Canada.

The Sayadaw has conducted several meditation courses all over the world and is also widely known through his talks, university lectures, broadcasts and books on Buddhism, especially meditation, including Vipassana Meditation.