Venerable Webu Sayadaw

[Ben]

Dear all

The following link directs one to a short biography of the Sayadaw, transcribed discourses, including:
- The Way to Ultimate Calm: Selected Discourses of Webu Sayadaw
- The Essential Practice - Part 1
- The Essential Practice - Part 2
- To Light a Fire
- Dhamma Discourse

Also here you will find a 10-minute collection of video clips and a slideshow of photos featuring Ven. Webu Sayadaw.

http://www.pariyatti.org/ResourcesProje ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Metta

Ben

[fijiNut]

sadhu, sadhu, sadhu...

I have always found Venerable Webu Sayadaw's advice invaluable in my practice:

(1) One can only expect the fulfillment of one's aspirations if one is perfect in morality.

(2) When practicing generosity (dana) in the religion of the Buddha, the mental attitude and volition involved are very important.

(3) Believing in the law of kamma, one should always act with an upright mind.

(4) One should not aspire to any happiness of either the human or celestial worlds — which are impermanent — but only to Nibbana.

(5) Because of the arising of the Buddha we have the opportunity to practice right conduct (carana) and wisdom (pañña) fully and thereby to benefit greatly.

(6) From the moment we are born to the moment we die, there is the in-breath and the out-breath. This is easy for everybody to understand. Every time we breathe in or out, the breath touches near the nostrils. Every time it touches we should be aware of it.

(7) While we are walking, working, doing anything, we should always be aware of the in-breath and the out-breath.

[Ben]

Hi FijiNut

Some years ago, I bought a copy of 'Way to Ultimate Calm' and found the Sayadaw's discourses to have a certain earthiness about them. Very basic but very inspiring. The Sayadaw didn't know very much Pali and didn't seem, from my estimation, to be familiar with the Abhidhamma. What he did have was a depth of bhavana-maya-panna.

It must have been incredible to be at the International Meditation Centre in Rangoon in the 1950s when he visited and gave discourses.

There are some additional biographical anecdotes given in John Coleman's 'The Quiet Mind' and in U Ko Lay's 'Manual of Vipassana Meditation' which details meetings with the Sayadaw.
Metta

Ben

[fijiNut]

Ben,

We very fortunate to be born within a period of the Buddha Sasana where the noble Ariya Sangha still exist within our lifetime and where we know the path of liberation is still open to those who persevere.
His teachings were for lay people to listen and practice there and then and hence the beautiful simplicity of it all.
However, in the age of information overload, our minds are so openly scattered and proliferated, and so sometimes the most simplest advice is so hard to do - 'note the sensation of the in-out breath throughout the day'.

metta,
fijiNut

[Ben]

How very true!
Thank you for your thoughts FijiNut.
Metta

Ben

[jcsuperstar]

'Way to Ultimate Calm' seems liek a great book name... im gonna have to find this now

[Ben]

'Way to Ultimate Calm' seems liek a great book name... im gonna have to find this now

In North America, order it via the bookshop at http://www.Pariyatti.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Metta

Ben

[upekkha]

it is also available freely on google books,
http://books.google.com/books?id=B8gwRy ... lt#PPP2,M1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Babadhari]

it is also available freely on google books,
http://books.google.com/books?id=B8gwRy ... lt#PPP2,M1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

sorry about bumping such an old thread but with recent threads on Burmese Vipassana i have been reading from this truly great book available as a downloadable PDF file here for anyone who is interested.
http://www.internationalmeditationcentr ... ourses.pdf the way to ultimate calm
some great passages on anapanasati contained in his discourses

[gavesako]

Webu Sayadaw: Anthology of a Noble One

Webu Sayadaw was one of the most reputed monks in Burma (Myanmar) in the 20th century, and many people believe he had attained Arahatship, as is mentioned in this film.

As it says in the title the documentary is an anthology of material by and about Sayadaw, and the compilers have done a good job of assembling rare videos, photos, writings and audio recordings of the great monk.

The material has been organised into several sections, starting with a short biography, describing his own practice and teaching on mindfulness of breathing, people’s personal experience with the teaching and his travels abroad to Sri Lanka and India.

There is also a section, which is a true anthology of material that perhaps didn’t fit in elsewhere, and something about the continuation of the tradition by his disciples.

Throughout the film there seems to be an emphasis of stressing that the teaching fits in with the rather different traditions of U Ba Khin and S N Goenka, and that they were closely connected, and so we see rare photos and footage of these teachers also.

The film was made as a gift for Sayadaw Mandala, who now heads one of the great Sayadaw’s monasteries, and interviews with U Mandala punctuate the film.

http://dharma-documentaries.net/webu-sa ... -noble-one

Pictures:
Women lay their hair out for Webu Sayadaw to walk on, a blessing custom in Myanmar. More stills: http://goo.gl/305b4a

[pegembara]

The most obvious thing to one and all is the breathing pro-
cess. The nose is a prominent part of the body. The out-breath
and the in-breath are always touching the nostrils.
The nostrils are the sensitive part of the nose which the
out-breaths and the in-breaths touch as they come out or go in.
In other words, the wind element or element of motion comes
into contact with the nostrils, producing a sensation. Both the
wind element and the nostrils are rupa, and it is nåma that
knows the contact or sensation. Ask no one what rupa and
nåma are. Be mindful of the nostrils. One knows the sensation
of breathing in. One knows the sensation of breathing out.
Keep on knowing the in-breath and the out-breath and there
will be no chance for lobha, dosa, and moha (greed, hatred,
and ignorance) to arise. The fires of lobha, dosa, and moha
remain extinguished and the result is calm and peace of mind.
One cannot know the sensation before contact is made.
One can no longer know the sensation when the contact has
disappeared. One must take notice of the actual contact. This is
called the immediate present.
Be mindful of the present continuously. If you can keep
on knowing the present for twenty-four hours at a stretch, the
good results will be evident. If you cannot be mindful of what
is taking place at every moment continuously, you will fail to
notice what happens in a flash of lightning and find yourself
on the debit side.

If you are mindful of the contact of the breath on the nos-
trils, you will realize that there is only rupa and nama. Besides
rupa and nama, there is no such thing as I, he, or you ! ; there is
no self, no man, no woman. You will know for yourself that
the Buddha's Teaching is the truth, only the truth, nothing but
the truth. You will not need to ask anyone about it. Awareness
of the contact between the wind element and the tip of the nose
produces there and then the knowledge that there is no such
thing as attå ! : ego or soul.

http://www.internationalmeditationcentr ... ourses.pdf
P210-211

[SarathW]

Thanks Ben
I found some materials here:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/search_r ... ght.org%2F

[Babadhari]

thank Sarath for displaying the search function

[Babadhari]

my thanks also to Bhikku Gavesko for linking to that website, my gratitude Bhante

[gavesako]

Webu Sayadaw Monastery in Kyaukse

http://burmadhamma.blogspot.com/2014/02 ... yadaw.html