Momentum Vitae est meditatio


BENVENUTI, il mio progetto sul web nasce con l'intento di conservare e condividere

gli insegnamenti di Anapanasati e Vipassana al fine di affrancarsi dalla sofferenza esistenziale

con la guida di un insegnante autorizzato. Questo secondo la dottrina del Buddismo Theravada,

nella tradizione birmana di Sayagyi U Ba Khin, in memoria del suo allievo John Earl Coleman.

Tali insegnamenti sono preservati e perpetuati per il beneficio delle future generazioni,

per questo sono conservati con l’indicazione protettiva della perfezione, verità e devozione.

Tutte le nostre azioni sono dirette nello spirito del Damma.


WELCOME, my web project was born with the intention of preserving and sharing

the teachings of Anapanasati and Vipassana, in order to be free from existential suffering

with the guidance of a licensed teacher. This according to the doctrine of Theravada Buddhism,

in the Burmese tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, in memory of his student John Earl Coleman.

Such teachings are preserved and perpetuated for the benefit of future generations,

for this reason they are preserved with the protective indication of perfection, truth and devotion.

All our actions are directed in the spirit of the Dhamma.


As the Dhamma Yaung Chi Ceti Of Rangoon
was founded and developed

by Saya U Ba Pho
Introduction by Saya U Tint Yee

U Ba Pho, secretary of the Vipassana Research Association of the General Accounting Office, also known as the International Meditation Center in Yangon, will now give a brief profile conversation on how the Vipassana Meditation movement began under the leadership of Sayagyi U Ba Khin. He will explain to you the arrangements implemented here regarding the departure of the retreats, and how financial matters were addressed in our Center.

U Ba Pho: As Secretary of the General Accounting Office of the Vipassana Association, since it came into existence, I would like to avail myself of the opportunity to explain to you the historical background and circumstances which led to the formation of the Vipassana Association under the patronage of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a that time Accountant General of Myanmar.

It was the year 1950 in the month of October, when the Union Government of Yangon issued a circular to all department heads, who had the choice to form Buddhist Associations and establish a shrine where a Buddha image could be installed to offer respect to the merits of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and use the place for religious purposes. Sayagyi U Ba Khin immediately availed himself of this opportunity and called a group meeting on 10 November 1950 for all the Buddhist staff who were the majority in the Bureau, to discuss the creation of a Buddhist Association. It was unanimously decided to form the Association which would be known as Buddha Sasana Akyosaung Athin... meaning 'an association to be of service to the promotion and propagation of the teachings of the Buddha.'

The draft constitution was drawn up and an executive committee was elected. Sayagyi U Ba Khin was elected President, U Ba Pho was elected Secretary and U Soon Lwin was elected Treasurer, and twenty-two committee members were also elected, including U Tint Yee, U Chit Tin, U Boon Shain and U Mg Mg Khin. There were 497 members.

The actual opening ceremony of the Association was established on January 1, 1951, in the Sanctuary Hall of the headquarters and was grandly celebrated with the offering of swoon (a food for monks) to the Sangha and lunch for all the members and guests of honor guests. In the evening, members were entertained with refreshments accompanied by music and dancing performed by the office staff. At 8.00 pm the recitation of the Dhamma-cakkapavattana Sutta, Anattalakkhana Sutta and the Patthana Sutta with eleven other Suttas was started by groups who continued it through the night until dawn, when everyone offered fruits and swoon to the Buddha and the ceremony came to an end .

The aims of the Association were to bring about a better relationship among the members and to promote information on the practice of the Buddha's teachings and to take refuge and offer respect to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and practice Dana, Sila and Bhavana. Every Sunday, holiday and day of rest, during Buddhist Lent, starting at 8:00 am, all members were given the opportunity to spend their time in the Shrine hall taking the eight precepts - Sila - and learning the teachings of Buddha studying the books of the Tipitaka and listening to the discourses of Sayagyi U Ba Khin during the day. Everything ended at 5pm in the afternoon. The supplies were attended by U Tint Yee and U Ba Pho together, and everyone who attended paid 1 ¼ Kiat each for the food, including U Ba Khin who insisted on paying for it himself.

After a few months, it came to pass that it was not enough for Sayagyi to keep the Association's activities confined to practicing Dana and Sila as well as learning the Buddha's teachings and reciting the Suttas... it was necessary to put the Buddha's teachings into practice towards individuals, to means of meditation, with the aim of realizing the Four Noble Truths for the attainment of Nibbana which is the end of suffering. Therefore, he asked for volunteers among the members who would seriously and sincerely want to undergo an apprenticeship course in Buddhist meditation, under his leadership. The response was good and there were 37 volunteers, including U Tint Yee, U Chit Tin, U Boon Shein and myself. He then called me and announced that he was handing over his Room, which was adjacent to his office, to be used as a Meditation Room. By removing all the furniture, covering the floor with linoleum, and painting all the windows with dark green paint, I eventually transformed his room into a dark chamber suitable for meditation. The approximate area of the room was about 300 square feet and about forty people could be accommodated. The first meditation course was conducted by Sayagyi with ten people chosen by him from among the volunteers, in April 1951, during the Water Festival holidays. U Tint Yee, U Chit Tin, U Boon Shein and myself were in the course. Meditation was allowed during working days, outside office hours: from 7:00 to 9:00, from 1:00 to 2:00, and from 5:00 to 9:00. In a few months the number of meditators grew to about a hundred. The Meditation room was always fully occupied.

Meanwhile, Sayagyi thought of forming a Vipassana research group, selected from among the most serious and advanced types of meditators, to spread Vipassana meditation. The qualifications needed to become a member of the group were as follows:

1) One must meditate regularly every day.

2) One must promise to study as well as practice the teachings of the Buddha with full effort and determination.
...
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