The Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization

Sabbadænam Dhammadanaµ Jinæti
The gift of the Truth excels all other gifts

Everything is within the law of cause and effect. And if it is said that cause is tree and effect fruit, this CD Rom is the fruit and the tree the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization. That is why this is just one of the fruits that the Organization produced. Obviously, this has no cause to come into being without the Organization. Accordingly, it needs to tell about it. Indeed, to tell about it is to express its gratitude.

Yes. Here are the historic pages of the Buddha Sæsana Nauggaha Organization.

It was on 13 November 1947 that the Organization was founded in Yangon with nine members headed by Sir U Thwin and U Nu, the then Prime Minister of Myanmar, with the object to promote the Buddha Sæsana both in the study (Pariyatti) and in practice (Pa¥ipatti). Sir U Thwin was the president and U San Thein the secretary. Really Sir U Thwin himself was the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization.

The organization took one year to find a suitable site and it was only 1948 that the site, five acres of land, was found. Sir U Thwin donated the land at Kokine, Yangon, to the Organization.

From then on the organization began to carry out its tasks one after another. As its first step the first selection of Tipi¥akadhara was held at the suggestion of Sir U Thwin, which failed. Sir U Thwin, however, was not depressed; he believed that the selection would succeed one day. As he believed, his wish came true at the sixth selection of Tipi¥akadhara. A remarkable monk who could recite all three repositories of Buddhist Scriptures emerged at the sixth selection. This made Sir U Thwin rejoice and resulted the sixth Buddhist Council (Cha¥¥ha Sagæyanæ). The monk who could recited the three canonical texts was the Venerable Vicittasæræbhivaµsa.

And then the organization tired to promote the Buddha Sæsanæ in the practice (Pa¥ipatti) too. After the first selection of Tipi¥akadhara, even though the buildings for meditation had been built, an ideal meditation teacher could not be found. Therefore the meditation centre in the Buddhist Retreat could not be opened.

Only two years later after the organization was founded, Sir U Thwin found the model meditation teacher he was looking for in Sagaing. He himself listened to the discourse on the practical Vipassana Meditation delivered by the Ven. Sayædaw and rejoiced exceedingly.

And in 1949, U Nu and Sir U Thwin requested the Venerable mahæsi sayædaw to come to yangon and to give training in meditative practice. So, on 19 December 1949, the Sayædaw introduced the first group of 25 meditators in the Buddhist Retreat into the meditative practice of Vipassanæ meditation. Within a few years of the Sayædaw's arrival in Yangon, similar mediation certers sprang up all over Myanmar until they numbered over one hundred. In neighbouring centres were also established in which the same method was taught and practiced. These were the consequences of opening mediation centre in the Buddhist Retreat of the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization. The next result was that the same centres were opened in the East and in several western countries too.

The next profit of the organization was the emergence of the Government Buddha Sæsanæ Organization; and it could hold the historic Six Buddhist Council (Cha¥¥ha Sangæyanæ) at Yangon. At this Sixth Council, the Ven. Mahæsi Sayædaw had to ask the questions concerning the respective canonical texts that were to be recited; and the Ven. Sayædaw Vici¥¥asæræ Bhivamsa had to answer all those.

It was with the help of the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization that the Sixth council could be held, and when it ended successfully, Sir U Thwin's joy knew bound. And so he, with great satisfaction, said that it was very profitable for all to found the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization.

Concise were the words of his triumph. Succinct were those of his exultation. No question, the attribute and gratitute of the Buddha Sæsana Nuggaha Organization's fruitful exertions goes beyond words.

The Buddha Sæsana Nauggaha Organization