Pathein Ye Swan Sayadawgyi
We received a question from one of our followers about a renowned Burmese meditator and teacher from the Thae Ingu tradition. After researching some information about him, we share the following for our wider audience.
Pathein Ye Swan Sayadaw (also known as Raysoon Sayadaw) is one of today's well-known meditation teachers in Myanmar and he reputes beyond the borders of the Golden Land. He was the close disciple of the famous Thae Ingu Sayadaw (the founder of Thae Ingu vipassana tradition – Ven. Okkatha). According to his sayings in his Dhamma speeches, Thae Ingu Sayadaw sent him to the current residing monastery in Pathein to perform as its abbot. We found that his name Ye Swan was named after his practice of ‘drinking water only’. His monkhood name is Ven. Thiha. He is 86 years old now.
Before he became a monk, his name was U Thaung Shwe, an owner of a carpet store in Theingyi Market in Yangon. He, a rich businessman, was arrested under the administration of the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) with the accuses of making much profits. He was sent to Insein Jail later. However, he met many helpful cops and prisoners who helped him in the jail. When he became a monk under the guidance of Thae Ingu Sayadaw later, he learned meditation techniques from the latter. Before the latter passed away, he was sent to Pathein to reside in his current residing monastery.
Despite many stories about him, we studied some interviews in which his practice and teachings could be discovered. Here’s the translation of one of his answers in a Q&A talk which a man named Kyaw Myint Kyaw asked questions to the Sayadaw.
Q: Isn’t “drinking water only and practicing meditation” the self-mortification practice (Atta-kila-matha)?
A: Right. But it’s not Kilamatha practice (that causes fatigue). It's Atta-kila-matha (if one wants to say it). If it is Atta-kila-matha, so, don’t take Uposatha (eight percepts). Would you say non-eating dinner is the Atta-kila-matha? Buddha included this percept of “abstaining from taking food in the afternoon and night (Vikālabhojanā percept)” so we can abate the thirst for taste (Rasataṇhā). We are taking 10-day meditation retreat and so abstaining from Vikālabhojanā for ten days. Let it be if you want to say that our practice of “trying to abate the craving (Tanhā) and wrong view (Ditthi) through Catu-satipatthāna (four meditation practices)” is Attakilamatha. When our father Thae Ingu Sayadaw (Ven. Okkatha) was alive, he was asked (the same question) if his practices were Attakilamatha practices. He answered “yes” and no one has any more questions. Well it’s Attakilamatha. But they don’t even understand their word.
Q: Did the Venerable Thae Ingu Sayadaw teach you to take meditation only by drinking water?
A: My layman name was U Thaung Shwe. I could eat up 20 Viss (nearly 33.6 kilos) of the goat meat (intestine) in one sitting. I bought one half of a cow’s body (beef) and hung it on (the beams of) the house to eat. I could eat up 10 durians in one sitting. Finally, I suffered from the eye pain (almost my eyes are burning with flames). Thus, Thae Ingu Sayadaw told me, “You drink water and practice.” I said, “No. I can’t. Didn’t you say that we can pass into Nirvana while eating beef or fish, did you? I will pass into Nirvana while eating pork.” He said no more.
Q: So, how did it happen that you practiced it, then?
A: After two Vassas (rain retreats), the Father said, “U Thiha, you must reside in Pathein,” and then sent me by an airplane. I didn’t want to. The elder monk who wished to become the abbot (of that monastery), attacked me, too. In Pathein, the lay people in Pathein thought that I was too proud, since I was just taking my practice only. When Thae Ingu Sayadaw passed away, the Beelin Sayadaw and other chief monks tried to take over the monastery and take my robes off. I was too unhappy and thought that it would be better if I died. I thought, “I heard one survives only 7 days unless he eats rice for that long. So, I will take meditation, cutting off eating food (rice) and having water only for 15 days and I would surely die, then. It’s better!” I misthought of the days and nights. When I practiced severely and 15 days passed, I did not die and found myself even fresher and better in concentration. And then, I thought, “Oh. I did not die yet. If so, I will practice next 15 days.” Then, I discovered.
Q: What did you discover?
A: I discovered the paths of all Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas (Ones enlightened by and for himself but who passes into Nibbana without proclaiming the truth to the world). All the Buddhas, Private Buddhas and arhats practiced by drinking water only and cutting off ‘Āhāra-loluppa-tanha (greed and craving towards food). After the better concentration, I discovered that they even cut off drinking water and they did not get up to focus on the practice. And then, I kept my practice, thinking “Aww. I am on the Path now.”
Q: Alright. Some people accuse that you are driving away the suffering (physical Vedanas) and you cannot guard your Kāyendriya as your body is too shaking when you are breathing in and out severely. How would you solve it?
A: They don’t know. A big tree’s leaves only shake in a gentle breeze. A little windier, the branches shake. The more windier, the trunk shakes. Like this instance, we are working in both physical and mental energies. This breaths are too severe to almost feel like our intestines are upside and downside. Yes, if we guard our body in still now, tell them (who said it) just to try to stay unshaken when they encounter the dying pain right before the death.
Q: When you say the words “Kill form, Kill mentalities,” people said that they have never heard of them. They say, “What are they?”
A: Oh. If they don’t know them though they are taking meditation in Thae Ingu Sayadaw tradition, please, tell them to learn more. In our tradition, there are only two: “Killing Ditthi (wrong view)” and “Killing Tanha (craving).”
Q: When yogis (meditators) practice the path “just by drinking water only”, what is special to them?
A: At least, they can perceive Uposatha (i.e., they can abstain from eating food). They have no chores of cooking, washing dishes, etc. Many diseases are cured. Most of the diseases are caused by food. It brings about the ignorance, too. When no ignorance, concentration is encouraged. If we are just eating and practicing, we have sufferings (caused by food or indigestion) and then we have no more time after we are just fighting against them. If we thought and crave for ‘chicken soup’ before the death, we might become a chicken (in the afterlife). If we craved for water, we will go near water (i.e. we might be reborn in an existence near water, in the afterlife). Worst of the worst, the craving or greed towards food or taste is truly worse than the sexual craving, even. When we have no rotting food (in our stomach), it’s easier to discover the Dhamma. It’s clearer to see the displeasing nature (Ashuba). It’s quite different from eating full and practicing for 100 years.
Q: If we don’t eat and we practice, we could die.
A: Right. It dies. Not the man! Kilesas (defilements) die!
Q: So, what’s the number of the branch (of The-inn-gu Vipassana Tradition) of this monastery?
A: Oh, man. There’s no number. My Father (The-inn-gu founder Ven. Okkatha) sent me by himself. This is under U Okkatha. Not under the Hmawbi (the Headquarters of The-inn-gu Tradition League). The elders from Hmawbi came to me to number the monastery. When I didn’t accept it, they told me to take off the sign (The-inn-gu). [The written sign in the archway/gateway.] And I said, “Oh. If you dare, you could.” They did not dare and went back. This is not under them. This is under the Father The-inn-gu.
Q: Venerable. What is Nirvana?
A: Looking at the past: not seeing Apāya (The Four States of Deprivation: four unwholesome realms of the 31-realms of existence).
Looking at the future, not seeing human rebirth and celestial rebirths.
Nowhere to tend, focusing on this mind and body (form).
Q: Venerable. What do you wish for the Sāsanā (the teachings of Buddha)?
A: For the purpose of the later people, I wish to leave the erected stone slabs scripting that one cannot die but defilements can die, by ‘practicing just drinking water’.
Q: Sadhu. Sadhu. Sadhu.