About

Birth of a Great Meditation Master

The most Venerable Sayalay Dipankara was born on 9 May 1964, 1964 in Myanmar. Incidentally, it was also the full moon day of Vesākha –when the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing Away of Lord Buddha – is traditionally commemorated in Theravada Tradition till today.

As a young child, Sayalay would be filled with reverence and faith whenever there were members of the Saṅgha passing by.

She started meditation practice without any instructions from others at a young age.  As she grew older, she continued her practice under the guidance of various great meditation masters in Myanmar. However, she could not feel connected with any of the teachers and their meditation instructions until she met the most Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw.

Within a week, she accomplished her meditation practice under Sayadawgyi’s guidance and decided to ordain under Sayadawgyi at the age of 25, abandoning her pursuit of University Degree and other worldly interests.

A Journey to ‘Mend Broken Pot’ — The Minds of All Beings

Since her ordination as a Buddhist nun at Pa-Auk Tawya Monastery in Mawlamyine, Myanmar, Ven. Sayalay Dīpaṅkarā trained to become a meditation teacher. Since 1995, she has travelled overseas to propagate the Dhamma.

She teaches the 40 meditation objects, as taught by the Buddha, such as the Mindfulness of In-and-Out-Breath, the Four Elements Meditation, Loving-kindness Meditation, Mindfulness of the Qualities of the Buddha, Mindfulness of Death, Repulsiveness Meditation, Ten Kasiṇa Meditations and the Eight Attainments (First to the Eighth Jhāna), as well as the Discernment of Mentality-Materiality, Dependent Origination, and the complete Vipassanā Practice.

In 1996, she was invited to Sri Lanka by the highly respected Mahathera, the Venerable U Ariyadhamma to assist her teacher, the Venerable Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw to teach meditation. Soon afterwards, she was invited by Buddhist centres around the world to teach and conduct intensive meditation retreats.

While she was in England, the Oxford University and the Manchester University invited her for discussion on mind training. She was also invited for the Western Conference on Jhana at Jubilados Foundation/ Leigh Brasington, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2001. 

Sayalay regularly teaches in the USA, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, England, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Australia and Vietnam. She runs long term meditation retreats in her motherland, Myanmar.

This was how Sayalay began her journey to ‘mend broken pots’—the minds of sentient beings.

Spreading the Dhamma

Ordained as a Theravāda nun in Myanmar, Ven. Sayalay Dīpaṅkarā was a prominent teacher who travelled widely and walked lands of various cultures to spread the Dhamma untiringly. Her teachings have impacted many, particularly for those who have the utmost sincerity to practise.

Presently, many of her students from around the world invite her to their homes and their countries to give meditation guidance. Her humility, her authenticity and tirelessness have been the main reasons for her success. Ven. Sayalay Dīpaṅkarā gives her utmost effort in every talk and retreat.

With her compassion and sensitivity towards the lay devotees, her number of students grew rapidly.

The Ven. Sayalay Dīpaṅkarā earned a reputation as an exemplary exponent of the Dhamma. Presently, many of her students from around the world invite her to their homes and their countries to give meditation guidance. Her humility, her authenticity and tirelessness have been the key reasons for her success. Ven. Sayalay Dīpaṅkarā gives her utmost effort in every talk and retreat