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Myanmar Buddhist
Pioneer
VENERABLE U KITTIMA (1903 – 1987)
Second Chief Resident Monk (1921-1950)
Dhammachakka Vihara Migadawon Myanmar
Temple,
Sarnath, Varanasi, India
Venerable U Kittima was the second Chief Resident
Monk of Dhammachakka Vihara Migadawon Myanmar Temple (Burmese Buddhist Temple)
at Sarnath, Varanasi, India, from 1928 till 1950. He was born in August 1903 at Yote-chaung
village, Akyab district in Arakan state, Burma. His mother Daw Hnin Nyo was the
younger sister of Venerable U Chandramani. After attending the high school, he became a
novice monk and studied Buddhist literature with his grand uncle Venerable U
Sandimar in Akyab.
As arranged by
his uncle Ven. U Chandramani of Kushinagar Temple, who shined like the sun and
the moon, and thus was well known in Majjhimadesa
(Middle Land of Buddha Places), Shin Kittima arrived India in 1921 and studied
Nagari from Ven. U Chandramani and continued his studies in Lucknow, Hardwar
and Lahore.
In 1924, Shin
Kittima returned to Akyab to be ordained as a Bhikkhu, since there were no
proper facilities in India. He went back to India and studied Hindi, Sanskrit,
Pali and English at Gorakhpur.
Ven. U Kittima resided
at the Migadawon Myanmar Buddhist Temple as chief monk since 1928. He organized
and supervised the construction of Pilgrim rest house, Dhammachakka Vihara,
Maha Wizitawi Sima House, and Thadhammayanthi Pitaka Library with the donors
from Myanmar under the guidance of Ven. U Chandramani.
Around mid-1940s
during the Second World War period, Ven. U Kittima organized and supervised the
construction of a monastery in Sigara, Varanasi, with the donations from his
Arakanese devotees from Sandarvan (Bangala-awa island). The monastery was named
as Sigara Burmese Buddhist Temple. Just
a few years after the War (around 1950), when Venerable U Teikheindriya from
Rakhine arrived to Migadawon, U Kittima requested U Teikheindriya to look after
Migadawon Myanmar Monastery. Sayadaw U Kittima continued to stay at Sigara
Myanmar Monastery till he died in 1987.
Sayadaw also
built another Burmese Buddhist Vihara just before the war, by renovating an old
Library building in the centre of Varanasi, using donation of a wealthy Indian
Merchant. In 1958, Sir U Thwin and family donated a Dhamma hall at Sigara
Myanmar Vihara. This Vihara is still existed to date, and used as pilgrimage
centre for Buddhist devotees.
Ven. U Kittima
was not only well verse in many foreign languages but he was also knowledgeable
about the life of Buddha, annals of Buddhism, history and various regional and historical
issues, He was also knowledgeable in deciphering archaeological stone
inscriptions. Thus, he was able to gather information and systematically compile
them and wrote a book “Maha Bawdhutpatti Katha” in 1937, explaining in detail
the history of how the Maha Bodhi temple in Majjhimadesa was handed back to the
Buddhist community. The book was first printed and published in 1938. For the
sake of the readers to have a glimpse of the contents of the book as well as
the attitude of Ven. U Kittima, the text of the beginning part of the book was
reproduced as follows:
“I humbly wish to request Ven. U Kittima to explain and clarify the
doubts we have about the Maha Bodhi temple. When we went for pilgrimage to the
sacred place where Buddha attained enlightenment, which we have been addressing
as Buddha Gaya, the Buddhist community claimed that Maha Bodhi temple
exclusively belong to them. However, when we went to India for pilgrimage, we
came across a book, in English in Buddha Gaya published by Mahanttaki Zawgyi, which
mentioned that Buddha Gaya was explicitly belong to the Hindu community. Thus,
I wish to request the Venerable to write comprehensively as to how the Buddhist
community should get back the Maha Bodhi temple and whether the possibilities
are there or not supplementing with the historical aspect of it since the time
of the Buddha to the present day.
U San Tun
Aung, B.A. (School Teacher)
Akyab (12-9-36)
The above named person and some of my close devotees from Arakan (Rakhine)
and Burma (Myanmar) also made similar request when I was doing research work
about Maha Bodhi center, gathering archaeological and historical facts,
government records and stone inscriptions. Thus, I went around in search of more
archaeological photographs and stone inscriptions and recorded them.
However, there was no one willing to bear the cost
of printing the book and with depressed feeling, I went to discuss with some of
the printing press owners in Rangoon. I proposed to print and publish with their
own cost, but since they don’t have the Sanskrit stone inscription alphabets and
certain equivalent Burmese alphabets, they dare not accept the work. They don’t seem to be interested in improving
their printing business like those from abroad. While facing financial and
technical problems apart from the donation of Kyats 200.- by the mill owner U
Shwe Tun and wife Daw Ma Lone of Par-da-late-cheik quarters of Akyab, and Kyats
50.- from U Ba Maung, member of Pegu Supreme Legislative Council, they promised
that they will assist as much as they can in the future. Furthermore, because
of the encouragement given by U Ba Paing, a wealthy person, U Pan Maung of
Thudhammawadi press and editor U Kyi Pe, that they will find ways and means to
print the book that other printing press had already rejected, I was able to
print this book in order that the Buddhist community will have the opportunity
to read it.
While gathering facts in writing the book, I was very
much occupied with the printing work for Hindi translation of Milindapanha Pali
version (an important text used in propagation of Buddha Sasana in Majjhimadesa),
which was undertaken by the Law Journal Press of Allahabad. Being the case, I had no choice but to use
the hand written script in printing this book and thus, the choice of words,
sentence construction, forming chapters and presentation might not be perfect
in some of the places.
Furthermore, in translating the Sanskrit stone
inscriptions using Burmese alphabets, since they don’t have the required ones,
custom made alphabets had to be specially ordered. As they were not accustomed
doing such alphabets, they were not able to do it as desired. Thus, even the
author himself had difficulty in reading them and therefore it would be much
more difficult for those who don’t know Sanskrit at all. Since this resulted
due to unavoidable circumstances, it is not necessary for the readers to take
note of those imperfect ones but instead should read patiently to have an understanding
of the general meaning and things that happened.
It would be endless for the author to thank each
and every one of those who have assisted personally and financially in order to
materialize this in spite of the difficulties.
If only people were willing to help the author by
buying and reading this “Maha Bawdutpatti Katha”, a new book entitled “Buddha Sasana
Period in Majjhimadesa” containing historical knowledge of Indian religious
matters will soon be available in Burma.
Ven. U Kittima
Migadawon, Varanasi District”
With regard to the Dr E. West article published in
the Sunday Statesman newspaper of 31st. October 1937, Ven. U Kittima commented
as follows:
“Since the article was about the true facts written by a non-Buddhist
Englishman, it will really benefit those who seriously think about their
religion in depth. It will make them aware of the circumstances and be shameful
about it.
If only those foreigners who are willing to
sacrifice their life for the sake of the religion come to know, we the Buddhist
should be shameful about it. However, it won’t make any difference for our
Burmese Buddhist. The reason being that we tolerate patiently even when
foreigners came to our country, controlling and insulting some religious
buildings, business and racial matters.
My dear fellow monks and people, for the sake of
our nation and the Sasana, you all should realize the truth and be shameful
about it. It was not my intention to write this book for casual reading. It was
written with the intention to know the truth so that we all can work together
whenever opportunity arises. Even if you are unable to lead as a leader, you
all should be united and give full support to those who can lead.
U Kittima”
Furthermore, the Introduction written by Sayadaw U
Thuriya of Pitaka Taikthit monastery, Thayettaw Taik, Rangoon, in the same book is also very interesting.
“Introduction
Namo MahaKarunikatta Satta
If I have to categorize the historical period of Majjhimadesa (India),
covering an area of 900 Yojana, where the Buddha attained enlightenment,
commencing from 1,400 years before Christ up to the time when Buddha appeared,
will be known as “Veda period”. The five
hundred years from the time Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree,
and delivered Dhammacakka sutta to Ashin Kondanna and the four ascetics at
Issipatna, Migadawon in Benares will be known as “Buddha Sasana period.” For
the 650 years after this period (i.e. up to 1798 AD) will be known as “Muhammaden
period”. During AD 1000, Muhammaden invaded India and all those huge and small
structures in places like Migadawon and Kushinagar connected with those of
Gotama Buddha were totally destroyed that it was not possible to rebuild them. However, it is a great wonder that the Maha
Bodhi center never disappeared from the scene and Buddhist monks took care of
it until 1300 AD.
However, during 1100 AD Buddhism was disappearing while
Brahmanism gained strength and started to overwhelm. Fighting broke out between
the Muhammaden and Hindu insurgents and the country became politically
unstable. Thus, in 1300 AD the Buddhist monks around Maha Bodhi center couldn’t
stay there any more and ran away to Ceylon, Nepal and Tibet.
Only after a long period, the Mahanttaki Zawgyi
that we are seeing at the present time came and possessed it. Thus, it is
insufficient to be knowledgeable in language only to write comprehensively
about Buddha Gaya center that went through good and bad times and a major concern
for the Buddhist community. It will be not wrong to say that only those who are
knowledgeable about the life of Buddha, annals of Buddhism, history and various
regional and historical issues as well as the ability to decipher
archaeological stone inscriptions will be able to do so.
The author of this book Ven. Ashin Kittima arrived
India at the age of 16 years and studied Nagari from Kushinagar Sayadaw U
Chandramani, who was regarded like the sun and the moon in the Majjhimadesa. He
then went to many places in India for many years and studied different
languages. Starting from about ten years ago he managed the Myanmar Buddhist
Temple located at Migadawon near Varanasi where the Buddha delivered his first
sermon. He was interested in carrying out research work in stone inscriptions.
Thus, all those pilgrims who came to Majjhimadesa and myself who wrote the
Introduction knew about his qualifications very well. The book he wrote is not
meant for casual reading but very beneficial to those scholars who wish to do
research work.
When I read the script that was delivered to me, I
found that it covered all the events that took place from the olden days to the
present time, written precisely with specific dates, and presented
systematically. Although it doesn’t contain many pages, it has many references
and photos of stone inscriptions. The photos shown include those taken in 1863
AD before they were restored as well as those of the present time. Thus, one is
able to compare and see the different conditions. This was the result of his
hard work and being able to tolerate.
After knowing the detail account of the different
phases that Buddha Gaya Maha Bodhi center went through, it is an extremely
important issue for Buddhists like life and death matter. Like the saying “This
is my country, this is my land” similarly we can say “This is our Buddha, this
is our building” and for those of whom who wish to get back lawfully should try
and read and memorize to the best of their ability and hope that they will
continue working hard with new effort.
U Thuriya
Pitaka Taikthit Kyaung
Thaayettaw
Taik, Rangoon
Apart from this
famous book, Ven. U Kittima wrote many articles, books and publications on
Buddhism, History, Politics, Economics and Tourism in Hindi, Sanskrit, Burmese
and English.
Ven. U Kittima
attended the Sixth World Buddhist Council organized by the Burmese Government
under the leadership of Prime Minister U Nu, held at Mahapasana cave in Kaba
Aye hills, Rangoon in May 1954. He translated all the speeches given in Hindi
by other Bhikkhus in Burmese language.
Ven. U Kittima
brought Ashin Wannadhaza from Akyab to India in 1974, made him to continue
studying Buddhist literature and assist him in managing the temples in Varanasi
and Migadawon. Ven. U Wannadhaza took care of his needs until he passed away on
April 23rd. 1987.
{compiled
by U Sein Tun Aung, U Tin Htoon and U Than Sein, 26 November 2007)
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