<p>Though there is no definite record who his teacher was, it is said he learned it from someone else when he was in the Monywa region in the side of Lak-pan-taung Mountain. Also there is reference that this is the <code>Traditional Burmese</code> method. This is mentioned in the <a href="http://www.vridhamma.org/Teachers-2">VRI</a> and <a href="http://www.pariyatti.org/Resources/Treasures/VenLediSayadaw/tabid/205/Default.aspx">pariyatti.org</a> biography. VRI teachers <a href="http://www.vridhamma.org/VRI-Introduction">Vipassana</a> as handed down in the Ledi linage. VRI may be drawing on works by Sayagyi U Ba Khin (E.g. The Clock of Vipassana Has Struck page 71 also makes reference to this.) It the strong belief of this tradition (which I also very much involved and practice) that he learned from a linage handed down from the Sona and Uttara who came as missionaries during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka">King Asoka's</a> time.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledi_Sayadaw">Wikipedia entry</a> (originally sourced from <a href="http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs/article/view/9290/3151">On saints and wizards Ideals of human perfection and power in contemporary Burmese Buddhism</a> by Patrick Pranke page 461) mentions <code>Ledi Sayadaw learned the technique of Vipassana which had remained being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills</code>.</p>

<p>Hence this was not exactly his creation as per biographical references above. But the book <a href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo16744419.html">The Birth of Insight</a> in in page 7 says otherwise though. So there is no proper or consistent way to determine what exactly is right,  though previous case may be right. There are parallel of the technique to some extent in other linages too.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>For eight more years he remained there, teaching and continuing his
  own scholastic endeavors, until 1882 when he moved to Monywa. He was
  now 36 years old. At that time, Monywa was a small district center on
  the east bank of the Chindwin River, which was renowned as a place
  where the teaching method included the entire Tipiṭaka, rather than
  selected portions only.</p>
  
  <p>To teach Pali to the bhikkhus and sāmaṇeras at Monywa, he came into
  town during the day, but in the evening he would cross to the west
  bank of the Chindwin River and spend the nights in meditation in a
  small vihara (monastery) on the side of Lak-pan-taung Mountain.
  Although we do not have any definitive information, it seems likely
  that this was the period when he began practicing Vipassana in the
  traditional Burmese way: with attention to Ānāpāna (respiration) and
  vedanā (sensation).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Source: <a href="http://www.pariyatti.org/Resources/Treasures/VenLediSayadaw/tabid/205/Default.aspx">http://www.pariyatti.org/Resources/Treasures/VenLediSayadaw/tabid/205/Default.aspx</a>, <a href="http://www.vridhamma.org/Teachers-2">http://www.vridhamma.org/Teachers-2</a> </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Ledi Sayadaw learned the technique of Vipassana which had remained
  being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills, which was honeycombed
  with meditation caves and dotted with forest monasteries. For how long
  we do not know. Verbal accounts state that two monks brought the
  practice of Vipassana to this area at the time of the Buddha. It is
  just as likely that prior to the eighteenth century in Burma, as
  elsewhere in the Theravāda world, it was generally believed that it
  was no longer possible to attain enlightenment and hence nibbāna
  through vipassanā or any other means during the present age.</p>
  
  <p>The earliest known challenger to this assumption is that of a monk
  from the Sagaing Hills in Upper Burma named Waya-zawta whose movement
  ﬂourished during the reign of Maha-damma-yaza-dipati (r. 1733–1752). A
  young scholar-monk named Medawi (1728–1816) began writing vipassanā
  manuals in the vernacular. Couched in the language of abhidhamma,
  these are the very earliest ‘how-to’ vipassanā books we possess from
  Burma. Medawi’s earliest manual was completed in 1754. Ledi's lineage
  comes from this line, whereby his main teacher was King Mindon’s royal
  minister U Hpo Hlaing (1830–1883), who was notable for his avid
  interest in western science and eﬀorts to reconcile this new
  perspective with abhidhamma. This synthetic approach was passed on to
  his protégé, the scholar-monk, U Nyana, who later became famous as
  Ledi Sayadaw, arguably the most signiﬁcant promoter of vipassanā in
  the modern period.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledi_Sayadaw">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledi_Sayadaw</a>, <a href="http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs/article/view/9290/3151">http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs/article/view/9290/3151</a> (page 461)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-27T14:04:40.710Z
See also the conversation in: http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/29585/discussion-on-answer-by-shwe-lan-ga-lay-ledi-sayadaws-anatta-dipani-in-englis
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-12T07:19:23.593Z
Please note, none of the original references you quote mentions now that Ledi learnt the techinque in a cave in "Sagaing Hills".
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-12T07:36:24.023Z
The only still live is in: http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-10: "Ledi Sayadaw, had become proficient in the study of pariyatti. He went on to learn the technique of Vipassana still being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills"
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-12T16:10:36.807Z
And, Pranke at page 461 does not say that "Ledi Sayadaw learned the technique of Vipassana which had remained being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills".
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-12T16:32:43.740Z
This page is the start of the bio. Parnke's other works also contain in some for of the other. E.g. [Champions of Buddhism: Weikza Cults in Contemporary Burma
By Kate Crosby, Patrick Pranke, Juliane Schober, Niklas Foxeus, Keiko Tosa, Thomas Patton, Celine Coderey, Steven Collins](https://books.google.lk/books?id=MBKKBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=Sagaing+Hills+in+Upper+Burma+named+Waya-zawta&source=bl&ots=iczwz_7vEQ&sig=q4sa8xh1jAkvXfEG-MoJUcGt1No&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Sagaing%20Hills%20in%20Upper%20Burma%20named%20Waya-zawta&f=false)
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-12T20:34:21.500Z
Please check your references and see if they speak about Ledi Sayadaw having learned at Sagaing Hills.
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-13T10:11:00.300Z
It is wikipedia which used this (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ledi_Sayadaw&oldid=591180349) as primary reference (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ledi_Sayadaw&oldid=591180349#cite_note-1) I am just quoting it.
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-23T01:32:37.460Z
Regarding my previous comment, please note that http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-10  -> http://web.archive.org/web/20161022042450/http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-10
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-30T09:32:13.167Z
Could you say more about other parallels of the technique in other lineages? I'm aware of just Achaan Dhammadaro's and Achaan Maha Boowa's techniques as reported on Kornfield's book "Teachings and Meditation Instructions from Twelve Theravada Masters".
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-30T09:38:57.893Z
EDIT: of course also Sunlun's method, with its effort of overcoming pain, can be considered _vedana_ contemplation.
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-30T02:42:52.380Z
2014-09-07T03:28:45.657Z
2014-09-07T03:28:45.657Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>According to the currently available historical sources, did Ledi Sayadaw invent his technique of meditation, or did he learn it in the caves of the Sagaing Hills? Is there enough information to tell which possibility is more likely?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-27T14:04:12.363Z
See also the conversation in: http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/29585/discussion-on-answer-by-shwe-lan-ga-lay-ledi-sayadaws-anatta-dipani-in-englis
robermann
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-06T14:56:51.993Z
Any areas you think I should improve on my answer?
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<vipassana><history><monk><meditation-insight><meditation-teachers>
Did Ledi Sayadaw invent a vipassana technique?
# Did Ledi Sayadaw invent a vipassana technique?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-29)

According to the currently available historical sources, did Ledi Sayadaw invent his technique of meditation, or did he learn it in the caves of the Sagaing Hills? Is there enough information to tell which possibility is more likely?

**Tags:** vipassana, history, monk, meditation-insight, meditation-teachers

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Any areas you think I should improve on my answer?  
> **username_1**: See also the conversation in: http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/29585/discussion-on-answer-by-shwe-lan-ga-lay-ledi-sayadaws-anatta-dipani-in-englis  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-08-30. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Though there is no definite record who his teacher was, it is said he learned it from someone else when he was in the Monywa region in the side of Lak-pan-taung Mountain. Also there is reference that this is the `Traditional Burmese` method. This is mentioned in the [VRI](http://www.vridhamma.org/Teachers-2) and [pariyatti.org](http://www.pariyatti.org/Resources/Treasures/VenLediSayadaw/tabid/205/Default.aspx) biography. VRI teachers [Vipassana](http://www.vridhamma.org/VRI-Introduction) as handed down in the Ledi linage. VRI may be drawing on works by Sayagyi U Ba Khin (E.g. The Clock of Vipassana Has Struck page 71 also makes reference to this.) It the strong belief of this tradition (which I also very much involved and practice) that he learned from a linage handed down from the Sona and Uttara who came as missionaries during [King Asoka's](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka) time.

The [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledi_Sayadaw) (originally sourced from [On saints and wizards Ideals of human perfection and power in contemporary Burmese Buddhism](http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs/article/view/9290/3151) by Patrick Pranke page 461) mentions `Ledi Sayadaw learned the technique of Vipassana which had remained being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills`.

Hence this was not exactly his creation as per biographical references above. But the book [The Birth of Insight](http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo16744419.html) in in page 7 says otherwise though. So there is no proper or consistent way to determine what exactly is right, though previous case may be right. There are parallel of the technique to some extent in other linages too.

> For eight more years he remained there, teaching and continuing his
> own scholastic endeavors, until 1882 when he moved to Monywa. He was
> now 36 years old. At that time, Monywa was a small district center on
> the east bank of the Chindwin River, which was renowned as a place
> where the teaching method included the entire Tipiṭaka, rather than
> selected portions only.
>
> To teach Pali to the bhikkhus and sāmaṇeras at Monywa, he came into
> town during the day, but in the evening he would cross to the west
> bank of the Chindwin River and spend the nights in meditation in a
> small vihara (monastery) on the side of Lak-pan-taung Mountain.
> Although we do not have any definitive information, it seems likely
> that this was the period when he began practicing Vipassana in the
> traditional Burmese way: with attention to Ānāpāna (respiration) and
> vedanā (sensation).

Source: <http://www.pariyatti.org/Resources/Treasures/VenLediSayadaw/tabid/205/Default.aspx>, <http://www.vridhamma.org/Teachers-2>

> Ledi Sayadaw learned the technique of Vipassana which had remained
> being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills, which was honeycombed
> with meditation caves and dotted with forest monasteries. For how long
> we do not know. Verbal accounts state that two monks brought the
> practice of Vipassana to this area at the time of the Buddha. It is
> just as likely that prior to the eighteenth century in Burma, as
> elsewhere in the Theravāda world, it was generally believed that it
> was no longer possible to attain enlightenment and hence nibbāna
> through vipassanā or any other means during the present age.
>
> The earliest known challenger to this assumption is that of a monk
> from the Sagaing Hills in Upper Burma named Waya-zawta whose movement
> ﬂourished during the reign of Maha-damma-yaza-dipati (r. 1733–1752). A
> young scholar-monk named Medawi (1728–1816) began writing vipassanā
> manuals in the vernacular. Couched in the language of abhidhamma,
> these are the very earliest ‘how-to’ vipassanā books we possess from
> Burma. Medawi’s earliest manual was completed in 1754. Ledi's lineage
> comes from this line, whereby his main teacher was King Mindon’s royal
> minister U Hpo Hlaing (1830–1883), who was notable for his avid
> interest in western science and eﬀorts to reconcile this new
> perspective with abhidhamma. This synthetic approach was passed on to
> his protégé, the scholar-monk, U Nyana, who later became famous as
> Ledi Sayadaw, arguably the most signiﬁcant promoter of vipassanā in
> the modern period.

Source: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledi_Sayadaw>, <http://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/jiabs/article/view/9290/3151> (page 461)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Could you say more about other parallels of the technique in other lineages? I'm aware of just Achaan Dhammadaro's and Achaan Maha Boowa's techniques as reported on Kornfield's book "Teachings and Meditation Instructions from Twelve Theravada Masters".  
> **username_1**: EDIT: of course also Sunlun's method, with its effort of overcoming pain, can be considered _vedana_ contemplation.  
> **username_1**: See also the conversation in: http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/29585/discussion-on-answer-by-shwe-lan-ga-lay-ledi-sayadaws-anatta-dipani-in-englis  
> **username_1**: Please note, none of the original references you quote mentions now that Ledi learnt the techinque in a cave in "Sagaing Hills".  
> **username_1**: The only still live is in: http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-10: "Ledi Sayadaw, had become proficient in the study of pariyatti. He went on to learn the technique of Vipassana still being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills"  
> **username_1**: And, Pranke at page 461 does not say that "Ledi Sayadaw learned the technique of Vipassana which had remained being taught in the caves of the Sagaing Hills".  
> **username_2**: This page is the start of the bio. Parnke's other works also contain in some for of the other. E.g. [Champions of Buddhism: Weikza Cults in Contemporary Burma By Kate Crosby, Patrick Pranke, Juliane Schober, Niklas Foxeus, Keiko Tosa, Thomas Patton, Celine Coderey, Steven Collins](https://books.google.lk/books?id=MBKKBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=Sagaing+Hills+in+Upper+Burma+named+Waya-zawta&source=bl&ots=iczwz_7vEQ&sig=q4sa8xh1jAkvXfEG-MoJUcGt1No&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Sagaing%20Hills%20in%20Upper%20Burma%20named%20Waya-zawta&f=false)  
> **username_1**: Please check your references and see if they speak about Ledi Sayadaw having learned at Sagaing Hills.  
> **username_2**: It is wikipedia which used this (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ledi_Sayadaw&oldid=591180349) as primary reference (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ledi_Sayadaw&oldid=591180349#cite_note-1) I am just quoting it.  
> **username_1**: Regarding my previous comment, please note that http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-10  -> http://web.archive.org/web/20161022042450/http://www.vridhamma.org/en1997-10  

---

