The Most Venerable Bhaddanta ÃÂciá¹Âá¹Âa MahÃÂthÃÂra (), more commonly referred to as the Pa-Auk Sayadaw (), is a Burmese TheravÃÂda monk, meditation teacher and the abbot of the Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Mawlamyine.
Most Venerable ÃÂciá¹Âá¹Âa MahÃÂthÃÂra ordained as a novice in 1944, receiving full ordination in 1954. Immersed in the study of the PÃÂli Canon from his days as a novice, he gradually broadened his scope of attention to include meditation, initially training under Mahasi Sayadaw and U Paá¹Âá¸ÂitÃÂ. Not long after, he would also decide to become a forest monk. In the months and years to follow, he would deepen his meditation abilities under the Kathitwaing, Thanlyin and Shwetheindaw sayadaws, eventually developing his own set of meditation methods, often collectively referred to as the "Pa-Auk Method".
On July 21, 1981, Most Venerable ÃÂciá¹Âá¹Âa MahÃÂthÃÂra succeeded the Phelhtaw Sayadaw Aggapañña, at the latter's invitation, as the abbot of the Pa-Auk Forest Monastery. The monastery would then grow into a network of meditation centres across Southeast Asia and beyond, and is currently the largest network in Myanmar.
In 1999, the national government awarded ÃÂciá¹Âá¹Âa the title of AggamahÃÂkammaá¹Âá¹ÂhÃÂnÃÂcariya (). In 2018, his title was raised to that of Abhidhaja AggamahàSaddhammajotika (). In 2021, he received the title AggamahÃÂpandita () and in 2024, he received the highest title, AbhidhajamahÃÂraá¹Âá¹Âhaguru ().
In May 2017, ÃÂciá¹Âá¹Âa was conferred an honorary doctorate of philosophy from Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Dhamma books of the Venerable Abbot of Pa-Auk Forest Monastery are: