Shwegyin Sayadaw

Shwegyin Sayadaw (Burmese: ရွှေကျင်ဆရာတော်; 28 July 1822 – 26 March 1893), born Maung Than, reverentially known as Ashin Zāgara (အရှင်ဇာဂရ), was a prominent Burmese Theravāda Buddhist monk who founded the Shwegyin Nikaya, one of the nine legally recognised monastic orders in Myanmar. He is regarded as the first monk to establish a strict Vinaya-reform sect during the reign of King Mindon (r. 1853–1878). The Shwegyin Nikāya remains the strictest and most forest-oriented monastic lineage in Myanmar today.^[1]

Shwegyin Sayadaw ရွှေကျင်ဆရာတော်
Title	First Shwegyin Sayadaw Thathanabaing (1878–1885, not recognised by British after 1885)
Personal life
Born	Maung Than (1822-07-28)28 July 1822 Shwegyin village, Wetlet Township, Shwebo District, Sagaing Region, Konbaung Burma
Died	26 March 1893(1893-03-26) (aged 70) Mingun Ngwe Taung forest monastery, Sagaing Region
Religious life
Religion	Theravada Buddhism
School	Shwegyin Nikāya (founder)
Ordination	1842 (sāmaṇera) 1848 (bhikkhu)
Senior posting
Teacher	Wetmasut Wuntha Sayadaw U Vara

Early life

Shwegyin Sayadaw was born on 28 July 1822 in Shwegyin village (one of five large villages founded by relatives of King Dhamazedi of Pegu), near the present-day Wetlet Township, Shwebo District, Sagaing Region. His parents were U Maung and Daw Myat Mit. At age seven he began studying under the local monastery teacher, later identified as Ven. U Vara (U Waraboddi). He became a sāmaṇera (novice) at age 14 in ME 1198 (1836–37) and received the name Shin Zāgara (“the vigilant one”).

He studied at several monasteries, mastering Pali grammar, Abhidhamma, and Vinaya. At age 20 (ME 1208, 1846) he received higher ordination (upasampadā) under Ven. U Vara at Ywatha monastery in Ywathitgyi village. From then on he strictly observed the 13 dhutaṅga (austere practices) and became known as a dhutaṅga monk.

Monastic career and founding of the Shwegyin Nikāya

Ashin Zāgara spent years in forest monasteries, emphasising strict adherence to the Vinaya. In ME 1222 (1860) King Mindon, seeking to purify the Saṅgha, granted him and his followers independence from the Thudhamma Nikāya (the royal monastic hierarchy) and full royal patronage. This marked the formal establishment of the Shwegyin Nikāya, named after the founder’s birthplace.^[2]

The king built five monasteries for the new sect in Mandalay (collectively called the “Shwegyin Five Monasteries”) and appointed Ashin Zāgara as its leader. The sect emphasised: - Strict observance of the 13 dhutaṅga practices - Forest-dwelling (araññavāsi) orientation - Independence from royal or state control over monastic affairs

Later life

Ashin Zāgara refused all honorary titles offered by King Mindon and later King Thibaw. After the British annexation in 1885, the colonial authorities ceased recognising the office of Thathanabaing (Supreme Saṅgha leader), effectively ending official support for the Shwegyin leadership structure, though the sect continued to thrive.^[3]

He spent his final years in forest monasteries in Sagaing and Mingun. He died on 26 March 1893 at Mingun Ngwe Taung forest monastery, aged 70 (71 by Burmese reckoning) and with 52 vassas (rains retreats).

Legacy

The Shwegyin Nikāya is today the strictest monastic order in Myanmar, known for its emphasis on Vinaya purity, forest meditation, and independence. It has produced many prominent meditation teachers and remains a major lineage alongside the Thudhamma Nikāya.^[4]