About the passing of Ven. U Nyanika

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

Subject: About the passing of Ven. U Nyanika Sayadaw and Ven. U  Thittila Sayadaw

>From the Forest Hermitage Newsletter, June 2540

 ....
Another lesson in Impermanence and the Unsatisfactory nature of things has
been the very recent loss, especially to the Burmese Buddhist community in
this country, of Venerable Sayadaw U Nyanika. A highly respected scholar, he
was in his eightieth year and had been suffering from cancer. He passed away
just before 4 a.m. on Sunday, June 8th and the funeral, which I attended,
was on the following Tuesday at Mortlake Crematorium. Sayadaw U Nyanika came
to this country in 1982 and in the early days of our effort to create what
has become this hermitage he was a fairly frequent visitor and advised and
helped me on numerous occasions. In 1988 he led the declaration of the
Maha-Sima or boundary here and later that year organised for his pupil, Ven.
U Lokanatha, to come and help me. Since then Ven. U Nyanika has founded the
Tisarana Vihara, located first in Wolverhampton and now removed to
Twickenham, and the Tisarana Vihara in Perth, Western Australia. I last saw
him when I visited him in this monastery in Twickenham just ten days before
he died. They say that although he must have been in considerable pain, he
remained composed and uncomplaining to the end.

Sayadaw U Nyanika was a friend of another great Burmese scholar monk,
Sayadaw U Thittila, whose biography he had been writing but was unable to
complete. We talked about him during that last visit and Sayadaw U Nyanika
told me then that Ven. U Thitula had not long ago died. In fact he passed
away on January 3rd of this year. Sayadaw U Thittila was a bit older having
been born in 1896! I mention the passing of Ven. Sayadaw U Thittila because
not only did I have the privilege of meeting him, in Rangoon in 1987, and
previously in the UK, but because at one time he was very well- known to
British Buddhists having lived and taught in London from 1938 until 1952. He
also visited inmates in prison during that time. He was back here in 1964
for two years and then again in 1982 and 1983. When asked the secret of his
advanced years and robust health, his prescription for a long and happy life
was always: "Don't worry!".

from Ven. Ajahn Khemadhammo
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