When I think back over the time Sayadaw was a Nayaka at the Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha during Mahasi Sayadaw's lifetime, the great Mahasi Sayadaw seems like his father. His meditation teacher U Visâra, on the other hand, was his teacher. The other Nâyaka Sayadaws - Shwe U Min Sayadaw U Kosalla, Kohmu Sayadaw U Nandavamsa, U Sujâta, U Javana and Hpya Pon Sayadaw U Vaòòita were like his older brothers. These five venerable elder brothers seemed to see Sayadaw as their younger brother. I could see that Sayadaw revered and relied on these five monks, his elder brothers, in the field of meditation practice, that is.

In the area of scriptural study, if I were to mention only those of Sayadaw's study teachers that I know of, there were such persons as the Senior Sayadaw of Mahâbodhi Forest Monastery in Kyauktan Village, Sayadaw U Kelâsa, the second Sayadaw of Mahâbodhi Forest Monastery U Pa?ñava; Paññalingara Monastery (Thaketa) Sayadaw U Paññathiri, Kocheh Sayadaw U Jâgara, Kyaikkasan Sayadaw Ashin Sucinda, Pyay Vâranasi Sayadaw U Ânandapanditâbhivamsa, Pathan U Visuddhâbhivamsa, and U Âdeiccavamsa (who later disrobed and was known as U Aung Myat Htut).

Sayadaw-to-be, Maung Mya Han, lived in Kocheh Village, his father's birthplace, having moved there after the death of his mother Daw Chit Su. At that time, he studied as a young schoolboy under the Kocheh Village Sayadaw U Jâgara. U Jâgara was very well-disciplined. He produced many monks and novices. At Kocheh Village Monastery, when children became old enough to ordain as novices, they weren't allowed to stay on unless they ordained. After ordaining and completing the basic studies under U Jâgara, they were sent to Mahâbodhi Forest Monastery in Kyauktan Village to continue their education. It was said that U Jâgara wielded great influence not only over the laypeople, novices and monks who were his disciples but over the village itself. Sayadaw-to-be Maung Mya Han was more afraid of U Jâgara than of his subsequent teacher U Pa?ñasirî, he said. U Pa?ñasirî was U Jâgara's student. He was from Kocheh Village. Kyaikkasan Sayadaw U Sucinda was also from Kocheh Village and was another of U Jâgara's students.

U Paññasirî was said to be very fond of his young pupil Maung Mya Han. U Pa?ñasirî even combed Maung Mya Han's hair for him. One favors young students who can be relied on for the future of the Sâsana, but more than that one loves them. When Sayadaw moved from the Mahâbodhi Forest Monastery to the Kyaikkasan Monastic School he took refuge in the mettâ of Kyaikkasan Sayadaw U Sucinda and studied the monastic texts from the Middle Standard onwards. While U Paññasirî had always called his student "U Pandita," U Sucinda called him "Maung Pandi." When Sayadaw had become a Nâyaka and was teaching meditation at the Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha, as long as his two teachers U Paññasirî and U Sucinda were alive, when he had any food which they liked he would remark to the monastery volunteers, "Kyaikkasan Sayadaw likes those," or "Pa?ñalingara Monastery (Thaketa) Sayadaw used to eat those." The volunteers, knowing this, would send the food for him. Sayadaw used this stratagem in asking others to send things to his teachers. The student of a good teacher adorns the teacher

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