THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
4
The State BuddhasÈsana Council's Version of The MahÈbuddhavaÑsa
After the founding of the new independent country of the Union of Myanmar, the people,
both the
Sangha
and the laity, were busy assiduously making preparations and
arrangements, shouldering their respective responsibilities for holding the Sixth Buddhist
Council. The Prime Minister U Nu, seeing their dedicated activities, was inspired by the
profound thought of bringing out a new version of the BuddhavaÑsa Text and its
Commentary, a version that should include everything that is connected with the Buddha.
Accordingly, he requested me, in his house, on the occasion of
anekaja
ceremony and
inauguration of his shrine-room, to write such a saga of the Buddhas in commemoration of
the great event of the Buddhist Council.
I said to the Prime Minister then: ‚I have been assigned to participate as a TipiÔakadhara
in the Sixth Buddhist Council which is to be held soon, and I still have to work hard to
become qualified for the title.‛ With this excuse, I refused to comply with his request.
Indeed, at that time, I had just passed the written examination in the Vinaya-piÔaka and was
about to sit for another one on the Abhidhamma PiÔaka.
Succession of Compilers
Undaunted by my refusal of his request, the Prime Minister persisted in his earnest effort
to produce the proposed book by approaching other scholars. And the compilation started
first under the supervision of MedhÈvÊ Sayagyi U Saing. Some months later, when only a
portion had been done, the work was interrupted until MahÈpaÒÒÈbala, PaÔhamagyaw
Sayagyi U Kyee Pe took over as supervisor. In the same way, the compilation again passed
on to AggamÈpaÓÉita Sayagyi U Lin, M.A. After one and a half years, he could finish
compiling only the first volume of the series (from the story of Sumedha up to the end of
the story of Buddha Kassapa). Then U Lin passed away to our great regret, leaving only the
fame of his learning.
The Assignment Given to Me
It was on the 11th day of the waxing moon in the month of Nadaw, 1316, (December 6,
1954), that Sayagyi U Lin passed away. Four days later, the sponsor of my ordination and
spiritual father, the wealthy Sir U Thwin, ThadosirÊ Sudhamma, Chairman of the State
BuddhasÈsana Council and Patron of the Sixth Buddhist Council, came to see me at the
request of the Prime Minister and asked me not to refuse should the Prime Minister make a
request for writing a BuddhavaÑsa. On the full moon day of Pyatho, 1316 (8-1-55), the
Prime Minister himself came to see me at my temporary residence at the Sangha Yeiktha
Meditation Centre and made a formal request as follows:
(1) Please supervise the compilation of a treatise on the lives of the Buddhas. In so doing,
please include everything about the Buddha, not leaving out even minor details. If one
volume is not enough, make it two; if two is not enough make it four, eight and so on. It is
important that the work should be exhaustive.
(2) The writing should be intelligible and interesting to all, young and old, even to non-
Buddhists, who wish to know about the lives of the Buddhas.
(3) Should the Venerable Sayadaw undertake the task of writing the MahÈ BuddhavaÑsa in
Myanmar, it will be welcomed by all, both the Sangha and the laity alike.
The request had been made repeatedly, the first time in 1313 M.E. (A.D.1951), the
second time in 1315 (1953); and now in 1316 (1954), by my spiritual father and finally by
the Prime Minister himself. I therefore felt that I should no longer refuse to comply with
their request. Accordingly I gave my consent firmly saying: ‚Very well, DÈyakagyi, when
the proceedings of the Council are over, I will take charge of the compilation and supervise
the work to the best of my ability without sparing my energy.‛
After the Prime Minister left, I reminded myself of following dictum:
YaÑ hi kayirÈ taÑ hi vade,
Yam na kayirÈ na taÑ vade.