Ba Khin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sayagyi U Ba Khin (March 6, 1899 – January 18, 1971) was born in Rangoon, Burma. He was a student of Saya Thetgyi and was the first Accountant General of Burma. U Ba Khin was a notable teacher of Buddhist vipassana meditation. One of his most prominent students was S. N. Goenka.

In March of 1917, he passed the final high school examination, winning a gold medal as well as a college scholarship. But family pressures forced him to discontinue his formal education to start earning money. His first job was with a Burmese newspaper called The Sun, but after some time he began working as an accounts clerk in the office of the Accountant General of Burma. In 1926 he passed the Accounts Service examination, given by the provincial government of India.

In 1937, when Burma was separated from India, he was appointed the first Special Office Superintendent. He became Accountant General on 4 January 1948, the day Burma gained independence.

It was on 1 January 1937, that Sayagyi tried meditation for the first time. A student of Saya Thetgyi-a wealthy farmer and meditation teacher-was visiting U Ba Khin and explained Anapana meditation to him.

When Sayagyi tried it, he experienced good concentration, which impressed him so much that he resolved to complete a full course. Accordingly, he applied for a ten-day leave of absence and set out for Saya Thetgyi's teaching center.

Sayagyi progressed well during this first ten-day course, and continued his work during frequent visits to his teacher's center and meetings with Saya Thetgyi whenever he came to Rangoon.

In 1941, a seemingly happenstance incident occurred which was to be important in Sayagyi's life. While on government business in upper Burma, he met by chance Webu Sayadaw, a highly respected monk who was widely recongized as an arahant. Webu Sayadaw was impressed with U Ba Khin's proficiency in meditation, and urged him to teach. He was the first person to exhort Sayagyi to start teaching.

In 1950 he founded the Vipassana Association of the Accountant General's Office where lay people, mainly employees of that office, could learn Vipassana. In 1952, the International Meditation Centre (I.M.C.) was opened in Rangoon, two miles north of the famous Shwedagon pagoda. Here many Burmese and foreign students had the good fortune to receive instruction in the Dhamma from Sayagyi. Sayagyi was active in the planning for the Sixth Buddhist Council known as Chatta Sangayana (Sixth Recitation) which was held in 1954-56 in Rangoon.

It was Sayagyi U Ba Khin's wish that the technique, long lost to India, could again return to its country of origin and from there spread around the world. For many reasons he could never come to India. He then authorized his student, S. N. Goenka, to teach Vipassana meditation. Sayagyi finally retired from his outstanding career in government service in 1967. From that time, until his death in 1971, he stayed at I.M.C., teaching Vipassana.

Sayagyi U Ba Khin