Our Spiritual Guide

Sayadaw Ashin Ottamathara

Sayadaw Ottamathara is a monk and meditation teacher since 2002. After receiving an honorary degree from the University of Yangon in 1994 with a B.A. in English, he opened his small business, which he managed for seven years. Gradually, he started dismantling his business after beginning his meditation practice and used his assets to establish the "Avijj à Vijja" (Ignorance to Wisdom) Sharing Foundation, a free multimedia distribution center for audio, video, and reading materials on meditation.

In 2007, Sayadaw established his first meditation center on the top four floors of an eight-story building in downtown Yangon, which became home to around 100 meditators. He later opened the ThaBarWa (Natural) Meditation Center in Thanlyin, Yangon, a 50-acre area that could fulfill his desire to support all those seeking help or a place to practice meditation. This center now accommodates approximately 3,000 people from across Myanmar and abroad.

In accordance with his philosophy, the center provides shelter and assistance to anyone in need, including monks, nuns, as well as the sick, elderly, homeless, orphans, and those facing any other social or financial problems, until the end of their lives. Traditionally, meditation centers will only accept limited types of people for limited periods of stay. ThaBarWa, says Sayadaw, is rather a training ground for doing good deeds. Everyone is welcome - those in need of help and those who wish to help.

Now Sayadaw Ottamathara has established over 30 new meditation centers throughout Myanmar and acquired another 70 pieces of land with the same intention of providing a safe place for people to practice meditation without limits, where they can focus exclusively on meditation and other good deeds...