International Bhikkhuni Day, 2014 (Part 14)

Honouring Eminent Asian Buddhist Women in the Modern Era

C. Buddhism Beyong Borders: Engaged Buddhism - Compassion in Action

6. Malaysia – Ven Sayalay Susīlā (1963 - ) is born in Pahang, Malaysia. Sayalay studied at the University of Science Malaysia, where she obtained a degree in mass communications in 1988. As a student there, she developed a keen interest in insight meditation. Upon graduation, Sayalay worked as a high school teacher for a year and a half. But disenchanted with worldly matters and desiring to be dedicated to the practice, she resigned from her job to take up meditation full time.

Developing Meditation Skills from the Masters

In 1991, she was ordained in Malaysia as a sayalay in the Burmese tradition at the age of 28. Six months later, she went to Panditarama Monastery in Myanmar, where she practiced intensively for nearly three years under the guidance of the famous meditation master Venerable U Pandita Sayadaw.

Incorporating Abhidhamma into Meditation Practice

In 1994, wishing to cultivate concentration meditation, Sayalay moved to Pa Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar. She placed herself under the guidance of renowned monk, Ven Pa Auk Sayadaw, and remained in the forest for fourteen years. In addition to an assiduous program of meditation, she also learned the Abhidhamma, ancient discourses, and the Pāli language from Pak Auk Sayadaw. Meanwhile, she became his English-to-Chinese interpreter in Myanmar and abroad.

During her travels in Myanmar, she also practiced different meditation methods, such as those taught by Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, Mogok Sayadaw, and Sayagyi U Ba Khin. As a result, Sayalay has become an unusually accomplished teacher, able to present the subtleties of the Buddha's teachings in a simple and direct way. In particular, she presents the most profound division of the teaching, the Abhidhamma, in a lucid manner grounded not in pedantic philosophy, but in actual meditation experience.

Dhamma Teaching

Sayalay has traveled extensively as a meditation and Dhamma teacher, presenting the Abhidhamma and Sutta expositions in formal lectures and talks, and has conducted meditation retreats throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Latvia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Publications

Her publications include ‘Unravelling the Mystery of Mind and Body through Abhidhamma’ (second edition), published in both English and Chinese, ‘Mindfulness of Breathing’ (English), ‘The Practical Manual of Abhidhamma’ (Chinese), and ‘The Nine Virtues of the Buddha’ (Chinese). She speaks fluent Mandarin, English, Burmese, Hokkien and Malay.