In search of Aba Bo Min Gaung, Weizzars and Bodaws

by Triple Monkey

A few years ago, I planned to join a group spiritual quest to visit various weizzars and bodaws in Myanmar to view and participate in their rituals and associated activities. For various reasons, this trip was unable to take place at that time. However, this planted the seed for my own spiritual quest that manifested in November/December 2002.

Using the information gained from the previous planning work and information from “The Wise Ones” (www.maying.com/weizzar ), “WeizzarLan” (A Yahoo group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/weizzarlan/ ), and  “Ayezay” web sites (www.ayezay.com) , I was able to construct a spiritual quest itinerary. As the itinerary unfolded in Myanmar, opportunities arose to visit with weizzars and bodaws not within the initial itinerary.

My first encounter during the spiritual quest was in Yangon with  Sayagyi U Hla Than, of the Shweyinkyaw Issathaya Maheidi Sei Gaing. I spent almost two hours with him and some of his disciples. Much of that time was devoted toward undoing my psychic connection via inns (talismans) and datlouns (small metallic balls which are believed to have magical powers) with a thine weizzar gaing that I had become affiliated with in Mogoke in 1996/7. After I had related the background of that affiliation and showed a inn from that group, Sayagyi U Hla Than responded that he felt the group was associated with black magic(an observation later repeated by a trishaw driver in Mandalay - a major center of that gaing) and offered to command the inn maker to appear within one of the Sayagyi's female disciples and explain why the inn was given to me. This was done, the explanation given, and the inn maker was forced in the presence of Abas Bo Min Gaung and Bo Bo Aung to renounce his evil ways. The Sayagyi then gave me a protective inn, some datlouns, and to practice meditation.

From Yangon, I went to Mandalay and visited the Aung Taw Ma None Pagoda Camp in west Mandalay. While there, I encountered a nun who spontaneously gave me some datlouns and a personal tour of the complex, and assisted me in undertaking the appropriate homages to Aba Bo Min Gaung and Mandalay Bo Bo Gyi.  The best time to visit the Camp is at 5pm, the auspicious time for weizzar devotees. I also visited with the weizzar Kyaw Aung San Har Sayadaw at a monastery on the outskirts of  Mandalay. The Sayadaw instructed me on meditation and gave me his picture for protection. While tempted in Mandalay to visit with the black magic gaing to which I had been previous affiliated, I was able to resist that urge.

Leaving Mandalay, I traveled to the Ah Pho Koe Sasana Pyu Center outside Monywa on the Mandalay Road just after the turn-off to Thanbodei Paya. It was said that the “spirit” of Aba Bo Min Gaung took residence in the body of Ah Pho Koe later in his life. The Burmese devotees call this “nan kein”. The Center teaches the weizzar way through the Sayadaw  and Ah Pho Koe's daughters. I was given a personal tour of the Center, various Aba Bo Min Gaung information, and pictures of Ah Pho Koe as well as invited to come and study the weizzar path at the Center. While in the area, I crossed the Chindwin River to visit the cave of the weizzar U Po Win at Hpo Win Taung.

Next stop - Popa. In Popa Village, I sought out U San Pe, the adopted son of Aba Bo Min Gaung. He showed me his collection of Aba Bo Min Gaung relics; inscribed the Sa-Da-Ba-Wa Buddha Inn on my brow with Aba Bo Min Gaung's tooth relic; and gave me Aba Bo Min Gaung posters. U San Pe mentioned that in September 2003, there will be a large gathering at Popa to commemorate Aba Bo Min Gaung on the 50th anniversary of his death. He said one of the more auspicious annual times to visit Popa was at the November Full Moon when, at midnight, weizzars perform special ceremonies. I also stopped by the Golden Tamarind Forest Monastery where the Saya gave me a picture of Aba Bo Min Gaung, some beads, and samatha meditation instructions.

While at Popa I heard about a weizzar who lived in at the nearby Mogyoke Village. I drove to his house, but missed seeing this famous deaf and dumb inn weizzar, U Kyaw Ngwe. He was away in Taunggyi doing an exorcism. His family invited me into their house to view the various inns made by U Kyaw Ngwe. The inns come to U Kyaw Ngwe in dreams and are very intricate on paper and fabric.

From Popa, it was a train and car down to the Mon State to visit with Kyiakhtitaung Sayadaw - a former weizzar and yathe. We talked for almost an hour. The Sayadaw mentioned that he and I had past life connections. He also stated that he felt that "I had been among Lord Buddha's five thousand disciples in a past life". The Sayadaw gave me pictures, beads, a ring, and pamphlets. Also he had his driver took me on a private tour of the sacred nearby mountain where Lord Buddha first set foot in Myanmar and left his footprint. Finally the Sayadaw instructed the driver to have the abbot on this mountain to take some flowers from the sacred tree that had been transplanted a long time ago from Lumbini - the birthplace of Lord Buddha - and give them to me for my altar. The flower bulbs would eventually change into medicinal  and sacred ashes. Kyiakhtitaung Sayadaw has done an excellent job of road, bridge, and village building in his area - I believe even a better job than the more famous Thamanya Sayadaw. He also gave me a Dhamma talk, meditation instructions, and directed me to follow an additional five precepts to the already basic five precepts that I have been following for the past six years.

Leaving Kyiakhtitaung Sayadaw, I traveled on to Pa-an hoping to join a pilgrim group to see Thamanya Sayadaw. I was shocked to have been able to have a private audience with this most revered Sayadaw. He gave me a large framed picture of himself, a string picture necklace and small laminated personal pictures, and had an attendant take me to his private devotional room to choose a small Buddha from among his collection. Also the Sayadaw had his driver give me a private tour of the monastery complex on the mountain. Unfortunately Thamanya Sayadaw is in poor health with a heart and diabetic condition.

The next personage, Lekhataung Sayadaw - a weizzar, was more difficult to find. I traveled to his monastery near Mudon, but was told that the Sayadaw was just outside of Bago working on restoring a very old pagoda. I drove up there and spent time with him learning about the Dhamma Path vis- a-vis the Weizzar Path.

The Sayadaw said that the Dhamma Path consisted of vipassana meditation, the Dhamma, and a reincarnated life; while the Weizzar Path was characterized by samatha meditation, weizza skills, and a prolonged life. He invited me to study the weizzar path with him, offered to give me a special inn tattoo at our next meeting, and take me to Minbu to see the four famous weizzars - the iron weizza U Kaw Wida(1040 years old), U Pandita(700 years old), U Oaktama Kyaw(280 years old), and Bodaw Htun Aung(280 years old. The Sayadaw also offered to give special powers to protect myself, but I decided to just accept pictures of himself and the four above-noted weizzars. After my incident with the black magic gaing, I was weary of accepting “special powers” from someone whom I really did not know. On my next visit to Lekhataung Sayadaw, I will have more time to get to know him and understand what else comes with “special powers”.

Finally back in Yangon at 10pm, I awoke three hours later at 1am to go to Hwambi to meet with Sayagyi Min Thein Kha - the famous intellectual, writer, and weizzar.  I spent almost six hours at his compound.  One of his monthly eight-day "weizzar" sessions was concluding. The disciples had learned palmistry, astrology, rare herbs, inn making, etc. I had a private audience with him and received a  number of gifts including a special set of wrist beads and a weizzar student sash as well as two copies of some of his writings.  The Sayagyi gave me a special tour of the compound and concluded with an invitation to study with him on my next trip to Myanmar at which time, he would also give me a special inn tattoo.

In summary, this trip exceeded my expectations. I had private audiences with three important Buddhist spiritual leaders and was given a number of religious objects by them as well as private tours of their compounds and promises of doctrinal lessons upon my next return. On the weizzar side, I met a number of practitioners of these weizzar arts and witnessed exorcisms, the making of talisman and magic squares, and the teaching of apprentice weizzars. I was also given a number of talisman and other protective devices, and invitations to study the weizzar arts and receive protective tattoos during my next trip to Myanmar.  I now have sort of a weizzar/bodaw network to  which I can connect on a psychic level.  Also I feel very honored to have met and talked with these weizzars and bodaws.

Triple Monkey