A Burmese book about Jhanas written by one of Sayagi U Thet's earlier teachers and a contemporary of Ledi Sayadaw

This seems like a pretty rare book , a book on Jhanas , it’d be great if it gets translated.
Here is the link : https://ia601407.us.archive.org/9/items/utiloka/U%20Tiloka.pdf

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Can you post his name? maybe there is more about him out there

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His name is Ashin U Tiloka. Sayagi U Thet practiced under him for seven years , before meeting Ledi Sayadaw. It’d be great , if this book gets translated. But it is huge.

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Thank you very much for this link. From looking at the contents, it seems to me that the book however contains information on all aspects related to attainment of Enlightenment. There is a large chapter on meditation on earth kasina, but when I see these things I always worry that it is yet another copy of Visuddhimagga. (Which is nice, but I’d like to read new ideas, not just copies.)

There might be new ideas in this book and some Burmese books are fascinating in the way how the authors literally “resolve” problems found in the Pali texts. (Really!) My concern is, that what you expect from the “book” might actually be only a tiny passage inside. I may like to translate what you’d appreciate (no promises), but I first need to know the portion that you are particularly interested in or that you have heard is very interesting. Either the page range or chapter name. :sun_with_face:

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Bhante, I came to know about this book from this document, you can see the book mentioned there, so I’d be grateful if you could translate about the topics pertaining to meditation only. If it is only a reiteration of the Visuddhimagga, please don’t bother translating it. Thanks and regards.

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Yes, thank you. I will have to read the book to first assess it’s value in terms of resolving or explaining problems and then select the passage(s) which are related to jhanas.

I actually think I already saw this book and perhaps even have a hardcover in my library… :grin: But I also remember that reading the contents of this kind of books deters me very quickly. (That’s because the contents suspiciously remind me of the contents in Visuddhimagga. Then, when I search there something, I find no solution - just translation of Visuddhimagga.)

It happened to me with the 5-volumed tome of Pa Auk Sayadaw. I was just so disappointed. I searched the difference between mahaggata and sauttara citta, two of the 16 minds in Satipatthana Sutta’s Cittanupassana. He just copied what say the Commentaries. I had to get my answer from Mahasi Sayadaw’s footnote in the Pali-Burmese translation on Visuddhimagga-Tika. :heart_eyes:

If I happen to do the translation and SuttaCentral and Internet etc. are still available in the world, I plan to share it with you here. :sun_with_face:

Or, which is more probable, my notes from the book or relevant passages. :sun_with_face:

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Thanks a lot Bhante, I don’t know whether you are aware of the website kbrl.gov.mm . It has a lot of Burmese as well as english books.

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Yes, I am. I have downloaded as much as possible already. :sweat_smile:

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Now I remember that Bhante shared a nice website with the book by a Sayadaw. I would have to go back in email and search the link to go study it like Bhante recommended :man_facepalming:t3:

It was of that Sayadaw that you said was respected as Arahants I think in the past.

You should share him that link. If you dont find it let me know. I remember that’s it’s first chapter was good already.

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I have shared many books about many Sayadaws who are believed to be Arahants. Can you be more specific? :sun_with_face:

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Bhante I did not find it in my email. :sob: can you then share to us atleast the first you recommended. As I remember I think the student translated the book to English

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Could he be Sunlun Sayadaw?

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I think so. That’s the one.

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:sun_with_face: https://www.sunlun-meditation.net/ebooks/BIOENG.pdf :sun_with_face:

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Bhante, now I’m doubting it was him. I remember the picture maybe when he was younger? I don’t know. It seemed in my mind to be a darker skinned Sayadaw. Can you maybe share the second comes to mind.

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No idea. I know I shared my own notes from Htut Khaung Sayadaw’s biography, but the original is only in Burmese. I think I also shared some notes about Win Sein Sayadaw, possibly Mahasi Sayadaw and maybe even others, but I think it’s better if you know what do you want to know about.

Do you remember any specific information from the “book”?

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It’s true. It was the one in Burmese I thought I read also. :man_facepalming:t3: never mind :joy:

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