One More Addition to Tipitaka Title Holders Rev AbhijatabhivamHsa Becomes 12th Title Holder

Rev AbhijatabhivamHsa (12th Tipitaka Title Holder)

One Buddhist monk has been added to the list of Tipitaka title holders when a Buddhist monk from Sagaing passed the Tipitakakovida written exam at the beginning of the new year.
The year 2010 witnessed the emergence of 12th Tipitaka title holder when Reverend AbhijatabhivamHsa from Maha Suvodharama monastery in Zagaing won the Tipitakakovida title at the 62nd Tipitaka examination on Independence Day.
A miraculous coincidence is that he was ordained on Independence Day of 1988 which means he has already got 22 exact vassas when he got the title – i.e. he has been a monk for 22 years. As he was born on 29-9-1968, he is now over 41 years old.
Tipitaka examinations were first held in 1948 – the year of attainment of independence from the British colonialists, and when the sixth exam was held in 1954, Reverend VicittasarabhivamHsa became the first Tipitaka title holder.
Rev VicittasarabhivamHca took only four years to finish all the necessary exams. Up to now, no monk has ever emerged to finish in only four years, and none has obtained as high marks as his. Rev Vicitta was honoured by President Sao Shwe Thaik himself by conducting on a grand scale the title offering ceremony.
To win this grand title, a monk has to study over 8,000 pages of three Sutta texts, five Vinaya texts and seven abhidhamma texts not to mention the Atthakathās. The title holders can recite all these texts right from their head and they have also taken a very tough written exam which requires the proper understanding of the message that Buddha has given.

Written by -Ko Myo (Myanmarsar)

Translated by K.M.A