FOREWORD TO THIRD EDITION

Hemavata Sutta is the second sermon delivered by Lord Buddha on the night, also the first sermon ‘Dhammacakka Sutta’ was preached to five ascetics after the attainment of Buddhahood. Lord Buddha became enlightened on full moon day of Kason (May) of 623 BC and these two sermons were delivered on full moon day of Waso (July) in the same year, which is 2368 years ago.

The Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw gave a series of six talks on this Hemavata Sutta beginning on 6th waxing day of Tagu, 1324 Myanmar Era (14th,April 1963) during the time of water festival, and ending on full moon day of Kason. These talks were tape-recorded, transcribed by U Thein Han, Honorary Treasurer of the Buddha Sasana Nuggha Organization. The final draft was edited by Mahasi Sayadaw himself and published in book form in February 1974. Since then this book had been reprinted for six times, until March 2007.

For the foreign yogis, the book was translated into English by well-known writer U On Pe (Tet Toe) and first published in December 1980 with a foreword by U Thein Han. A Second Edition was published in May 2000, and since it was out of stock, we are pleased to produce Third Edition, with the last photograph of Mahasi Sayadaw and his short Biography.

Unfortunately, the introduction to the original Myanmar edition by the Venerable U. Wunnita, a patron monk and a Meditation teacher of Mahasi Meditation Centre, had not been translated into English and we hope to include it in future English Editions.

Since, in the foreword of U Thein Han included in this Edition, some indications about this sutta are admirably mentioned, we do not add any further information about the Sutta. We wish all readers to fully comprehend the highly informative explanations by Mahasi Sayadaw on Buddha- Dhamma and achieve Nibbana finally by the constant practice of Vipassana Meditation as expounded by the Sayadaw.

Dr. Tint Soe Lin

President

Buddha Sasana

Nuggaha Organization

Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha,

Yangon.

December, 2015

A Discourse On Hemavata Sutta

This copy is Third Edition published in December 2015 in which the grammar, punctuations and spellings of English words were corrected during June 2019 for the next Edition.

(1) English words corrected by “Microsoft Words” in computer by Ma Soe Soe on 30.6.2019 and checked by U Khin Maung Oo on 6.7.2019, 13.7.2019 and

14.7.2019.

(2) Pali words re-checked by -------------------------.

Note; the words in red are not to be uploaded in the website.