Being born on May 4, 1959 in Rakhine State in Burma, Ashin Kelasa underwent basic Buddhism studies at Tanlwe-Ywarma Monastery School (TMS) in Taung Gup township. After graduating from the Buddhist High School or Patha-malat in Burmese from TMS, he continued his undergraduate studies at Shew Hinthar Tawya College. In 1979, he received a Bachelor of Dhammā-cariya degree.
After passing the State High School Examination administered by the Ministry of Education, Burma, he was admitted to the State University of Pariyatti Sāsana (SUPS) in Rangoon in 1986. He received B.A. Philosophy in 1992 and M.A. Buddhism in 1993. He has more than ten years of teaching experience at SUPS. He was an instructor (Nayadesaka in Burmese) at the Faculty of Vinaya Pitaka from 1989 to 1992 and was an instructor at the Faculty of English from 1993 to 1996. Later he was promoted to a lecturer rank in the Faculty from 1997 to 2000.
In 2000, he was assigned a mission to propagate Budhhism abroad by Alowdawpyie Sayadaw. Since then he has been living in Alowdawpyie Mediation Center (AMC) to carry out his mission. Based on his 25 years of meditation experience and knowledge of Buddha teachings, he has been providing medication training and dhamma talks to the communities.
His mediation classes have attracted many non-Buddhists because there is ‘no’ requirement to be a Buddhist to participate in his classes. His mediation methods are universal and could be applied to everyday practice in order to attain peace and tranquility in everyday life.
He had translated some Buddhism books into Burmese including Nibbāna in Theravāda Perspective by Dr. Ashin Damapiya, History of Buddhism in Ceylon by Dr. W. Rāhula, The Pāli Literature of Burma by Dr. M.H. Bode, A Pilgrim's Gide to Buddha's India, Middle Land Middle Way, by S. Dhammika, Buddhism in Nutshel by Ven. Nārada Mahāthera, The Buddhist Catechism by Henry S. Olcott. In 2010, his book titled Questions and Answers in Buddhism in Burmese was ranked as first in the list of best sellers by MRTV4.
His translation work of The Life of the Buddha and Early History of his Order by W. Woodville Rockhill is to be published soon and he is working on Tāranātha's History of Buddhism in India . In addition, he has been a columnist in Buddhism Questions and Answers at burmeseclassic.com for many years.
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