Ah Pho Koe

Based on an article written by U Aung Khine Lin.

Ah Pho Koe is a person who did Sasanapyu work and became well known because it was believed by many that the Nan dat (spirit) of Aba Aung Min Gaung resided in him. This is the story of Ah Pho Koe.

According to Burmese history, King Min Gaung of Ava retreated to an area which is now known as "Aung Taw Mu Shwe Cedi Sakhan" in Monywa District, Sagaing Division. When King Min Gaung was having a difficult period in his life because of his defeat, it is said that a certain tree spirit, "Yokekhasoe" helped him turn the tide. After his death, King Min Gaung became Aba Bo Min Gaung and the tree spirit became reborn as Ah Pho Koe.

Ah Pho Koe was born on the sixth day of Wagaung in the year 1283 of the Burmese era in Monywa Township, Monywa District, Sagaing Division, Myanmar. He was a Sunday born. His father's name was U Tun Aye and his mother was Daw Tha Myan.

As a young boy, Ah Pho Koe became a novice and spent his time at the local monastery and became familiar with the Buddhist scriptures and religious practices.

In the year 1303 B.E., he married Mai Phwa Yun and had five children namely Ma Mya Than, Ma Nyunt, Ma Khin, Maung Sein Win and Ma Myint Myint Than. Ah Pho Koe's wife Daw Phwa Yun is still alive and lives in Katawpalin village in Monywa Township.

Ah Pho Koe worked as a farmer just like his fore fathers. When he reached the age of 35, that was the time the Venerable Monhyin Sayadaw became famous and he went to pay his respects to the Sayadaw just like every one else. He listened to the sermons and lectures on meditation and practiced meditation whenever he had the chance.

At the time when the Monhyin Sayadaw became famous in Monywa, another person was also becoming famous in the Popa area. He was none other than Aba Bo Min Gaung. The Monhyin Sayadaw knew Aba Bo Min Gaung well. When the time came for the building of the Monhyin Thanbode Dei Pagoda, the Sayadaw called the headman of Min village U Bala and told him to go to Popa. The Sayadaw told him, " there is a person called U Min Gaung in the Popa area. When you meet him give him my letter and remember everything he tells you."

Thus U Bala went to the Popa area to meet U Min Gaung, gave him the letter from the Monhyin Sayadaw and noted down all that U Min Gaung told him.

Based on the suggestions given by Aba Aung Min Gaung, the Mohnyin Sayadaw built Pan Cedis at the Mohnyin Than Bode Dei Pagoda with Sa Da Ba Wa inns (talisman) on the side of the Pan Cedis. He also said I am indebted to U Min Gaung and wrote Weizzar records at the Than Bode Dei Pagoda.

When U Min Gaung met U Ba La at Popa he said, " One day you and I will meet again."

On the second day of the Waning of Tawthalin, in the year 1314 B.E., Aba Bo Min Gaung died and left his mortal body. After five years after his death, Aba Aung Min Gaung spoke to Ah Pho Koe as he was tilling the land in the paddy field in a voice that only Ah Pho Koe could hear called "Akyar dat" or "the sound element". Ah Pho Koe was a very simple farmer so he did not believe what he had heard and eventually forgot about the incident.

The next time Aba Aung Min Gaung showed himself in a vision in the form of "Amyin dat" or the "sight element" and told Ah Pho Koe to do Sasana Pyu work. ( Sasana pyu work means to do the propagation of the Buddha Sasana) .

Thus beginning from the ninth day of the Waxing of Nayone in the year 1319 B.E., Ah Pho Koe's personality changed from that of himself into the personality of Aba Bo Min Gaung as a result of Aba Bo Min Gaung's spiritual consciousness residing in his body. After this transformation, Ah Pho Koe went to Headman U Ba La's house for a visit. U Ba La saw the way Ah Pho Koe was behaving and did not like it at all. He thought Ah Pho Koe was behaving in a disrespectful manner and just at that moment Ah Pho Koe said these words:

" Do not think like this. Don't you remember me any more? I am Bodaw Aung Min Gaung. Have you forgotten what I instructed you to do. Didn't I tell you that you and I will meet again one day. Now I am here. "

Only then did U Ba La understand and he gave a place of respect to Ah Pho Koe and paid his respects by performing a ka daw (doing a kow tow).

It is said that when the Monhyin Sayadaw heard of this event, he called in Ah Pho Koe and asked him all he wanted to know. Finally the Monhyin Sayadaw became convinced that Aba Bo Min Gaung's spirit had actually resided in the body of Ah Pho Koe.

The Mohnyin Sayadaw received a great deal of help when the Mohnyin Than Bode Dei Pagoda's foundation was built and now when the time came to conduct the consecration ceremony of the Buddha statues of the Mohnyin Than Bode Dei Pagoda he consulted Ah Pho Koe to select a suitable date and chose the full moon day of Tazaungmone in the year 1320 B.E.

Some of the disciples of the Mohnyin Sayadaw who did not know the whole story of Ah Pho Koe became quite confused as to why the Sayadaw was behaving in this strange manner.

To this very day, if you go to the Mohnyin Than Bode Dei Pagoda and go to the Sunday corner there is a place where the Dipinkara Buddha is giving his prophecy to Sumeda Yathei that one day he too would become a Buddha. In this place there is a record praising Aba Aung Min Gaung for his help in the construction of the Mohnyin Than Bode Dei pagoda from the day of the foundation ceremony right up to the day of the consecration of the Buddha statues. One can also see a record of the help given by the weizzars.

When the spirit of Aba Aung Min Gaung began to manifest in the body of Ah Pho Koe he was only 35 years old. In the beginning, when he started his sasanapyu work, Ah Pho Koe would request all those who came to his sasanapyu center not to eat beef and to do metta meditation and to spread the metta vibrations as much as possible.

As a result of these requests made by Ah Pho Koe, a large number of villages stopped eating beef.

Ever since the spirit of Aba Bo Min Gaung manifested in his body, Ah Pho Koe was not able to do any household work nor any farming. This naturally made his wife very angry. At this Ah Pho Koe said to his wife:

" Do not worry. You will have enough to eat. I will see to that. Just because I say I will look after you does not mean that I will give you bags of gold and silver.

You will experience things you haven't experienced before. You will eat things you haven't eaten before, hear things you haven't heard before, see things you haven't seen before. You won't be poor."

Thus Ah Pho Koe continued doing his sasanapyu work and searched for the "Yanpyay Man Pyay Pagoda" that he had built during his previous life as King Min Gaung and renovated it. At that time, the pagoda was just a piece of brink mound. When they tried to clear the thickets for the renovation of the pagoda, they found a huge tamarind tree in the place where the Shwe Cedi now stands. They were at a lost as to what they should do because this tamarind tree stood right in the middle of the place where they wanted to build a pagoda. Suddenly out of nowhere there arose strong winds and the winds became stronger and stronger. Finally to their amazement the strong gusts of wind blew over the huge tamarind treed from its roots.

The foundation or the "pannet" for the pagoda was laid in the year 1323 B.E. and the pagoda was completed in the year 1324 B.E. The "anaykazar ceremony" or the consecration ceremony was help on the full moon day of Tabaung in that year. The Venerable Mohnyin Sayadaw himself came to this Buddha statue consecration ceremony.

Ancient Buddha statues

The Shwe Cedi was built in one day. At that time, they put the resin or "sitsei" on the cedi and was letting the resin to dry. When they took away the matting that covered the cedi, they saw to their amazement one Buddha statue at the Sunday corner or "taninganwe daunk".

At that time there was no iron ladder to climb up the mountain. Ah Pho Koe held a special ceremony to bring down this Buddha statue from the mountain. In the story of the Life of Buddha or the "Bode Dewin", the Buddha came down from Tavatimsa heaven after preaching the Abhidhamma to his former mother who was now a Deva in Tavatimsa for three months, on the full moon day of Thadingyut. In the same way, to re-enact this event, Ah Pho Koe erected three covered passage ways or "Zaung Dans" to look like the golden, silver and ruby passage ways of olden times and brought down the Buddha statue with pomp and ceremony.

Then Ah Pho Koe entreated every one who came to this ceremony not to eat beef, to do the prayer beads or "bedee seit" and to spread metta vibrations. He also told all the guests to take care of their moral conduct and to keep the five precepts.

One amazing thing about all these events was that Ah Pho Koe was able to converse in the language of the person he was speaking to. Among his guests there were Englishmen, Chinese and Indians and people saw him conversing with these guests in their own respective languages with ease.

When people who were skeptical about the authenticity of the spiritual manifestation of Aba Aung Min Gaung in Ah Pho Koe's body, these people would see the face of Aba Aung Min Gaung in place of Ah Pho Koe's face. The whole body of Ah Pho Koe would suddenly change into the body of Aba Aung Min Gaung.

Sometimes when Ah Pho Koe was giving dhamma talks to his group of believers, to those of his disciples who believed in him, he would appear as himself. However it is said that to those who had doubts about his authenticity, his whole body would look like that of Aba Aung Min Gaung.

Another amazing fact was that Ah Pho Koe could give references to many Pali scriptures just like a learned person while in fact he only had scant knowledge of the Buddhist scriptures. His knowledge did not go farther than the "Mingala Sutta", the sermon about the "38 Blessings".

Ah Pho Koe passed away on first waxing day of Kasone in the year 1352 B.E while doing sasanapyu work. After his death, his wife Daw Phwa Yun, his children and Sayadaw U Arthawa continued doing the work started by him and the sasanapyu center has grown daily.

They have kept the house where Ah Pho Koe used to live as a "Dat Nan" or special spiritual building in remembrance of the sasanapyu work that he had done.

Ah Pho Koe's house

While we were there to write this story, we saw many rare photographs of Aba Aung Min Gaung, Aba Bo Bo Aung in the house and also saw many rare Buddha images in the shrine room of the Dat Nan. In the upper story of this house there was a special room for Ah Pho Koe with a bed prepared for him as thought he were still alive.

We arrived there before noon and we could see "soon" or food prepared for Ah Pho Koe on the table and also sets of clothes ready to be worn.

This house where Ah Pho Koe lived and did his sasanapyu work is now open to the public and can be used as a rest house for doing meditation and Adeikhtans (spiritual vows). Those who wish to keep their precepts for lengthy durations are also welcome in this house which is now called a kyaung (the house of a spiritually evolved person).

If you happen to be in Monywa District of Sagaing Division, you are invited to visit Kataw Palin village situated near the Monywa - Sagaing road and have a tour of this sasanapyu center founded by Ah Pho Koe, the spiritual manifestation of Aba Aung Min Gaung.

Aung Daw Mu Shwe Cedi

Translated by Kyaw Myaing

28 April 2001

These articles are made possible by the generous donation of Daw Toe Toe Yi who paid for the translations to be done. The cost of the web site is borne by the Myaing family as dhamma dana.