In the reign of King Kya Swa (AD 1234- 50) the 8^th successor king after king Anawrahta of Bagan dynasty, Buddha Sāsanā and Buddhist scholarship reached a record high. Monk and lay- learned scholars emerged producing literary works of great merit. Among monk scholars of repute who appeared at that time was one named U Kyi Pwey meaning Mr. Pestle. He was late in higher learning but he became so famous for his learnedness that the people called him ” Shin Dithapamaukha ” (monk professor: well-known in all directions).

He had already passed beyond 60 years in age. One day he became aware that the pit of 4 cubits depth into which he discarded a bamboo tooth brush he used every day got filled up. He got the moral lesson from this awareness. He thought to himself.” I have been idle for the last 60 years without realizing that I have been so indolent. Had I learnt just the amount of each tooth brush a day I would have mastered many a religious treatise”. He made up his mind to start learning high literature.

(Cubit: an ancient measure of length, approximately equal to the length of a forearm. It was typically about 18 inches or 44 cm)

He went to see King Kya Swa at his court to seek same support. When the king asked him the purpose of his visit, the old monk replied that he was going to learn Treatises and so he needed writing materials such as slate and slate pencils. Observing the old age of the monk the king told him that he was quite advanced in age.” Pestle and mortar may burst forth green shoots, but you old monk would never get learned in religious Treatises.” So, saying the king donated the old monk some slate pencils.

The old monk returned to his monastery and put all his effort relentlessly into learning day and night. When at last he became learned he wanted to respond to what the king had said to him. He tied around a mortar and pestle with green shoots and sprouts and with them he went to King Kya Swa. Upon seeing the old monk again, the king laughed at him amusingly. Showing to the king what he had brought with, the old monk said ” Your Majesty, behold them, these mortar and pestle now have burst forth green shoots. Like them, I have now learnt Treatises.” King Kya Swa asked the old monk many questions on religious treatises. After receiving from him satisfactory answers the king apologized for what he had told the old monk before and said that he would be his supporter for four basic needs of a monk namely food, clothing (yellow robe), shelter (monastery) and medicine and told the old monk to compile books.

The old monk U Kyi Pwey wrote Thin pon gyi Tika (Commentary on Myanmar Primer) His fame as the most learned monk of the time spread far and wide, earning him the title ” Dithapamaukha:” (Learned Professor well known to all directions. But he was commonly called U Kyi Pwey (Mr. Pestle).

At that time in Bagan, there were monks from six monasteries who were reputed for their religious learning. Even these monks had to seek answers from U Kyi Pwey for their difficult queries. U Kyi Pwey was always able to give answers to their questions without hesitation. But when U Kyi Pwey asked them a question, they could not answer it easily.

One day while U Kyi Pwey was bathing in the water tank, under these, monks, assembled to test his learnedness under awkward circumstances. As the old monk came up to the surface after his long dip in the depth of the water, they began clearing their throats thus producing the sounds ” Aham”” Aham”. The old monk, thinking that he was asked to answer the meaning of the word ” Aham” immediately began reciting various meanings of the word ” Aham” giving many references. The monks asked him no question. They knelt down and paid respect to him recognizing his learnedness. The water tank came to be called as ” Sar mei Kan”, the still exists in a monasterynear Sulamani Tample in Bagan,

This monk U Kyi Pwey, Shin Dithapamaukha was not monk envoy shin Dithapamaukha of King Narathilapate’s time who led the peace mission to Kublai Khan and who set up Shin Dithapamaukha stone inscription recording the account of his peace mission and dedication to Buddhism of his rewards he received from the king.