In this Burmese name, U is an honorific.U Sīlananda (Burmese: သီလနန္ဒ) was a Burmese Buddhist monk and scholar of vipassana meditation. Born in Mandalay, he first ordained as a novice monk (samanera) on 14 April 1943 at the age of 16, during Thingyan celebrations. He was ordained under Sayadaw U Pannavata at the Mahavijjodaya Chaung Monastery on the Sagaing Hills and given the Dharma name Sīlananda.