Sayadaw U Tejaniya

Sayadaw Tejaniya has published three books drawn from his group interviews with yogis, one collection of brief yogi autobiographies emphasizing how the practice of mindfulness meditation has influenced them (including one by the Sayadaw himself), and two books from a commercial publisher (When Awareness Becomes Natural: A Guide to Cultivating Mindfulness in Everyday Life, 2016, and Relax and Be Aware: Mindfulness Meditations for Clarity, Confidence, and Wisdom, 2019). Many of Sayadaw Tejaniya's question-and-answer exchanges with yogis about their practice, which combine elements of traditional Dhamma talks and interviews, are available online.

Sayadaw Tejaniya has taught and led meditation retreats in Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Finland, the United States and Vietnam. His principal writings have been translated into eleven languages. In 2012, Sayadaw traveled to the United States with his translator for a retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre Massachusetts. Over one hundred participants attended, including many noted North American meditation teachers.

Sayadaw U Tejaniya lived as a householder running a textile business until age thirty-six, which is atypical for Sayadaws in Myanmar. At various intervals during his pre-monastic life he studied intensively with Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (1913–2002), a highly venerated figure who was one of the first meditation teachers trained by Mahasi Sayadaw. Sayadaw Tejaniya feels that because of his experience developing his practice while leading the life of a householder, he understands both the challenges yogis face in integrating their meditation practice with their everyday lives and how to overcome them. Another notable episode in his life was his struggle with two major episodes of clinical depression, which he credits with providing the motivation to develop his skills at mental self-investigation (Dhamma vicaya) to an extraordinary level.