'royal teacher', and alternatively spelled hsayadaw, sayado, sayāḍo or sayāḍaw, Sanskrit : Śārada) is a Burmese Buddhist title used to reference the senior monk or abbot of a monastery.
The terms "sayadaw" and "sayadawgyi" originally corresponded to the senior monks who taught the former Burmese kings.
These sayadaws may be influential teachers of Buddhism and also important meditation practitioners.
In Buddhism in Burma, several honorific terms exist for Buddhist monks, reflecting their achievements and how many vassas they have passed.
The most frequently used terms, which are used as prefixes to the monks' Dhamma name, include: A sayadaw may be known by his dharma name (ဘွဲ့), a qualified name, or by the name of his monastery.