Twinthin Taikwun Maha Sithu was born U Tun Nyo in 1726 in Maung Htaung, a town in northwest Burma.
When he was 26, Twinthin Taikwun Maha Sithu abandoned his life as a monk, having fallen in love with a regular to his monastery.
Getting married, he traveled with his new wife to the capital of Burma to find work at the court of King Alaungpaya.
[1] During his monkhood, Twinthin Taikwun Maha Sithu was the teacher of the only guardian of Śāsana in the realm, Nanabhivamsa, who came from the same village as him.
When Twinthin Taikwun Maha Sithu eventually became a government minister, Nanabhivamsa's loyalty to the throne was increased.