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TRY THIS
It's the way of the world to think of those one loves and respects when one has something good to eat, it is said. The Buddha said, "Sabbarasam dhammaraso jinâti" - "The taste of the Dhamma excels all tastes." Accordingly, those who experience the taste of the Dhamma must think of their loved ones all the more. Sayadaw himself, meditating and tasting the Dhamma each day, would remember those who have helped him. Sayadaw urges everyone, whether they have helped him a little, a lot or not yet at all, to experience the taste of the Dhamma. The ways which Sayadaw exhorts and persuades others to meditate are very clever, notable and worth emulating. I notice that Sayadaw's tactics for urging others vary from occasion to occasion and person to person. One time, U Htun Than, Daw Khin Mya Sein and their family, who donated land for Hse Main Gon Forest Monastery, came as they usually do to pay respects to Sayadaw. At this time Sayadaw spoke to them as follows.
"U Htun Than and Daw Khin Mya Sein, your family has donated land for this monastery, built a building, and you continue to make gifts. Your donations have brought great benefit to this monastery and to the Sâsana. I as well want to repay those who have helped so much. There is something I want to give you. You'll accept what I offer, won't you? It isn't a thing that you can see with your eyes. But although you can't see it, it can give greater happiness than anything you see. Things that you can see will only bring happiness in this life. But this thing which can't be seen can make you happy not only in this life but in the lives to come. When you donated land for the monastery, I didn't reject your gift. I accepted it gladly. When I offer something you, you as well shouldn't reject it, should you? You should accept it gladly. You will be able to accept in the not-too-distant future, won't you?" Sayadaw said.
Once, when Sayadaw was near the big Dhamma Hall at Yangon Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha, U Htoon Than and Daw Khin Mya Sein approached him. He pointed with his cane to the Dhamma hall and said, "What is that?"
"That's a Dhamma hall, Bhante," was the reply.
"What is a Dhamma hall for?" he asked again.
"It's for sitting meditation, for meditation practice, Bhante," they replied.
Sayadaw was urging these two monastery donors, who haven't yet meditated, to come to the side of the Dhamma. They, poor things, know that Sayadaw wants them to meditate. They are dissatisfied with themselves because they haven't yet had the opportunity to meditate and fulfill Sayadaw's wish, but they are resolute. As the song goes, "One day, it will happen. But which day I don't know."
Among those who admire Sayadaw there are many government employees. When Sayadaw meets those who have reached sixty years of age and have retired on their pension, he asks, "Living in retirement, do you get one pension benefit or two?"
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