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Those who have meditated before usually understand what Sayadaw means. They reply, "I get two pension benefits, Bhante." At this, Sayadaw smiles and says, "Sâdhu, Sâdhu." Some people have meditated before but don't understand Sayadaw's question. Then Sayadaw will ask, "Right now, are you being mindful?" The listeners answer, "Yes, I'm being mindful, Bhante." Sayadaw will explain, "When you are being mindful, you get Dhamma benefits as well as your pension benefits. So you get two benefits."
When Sayadaw asks retirees who haven't yet meditated, "Are you getting one pension benefits or two?" they tend not to understand. They hesitate. They can't guess what he means. Then Sayadaw explains, "You should collect benefits from the Dhamma as well as from your pension fund. Retirement is only good when you get two benefits. Try to get two benefits." This is how Sayadaw encourages those over sixty who have retired to meditate.
Sayadaw uses language appropriate to young people to encourage them. He says, "Young people's minds are still sharp and their health is good. They are enthusiastic and active as well. When the knife's edge is dull, it doesn't cut. Only if it is sharp does it cut. Young people are sharp like a knife. When young people with their sharp intellect meditate according to the Dhamma they can reach their goal very easily. So you should try to meditate while you are young and your health is good."
One time Sayadaw went to Moulamyine Panditârâma Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha. To get to Moulamyine we had to take a car ferry from Muttama. We had to get out of the car at the dock on the Thanlwin River to ride the ferry. The Muttama River dock is adjacent to the railroad station. When Sayadaw arrived, they lined up respectfully with their hands folded together. When Sayadaw got out of the car, yogis from Muttama greeted him and paid obeisance to him. They carried his things and helped in various other ways.
Sayadaw passed by the yogis. Looking at them, he said, "May you be healthy, may you be happy," speaking words of loving-kindness. After that he made a short, noteworthy remark. "In doing Sâsana work, one can only carry out one's duties successfully if one meditates effectively to be fulfilled in the Dhamma. For that reason, those who haven't yet fulfilled their Dhamma practice should make effort so that their practice will bear fruit," Sayadaw said.
After yogis have meditated at the center and listened to "The Progress of Insight," they come to pay respects to Sayadaw. At this time Sayadaw usually exhorts them like this, saying, "Imagine a brass bowl. If you don't polish it and just leave it, what will happen? It will become stained with oxidation, won't it? But if you polish it every day, it will become shiny, gleaming and bright."
"In just the same way, when the practice of Satipatthana is absent in the mind, it becomes stained with the dirt of mental defilements. But if you meditate every day, the mind is free of mental defilements and is clean and bright. You should work to make
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