The great Mahâvisuddhâyone Sayadaw had a habit of asking his students to answer questions which came to him, Sayadaw told me once. A devotee from Australia named U Aung Lin asked nine questions of Sayadaw. U Dhammapiya, now in the U.S., U Pa?ñabâsa, now in Canada, and the author were asked by Sayadaw to write answers. Sayadaw said that in the future he would do it like that and have us answer questions which came to him. Later, some questions came to Sayadaw. They were questions from a devotee in Taung Ngu. U Dhammapiya and the author had to answer those questions.

Sayadaw has not only had his students answer questions which came to him. The Mingun Tipiþaka Nikaya Association published a book, The First Three Year's Journey. Back when they published The First Three Year's Journey, they included a chapter of words of advice received from the great Mahasi Sayadaw. Since the great Mahasi Sayadaw was no longer in evidence when that group published the Second, Third, and The Fourth Three Year's Journey, they asked Sayadaw for material for articles and put that in. Just as Sayadaw had his students answer questions which came to him, to give them practice, when they asked him for articles, he had his students write them, to give them practice.

When they asked Sayadaw for an article for The Second Three Year's Journey, he gave the responsibility for writing it to the author. Sayadaw explained what he wanted included in writing the article. He said to base it on the Dhamma Vihârî Sutta. The Dhamma Vihârî Sutta is found in the Pa?caka Nipâta of the A?guttara Nikaya. The article was named "Dhamma Vihârî" after the sutta. When they asked Sayadaw for an article for the The Third Three Year's Journey, the author had gone away to take a rest for health's sake. That article was written by U Vaòòitâla?kârâbhivamsa. He also wrote it based on what Sayadaw wanted included. The name of that article was "With a Settled Mind". He is a great writer, too. The articles for the Second and The Third Three Year's Journey were written back at the Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha.

They asked Sayadaw for an article for The Fourth Three Year's Journey, too. By that time, Sayadaw had come to the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha. That article, too, he had the author write. It was in accordance with Sayadaw's perspective. That article was called "A Little Blank to Fill In". Sayadaw also had the author write the article which they asked him for the Thapyekan Sayadaw's Abhidhaja Mahâra?þaguru Memorial Book. Sayadaw told me the outline of what he wanted written. Calling on his students like this, Sayadaw is sharpening their abilities.

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