"When you say 'whatever work he had to do,' what do you mean? What did you monks and novices do each day?"

"The monks and novices got up at 4 a.m. and all gathered at the Shrine Building to pay homage to the Buddha. After that we went to the building where Sayadaw-gyi stayed. We each took our sitting cloths and sat under a tree, taking a vow to remain under the tree, all of us, both monks and novices. Sitting under the tree, we all meditated with strings of beads, using the qualities of the Buddha as our meditation object. We thumbed the beads, one after another. We all had to tell Sayadaw-gyi how many rounds we had done. After each person spoke, Sayadaw-gyi would call out sâdhu. At dawn we ate breakfast. Afterwards the monks and novices lined up and went on almsround. We didn't return until about 8 a.m. On the almsround, the donors would offer us rice. Sayadaw-gyi would go by himself on almsround. Behind him would go the kappiyas (monastery boys) to carry the flowers and rice that were offered him. Sayadaw-gyi would pay homage to the Buddha seventeen times a day."

"That's quite a lot."

"Sayadaw-gyi would even offer flowers and pray to the Buddha at rest-houses while going on almsround. Sayadaw offered quite a lot of flowers and water. He would get up before the other monks and carry buckets of water himself for making offerings. After the others went to sleep at night, he would also carry water. He also offered many flowers to the Buddha. Sometimes the flowers offered to him by the lay devotees on his almsround were so numerous that the monastery boys would cry because they couldn't carry them all. For offering water there were seventy-five big "Maung Daung" water vessels and small water jars as well. Sayadaw-gyi would offer an almsbowl full of rice and many curries as well to the Buddha. The rest of the time he meditated with his beads."

"Sayadaw-gyi's faith was very strong. Please, continue to tell what duties the monks and novices carried out each day."

"The monks and novices began classes at 8 a.m. and finished at 10 a.m. After that we offered flowers, water and rice to the Buddha. As for our meal, we ate at 10:30 a.m. When we returned from almsround, we had to put all the rice we received together and leave it at the dining hall. Sayadaw-gyi would offer all the rice he had received to the other monks of the Sangha. After receiving the food brought by lay devotees and offered to him in his room, he would eat observing the ascetic practices of eating only once a day and mixing all his food together before eating it."

"From noon until 1 p.m. we rested. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. we returned to class. From 4 to 5 p.m. we studied grammar. At 7 p.m. we paid homage to the Buddha. We studied and then recited our day's lessons until past 9 p.m. To answer your question, that's what we did each day, Bhante.

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