I came to live with Our Benefactor the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw even before the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha had come to be. At present, in the year 1358 (1996), the author has a full twenty vassa (years as a monk). Since I came to live with the guiding teacher of the Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha, the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw-to-be, in my seventh Waso, it has already been thirteen years I have spent with Sayadaw. This is the longest I have lived with any teacher. I did not spend this long with any of my other teachers, not even at the Amarapura Mahâgandâyone Monastery, where I did my scholastic studies. I spent eight years as a novice, from age thirteen until I became a monk at twenty. During those of eight years, I heard a great many pieces of advice from Mahâgandâyone Sayadaw U Janakabhivamsa. He gave a few words of guidance every morning, so if I were able to recall all of them, they would be countless. I didn't really have the ability to listen and memorize while I was young, so I have probably forgotten more of those words of advice than I remember. However, since I heard them again and again, the number I do remember is not inconsiderable.

Having lived with the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw for about thirteen years, I have had more chances get his words of guidance. No matter how much advice teachers give, a student only gets as much as he can listen to carefully and retain. The Mahâgandâyone Sayadaw gave words of advice every morning. The Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw does not have a routine of giving words of advice every day. That is one way in which they differ. The Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw's custom is to give advice only when an appropriate opportunity comes along. Thus, it is possible that I remember distinctly a greater number of the Mahâgandâyone Sayadaw's pieces of advice. My power of memorization was not the same when I was young and listening to words of advice from the Mahâgandâyone Sayadaw as when listening to words of advice from the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw, starting when I was a monk of seven vassa. So it is unlikely that I remember distinctly fewer of the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw's pieces of advice. I probably remember more of his. I will repeat as many as I remember.

One piece of advice is: "You must make a practice of checking the work you do for needs, deficiencies, or flaws."

Sayadaw has a habit of mentioning these words of advice whenever a suitable opportunity arises, which is often. He himself makes a practice of putting these words into practice. Because he makes this a practice, he has benefited in many ways. He is still receiving the benefits at present and will continue to do so in the future. Sayadaw is continually receiving them. Among Sayadaw's good qualities, there are some in which I take a disproportionate delight. If I had to choose only one, it would be the way in which he takes pride in his successes when they come, checking to see whether or not there are any needs, deficiencies, or flaws. If there is any need, he fills it. If there are any deficiencies he supplements them. If there are any flaws he corrects them.

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