It is rare to hear Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw speak these words. In the thirteen years the author has lived with Sayadaw, I have heard these words just twice, once at Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha and once at Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha.

The time at Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha was when Sayadaw was suffering the most severe storm of ups and downs in his life. It was in 1990. At that time the attacking storm was quite strong. One would have to say it was the most violent upheaval of Sayadaw's life. To use a phrase from boxing, it was knock-out. They were gathering around Sayadaw and punching him so that he couldn't get back on his feet. Even a person of some resilience wouldn't have been able to get up again after being knocked down like that. One might even have died of the opponent's blows. One can't say exactly how much Sayadaw was suffering while this was going on, but one can make a guess based on what he often said at that time. "When there was a big earthquake in the town of Sagaing, the great Kaung Hmu Daw Pagoda is supposed to have said, 'I don't know how the little pagodas on the hills will survive this earthquake. Even I am groaning under the impact.' I don't know how much all the small pagodas of the Sagaing Hills, ones that aren't huge like Kaung Hmu Daw, can take. If even such a great, massive pagoda is groaning, the earthquake damage will be quite extensive," Sayadaw would say.

The Mahasi Sayadaw too had to endure a violent upheaval in his life. The Mahasi Sayadaw, whose endurance was very great, wasn't beaten down by it. But the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw, whose endurance wasn't as great then as the Mahasi Sayadaw's, seemed to be taking a pounding. While this storm was raging, I went to see Sayadaw at the No. 2 Nâyaka Housing where he was staying. I remember what Sayadaw said then as follows.

"U Dhammika, state a truth, then ask for what you need and do your work. You have carried out your work with pure goodwill. For example - when the schools close for summer vacation, during the one-month Buddhist Culture Course for children, you taught the novices, nuns and schoolchildren with pure goodwill. You carried out other necessary tasks as well with honest effort. 'I have done such things as this for the welfare of the many, with a clean pure mind and sincere effort. By the virtue of this truth, may I be free of the disturbances I am now experiencing. May I be able to work for the good of others easily and happily, as much as I desire, as much as I can.' Like that, declare a truth, then ask for what you need and do your work," Sayadaw said.

That was the first time I heard these words. Before this, I didn't think Sayadaw would make a practice of declaring a truth, making a wish and then doing his work. "I must just do what is necessary and suitable for the Sâsana, to the best of my ability," is what I thought he would say. I had heard of other famous Sayadaws declaring a truth, making a wish and then carrying out their task at times like this when they were meeting difficulties or problems. I had also read what other writers had written in this regard.

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