|
karuna foremost in his guidance.
At that time, Daw Khin Saw Nyunt related her problems and difficulties. Since her husband U Aung Khaing had died, Daw Khin Saw Nyunt seemed to rely on Sayadaw as a "Dhamma Father". She respected him very much. This seemed to be why she spoke about her life-problems.
Sayadaw was truly like a father. With great mettâ and karuna, he gave the following exhortation.
"This is just the way life is. I also have had to suffer from lokadhamma, the vicissitudes of life. It is appropriate to compare your problems to those I suffered. In a former life I did this to someone else, therefore I endure this now. I suffer like this only because of my past misdeeds. I have the attitude that no one is doing this to me, it is my own doing. You yourself have done many good deeds. You do good deeds now as well. You truly do things with a lot of goodwill. You should declare those things, ask for what you need and get on with your work," Sayadaw said.
This was the second time I heard these words. My interest in the declaration of truths became stronger. The desire arose to try it and see the result. When difficulties arose in my life, I tried declaring the truth. I found that within myself also there are many good abilities, enough to declare. Declaring my pure and noble acts gave great force to the mind. I became brave enough to face and surmount the obstacles I met. The desire arose as well to do more good deeds, both now and in the future. I came to understand that whatever one does and says with a good mind needs to be increasingly perfected. I came to know that when the occasion arises, this becomes something truly reliable. For that reason I increasingly wanted to rely on a good spirit, good deeds and good speech. I came to realize more the value of these things. The more one knows their value, the more one cherishes them. One develops a taste for them.
Hearing this exhortation just twice from Sayadaw, I became fully interested, fully accepting and found myself putting it into practice as much as I could. It isn't true that renowned and successful persons always get to walk along an avenue strewn with flowers. They have to walk over difficult terrain as well.
Difficulties are what every person has to face. That isn't anything unusual; it's common. Those who haven't encountered troubles or who have little such experience are apt to be scared. They tremble with fear. When I read Mahâgandâyone Sayadaw's personal account of his life in his book, "One Life Cycle", I made a note of a verse I liked. As he is a great writer, Mahâgandâyone Sayadaw's verse is very beautiful.
The verse goes:
A Human,
[Can] only be human,
With the normal human experience,
Ever meeting
|
|