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At that Sayadaw replied, quoting the words of the Buddha, "Oh monks…the Blessed One does not praise stagnating with regard to the good, much less the deterioration of the good. Oh monks, I only praise the prospering of the good."
"Oh devotee, one can't say that the Sâsana is prospering, whether in regard to the Shwegyin sect or any other sect, if the Sâsana as a whole is stagnating or declining with regard to what is good (kusala). Just because the number of external buildings or the number of servants of the Sâsana is increasing, one can't say the Sâsana is progressing. By Sâsana we just mean the teachings of sîla, samâdhi and panña. If in the mind-stream of the monks who serve the Sasana, the teachings of sîla, samâdhi and panña aren't prospering, one can't say that the Sasana is prospering. If in the mind-stream of Buddhist men and women, the teachings of sîla, samâdhi and panña are not prospering, one can't say that the Sasana is prospering with regard to the laity, either."
"Now people are using the phrase, 'Possessor of the Sâsana.' It isn't right to name just one person as 'the Possessor of Sâsana.' Nor is it right to name two persons 'the Possessors of Sâsana.' Every novice and monk, every servant of the Sâsana, should work to become a possessor of the Sâsana."
The conversation was over and so was the offering of books to the Sangha. At this juncture, Sayadaw's talk stopped for awhile. Sayadaw had said that every novice and monk should become a possessor of the Sâsana. This was novel. The words used by the Shwegyin sect, "Possessor of the Sâsana," were intended for the leader of the Shwegyin sect. Sayadaw didn't want to give this phrase the same meaning that others were. Just as he would say that someone who has things is an 'owner', or 'possesses wealth', someone with wisdom 'possesses wisdom,' someone with mettâ 'possesses mettâ,' someone with morality 'possesses morality,' someone with self-restraint 'possesses self-restraint,' and someone with training 'possesses training,' Sayadaw wants to say that someone who is accomplished in the Sâsana 'possesses the Sâsana'. He wants to give the phrase this meaning.
For just this reason he said that every novice and monk should work to become a possessor of Sâsana. Novices have the sîla, samâdhi, and panña teachings for novices. Monks have the monks' teachings. Laypeople have the lay sâsana. In this way we can say that there is a novice Sâsana, a Bhikkhu Sâsana and a lay Sâsana. Novices should accomplish the novice Sâsana. Whatever novice does so, possesses the Sâsana. Monks should accomplish the Bhikkhu Sâsana. Whatever monk does so, possesses the Sâsana. Laypeople should accomplish the lay Sâsana. Whatever person does so possesses the Sâsana. If stated like this, every novice, monk and layperson can become a possessor of the Sâsana.
In the Buddha's teaching there are three kinds of accomplishment. The first is the accomplishment of sîla. Every novice, every monk and every layperson should become accomplished in the teachings of sîla. One should not be satisfied until one is ac
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