"Only with discipline, only with discipline, will one be successful."

Those are the words of a song I heard on the radio, on the Voice of Myanmar. In trying to become a successful and developed nation, we must have discipline to be successful. Once we have discipline, it must be followed. Without discipline, or if we have it but it is not followed, there is no way this will become a successful developed nation. In a household, in a school (or monastery), in a village, in a town, too, it is this same way. "A person's value is in his discipline," it is said. One must have discipline to become a valuable person. Without discipline one is a worthless person.

Each and every one must have discipline and follow it. A household must become a disciplined household. A school must become a disciplined school. A village must become a disciplined village. A town must become a disciplined town. If every person, every household, every village, every town has discipline and follows it, that is a developed nation. That is the worldly aspect.

As for aspect of the Sâsana, it is the very same way. There is a complete set of discipline laid down by the Buddha for the Sâsana. The Buddha's discipline is so complete that there is no instance where it is lacking that one can point to. No matter much discipline there is or how good it is, if is not followed, the Sâsana will never progress. Each monk and novice has the responsibility to ensure that the Sâsana progresses. Only if each monk and novice follows the Buddha's discipline will the Sâsana progress.

"Only in good sons and daughters is the guidance of fathers and mothers alive," the Buddha said, "In goods monks and monks and novices the Buddha's discipline alive." Thus, we need many good monks and novices in the Sâsana. Monasteries and meditation centers with discipline must arise in the Sâsana. The leading Sayadaws of the Sâsana, who understand this, strive that the monasteries and meditation centers with which they are concerned have discipline.

The Shwe Taung Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw is one of those. Sayadaw has very great discipline. He is famous for his strict discipline. Some members of the Sangha and some lay people are frightened and apprehensive of Sayadaw for that reason. It is apparent that Sayadaw grew up with parents and teachers who had discipline. He must have lived in a place with good discipline. Sayadaw himself understands the value of discipline. That is why he respects, values, and follows it. He wants those who come to take refuge in him to follow it as he does. He does not like it if it is not followed. He usually explains the various faults and consequences of not following it. If, even with after this kind of explanation, one does not follow it, he is apt to speak and act rather coldly.

At the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha, when one goes about, one must go

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