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not think much of it. You should adopt the attitude of the high-minded people," he said.
I appreciated that Sayadaw's words, too. When I came to the Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha, I tried to put them into practice. All the things they used seemed new and different. I had all sorts of questions running around in my mind. I fancied I heard people from outside the meditation center criticizing the monks of the center on this issue. Are all other centers in the field of meditation like this? I can't say.
After living at the Mahasi Sâsana Yeiktha for a long time, I began to understand what was going on. When the yogis who came to meditate with the meditation teachers got a taste of the Dhamma, strong faith arose in them. Due to this strong faith, they would offer things they thought the meditation teachers needed. Mahasi Sayadaw and the meditation teachers would all turn down offers of very luxurious items. However, considering the strong faith of the most enthusiastic supporters the teachers felt so bad that they couldn't just turn them down, and so would have to accept the offerings after all. The Mahasi Sayadaw, whose Dhamma practice was very strong, would have only have done it considering the faith of his devotees, rather than for his own pleasure, I do believe. The senior teachers, as well, with their strong Dhamma, would have considered the issue similarly. Other monks with strong practice, as well, would want to consider the issue similarly.
Wanting to know what the attitude of my benefactor the Shwe Taung Gon Sâsana Yeiktha Sayadaw was, I tried asking the people who looked after his needs. This is what they said, "If we lay down an fancy mat when Sayadaw isn't around, when we aren't around, he removes it himself and lays down another one that is not fancy. Sayadaw doesn't like multicolored mats, either. He doesn't let us lay them down. If we do lay it down, he puts his old robe-color mat over it. Then he lays his leather mat on top.
'If you lay down a fancy mat, when monks from outside come and see it here they will have something to say about it. Don't put it in here.' Sayadaw would say."
In view of this statement, I am convinced that he only accepts those types of donations considering the donor's faith and not for his own pleasure.
I heard that once a lady devotee gave a curtain to Sayadaw's helper to give to him. It was a very fancy curtain, so, the helper, knowing that Sayadaw wouldn't like it, didn't want to give it to him, they say. However, considering the donor's wishes, he decided had to give it to him. When he was given it, Sayadaw said, "If I use this curtain my room will look like room decorated for newlyweds."
Knowing that Sayadaw didn't like it, the helper didn't use it.
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