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ingkindness, good intention, and compassion. Realizing the value of Sayadaw's admonishments, he is finding the great benefits of Sayadaw's discipline.
Sayadaw follows and practices good discipline himself. He himself experiences the wholesome benefits of good discipline. That is why he gives all those who take refuge behind him good discipline. Among his ordained students, he gives it to the senior teachers, to the 'working monks', and to the monks who are practicing as yogis. During the Buddhist Culture Course, he gives to the novices and young nuns who attend. He gives it to those who work in the kitchen. He gives it to the nuns who are studying. He gives it to the members of the Theravâda Buddhist Institute (the lay organization of the center). He gives it to the those who work at the center. He gives it to people who come from outside to pay respects. And he gives it to those who come to make offerings of alms and such. He gives it to locals and to foreigners. He gives all sorts of advice to a people of diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds.
Sayadaw hands it out freely, but definitely not everyone can take it the way he does it. Sayadaw no doubt gives it with the intention and the belief that they will get its benefits to the degree that they do take it in. When it rains, if one uses a pot shard to collect water, one gets only as much as the pot shard can take in. If on uses a small pot, one gets a small pot full. If one uses a great vessel, one gets as much as the great vessel can hold. You get as much as you can take in. Although it is Sayadaw giving the discipline and the advice, the recipients will get it according to the ability to take it in.
The author once asked one of the foreigners who come to practice with Sayadaw, a man from Australia, "What is the best thing you could bring back as a gift from Myanmar?" "I would like take home the Shwedagon Paya and Sayadaw U Pandita," he replied. One Japanese lady yogi said, "The thing I would most like to take back as a gift is a picture of Sayadaw U Pandita." That's an indication of how greatly he is cherished and valued. It is because of the many and varied benefits they are experiencing on account of Sayadaw that they cherish and value him so.
There are those who have gotten immediate benefits from Sayadaw's discipline and instructions because they have followed them as soon as they heard them. There are also those like U Sa?varâlinkâra who come to appreciate and follow them only later, and thus get the benefits only then. If one follows Sayadaw's discipline and instructions now, one gets the benefits at once. If one follows them only later, one gets the benefits only then. One gets the benefits at the time that one follows them. There's one thing Sayadaw said concerning the Buddhist Culture Course teachers:
"One must practice following discipline oneself. Only then will one be able to give it to others. If one doesn't have discipline oneself, if doesn't follow it oneself, I don't know how one could make corrections when one meets another without discipline or not following it. I can't understand how one could offer correction. If it is discipline one is following oneself, when on comes upon an instance of it not being followed, one knows immediately. One can correct it easily. One knows the consequences of not following it and the benefits of following it. Thus, one can explain the benefits and conse
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