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A MASTER
"I believe in my own strength," he said.
When I heard this, I didn't believe it was coming from Sayadaw. Living with Sayadaw for a whole year, I heard these words only once. It seemed like Sayadaw said it with no cause. It was clear that he was especially mindful not to be caught saying this kind of thing. Hearing these kind of words was quite a novelty. It was surprising and gratifying all at once. He did not boast about himself and when his students were boastful, he usually put a stop to it. He would often ask, "Is that boasting I hear?" Since I had not heard this kind of boastful language from him even once before, when I heard these proud words, how could I help but to be surprised? I was surprised indeed. As far as his own abilities are concerned, with not a word coming from his lips, he kept it hidden always, like a cat's claws.
I heard those words in the bedroom of the Chan Tha Myaing building where he lives. In that room, Sayadaw had me read a letter which had come from abroad. After I had read it, he said, 'Here, too, we need more teaching manpower. I will have to call him back and give him the responsibility of teaching here."
Then, Sayadaw revealed his experiences with his students.
"A teacher is like a gardener. A gardener might plant fruit trees. Some go bad as seeds. Some go bad while they are sprouting. Some go bad after the little trees grow up. Some go bad when they have a full set of branches. Some go bad when their blossoms bloom. Some go bad when their fruit is nearly ripe enough to eat. Of course the gardener is sorry to lose them whatever stage the little trees he planted go bad at. But when they go bad when their fruit is nearly ripe enough to eat, he is definitely more grieved."
"Teachers are just like that gardener. They come to nurture and raise their students, like little fruit trees. They will feel bad, of course, no matter what stage the students go bad at. A gardener indeed looks forward to when he will get to enjoy the fruit of the trees he has planted. Teachers are like this, too.'
The author interrupted Sayadaw to say, "You seem like you're used to this kind of thing, Bhante."
"Yes, I've seen it before."
Since he hadn't revealed them to me, I had not thought that he had had this kind of expectation and this kind of experience with his students. Hearing him reveal him
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