Dry the Paddy While the Sun is Shining!

Ne pu done, saba hlan (ေနပူတုန္း စပါးလွန္း) means “Dry the paddy while the sun is shining!” When used in a Buddhist connotation, this proverb urges the devout that when there is an opportunity for spiritual development, one must not let it slip away. Sun Lun Sayadaw often used this expression as an exhortation for yogis to meditate and to strive to reach nibbana in this very life, instead of merely doing good deeds and hoping to come back when the next Buddha arrived, as some Buddhists of his day were wont to do. 

Sun Lun Sayadaw explained that just as people had lost their chances to become liberated during previous Buddha Sasanas, one should not waste the opportunities in the present Sasana. A similar proverb is Ne win hma, saba hlan (ေန၀င္မွ စပါးလွန္း), or “at sunset one dries the paddy,” which refers to someone acting even after a precious opportunity has been lost.