Prabhakaran is still alive, A fake story from India !!

Some news papers in India have created a fake a story thar LTTE leader, Prabhakaran is still alive. Only to sell their news papers among the poor , idiot people in India. We've found that story is a created one to sell the news papers among the imotional people who don't have facility to reach internet or satellite TV etc.This newspaper office must be sealed and take all the people who created and sold the newspapers in to costody or killed for the charges helping to safe one time their leader in India Rajeeve's kiler and helping the world's No.1 butcher.

This video help U to undrstand how they created the fake story.

India....Seeled the news paper office as imediately !!!

Sri Lanka Celebrate The Victory over LTTE........Watch Matara , Sri Lanka Celebrate Nidahasa after killed Prabhakaran

Sri Lanka Celebrate The Victory over LTTE........

Hoist the National flag..............

All state institutions are requested to hoist the national flag for a period of one week to celebrate the victory over terrorism.

LTTE leader dead: Sri Lanka official

The leader of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was shot dead while trying to flee government troops, a senior defence official told AFP. Prabhakaran tried to flee the area in an ambulance along with two close aides, but was ambushed and killed, the senior defence ministry official said on condition he not be named. "He was killed with two others inside the vehicle. There will be a formal announcement later," the official said. (AFP) Country liberated - Army Chief 'Job well done' The commanders of each branch of the armed forces and the IGP conveyed the victory over LTTE terrorism to the President in a ceremony at Temple Trees this evening. (Pics courtesy of Government) Army Commander Sarath Fonseka announced that the entire country has been liberated from the LTTE after more than three decades of terror with the death of LTTE Leader Vellupilai Prabhakaran.

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Mr.president , Mahinda Rajapaksha will add to the world history, not only in Sri Lankan history as a hero who defeated the most deadly terrorist organization in the world , LTTE.

Un- believable !!! 30 years long deadly War in Sri Lanka is over !!! May Mahinda, The President of Sri Lanka and the Brave Security Forces Long live !!!!! The Devil-LTTE'rs may go to hell !!!

See the U-Tube videos I've uploaded Matara celebration.
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May Load Buddha Bless You !!! all of you ...

Wesak 2009 Special : Revivalist of Buddhist liturgy

Revivalist of Buddhist liturgy

By Srimega Wijeratne

In his short period of 20 years as a member of the Buddhist clergy, Ven. Panadure Ariyadhamma Thera brought about a virtual revolution in Buddhist worship by developing a unique Buddhist liturgy which has lasted up to date. He was responsible for popularizing Ata Visi Buddha Puja in modern times. The puja is the expression of gratitude to the Buddha and the Pipal tree that provided shelter for the attainment of Enlightenment. Sri Lankan Buddhists inherited the purported tradition when the right Branch of the original Bodhi tree was brought to Sri Lanka and planted as the Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura. Ven. Panadure Ariyadhamma Thera Ven. Ariyadhamma Thera composed the new liturgy of the worship of the Buddha puja. He referred to his Buddha puja as the Ata Visi Buddha Puja following the ancient Buddhist tradition of worshipping the 28 Buddhas who appeared in the past. His sonorous Buddha puja performed mostly in the evenings with the Gilan Pasa composed of both Pali and Sinhala renderings was often a prelude to a learned Dhamma recital. The complete religious process took two to three hours and attracted thousands of devotees. The most significant feature of the Ariyadhamma phenomenon from the early days was that large numbers of young people flocked to listen to the new Buddhist liturgy recited in his unique mellifluous voice. Tele-preaching was not widely available at that time and Ven. Ariyadhamma Thera resorted to radio preaching only on rare occasions. However, as a contemporary scholar described, "The Ven. Ariyadhamma conducted such series of Buddha pujas successfully in Divulapitiya, Kandana, Negombo, Chilaw, Nuwara Eliya, Matale and Galle. At Matale in 1977 a crowd of between 50,000 to 60,00 gathered. At Galle in 1978, the month long series drew crowds which the police finally estimated as 100,000". Ven. Ariyadhamma Thera selected themes that brought solace to the restless minds of the youth. Even though he was the Chief Incumbent of Sri Sangha Bodhi Vihara at Gregory's Road, he dwelt in many temples as he did not want to develop an attachment even to one temple as 'my temple'. Ven. Ariyadhamma Thera was born on June 21, 1940 in the village of Nalluruwa, Panadura, and named Buddhadasa Fernando. As the son of Buddhist parents, W.S. Fernando and Neli Fernando, he had his primary education at Nalluruwa Sri Sivali School and later at the Cyril Jansz College, Panadura and the famous Horana Vidyartha Pirivena. His avid keenness on Buddhist thought received a fateful boost when he was selected as a clerk at the Anuradhapura Preservation Board. He spent his spare time under the shadow of the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanweli Seya in Anuradhapura. The discarded thupa with the mortal relics of Ven. Panadure Ariyadhamma Thera His total immersion in the Buddhist sites of Anuradhapura and Mihintale impacted deeply on him. Right throughout his short life, he never failed to visit the Sri Mahabodhi in Anuradhapura and the Kaludiya Pokuna in Mihintale on regular meditational retreats. In Anuradhapura, Buddhadasa Fernando decided to join the Buddhist order and on December 22, 1966, he was ordained at Kalapaluwawa Thapovanaya by Ven Kahatapitiya Sumangala Thera. The tradition and style of Ven. Ariyadhamma Thera when conducting Buddha puja were inimitable. However, a disturbing trend of interpolating Bodhi puja (worship of Bo-tree in place of the Ata Visi Buddha Puja) started to spread among the Buddhist worshippers, thus distorting the religious liturgy of Ven. Ariyadhamma Thera. He was not happy about the development as the Bodhi puja was performed more to bring worldly merit and avoid ill luck than attaining the bliss of emancipation. Ven. Panadure Ariyadhamma Thera’s unexpected early death on May 27, 1986 at the age of 45 deprived the Buddhists here of a great exponent of the Dhamma. His mortal relics were enshrined in a small thupa at the Sambodhi Vihara at Gregory's Road after his death. But the thupa has been removed from the original place twice and been found discarded in an inaccessible corner of the outhouse of the temple. In my view this is an insult to the life of a great young Buddhist priest born to our generation whose memory should guide present-day Buddhists. The Sunday Times

Meditation

Meditation

by Nan- The Islank

"And what kind of meditation did the Blessed One commend? Here someone, quite secluded from sensual desires, secluded from unwholesome states, enters upon and abides in the first meditation, which is accompanied by thinking and exploring, with happiness and pleasure born of seclusion. And he enters upon and abides in the second, the third and the fourth meditations. The Blessed One commended such meditation."
Thus is it said in the Life of the Buddha by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, written with great originality and uniqueness entirely from the Pali Canon.I’ve meditated but never reached any jhana which jhanas are what is stated in the passage above. But one thing I’ve learned: never to give up, never to be disappointed and never to say "I cannot do it, I’ll never get anywhere." I will, some day, probably in another birth since in this I am too entrenched in life and living of the mundane sort.

This is the advice given by all teachers of meditation and those who guide meditators – never get discouraged nor get too obsessed with getting results. Just sitting perfectly still and relaxed and watching the breath or processes within is triumph enough, for the moment.

Vesak should mean meditation

The ambience or aura of Vesak is still around us. The white clad filling up temples and meditation centres from early dawn; the flickering light of the clay pahana and the muted radiance of the Vesak lantern; the piles of flowers whose fragrance is overpowered by that of joss sticks. And most significant of all – the emphasis now placed on meditation and not on mere worship, rites and rituals.

The mind and attention veer away from the garish pandals, the noisy dansalas, the loud music. Vesak is essentially a quiet, introspective time when one needs to sit quiet and, yes, meditate or at least try to.

Easier said than done; very much easier. One realizes how excitable, how intransigent, how utterly active the quicksilver mind is; how difficult to hold it down. It shoots this way and that with this thought and that. But of course it can be controlled. Truly happy are those who have succeeded in this.

My kalyana mithra with whom I first meditated under Ayya Khema’s instructions is able to sit for two hours at a stretch completely absorbed. This in spite of her arthritis. She gently asks me how I am progressing and is never disapproving. Maybe she hides her disappointment that I still do not always feel the breath entering me and never its exit. She is kind to me and appreciates what I have done for her – being ready to steady her with a helping hand if she decides to spend the poya day at the meditation centre. We’ve done a lot together.

Parappuduwa Nuns’ Island

When Ayya Kkema gave up the Nuns’ Island at Parappuduwa in Dodanduwa, we formed a committee and ran the island for the benefit of meditators. Ayya Khema left at the height of the JVP insurgency since she said she was not going to live once again fenced in by barbed wire. She had suffered during the Holocaust. So my kalyana mithuri and I would travel by bus to Dodanduwa, walk to the edge of the lake and get rowed across by the very dynamic head monk of the Island Hermitage, or his boatman. We had to go see to the resident domestic and later the Dutch nun who lived on the island. JVP Insurgents were suspected of using the meditation hall for a night’s sleep so when my friend and I walked to the hall early in the morning, we would shout to each other, hoping our voices would have any young intruders disappear in their boats. We arranged many retreats for women and even an all night pirit at Parappuduwa, the pirit because the Dutch nun said there definitely was a presence (read ghost) at the far end of the island where her kuti was.

It was difficult to have meditators or nuns living on the island once the head monk of the Island Hermitage died, so Nuns’ Island was transferred to the monks in the adjoining hermitage.

A nun so pure

It was on visits to Parappuduwa, invited over by Ayya Khema, that we first got to know Ayya Vayama from Australia. She was young, she was slender and tall, and very willing to lend a hand to any task. Whether strong or not, whether justified or not, she was delegated all the chopping of branches of overgrown trees and carrying of water from the well to the dormitory and nuns’ kutis when the water pump broke down.

She moved away from Parappuduwa but always kept in touch with two friends and me. She decided to spend some time in the London Vihara and as a gesture of thanks to us three women, she arranged a tour of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. I will never forget the feeling that enveloped me as we sat on the rock opposite the Gal Vihara and gazed for two hours at the statues, our admiration and piety enhanced by the wonder of the companionship we shared.

It was on this visit that early one morning we went to the Ruwanveliseya and sat in quiet reflection – me, while the others soon were absorbed in their meditation. I heard a discussion by a group of pilgrims. "Aney aluth rupayak. Langadi hadala" This was repeated by a man in a group that came later with all his nade` agreeing. Had I missed a new statue? I opened my eyes and looked around. Nothing new. I then realized they had mistaken Ayya Vayama for a statue, seated very straight in her brown robe, meditating with not a muscle moving, even when surrounded and gazed at by the curious. She gave such a guffaw when I related the incident to her. She had been totally unaware of the comments made. That was Ayya Vayama, so human and so ready to laugh and enjoy a joke but able to lose herself completely in absorbed meditation.

She was invited by Ven. Brahmavamso to start a nunnery in Perth and she did that and is now head of a well run, well populated nun’s resort in Gidgegannup She lived for months in a trailer all alone in the forest while the first building was put up. Ajahn Vayama as she is now known, is very occupied with teaching, conducting retreats and supervising Dhammasara Nuns’ Monastery.

An aside in the nature of a grouse, with annoyance strictly controlled, is that one cannot meditate either in the maha maluwa of the Sacred Bo Tree nor in the precincts of the Ruwanveliseya because of the chanting by a kapurala in the former place and the mike shouted thanks to donors of money near the Stupa. However much we grouse this will not stop - this disturbing of the peace in these most holy of places. Money collection is the root of the disturbance.

When my mother increased her sil taking from the full moon poya to the others, there still was no meditation as it is practiced now. Her meditation was moving her fingers from one bead to another on her naagunawela while repeating that stanza that starts with atti atti. Maybe she succeeded in concentrating on the asubhas of the body. Conscripted to observe sil with her when I was young, I never could master this verse. My thoughts would roam to a better-than-usual lunch and how to escape Mother’s sharp eye and go play a game or get bullied by my brother who escaped the sil sessions. My third sister went one better. All garbed in white and seated on a mat, she studied the Holy Bible because she had a scripture test the next day!

Gratitude

On this Sunday of the Vesak weekend, my most felt emotion is gratitude. You sit or kneel near the bo tree in the temple premises and it is total gratitude to Him who gave us this wonderful Dhamma – His so practical Teaching. He was patient and understood full well the frailty of humans.

Gratitude to parents and elders who gave us life and living so we now can fully appreciate what they did for us.

Gratitude to Ayya Khema for her almost evangelical exposition of the benefits of meditation and how to get about it; to Ayya Vayama for her humaneness and understanding. She is a living demonstration that a truly good person with much equanimity within radiates, actually radiates a sense of such calm wellbeing and joy that one feels it when in her presence. Gratitude to my friends too, particularly the one who reaches jhanas (I presume; she never tells).

Gratitude to the late Ven Ratwatte Siddhartha who in lay life almost single-handedly got built the wonderful meditation retreat in Hindagala right on top of a hill, and to those like his wife and other teachers who continue to run Dhamma Kuta excellently so we who wish to get away from ordinary life and live a couple of days in a better state, can do so.

Feeling gratitude is a lovely feeling – warm if you are cold, cool if you are hot and bothered. So it’s not to worry if you cannot forget all about you and lose yourself in meditation. One lives and improves!!

THE BUDDHA VISITS HIS BIRTH PLACE

THE BUDDHA VISITS HIS BIRTH PLACE

Significance of Medin Full Moon Poya Day And Sri Pada season By Gamini Jayasinghe -Dailynews It was on a Medin Full Moon Poya day that Siddhartha Gauthama Buddha first visited his birth place, Kapilawattupura, the Kingdom of His father, King Suddhodana. For Sri Lankans this day is of special significance because it is on this day that most number of pilgrims climb Samanala Kanda to worship Sri Pada – the sacred Foot print of the Enlightened One. During a period of seven years after the renunciation of prince Siddhartha his father, King Suddhodana repeatedly received heart-rendering news about him. During this period of seven long years the king heard nothing happy about his son. Whatever news that came to him was doleful, miserable and mingled with grief. News came to the king that his son was suffering and at last, he received a message that prince Siddhartha was dead. Some bones were produced to him in proof of the death of his son but the king did not believe in such news on the contention that the members of his lineage do not die before completing the full span of life. At last, after seven long years the king received that heartening news that his son had attained Buddhahood and was sojourning at Veluvanaramaya in Rajagahanuwara, the first ever monastery built for the Exalted One by King Bimbisara. King Suddhodana’s anxiety to see his son The king who was anxious to see his noble son, sent nine courtiers each with a large following on nine successive occasions to invite the Enlightened One to Kapilawattupura. However, contrary to the king’s expectations all of them attained Arahantship and joined the Order. They did not convey the message to the Buddha as Arahants are indifferent to worldly affairs. At last, the king sent his minister, Kaludai who was prince Siddhartha’s playmate. Minister Kaludai undertook to make the invitation on condition that he would be allowed to enter the Order. On hearing the Dhamma he too attained Arahantship and entered the Order but unlike the others he conveyed the message to the Buddha and persuaded Him to visit his father who was old and anxious to see Him after these long years. Buddha accepts the Invitation of His father sent through His lay time playmate Attended by a large retinue the Exalted One journeyed all the way from Rajagaha to Kapilawattu pura preaching Dhamma on the way. He took two months to reach the destination. The king arranged for the Enlightened One and the retinue to stay Yama Maha Pelahera – The twin miracle Some of the Sakyans who were conceited made only the young ones to pay obeisance and Buddha had to exhibit Yama Maha Pelahera- the twin miracle in the sky. This is the power said to have been possessed only by the Buddha to cause a stream of fire to issue from one part of His body and a stream of water from the other at one and the same time which is a power to issue such streams together from the eyes, ears and nostrils which was the result of His having accomplished “Thejokasina” and “Apokasina” The arrogant Sakyans having seen the wonderful sight paid Him obeisance regardless of their age and status. There upon the Buddha came down and sat on the seat prepared for Him. There was heavy rain but only those who wished got wet and others were not wetted. The Exalted One preached Vessantara Jathakaya in order to show that similar incidents had taken place in previous births. The Sakyans listened to Him attentively. The Buddha goes on His alms round in the Kingdom of His father On the following day as no one had invited for the noonday meal the Buddha went from house to house in the streets of Kapilawattu pura His disciples followed Him with bowls in their hands. The king was informed that his own son was begging alms in the streets. He never expected such an incident to take place and rushed to the place himself and enquired most humbly, as to why the Enlightened One was disgracing him and his lineage, “Sakyans had never gone from house to house seeking alms” the king said. The Exalted One said “The royal lineage is yours, O King; mine is the Buddha lineage” and added that it is proper for members of His lineage to seek alms from houses. Buddha advised the king to be alert and heedful and to live a righteous life. “The righteous live happily in this life and in the next” King Suddhodana attains Sowan The king was intelligent and virtuous enough to realize the truth and had attained “Sowan”, the first stage of Sainthood. Soon the king took the Buddha’s bowl to his hands and conducted Him and His disciples to the palace where he served all of them with food. After meals He preached Dhamma listening to which king Suddhodana attained “Sakardagami”- once returner or the second stage of Sainthood. Queen Maha Prajapathie Gothami attained “Sowan”, the first stage of Sainthood. Later, the king attained “Anagami” never returner after listening to Dhammapala Jathakaya preached by the Exalted One On his deathbed he heard Dharma from the Thathagatha and attained Arahantship Buddha visits His lay time consort, Princess Yasodhara When all but princess Yasodhara went to pay reverence to the Buddha when He visited the royal palace inquiries were made from her as to why she did not pay reverence to the Exalted One. The princess said that the Enlightened One would Himself come to her if there was any virtue in her and that she would pay reverence when He came to her presence. The Enlightened One accompanied by His two chief disciples and the king entered princess Yasodhara’s chamber. “The princess may reverence the Thathagatha as she wishes,” the Buddha said. Immediately she clasped His ankles and placing her head on His feet reverenced Him bathing His feet with tears. King Suddhodana praised his daughter-in –law for her faith she had towards the Enlightened One. “She started to wear yellow robes when she heard that you were wearing yellow robes and she resorted to one meal a day. She refrained from comfortable beddings. She even did not look at the messengers sent by her relatives offering her all comforts. She is so virtuous,” the king said. Buddha cited Channa Kinnara Jatakaya to show how she had protected him in previous births. She entered the Order with Queen Maha Prajapathie Gothami and later attained Arahantship. Ordination of Prince Nanda Prince Nanda was prince Siddhartha’s stepbrother and the son of Queen Maha Prajapathie Gothami and king Suddhodana. He was getting ready to celebrate his consecration ceremony, marriage ceremony and the house-warming ceremony on the second day after the visit of the Buddha. He was to get married to the pretty princess, Janapada Kalyani. Buddha with His divine eye saw that prince Nanda possessed the virtues of attaining Sainthood. He gave His bowl and the prince had to follow the Buddha although with reluctance. He was deeply moved by the worlds of the princess Janapada Kalyani and was constantly thinking of her. The Exalted One but he was bound to respect the Buddha especially because He was his elder brother. Reading his thoughts the Buddha devised a means to set him on the correct path. On the way he was shown a scorched she monkey clinging to a burnt stump. Then he was taken to the heaven where celestial nymphs were shown to him. He was fascinated by the celestial nymphs so much that he compared his fiancée to the old she monkey. When questioned as to whether he liked to have the celestial nymphs he replied that he liked to have them. The Enlightened One advised him to strive on with diligence to possess the nymphs. However, the other monks ridiculed comparing him to a “Hireling”. He was ashamed of his futile motives and by striving diligently attained Arahantship. Esahi Thuyha Pita Nara Siho – That great ascetic of majestic appearance is your father On the seventh day after the arrival of the Exalted One in Kapilawattu pura princess Yasodhara pointed to the Buddha who was in the courtyard and told her son, Rahula that the great ascetic of majestic appearance was his father. She requested him to go and ask for his inheritance. Young prince Rahula ran to the Buddha and felt that even His shadow was pleasing. After the mid day meal he followed the Buddha. No one prevented him from following the Buddha. He was asking for his inheritance as his mother requested him to do. The Enlightened One requested Venerable Saripuutta Maha Thera to ordain prince Rahula saying that He should give prince Rahula the Eightfold Noble wealth, which He received at the foot of the Bodhi tree. Prince Rahula was only seven years of age at the time when he was admitted into the Order. King Suddhodana’s request from the Enlightened One not to ordain children without the consent of the parents King Suddhodana was deeply moved when his grand son too left the palace. He came to the Buddha and made a request not to ordain any child without the consent of the parents. This request was granted. Conversion of Sakya Princes Buddha’s visit to Kapilawattupura was quite beneficial to his maternal as well as paternal relatives. The most significant relative of Buddha who was converted consequent to Buddha’s visit to Kapilawattupura was Venerable Ananda. He was the closest associate of the Buddha having ministered to all His needs acting as His Agra Upastayake (Chief Attendant) As he possessed a powerful retentive memory, and as he had the rare privilege of listening to all discourses of the Buddha he was later appointed the “Treasurer of the Dhamma (Dhamma Bhandagarika) Sakya princes Anuruddha, Bhaddhiya, Bhagu, Kimbila and Devadatta too entered the Order. Devadatta who was the son of King Suppabuddha is famous for evil acts although he was prince Siddhartha’s brother–in–law. Sri Pada season For Sri Lankans this is the peak period of Sri Pada pilgrimage season, which ends in two months hence on Vesak Full Moon poya day.

Wesak 2009 Special : One who sees the Dhamma sees me

"One who sees the Dhamma sees me" -

Buddhists in Sri Lanka celebrate Vesak the thrice blessed day of the Lord Buddha today May 8, 2009. The teachings of the Master are relevant to this day even after 2553 years. I believe it is most appropriate on this Vesak Full Moon Day to address of our minds and seek an answer as to whether we are truly and sincerely treading the path shown by the Master. Though we are comparatively a small island nation it is with a deep sense of sorrow, I note in this brief essay that we have surpassed all records in murder, suicide, child cruelty, sex abuse and a host of other evil deeds. To be followers of the most Compassionated Master we have to learn the Dhamma in its true sense. This is substantiated by the Master when he preached “One who sees the Dhamma sees me”. This is exactly what we should strive to achieve. I do not for a moment advocate that we should refrain and abstain from religious rituals which I believe would certainly mould one’s character. But the sacred truth is that we could seek total and absolute emancipation from the Sansarik bondages only through Dhamma. Let us therefore apply the principles of the Buddhist doctrine to our daily life and we will be amazed to see the spiritual power within us. Practise what is in “Mangala Suthra”, “Parabhava Suthra”, “Singalowada Suthra”, “Wasala Suthra” and you would reap the benefits here and now. The most significant feature in the life of the Lord Buddha is that he practised what he preached and preached what we practised. In this regard I would like to quote the words of Lord Buddha when he preached “One who treats the sick treats me.” The striking example is that the most Compassionate Master personally treated the sick monk Putigatta Tissa Thera,who had been neglected by his fellow Bhikkhus. The basic rule we are required to follow is to listen to the Dhamma attentively, grasp the meaning in its true sense, and act according to the spirit of the Dhamma. This reminds me of a Sanskrit Sloka meaning ‘the frog in the lake does not sense the fragrance of the lotus in it.’ Are we not also like the frogs in the lake who cannot sense the fragrance in the Dhamma preached by the Lord Buddha? In conclusion I would appeal to all Buddhists; “Let us diligently and assiduously strive to see the Lord Buddha through the Dhamma and put an end to the suffering in our journey in this Sansara. A. Godwin de Alwis President Dehiwala Pragna Study Circle Dailymirror.lk

Wesak 2009 Special : Sacrilege of thrice blessed celebration

Sacrilege of thrice blessed celebration: Vesak

Vesak signifies the commemoration of the birth, enlightenment and parinibbhana (passing away) of the Buddha. To Sri Lanka, considered as the cradle of Theravada Buddhism, the event bears even a greater significance and calls for observance of the event in a manner befitting its true meaning and importance. Unfortunately, over a period of time, wrong practices and behaviour have become institutionalised as ‘tradition’ and the norm to erode the sanctity of Vesak and bestow on it an unsavoury flavour and character which is a blot on the Dhamma preached by the Enlightened One. The efforts of the temple and the bhikkhu to celebrate Vesak in a manner befitting its true significance and importance are dwarfed by the efforts of a Vesak mafia who have hijacked Vesak and converted the thrice blessed celebration to a loud, un-Buddhistic display of vulgar materialism. The commercialisation of Vesak has relegated spiritualism to a position of relative unimportance and insignificance. Although adhering to a way of life spelt out by the Dhamma should be continuous and not confined to any particular day of the year, the fact is that a particular day is being designated to celebrate the three significant events associated with the Enlightened One and that day has been officially declared a non-working day. Consequently it helps to focus attention and inspire the followers of the Dhamma to give thought to the Buddha and his teachings and indulge in certain token acts of homage to express gratitude to the Buddha. Moreover, participation in collective acts of veneration is a source of inspiration to the average followers of the Dhamma who are yet to attain the disciplined state of mind moulded by advanced stages of meditation. Thus, clad in white they flock to temples to participate in token acts of veneration. This aspect of Vesak, however, is eclipsed by other practices which have acquired “traditional” status in Sri Lanka. Almost a month in advance, groups of youth visit houses with “alms” lists purportedly for “dansalas” or for erecting pandals. As for dansalas the origins date back to times when roads as we now know them and mechanised transport did not exist and pilgrimages to places of worship were undertaken in numbers over long distances. The provision of food and drink to such pilgrims were considered meritorious acts which would stand the givers in good stead in their journey through samsara. The sequence of events that lead to present day dansalas being opened and the recipients of their “alms” is a far cry from the original concept. So, too, are the compelling reasons which induce the givers. A week before Vesak the vicinity of the dansala is decorated with Buddhist flags and “ralli parlang” strung across the public highways. The dansala itself is built on public pavements and most times extend to the public highways, obstructing both pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Both activities are unlawful. To draw attention to the dansala: it is opened by a VIP with the lighting of crackers and loudspeakers blare out “traditional” Vesak songs (noise pollution). The precincts of the dansala is strictly out of bounds to street children and beggars! Meanwhile, buth packets are dispatched to associates of the organizer/s. As the evening advances, in the vicinity of the dansala, the “main sponsor/s” of the dansala and his/their cronies declare open a “muth pan sala” with accompanying music to rival the dansala music. Pandal designing has been developed to a fine art in Sri Lanka and Vesak brings out creativity at its exquisite best. However, the beautiful spectacle of an illuminated Vesak pandal with its multi-coloured and painted scenes from the Jathaka tales tells a different tale. My lament does not relate to Vesak pandals per se, but, to the ulterior motives of the pandal sponsors. A few months prior to Vesak the “sammadan” lists make their appearance to do house rounds or vendor stall. Whatever the financing arrangements, the guiding motive is to erect the biggest pandal or the pandal incorporating the most number of coloured electric bulbs an ego-boosting exercise rather than a genuine desire to treat the viewing public to an eye-pleasing experience and perhaps, convey to them the moral of the Jathaka tale scenes depicted on the pandal in a creatively convincing and effective manner. In a majority of instances, individuals who finance Vesak pandals do so to lessen the unfavourable public image as a result of their unethical vocations (such as illicit liquour business); to gain social recognition and to assert their “power” in the area. Apart from undesirable motives, other negative aspects of Vesak pandals are noise pollution through blaring loudspeaker magnified music; damage to public roads by digging holes to erect the structure of pandals; hindrance to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Invariably, an integral component of the Vesak pandal scenario is the pandals’ role of playing beacon to tipplers who are assured of a sure-fire source of illicit liquor in the vicinity of the pandal on a day where the licensed liquor outlets are closed. In my opinion, the colossal amounts of money spent on pandals could be better utilized to provide food and clothing to the needy, which altruistic act would far outweigh the ulterior and unsavoury motives of pandal promoters and would be a true expression of compassion during Vesak. Another all too familiar and deplorable scenes witnessed during Vesak are the baila-singing, “bera” thumping sightseers either walking in groups or packed into lorries or half trucks and generally making themselves a spectacle and a nuisance to all other road users. The significance of Vesak is completely lost on these raucous hordes. The Dhamma, in essence advocates compassion and altruism. It conveys the important message that one’s thoughts, words and deeds should not cause pain of mind or body to others and that one must respect and not infringe on the happiness and well-being of others. The aforementioned thoughtless practices associated with Vesak in Sri Lanka, thus, are an antithesis to the very essence of the Dhamma and a blot on the sanctity of the occasion. Lakshman Dissanayake- Dailymirror

Wesak 2009 Special : Buddhism in Asian civilization

Buddhism in Asian civilization

Dr (Mrs) Tilokasundari Kariyawasam Dailymirror Buddhism began as an intellectual and ethical movement in the sixth century B.C in India. It spread during the life time of the Buddha in India. At the time of the Buddha’s parinibhana almost all the important states of India seemed to have been deeply influenced by the new teaching. He had many disciples and accumulated a large public following by the time of his parinibhana in 483 B.C. The spread of Buddhism Buddhism has been significant not only in India, but also in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, where Theravada has been dominant. Mahayana has had greatest impact in China, Afghanistan, Japan, Taiwan, Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Korea and Vietnam as well as in India. Tibetan Buddhism which developed in isolation of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism is functioning as a separate sect since the 19th century. The number of Buddhists world wide has been estimated as between 150 and 300 million. The fascinating philosophy which became a religion The marvel of Buddhism is that it has lasted for more than 2500 years. It has a philosophy as well as a religion. The philosophy of the Buddha fascinates the intellectual. As a religion it illuminates the lives of millions of men, women and children. All the more wonderful, it has never been imposed by force. Today many universities in Asia, the Buddha’s doctrine has been made a subject of philosophical research. Vivid dialogues and sayings of the Buddha, recordings, edicts, scriptures originated in Asian civilization. Two and half centuries after the parinibhana of the Buddha, a council of monks collected his teachings and the oral traditions of the faith into written form, called the Tripitake (The Three Baskets). The Tripitake which is translated to English and other languages form one great prime source of Buddhism in Asian civilization. Buddhism and the Eightfold Path The contribution which Buddhism has made to the spiritual, moral, social and intellectual advancement of man and woman in Sri Lanka and in Asian Civilization is needed notable. Buddhism is a moral code based on compassion, universal love, non-violence, equanimity and a practical philosophy for daily life. The essence of Buddhism is the Eightfold Path, which includes morality, mind, culture and wisdom. Buddhism is also an institution of well-laid rules and regulations formulated for its functioning. Thus a community of men, women, male and female, disciples who are known to hold the same views dedicated to the same cause, opinion and principles and following the same religious teaching emerged. It was a highly organized community possessing stability and a high degree of efficiency without any loss of functions to the individual members whether man or woman. Woman had the right to freely participate in the social life of the religion. Given the diversity of target groups and educational tasks, the Buddha made effective use of informal education to teach and educate the fourfold Buddhist community. Impact of Buddhism Impact of Buddhism in Asian civilization can be attributed to the unswerving faithfulness of the bhikkhu and bhikkunie groups, the Tripitake and the scriptures. There were a sufficient number of faithful, erudite monks to preach the doctrine undefiled and to fill millions with its spirit. The transforming power of Buddhism made new personalities of all kinds of people -- from kings to peasants. It has changed individual men and women, it has changed entire nations. Emperor Asoka of India, King Tissa of Sri Lanka were history’s greatest examples of transformation. The Indian missionaries led by Rev. Mahinda brought not only Buddhism to the Island, but also the culture and civilization of Buddhist India. Almost all the Buddhist rites, ceremonies, festivals, architecture, arts and crafts were introduced into countries of Asia. Emperor Asoka’s great contributions to Buddhism The Emperor Asoka is history’s greatest example in the impact of Buddhism in Asian Civilizations. Inspired by Buddhism in 200 B.C. he sent missionaries to many lands. As a result Buddhism played a vital role in Asian Civilization. Vincent Smith in his book “Asoka, Buddhist Emperor of India” states “the transformation of the local sect into a world religion is the work of Asoka alone.” He passed on the Teaching in its original purity. The extent of the accomplishment of Emperor Asoka, would not have been known today were it not for some 5000 inscriptions that he had carved on pillars, rocks and caves throughout his empire. The inscriptions contain Buddhist rules for the laity. These inscriptions explain the meaning of this religion and reveal what Emperor Asoka accomplished in social welfare in his empire. Missionaries were sent to Sri Lanka while others went to Burma to Syria, Egypt, Cyprus, Macedonia and Epirus. So from generation to generation tales of the glory of Emperor Asoka, man of peace, in Asian civilizations were handed down from parent to child. He put the teaching into practice. One inscription includes the references to; “an absence of self-indulgence, many good actions, kindness, generosity, truthfulness and parity.” Emperor Aoska recorded: All men are children. And just as I wish my children every kind of prosperity and happiness, in this world and the next, so do I wish for all other men.” Hundreds of monasteries arose, and subjects were encouraged to make pilgrimages to them. He built hospitals for men and animals. He was the pioneer in introducing the profession of veterinary surgery. He established gardens for the cultivation of healing herbs and rest houses at intervals along travel routes. He was a pioneer educationalist and urged Buddhist monks to raise the national level of instruction. He championed and financially supported the education for women. The most glorious mission of Asoka was carried out by Rev. Mahinda in Sri Lanka. This was followed by the arrival of Rev. Sangamitta. These two visits brought about a renaissance in Sri Lanka. Buddhism, education, arts and craft, sculpture, agriculture and the economy developed. The social, cultural intellectual and moral development of the individuals would not have been a possibility if not for the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Buddhism was equated to governance and every king who ruled in Sri Lanka was dedicated to Buddhism and contributed to the welfare of the country. Buddhism in other Asian societies A Buddhist environment prevails in countries like Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Buddhism played a predominant role in Asian civilization. Theory and practice of Buddhism have made happier and more confident people as confirmed by other great individuals. Thomas Huckey stated, “It spread over a considerable portion of the world with marvelous rapidity, and is still the dominant creed of a large fraction of mankind.” As a result of the spread of Buddhism, Asian civilizations remained devoted and dedicated to transient spiritual standards and values of a more lasting character. It may be rightly said that Emperor Asoka’s outstanding service to Asian mankind is the missionary zeal that he displaced both within and outside his vast domain. Sri Lanka profiting by his missionary activities, dedicated itself whole-heartedly to the observance, preservation and the custodianship of the Buddha-Dhamma writing down of the doctrine during the 1st century A.D. is the greatest contribution that Sri Lanka had made to the intellectual heritage of mankind. Asian civilizations are not only proud of its past Buddhist cultural attainments but they are also conscious that the present day world society sadly needs the most comforting message of peace and loving kindness declared by the Buddha as a panacea for all ills of the world. The foundations: philosophy, ideology, concepts, and attitudes. His philosophy was that everything in the world is transient -- it changes. It is so with the infant, the child, the youth, man and women. It is very philosophical and has a special appeal to mankind. His ideology is truthfulness, peace, compassion, justice and love. His attitudes are very positive such as respect, regard and recognition. These noble principles have been retained in Asian civilizations, where force and coercion dominate. The impact of Buddhism in Asian civilization cannot be underestimated. Its impact has been significant, where Therovada, as well as Mahayana traditions have had the greatest impact.

Wesak 2009 Special : Buddhism more scientific than modern science

Buddhism more scientific than modern science

Ven. Ajahn Brahmavamso reflects on Buddhism’s enduring significance

I used to be a scientist. I did Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, hanging out in the same building as the later-to-be-famous Professor Stephen Hawking. I became disillusioned with such science when, as an insider, I saw how dogmatic some scientists could be. A dogma, according to the dictionary, is an arrogant declaration of an opinion. This was a fitting description of the science that I saw in the labs of Cambridge. Science had lost its sense of humility. Egotistical opinion prevailed over the impartial search for Truth. My favourite aphorism from that time was: "The eminence of a great scientist, is measured by the length of time that they OBSTRUCT PROGRESS in their field"! To understand real science, one can go back to one of its founding fathers, the English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561 - 1628). He established the framework on which science was to progress, namely "the greater force of the negative instance". This meant that, having proposed a theory to explain some natural phenomenon, then one should try one's best to disprove it! One should test the theory with challenging experiments. One must put it on trial with rigorous argument. When a flaw appears in the theory, only then does science advance. A new discovery has been made enabling the theory to be adjusted and refined. This fundamental and original methodology of science understood that it is impossible to prove anything with absolute certainty. One can only disprove with absolute certainty. Some misguided scientists maintain the theory that there is no rebirth, that this stream of consciousness is incapable of returning to a successive human existence. All one needs to disprove this theory, according to science, is to find one instance of rebirth, just one! Professor Ian Stevenson, as some of you would know, has already demonstrated many instances of rebirth. The theory of no rebirth has been disproved. Rebirth is now a scientific fact! Ordinary people know so little about science that they can hardly even understand the jargon. Yet, if they read in a newspaper or magazine "a scientist says that?", then they automatically take it to be true. Compare this to our reaction when we read in the same journal "a politician says that?"! Why do scientists have such unchallenged credibility? Perhaps it is because the language and ritual of science has become so far removed from the common people, that scientists have become today's revered and mystical priesthood. Dressed in their ceremonial white lab coats, chanting incomprehensible mumbo jumbo about multi-dimensional fractal parallel universes, and performing magical rituals that transubstantiate metal and plastic into TV's and computers, these modern day alchemists are so awesome we'll believe anything they say. Elitist science, as once was the Pope, is now infallible. Some know better. Much of what I learnt 30 years ago has now been proved wrong. There are, fortunately, many scientists with integrity and humility who affirm that science is, at best, a work still in progress. They know that science can only suggest a truth, but can never claim a truth. I was once told by a Buddhist G.P. that, on his first day at a medical school in Sydney, the famous Professor, head of the Medical School, began his welcoming address by stating "Half of what we are going to teach you in the next few years is wrong. Our problem is that we do not know which half it is!" Those were the words of a real scientist. Buddhism is more scientific than modern science. Like science, Buddhism is based on verifiable cause-and-effect relationships. But unlike science, Buddhism challenges with thoroughness every belief. The famous Kalama Sutta of Buddhism states that one cannot believe fully in "what one is taught, tradition, hearsay, scripture, logic, inference, appearance, agreement with established opinion, the seeming competence of a teacher, or even in one's own teacher". How many scientists are as rigorous in their thinking as this? Buddhism challenges everything, including logic. It is worth noting that Quantum Theory appeared quite illogical, even to such great scientists as Einstein, when it was first proposed. It is yet to be disproved. Logic is only as reliable as the assumptions on which it is based. Buddhism trusts only clear and objective experience. Clear experience occurs when one's measuring instruments, one's senses, are bright and undisturbed. In Buddhism, this happens when the hindrances of sloth-and-torpor and restlessness-and-remorse are both overcome. Objective experience is that which is free from all bias. In Buddhism, the three types of bias are desire, ill will and sceptical doubt. Desire makes one see only what one wants to see, it bends the truth to fit one's preferences. Ill will makes one blind to whatever is disturbing or disconcerting to one's views and it distorts the truth by denial. Sceptical doubt stubbornly refuses to accept those truths, like rebirth, that are plainly valid but which fall outside of one's comforting worldview. In summary, clear and objective experience only happens when the Buddhist 'Five Hindrances' have been overcome. Only then can one trust the data arriving through one's senses. Because scientists are not free of these five hindrances, they are rarely clear and objective. It is common, for example, for scientists to ignore annoying data, which do not fit their cherished theories, or else confine such evidence to oblivion by filing it away as an 'anomaly'. Even most Buddhists aren't clear and objective. One has to have recent experience of Jhana to effectively put aside these five hindrances (according to the Nalakapana Sutta, Majjhima No. 68). So only accomplished meditators can claim to be real scientists, that is, clear and objective. Science claims to rely not only on clear and objective observation, but also on measurement. But what is measurement in science? To measure something, according to the pure science of Quantum Theory, is to collapse the Schroedinger Wave Equation through an act of observation. Moreover, the "un-collapsed" form of the Schroedinger Wave Equation, that is before any measurement is made, is, perhaps, science's most perfect description of the world. That description is weird! Reality, according to pure science, does not consist of well ordered matter with precise massed, energies and positions in space, all just waiting to be measured. Reality is the broadest of smudges of all possibilities, only some being more probable than others. Even basic 'measurable' qualities as 'alive' or 'dead' have been demonstrated by science to be invalid sometimes. In the notorious 'Schroedinger's Cat' thought experiment, Prof. Schroedinger's cat was ingeniously placed in a real situation where it was neither dead nor alive, where such measurements became meaningless. Reality, according to Quantum Theory, is beyond measurements. Measuring disturbs reality, it never describes it perfectly. It was Heisenberg's famous 'Uncertainty Principle' that showed the inevitable error between the real Quantum world and the measured world of pseudo-science. Anyway, how can anyone measure the measurer, the mind? At a recent seminar on Science and Religion, at which I was a speaker, a Catholic in the audience bravely announced that whenever she looks through a telescope at the stars, she feels uncomfortable because her religion is threatened. I commented that whenever a scientist looks the other way round through a telescope, to observe the one who is watching, then they feel uncomfortable because their science is threatened by what is doing the seeing! So what is doing the seeing, what is this mind that eludes modern science? A Grade-One teacher once asked her class "What is the biggest thing in the world?" One little girl answered "My daddy". A little boy said "An elephant", since he'd recently been to the zoo. Another girl suggested "A mountain". The six-year-old daughter of a close friend of mine replied, "My eye is the biggest thing in the world"! The class stopped. Even the teacher didn't understand her answer. So the little philosopher explained "Well, my eye can see her daddy, an elephant, and a mountain too. It can also see so much else. If all of that can fit into my eye, then my eye must be the biggest thing in the world"! Brilliant. However, she was not quite right. The mind can see everything that one's eye can see, and it can also imagine so much more. It can also hear, smell, taste and touch, as well as think. In fact, everything that can be known can fit into the mind. Therefore, the mind must be the biggest thing in the world. Science's mistake is obvious now. The mind is not in the brain, nor in the body. The brain, the body and the rest of the world, are in the mind! Mind is the sixth sense in Buddhism, it is that which encompasses the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, and transcends them with its own domain. It corresponds loosely to Aristotle's "common sense" that is distinct from the five senses. Indeed, ancient Greek philosophy, from where science is said to have its origins, taught six senses just like Buddhism. Somewhere along the historical journey of European thinking, they lost their mind! Or, as Aristotle would put it, they somehow discarded their "common sense"! And thus we got science. We got materialism without any heart. One can accurately say that Buddhism is a science that has kept its heart, and which hasn't lost its mind! Thus Buddhism is not a belief system. It is a science founded on objective observation, i.e. meditation, ever careful not to disturb the reality through imposing artificial measurements, and it is evidently repeatable. People have been re-creating the experimental conditions, known as establishing the factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, for over twenty-six centuries now, much longer than science. And those renowned Professors of Meditation, the male and female Arahants, have all arrived at the same conclusion as the Buddha. They verified the timeless Law of Dhamma, otherwise known as Buddhism. So Buddhism is the only real science, and I'm happy to say that I'm still a scientist at heart, only a much better scientist than I ever could have been at Cambridge. The Sunday Times

Wesak 2009 Special : Vesak thoughts

Vesak thoughts

May is the month of Vesak
The season of fruits and flowers in full bloom
In the villages and cities of Mother Lanka
Wispering the nobel teachings of Buddha,
Of universal love, compassion and peace
For all to hear and pay heed to
In the life's struggle in samsara

Listen to the Enlightened One,
His enlightened words:
'Thanha Jayathi Soko, Thanha Jayathi Bhayan'.
Excessive greed brings sorrow, excessive greed brings fear
Thus declared Thathagatha,
We should know that when greed exceeds fear
It spells disaster giving us suffering.

Be it power, wealth or glory,
When in excess it spells disaster and suffering
For those engaged in excesses,
In this impermanent world
Where everything changes, decays and dies finally
No escape from this universal law
So declared the Blessed One, Thathagatha Buddha.
And advised us to live in moderation,
Be kind and caring to others
Life can then be happy, contended and wholesome
In the state of affairs of men
Though not completely satisfying
Until we attain Nibbana.

- Bernard W. Dissanayake

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