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Let peace, prosperity and correct thinking dawn in the New Year!
View(s):For most people the world over, the New Year dawns on January 1. The December 31st night has become a night of merriment for many people. The Sinhala and Tamil people celebrate their New Year in April. Muslims have their own New Year. In Burma, Thailand and other Buddhist countries the New Year is in April or in May.
With the development of tourism, December 3lst, the last day of the year, has become a day of enjoyment in Sri Lanka. Parents, children, the rich and the poor make merry welcoming the New Year.A few years ago, at the dawn of January lst, after consuming liquor at a hotel, a 15-year-old son of a trustee of Gangaramaya ran over a person and killed him. The family came to the temple in the early hours of the New Year. I did not evade the issue. After doing whatever was possible to save the child, I decided to act to prevent such incidents in the future.
The following year, on December 31st I organised a Bodhipooja at Gangaramaya. Those who came for the Bodhipooja were treated with food. They were given Seevaliyanthra, Pirithnool and money. We blessed them. Later, other temples also followed our example. Today New Year parties are held in hotels. We need not attend them; let foreigners take part in them.
Without a proper culture, human qualities and discipline, no country can develop. Recently, a chairman of a company dealing in vehicles went to Germany. As he was travelling by train someone had picked his pocket and within half an hour the thieves had used his credit cards to withdraw money or purchase items. A majority of our people do not know that it is not the case here in Sri Lanka. Evil thrives in Europe today.
Many countries look at our country with suspicion when we are trying to foster unity among all our people. They try every trick of the trade to spread animosity among us to destroy this unity. Our children should be informed about this. We should start the New Year keeping this in mind. I would like to remind everyone that starting from December 31st night, we will hold a week of religious ceremonies at Gangaramaya, Colombo 02, at Gangarama Pilgrims Rest at Katharagama and at Urumuththa Rajjurubandara Devale at Urumuththa Akuressa. Devotees will receive blessed notes and coins. I request that similar activities be undertaken by the other temples.
At Gangaramaya, with Chinese aid we have built a new statue of Lord Buddha in jade and placed it in a new shrine room. We have also built a similar statue out of stone for a new shrine room at Urumuththa in Akuressa. At Gangaramaya in Colombo we have installed two new statues of Lord Buddha studded with rubies and precious stones. Devotees can now come and pay homage. All those who come to get the blessings for the New Year at Gangaramaya will also be able to pay reverence to the sacred relics, hair relics, relics of Maharahath and Seevali Maharahath.
In addition, I am appealing to people to donate agricultural implements, whether old or new, plants and planting material so that the poor people may be benefited in 2016. On December 14, there will be a ceremony at Gangaramaya to offer educational grants to more than 5,000 pupil monks who are below 16 years of age.
At least in the New Year let us try to avoid all waste and cultivate the habit of simple living. Let us give up evils such as drugs and alcohol. Let all of us the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims get together in peace. We have been labeled abroad as a lethargic and a lazy people. We must show by our deeds and example that we are not so.
Our security forces have been hailed for their discipline. But it is not so, in the case of our private security services. They tend to be lazy. I recommend that the government levy a tax on these security companies so that they maintain proper standards. Otherwise we will soon be looking abroad for security work.
Law says valuable trees cannot be cut down without permission. The Government should in addition levy a tax on this. It will be additional revenue for the Government. Also there should be a rule to the effect that for every tree that is cut down, at least three new saplings must be planted. If the land given to farmers for cultivation on the basis of sharing the harvest is not put to proper use, it should be taken back by the owner. If this is not done, it won’t be too long before we import more of our food. I am spreading this message in every village, in schools, and temples. We have a unit to produce natural fertilizer. If we start rearing fish in every water hole and waterway, like what is done in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand we will be able to cut down on our cost of living. It is now time to ban the import of flowers and flowering plants and grow our own flowers and fruits.
I was instrumental in getting a grant from the then J R government for the planting of fruit trees. At my request, the Jayewardene government exempted books, magazines and all printed material from customs duties. Even engineers and doctors who benefited from these schemes have forgotten this. Whatever is said and done both the Government and the people must think carefully about what I have said here. If not we will have no future.