Comfort and care at the end of a selfless journey
As he journeyed to the nooks and crannies of the country preaching bana or delivering dharma deshana, a grim reality hit him hard. With age making them feeble and frail, monks who had followed in the footsteps of Lord Buddha, renouncing all that was worldly including their relatives, faced absolute neglect. These were monks in [...]
The life of a forgotten Buddhist heroine unfolds
He is a noble Shakya prince With a delicate and beautiful body He renounced the worldly life For the wellbeing of all living beings That is indeed your father, who is a supreme human being… He is of noble lineage, sprung from the warrior caste His feet have been honoured by gods and men His [...]
Letters to the Editor
Little done to exploit one of the best railway networks Sri Lanka is blessed with one of the best railway networks in the region. It connects the capital city of Colombo with North and South, the Central hills, Northwest, Northeast, Southeast: that is Jaffna and Matara, Kandy, Matale, and Badulla, Puttlam and Mannar, Trincomalee and [...]
Appreciations
A brilliant lawyer and man for all seasons Vernon Gunasekara (Jnr.) Does a name speak for itself? In most instances the answer would be a “No”. But in the case of Vernon Malik Akbar Gunasekara, the answer was always “yes” and his name spoke for itself about him in volumes. Vernon – one of the [...]
Vesak Lipi sheds its final spiritual light
This year’s Vesak will be marked by the final issue of the Vesak Lipi Buddhist Digest, the illuminating annual handbook Upali K. Salgado has been compiling stalwartly over so many years. The editor, who brought the light of faith and wisdom to many readers, has decided to concede to demands of age, and hang up [...]
Of life and mercantile lore of the recent past
It is appropriate that, on the eve of his 90th birthday, Chari de Silva decided to share the story of his life and times with his family, friends and other readers. Chari’s early years make fascinating reading. His father was a medical doctor and their ‘gama’ was Panadura – a legendary cradle of civil servants, [...]
In the presence of serenity, sanctity and beauty at Bodhgaya
Built in the third century BC by Indian Emperor Ashoka, the temple complex of Bodhgaya (or Buddhagaya as we know it in our country) in India’s Bihar state is a sacred site for the world’s 300 million Buddhists It was at this very spot over 2500 years ago that one of the world’s great religions [...]
Vesak around the world in ancient times
Today is Vesak, the most universally observed of all Buddhist celebrations or holidays. Traditionally it is believed that the Buddha was born, awakened and passed into final Nirvana on the same day, the full moon of the second month of the ancient Indian called Vesakha, which corresponds to the modern April-May. For at least the [...]
As in years gone by, people will flock to the Pettah Eksath Bodhiraja dansala
For decades a long line has always presented itself during Vesak as the Pettah Eksath Bodhiraja Society conducts their rice and curry dansala. Under the shelter of Pettah Bodhiya facing 5th Cross Street, this year too the dansala will take place today, tomorrow and on Tuesday from 11 a.m. till the last person in the [...]
Six lives,three worlds, one night
Asymmetry is a story of human chemistry. The play by Rick Robinson, a Los Angeles playwright, revolves around three couples: Sandy and Miguel, a mature couple who struggle to recover what, long ago, might have been something beautiful; Julius and Priscilla, two much younger lovers- shy, reticent and vulnerable- trying to reach out to each [...]
A place to hone their skills and to be cared for
The gate is opened with gusto and we are welcomed with wide and open arms, may be as few visitors come a-knocking on their door. Tomorrow, however, close kith and kin will troop in, for it will be ‘Open Day’ from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a talent show depicting meticulously hand-stitched ribbon work [...]
Blossoming floral ties between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka
The scent of flowers wafted around the auditorium of Trace Expert City on April 25 as the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands celebrated the floriculture industries of Sri Lanka and the Netherlands with ‘Sri Lanka – the Netherlands: Old Friends – new trends’. The event saw a floral competition, exhibition, workshop, and presentation. [...]
All are welcome to make MMA’s ‘Rasa Sayang 2018’ a success
‘Rasa Sayang 2018’ –a mega Malay musical show organised by the Mabole Malay Association (MMA), will be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, at the Bishop’s College Auditorium in Colombo. MMA President, Mohamed Dalkein (Tony) Saldin is happy to have received the full blessings of the Indonesian Embassy and of the Ambassador in [...]
Hiruni needs your help
K.D. Hiruni Udani, a Grade 8 student of Mahamaya College, Kandy is suffering from Scoliosis, a condition which causes an abnormal curvature of the spine. In order to correct this, she needs immediate surgery which costs Rs. 3,000,000. The parents seek generous public assistance to meet the cost. Hiruni is being treated by the Consultant [...]
Cancer survivor now faces severe dental problems
A bone marrow transplant saved U.A. Janadhi from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a cancer of the white blood cells, in 2013, but after overcoming some serious health issues, the latest is severe dental problems for which he needs to make many visits to India. Having sold everything they had to save his son from death, [...]