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 his boots.
The thought of this benign beacon being gutted out is sad, but to compensate, the last issue is a compendium full of serene light, exploring Buddhist philosophy, meaningful living, Buddhist culture and archaeology as well as other topics to enrich the lives of both laymen and clergy.
Richard Abeyasekera, co-founder of the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, writes of the Buddha’s journey to enlightenment in “The Master’s Quest for Light”. It begins with the rigours of severe asceticism imposed by the Buddha upon himself, and then how he switched to the Middle Path instead, and charts his mind’s progress to enlightenment and supreme bliss. The article somehow radiates the luminescence of Vesak.
“The Message of Vesak” is Ven. Piyadassi Nayaka Thera’s call to give precedence to practising what the Buddha taught rather than getting lost amidst a lot of rituals. The path he trod, which we should follow, is the path of virtue, concentration (meditation) and ultimately, wisdom; sila, samadhi, panna.
An excerpt from the writings of Prof. Rhys Davids, the eminent Pali scholar, titled “Is Buddhism a Religion?” succinctly sums up the singular position of Buddhism among world religions, while encapsulating the core teachings of the Buddha.
“The Dhammapada: the Way to Righteous Living” is a valuable potted introduction to the one work of Buddhist literature that is the closest equivalent to the Christian Bible or the Islamic Quran; the pocket companion to be treasured and constantly referred to.
Olcott Gunasekera writes on Emperor Dharmasoka’s “Buddhist Contribution to Indian Culture”, a tribute to the great spiritual and cultural legacy Asoka bequeathed.
In a piece of intriguing historical sleuthing, Bhante Dhammika of Australia, traces “The Fate of the Buddha’s Begging Bowl”, which appears and disappears on the pages of Asian history before vanishing completely from record in the Middle Ages. The relic now on display at an Afghan museum, expert opinion has settled, is an oversized replica.
Lionel Wijesiri offers pearls of wisdom for “Leading a Life of Simplicity”, garnered from teachings dispersed across the doctrine, while in “Karma and Rebirth” Prof. Lily de Silva dips into the detailed analysis of Abidhamma to explain how our deeds can determine rebirth.
The special supplement, “A Historic Panorama of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism in Sri Lanka”, narrates the story of Ceylon’s Buddhist history from the late 18th Century to the Buddha Jayanti year of 1956. “The Mahayana Majesty of Buduruvagala” takes you to the jungles of Wellawaya which harbour elegant statues cut onto gigantic rock, and offers a peek to the Mahayana sect as it flourished through Ceylon’s history.
“Bells Toll for Them” is a section dedicated to Buddhist philanthropists, from Sir Ernest de Silva of Flower Road to Solias Mendis, the celebrated mural artist, who gave up his house for it to be made a home for the blind. “Majestic Gateways” documents some masterpieces of the Buddhist tradition of vahalkadas, ornate carved entrances to shrines.
Vesak Lipi will be missed for its annual offering of spiritual delight to the Buddhist (and non-Buddhist) soul, but the flame it kindled will continue to be a guiding light for the years (and other publications) to come.