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up and walk the path again Unfortunately, life does not come with a prescription on how it is to be lived. We all must make our own choice - intelligently and independently for deep down, we are ever striving for harmony, peace and perfection. We need guidance as we toss about in the sea of samsara searching knowingly or unknowingly, "for the changeless substratum of the ever changing." The Chinmaya Mission was founded more than fifty years ago with the primary vision of helping each one of us to see a lasting value in an ever-changing world. Its architect Swami Chinmayananda also known as Gurudev, was an organizer par excellence with a mission and a vision in life. His modus operandi inter -alia was the "Jnana Yagna" which the Mission continues to follow faithfully. To Gurudev, "Man is ever striving for harmony and perfection. How great he would be - if only he had more control - over himself." The knowledge to achieve this he gives through the sacred texts in these "jnana yagnas". We have not yet mastered ourselves. We load ourselves with plenty of material goods and comforts to hedge us from the vicissitudes of life; but to no avail. We look for happiness in the outside world - how can there be any lasting value in this ever-changing world, dancing around us! As a result, we get discouraged and feel miserable sinners. However, "the Halls of Vedanta have room even for miserable sinners. How great she must be! And such is her glory that she knows no sins - only mistakes, and mistakes can be corrected," says Gurudev. He adds, "Every philosophy must necessarily not only expound its theory, but also show us how to reach the goal. We must know the concept of reality, the higher truth; we must find our place in it and only then philosophy becomes complete and it can teach us how to strive to reach the peaks. Today our glorious heritage is buried under the debris of matter and machines. Gurudev says, "It is not dead. Unearth it - silently, secretly, diligently, tirelessly. Discover the changeless substratum, of the ever changing. Come to realize that you are not this bit of flesh, this bundle of emotions, this confusion of thoughts. Find the highest in and through life. Think, reflect, and meditate. Withdraw your energies from their various fields of dissipation and employ them in the search for truth. The search is arduous; the path is rough and difficult. But the Ultimate Goal is yours by right. There is no better time than the present. Let us start, here and now!" Gurudev founded the Chinmaya Mission to take up the sacred work of resurrecting the human being. "Ours is a human problem - the problem of character - the texture of the social life. To revive it is to revive man. To reinstate the personality within each Hindu is the goal. Certainly it is a silent and quiet work; it needs boundless sacrifice from each one." To live thus serving all, is in itself the essence of Vedanta and our spiritual sadhana is to raise, to help and revive others around us. Tranquil
resort at Thallagahathanna Falls Launched nearly
three years ago in August 2000, this remote hideaway is located
in Thallagahathanna-60km from the heart of Colombo on the Ratnapura-Panadura
road. The restaurant
offers a magnificent view of towering mountains and the blooming
flower garden. But if you want to take in more than a bite of the
view, you can opt for a table in the garden. Speaking of bites,
be it Sri Lankan, Western or Chinese cuisine, it's a treat for the
taste buds. Says the chef, the secret ingredient 'is to like what
you do'. The garden offers many glorious places to sit and dream or view the mountains in the horizon. Natural rocky seats and white benches are scattered around. A natural rocky pond opposite the swimming pool is a great place for a midnight chat. But if it's a walk you want, a stairway from the garden leads right down to the tea estate. A kiddies park has lots to offer by way of amusement. And for sports enthusiasts there's badminton, table tennis, volleyball, basketball and cricket. Across the volleyball courts down a rocky stairway you find the Thallagahathanna Falls where the waterfall makes up an inviting natural rocky pool. Fancy a picnic? If you're the more adventurous sort, there are two unique huts to picnic or party in. One hut has electricity, a few benches and table carved out of wood. Located close to the waterfall, you'll hear the roar of water ringing a natural melody in your ear. "The Wijaya Group recently opened a gem and jewellery showroom at the World Trade Centre and another branch in Bangkok which has given us a global presence," adds Mr. Pinsiri Wijayapala the proprietor of Wijaya Holiday Resorts. Shirley Abeywardene, General Manager attributes the resort's success to its dedicated staff. "Teamwork-that's what it's all about.” Whatever the secret, this is one place where you can rest, relax and be yourself. First
the Net, then to school It is quite natural for parents to feel such anxiety, wanting the best for their child. Away at work or at home, they need the assurance that their child will be in a comfortable and happy learning environment. Over the years, numerous preschools have mushroomed all over the country claiming to be Montessori centres. Most of them just look after children rather than work with them. Reports indicate that problems include not allowing children to use the play area or the apparatus, as it is expensive. In a Montessori environment a child in the age group of 2-6 is directed towards activities suited to his capabilities and the learning process is towards social development, while allowing for free expression. It is conducted in a prepared environment that allows for free movement and child-sized equipment to work and play. Furthermore, educators working in such an environment should be suitably qualified and trained to show immense patience in dealing with the little ones while simultaneously recognizing each of their needs. Since its inception in 2000, the Association of Montessori Directresses (AMDE) has helped develop and maintain existing Montessori centres, conducted awareness programmes and education camps for parents, guardians and extended families; worked towards upgrading of staff and done volunteer work in remote and war affected areas. In their recent feasibility study, only 36 schools of the 400 centres visited met the required standards. "Montessori has become an abused word. The main cause for this is the lack of a National Policy for Early Childhood Education," says AMDE president, Shanthi Wijesinghe. The Association has for some time, been actively lobbying for a sound national policy for Early Childhood Education (ECD) that is linked to the Ministry of Education rather than the Ministry of Social Services, that Montessori schools registered as NGOs are currently under. ECD centres at a global level are expected to follow certain criteria in order to qualify as educational centres for children between ages 2 and 6. They can use any language as medium of instruction. Basic material facilities for 20 children should include one toilet, drinking water, a ventilated room of at least 600 sq. ft. with an additional 600 sq. ft. as play area, educational equipment, well-designed pleasant environment and a fully qualified staff who should have one year working experience and a diploma in Child care and Montessori training. These and other details of ECD, AMDE, the organization, their background, objectives, achievements and upcoming events, list of accredited centres, frequently asked questions and inquiry form are available on their web page www. montessori-lanka.org which will be operational from July 15. It will cater to parents, teachers and student-teachers who could find out about accredited schools for children aged 2-6 and teacher training centres for ECD by the AMDE Sri Lanka. Currently the AMDE is on an inspection tour to assess the 43 schools already registered with them within Colombo, Badulla and other parts of the Western and Central Province. "The page is an effort by the AMDE to update teachers and make parents/guardians aware of the manner in which Montessori centres and preschools are run and also to educate parents and teachers of their rights with regard to ECD in Sri Lanka," the Association declares. Also indicated on the page are job opportunities in the field and training facilities. A directory of who's who in the field of ECD will be added in due course. The AMDE runs two model centres for Montessori teachers in Mount Lavinia and Battaramulla. On a regular basis, the Association also conducts workshops in Parenting and the One-parent family besides their one-year diploma course in Early Childhood Development and the Montessori Method of Education for those seeking to gain experience in child care management. Ms. Wijesinghe states that there are around 20,000 pre-school teachers in the country and different methods of teaching are adopted in different areas. AMDE's accreditation facilities, she hopes, would ensure a uniform system of early childhood development with high levels of proficiency. |
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