I t*cU * fit'ii Uj % LIST '01 PM&ICI1ANTS IK Y .« i . Ti3i LiM O H S M - LOGCL +m — mm—« » held at Rockhill nersitage frosa 15-1-84 to I5»S,84 Hector &amarara4ae Peng & Lily Sunita Pharma No.2, Watapuluva Housing Scheme Lraerstraai 14 kiJO)Y APSTELVEBN S ri Lanka H o llan d T e l i 020-431355 Peter M. Proa® W upper-sir, 3 Deepal Sooriy&raefcehi 5300 I.-GKN 2 "Sooriyasirin W— Geraany LABUGAMA/ IiALTGTA via Horana M ichael MBfcitiB Sri Lanka PSrdestr* 6 H—2390 FLBNSBUKG liukaisa&d Abdullah (ChristM n Rust) V. — Germany Eckemfoerde V— Germany JieniR Hose Eosidiill 1 endta e "Shantl* (Heidi Baltaar) ”L* Oliviette” lieissliard v. Lirchbach Cherain Mas de itcbin /.I ienhof 34400 LUNEL *2330 HCtvLRKFO LliliH France w~ Germany Tela 04351 -43429 Govind Bharathan Larry Haas Cb. i t ra va th y n ^Mezzanine*' Cliittoor Road Lely lamily Convent COG,IK - 18 jfrj&JN 1 iJU Ltk V; ELtii K e rala S r i Lanka INDIA fel: B’vela 39-6 Tel: 34546 ie rtit Mrs-al Fernando e/o Yeti. LeegaLakivule Sugatbawansa Thera Chief Incumbent .arare.ela Arannya benasanaya Hat-buna ; .aliiyaii ganaya S r i .aaiikii VOil * - » i.assapa Thera, Lc chij.il ..eruitage G -tiX-- — X .. ... end i y&den i ya via Canpolc Sri j^aiika ..Li.iuii.Lu 0 lauds *r&n< r •ioeiJ.ill , rr(. it age aj . ouiavi L„ SalaHurieen 3 2 £ f Trinco otract a .;I Y IKTEERELIGIGUS DIALOGUE, SESSION 4 JANUARY 15 - FEBRUARY 15 1984 RocRhi11 Hermitage "Wegirikande Bondiyadeniya via Sampola SRI LANKA January 14 preliminary talk over soup. Peter started the Hall rolling* Or was it Michael ? Whoever it was, he wanted to knot? vliicli difference there ie between the facial expression in Asia and Europe, One Lankan said that European faces are more expressing Not in themselves, but Europeans seem to show their feelings sore readi­ ly in their face, The other Lankans seemed to agree. What is it due te in Asia, that faces shew less what the persons experience insight, the Europeans wanted to know. Are- Asians more controlled, or user subdued, f or is more peace reigning in them ?. A first impressions by those who had come to Sri Lanka for the first time had been, that specially the vill- gers see sed to be acre at ease, perhaps also at peace, Lankans pointed out, that their people can smile even when angry. It was pointed out, that during and after the/ riots of July 1983 — some at least a? those who dh&d fiit-w- A. done the damage and teamage had come with a smile thereafter, to see the Lrubble and even meet the ©victims. The newspapers had written about it. Peter endeavoured that the weather in his place, Bonn, perhaps contribute to outbursts of facial express ions After long days ®f dull weather people beam and radiate. ^ The conversation too'*'a turn when Harry said that as explanation perhaps is, that in Europe people show their inner life mainly, sometimes exclu­ sively through their faces. In Asia it is the whole body that expresses itself as veil as its soul. Not only through gestures, movements, attitu­ des postures. It ie radiation, a radiation which is easily perceived by others since they are attuned to it and radiate themselves. In the West, on the contrary, people tend to keep their sensory aerials in and to be stingy with their kjeje emission.©. The question oi the inner peace was not pursued to the end, Peter thought that what is amanating, immediately visible t© visitors to Sri Louisa, is not happiness. Whether it is peace, nobody dared affirming. Then what i® it fln»»rriiKt fs-.tt ? From the personal example® Peter gave it was clear, that there is something. But what t i - J anus ry 15— — ——— ——■——— ------ —------ ------- ————--------- — ---~ — cosajaimicatloB at breakfast p ^ e r 7~vho~Te ^ communications man, wanted to know, how cosamunieetion in Lanka works, Ke had been struck by the way Lankans immediately get into rapport with one another. Their very first conversation seems to revolve around common acquaintances. The Europeans said that their small talk usually centre® around the weather, Bee pal explained that in Sri Lanka one like® establishing mutual relations through finding cut fission acquaint* ances. That brings warmth, security, confidence. Hector and Mlr©&l added spice to this explanation by giving example®, opening. Bhante Xassape welcomed all participants, Be reminded them of the origin© of the Interreligious Dialogue and apologised for Reishard, the originator, who was held back in Germany because of the operation his wife had i© undergo. The oil lamp wa* lit. The pioneers of the Dialogue who could sot be present were eonnaeaerated. Those from Sri Lanka who were prevented from, attending the opening were mentioned and excused. - 2 - Anan&a gave direction to the first part of the Dialogue, also ©n behalf of Reinhard. There i k s should be no mixture of the various religious tradi­ tions, nor searching for a common denominator. Like the white of the r&inbc so the dialogue should bring harmony in diversity. Where more elements join, there is more concentration of energy. This first part of the encounter should concentrate on coming to know each other. The experiences of those who took part in the previous sessions, would be shared to start with, so that those memories would be revived and also those who now had joined for the first time could profit of them. Peter recounted whom he thought that Bh&nte, with his legs drawn up on his seat, was legless when he first saw him at Altenhof, What a shock it had been. His experience of the 2-| weeks he participated at that time, had been one of closeness. His main experience had been that there is a dialogue with oneself that develops as part of the dialogue among the participants. More than definitions, that what works is the firm belief that it works. In his experience, the second session in which he partici­ pated had been much more concentrated. Michael had, from the incidental contacts he had had with the group, kept the armeet of memories, Bhante recalled how he had anticipated Reinhard'» dream. Be had felt from the moment of his arrival that earlier vibrations had reached him and had gone out from him into that direction. Be had tried to experience the most and had gathered great strength from the experience, a power for great love, Barry added, that when he met Bhante together with Hector, wh© was supposed to join the first session rt Altenhof, in order to ask Bhante whether he could go, that Bhante had already dreamed that he was going abroad That very morning he had told the nuns that they had to be prepared to be on their own, since he was going to he away for some time. Imam recalled the saying from the Quran, that when you plan building a house, you first of all must see to your neighbours. Be relaxed how lie had been living among Sinhalese Buddhists and how they had observed his doings in the house. From the smells coming from his house they knew the Ramazan was on or ending• For the first time in their lives they had become aware of the place of this activity in the life of Muslims, When the occasion of meeting arose, he was questioned about the abultions he daily performed and it was easy to find willing listeners while explaining ifeaxs their signif­ icance. Teaching by action is what counts. There is also the rule, that when building a house, you must not prevent from the air coming to your neighbours. Being concerned about your neighbours is looking after your self' as well. He was asked about his sermons, the number of which are delivered by him is staggering. Imam explained that he never gives the same sermon, as his publics always differs, Ee adapts his preaching to his public and to the occasion. At present fee stresses very much the need of aairdty in the country. That lead to the other question about threats being published against the Muslim community. Imam was very clear in his response. The Muslim community is ready to come up for their survival and have e right for self defense. This bold statement provoked some desperate reaction, since Imam also was aware of the implications of an outright wlash between ethnic/religious communities in the country s that would be the end of it. Where could Lankan Muslims go ? They had lived in this country for more than thousand years and if their very existense is threatened, they will have to defend it themselves, It was said in this connection, that dialogue should not only he about harmony, but also about conflict. The recant violence in Sri Lanka is a sign of this necessity. afternoon Harry told the Jesus story "Why Jesus did not become a scribe" ? Peter said that the men and the women in his story, specially the lean, were a caricature. What was consented, as tne right of the story Michael vas moved, to tears as he said, at times. In the story he had cone to see Jesus better, given the influence of non-Western culture and non-Vestern religions on Harry's story. fo him, at this staga, k© was mainly interested in non-Christian religions in order to learn mere about Jesus Christ, As such he was not yet very interested in Buddhisms •I know that I am wrong1, he said, but that is my stage1.