Govind Bharathan Larry Haas Cb

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Govind Bharathan Larry Haas Cb 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.
Recommended publications
  • Sri Pada': TRENDS in POPULAR BUDDHISM in SRI LANKA
    GOD OF COMPASSION AND THE DIVINE PROTECTOR OF 'sRi pADA': TRENDS IN POPULAR BUDDHISM IN SRI LANKA Introduction Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka has always coexisted with various forms of other religious practices oriented to deities, planets, astrology and demons (yakku), and some of these often figure in the Hindu tradition as well. However, the Buddhist doctrine in its canonical form stands apart from the culturally- specific forms of popular religious practices. Beliefs in gods and other supernatural powers and rituals are, in theory, inappropriate to be considered as part of Buddhism. But many anthropologists and sociologists who have spent extended periods of time in Theravada Buddhist societies have shown that Buddhists do believe in various types of supernatural powers and the magical efficacy of rituals which are outside the Buddhist doctrine. According to Obeyesekere (1962) astrology, gods and demon belief in 'Sinhala Buddhism' are guided by basic Buddhist principles such as karma, rebirth, suffering etc. So in that sense the practice of deity worship cannot be described as totally un- Buddhistic, yet at the same time it does not fall into the category of folk religious practices like bali and tovil adopted by popular Buddhism (see De Silva 2000, 2006). In Sri Lanka. there are four deities regarded as the guardians of the Buddha-sasana in the island: Vishnu, Saman, Kataragama, Natha and Pattini. Although Vishnu and Kataragama (Skanda) are originally Hindu gods, the Buddhists have taken them over as Buddhist deities, referring to them also by the localized designation, Uppalavanna and Kataragama. The role of Kataragama, Vi1inI1UNatha, and Pattini worship in the contemporary Sri Lankan society has been well researched by several scholars (e.g., Obeyesekere 1984; Holt 1991,2005; Gunasekara 2007) but the position of god Saman in the similar context has not been adequately investigated.
    [Show full text]
  • Kartikeya - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    קרטיקייה का셍तिकेय http://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/k%C4%81rtikeya/index.html का셍तिकेय كارتِيكيا کارتيکيا تک ہ का셍तिकेय کا ر یی http://uh.learnpunjabi.org/default.aspx Kartikeya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartikeya Kartikeya From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kartikeya (/ˌkɑrtɪˈkeɪjə/), also known as Skanda , Kumaran ,Subramanya , Murugan and Subramaniyan is Kartikeya the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the Murugan army of the devas (gods) and the son of Shiva and Parvati. Subramaniyan God of war and victory, Murugan is often referred to as "Tamil Kadavul" (meaning "God of Tamils") and is worshiped primarily in areas with Commander of the Gods Tamil influences, especially South India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the Arupadaiveedu temples, located in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Hindus as well as Buddhists revere the sacred historical Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna and Katirk āmam Temple situated deep south. [1] Hindus in Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan at the Batu Caves and various temples where Thaipusam is celebrated with grandeur. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Kartikeya is known as Subrahmanya with a temple at Kukke Subramanya known for Sarpa shanti rites dedicated to Him and another famous temple at Ghati Subramanya also in Karnataka. In Bengal and Odisha, he is popularly known as Kartikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika'). [2] Kartikeya with his wives by Raja Ravi Varma Tamil காத
    [Show full text]
  • Silence in Sri Lankan Cinema from 1990 to 2010
    COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Director of Copyright Services sydney.edu.au/copyright SILENCE IN SRI LANKAN CINEMA FROM 1990 TO 2010 S.L. Priyantha Fonseka FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Sydney 2014 DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of a university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.
    [Show full text]
  • Thaipusam in Malaysia: a Hindu Festival in the Tamil Diaspora
    Index A annathanam, 248–49, 260 Adi Dravida castes anti-Brahman movement, 77 association, 109 Appadurai, Arjun, 37–38, 55n11 ban on Kopkamtib, 280 Arasaratnam, S., 8–9, 12n11, 88–89 caste boundaries and inter-caste Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple, perceptions, 89–90 Palani definition of, 34–35 Brahman Thaipusam. See Brahman kangany recruitment, 87–88 Thaipusam, pada yatra Murugan temples, 141 caste deity of Chettiars, 93 Penang Mariamman temples healing traditions, 257 admission to, 89 Idumban, 267 Sangams, 88–89, 91 kavadi ritual, 256 in Thaipusam, 330 mythology, 299–300 Agamic Hinduism, 20, 26, 30, 36–37, Panguni Uttiram, 257 98 self-mortification, 257 Agamicization, in Malaysia, 115–19 Arul Mihu Navasakhti Vinayagar Agamic pantheon, 290 Temple, 277 Agamic temples, 91–93, 96 Aruncalan, M.V., 44 Agastya, 169 astrology, 308 Agnimukhan, 155 asuras, Murugan’s battle with, 334–36 ahamkara, 144 asuric inversion, 150 Akhiresa, 143 axis mundi, as pilgrimage sites, 290, alankara deepam, 200, 301 292, 297 aluga kavadi, 213, 238n82, 250 ayuta puja, 23 Kallar festival, 258 in Penang, 250 B amnesia and trance, 323–24 Babb, Lawrence, 198–99, 270, 309 Amos, Eva, 349n150 Banugopan, 155 anava, 51 Barber, Benjamin, 8 Anbe Sivam, 48 Barron, J.M., 89 16-J00516 12 Thaipusam in Malaysia.indd 391 11/1/17 2:38 PM 392 Index Batu Caves Thaipusam, 297–99 Vaishnavite imagery, 197 abishekam, 207 vel placement, 187 alankara deepam, 200 vibhuti, 225, 229, 235n49, 236n51 asrama, 190 Beardsworth, Timothy, 327 Cave Villa, 194–95, 198 Beck, Brenda, 339–41 chaulum, 207 Bhagavad Gita, 41 crowd maintenance, 202 bhakti movement, South India, 41–43 Dark Cave, 191 impact of, 42 devastanam management, 201, Nayanars, 43–45 233n25, 235n43 and transgressive sacrality, 43–47 foreign tourists, 28 bhuta, spirit worship, 99–101 funfair and retail stalls, 210 Biardeau, Madeleine, 258 Golden Vel, 207, 211 Bilainkin, George, 129n87 Hindu murthis and temples, 186–87, Blackburn, Robin, 67 193, 196 Bose, Subhas Chandra, 4 kaliyuga, 194 brahmadeyas, 26–27, 47 kavadi ritual.
    [Show full text]
  • Splendid Sri Lanka
    SPLENDID SRI LANKA Small Group Trip 12 Days ATJ.com | [email protected] | 800.642.2742 Page 1 Splendid Sri Lanka SPLENDID SRI LANKA Small Group Trip 12 Days SRI LANKA Minneriya National. Park Polonnaruwa Sigiriya .. Dambulla . Kandalama . Kandy Negombo . Colombo Nuwara Eliya . Yala National Park . Galle . UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES, ROCK ART, WILDLIFE SAFARIS, COUNTRY TRAIN RIDES, NATURE WALKS, THE ESALA PERAHERA FESTIVAL, GORGEOUS INDULGE YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS WANDERLUST Perched like a precious pearl below the “ear of India” in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is Ø Experience the spectacular Esala Perahera festival an island awash in cultural wealth and natural beauty, whose inhabitants compare their land to the alongside locals Garden of Eden. A stunning mix of mountains, jungles and beaches, it is dotted with the ruins of Ø Search for Sri Lanka’s elusive leopard and other spectacular palaces and shrines. fauna on 4WD wildlife safaris Over the centuries, Sri Lanka has welcomed a variety of influences that have uniquely shaped Ø Explore the historic Galle Fort with a fourth- its culture. These included Hindu invaders from the north, Arab and the Dutch spice traders, Portuguese missionaries and the English in their quest for tea, regional hegemony and lush, generation local as your guide cool hill stations. These visitors all left their mark atop the ancient veneer of vibrant Sinhalese Ø Sip tea and nibble scones at British-tinged hill civilization, which peaked around 1,000 years ago, leaving a plethora of rich archaeology sites in stations amid rolling tea plantations its wake. Ø Converse with a wildlife biologist who has been On this definitive journey, delve deep into Sri Lanka’s contrasting landscapes, cultural treasures studying Sri Lankan primates for decades and national parks teeming with wildlife.
    [Show full text]
  • The Temples of the Interfaces a Study of the Relation Between Buddhism and Hinduism at the Munnesvaram Temples, Sri Lanka
    The Temples of the Interfaces A Study of the Relation between Buddhism and Hinduism at the Munnesvaram Temples, Sri Lanka. by Rohan Neil Bastin A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Ph.D. University College, The University of London. June 1991 ProQuest Number: 10609845 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10609845 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ABSTRACT The two important temples at Munnesvaram, on the west coast of Sri Lanka, are Hindu and are run by Tamil priests. Their patronage is largely Sinhalese Buddhist. They are the context for an examination of the relations between Hinduism and Buddhism in modern Sri Lanka in a period of violent ethnic tension between Tamils and Sinhalese. The thesis falls in two parts. The first deals with the history of the temples in the colonial and post-colonial eras, the history of religious difference, and with a social analysis of the two groups of priests and of the worshippers. This establishes grounds for a consideration of current anthropological debates on hierarchy and on historicity.
    [Show full text]
  • LANKA SPORTREIZEN #29B, S.De S.Jayasinghe Mw,Kalubowila, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka Tel+94112812100 FAX +94112812098 07 Nights/08 Days
    LANKA SPORTREIZEN #29B, S.De s.Jayasinghe Mw,Kalubowila, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka Tel+94112812100 FAX +94112812098 07 Nights/08 Days Day 01 Airport/Dambulla Arrival, welcome by a representative of Lanka Sportreizen and transfer to Dambulla. In Dambulla visit Dambulla Cave Temple. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambulla_cave_temple) Dambulla Cave Temple is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla. Day 02 Anuradhapura Day Excursion After the breakfast at the hotel proceed to Anuradhapura & have a City tour in Anuradhapura Ancient City. Your Specialized Travel Partner In Sri Lanka Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well- preserved ruins of an ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third capital of the kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara. The city, now a World Heritage site, was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies 205 km (127 mi) north of the current capital of Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu River.
    [Show full text]
  • Sri Lanka: Elephants, Temples, Spices & Forts 2023
    Sri Lanka: Elephants, Temples, Spices & Forts 2023 26 JAN – 14 FEB 2023 Code: 22302 Tour Leaders Em. Prof. Bernard Hoffert Physical Ratings Combining UNESCO World Heritage sites of Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Kandy and Galle with a number of Sri Lanka's best wildlife sanctuaries including Wilpattu & Yala National Park. Overview Professor Bernard Hoffert, former World President of the International Association of Art-UNESCO (1992-95), leads this cultural tour of Sri Lanka. Visit 6 Cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Sacred City of Anuradhapura – established around a cutting from the 'tree of enlightenment', the Buddha's fig tree, this was the first ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Golden Dambulla Cave Temple – containing magnificent wall paintings and over 150 statues. Ancient City of Sigiriya – a spectacular rock fortress featuring the ancient remains of King Kassapa’s palace from the 5th century AD. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa – the grand, second capital of Sri Lanka established after the destruction of Anuradhapura in the 1st century. Sacred City of Kandy – capital of Sri Lanka’s hill country and home to the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Old Town of Galle – this 16th-century Dutch fortified town has ramparts built to protect goods stored by the Dutch East India Company. Visit 4 of Sri Lanka's best Wildlife National Parks: Wilpattu National Park – comprising a series of lakes – or willus – the park is considered the best for viewing the elusive sloth bear and for its population of leopards. Hurulu Eco Park – designated a biosphere reserve in 1977, the area is representative of Sri Lanka's dry-zone dry evergreen forests and is an important habitat for the Sri Lankan elephant.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of National Physical Planning
    PERFORMANCE REPORT 2017 DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PHYSICAL PLANNING MINISTRY OF MEGAPOLIS & WESTERN DEVELOPMENT Contents Contents 01 Acknowledgement 02 Vision and Mission 03 01. Director General’s Message 04 02. Structural framework of the organization 06 03. List of Staff Officers of the Department 07 04. Performance of the Administration Division 08 05. Performance of the Regional Physical Planning division 13 06. Performance of the Local Physical Planning division 17 07. Performance of the Engineering division 28 08. Performance of the Architecture division 32 09. Performance of the Accounts division 37 10. Performance of the Internal Audit Division 40 1 | DEPARTMENT OF NAT IONAL PHYSICAL PLANNING - PERFORMANCE REPORT Acknowledgement Town and Country Planning Department was established in 1947 under the Town and Country Planning Ordinance No. 13 of 1946. Since the necessity of a sustainable Development Process together with sectorial development that is linked with regional development arose, this department was then converted to National Physical Planning Department under the Town & Country Planning (Amendment) Act, No. 49 of 2000. First of all, I would like to offer my heartiest gratitude towards all of the staff who dedicated, accordingly, in the year 2017, in succeeding the intensions and goals of the department. Further, I wish to offer my gratitude, on behalf of the staff of this department, for all the officers and staff of the Ministry of Mega polis and Western Development for their directions, guidance and heartiest collaboration that enabled the department to extend the meaningful service by the department. Likewise, I would also wish to offer the gratitude for all district secretaries, divisional secretaries, mayors, chairmen, commissioners and secretaries of provincial councils for their precious collaboration and duty wise dedication for planning functions of the department.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Press Coverage on Religious Freedom
    UNDERSTANDING PRESS COVERAGE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 1 UNDERSTANDING PRESS COVERAGE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INTRODUCTION Ethno-religious violence has been a growing problem in post-war Sri Lanka. Events in Mawanella (2001),1 Gintota (2017),2 Aluthgama (2014)3 and most recently in Digana (2018)4 demonstrate the extent and frequency of this type of violence. This report is the fourth in a series of reports prepared by Verité Research (VR) for Minor Matters. These reports examine how the print media reports on religious freedom in Sri Lanka. They aim to analyse the frequency and tonality of coverage in various newspapers in English, Sinhala and Tamil to provide both quantitative and qualitative insights. The press coverage is assessed by observing press articles in terms of their sentiment on religious freedom, i.e. supporting, neutral or opposing. This sentiment analysis is based on an assessment of two components: a) news grading, in which the substance of the news article/content is analysed, and b) view grading, in which the tonality of the coverage, pictures, and any other additional cues used to position sentiment regarding the news item, are analysed. The present report also qualitatively analyses articles related to religious freedom within the context of broader themes such as physical violence towards people and property; inflammatory speech; court cases, laws and regulations pertaining to religious freedom; religious inequality and discrimination; and other related reporting relevant to religious freedom. Newspaper summaries that have a bearing on religious freedom are listed in chronological order at the end of the report. 1 G.H. Peiris, A reappraisal of evidence and claims.
    [Show full text]
  • 2Days/1Night Excursion Tour# 4 on 30Th & 31St
    Greetings from Leisure Island Holiday Tours! 2days/1night Excursion Tour# 4 On 30th & 31st Dec Wander throughout Sri Lanka’s Ancestry Anuradhapura – One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and first ancient kingdom (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Mihinthale - believed to be the place, where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in 3rd century BC 2pax 4pax 6pax 8pax (Per Person) (Per Person) (Per Person) (Per Person) 132USD 92USD 74USD 65USD Above price does include; Hotel Accommodation (3*) on sharing double basis with Breakfast & Transportation by a luxury, fully air conditioned vehicle from Day 01 to Day 02 Above price does not include; Entrance fees to sites, activities etc. Early check-in or late check-out fees Subject to room availability Anuradhapura, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites which is about 200 Km North East to Colombo. Anuradhapura kingdom, firstly established by Anuradha, a follower of Prince Vijaya, was the first capital made by King Pandukabaya at about 380BC, lasting to 1017, reigning for more than 1400 years as the capital of the island. Being a major center of Sri Lankan civilization, Anuradhapura kingdom was the crib of Sinhalese Buddhist civilization for it was during King Devanampiyatissa’s period, Sri Lanka was introduced Buddhism by Mahinda Thera, the son of Emperor Asoka of India. Anuradhapura approached to the ending line, as the Cholas invaded the kingdom during the period of King Mahinda 5, result the breakdown
    [Show full text]
  • Vegetarianism and Animal Nonviolence in Theravada Buddhism with a Special Focus on Sinhala Buddhism
    Nourishing the Dhamma Vegetarianism and Animal Nonviolence in Theravāda Buddhism with a special focus on Sinhala Buddhism James John Stewart Bachelor of Arts, University of Auckland Masters in Philosophy, University of Auckland Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Tasmania August 2012 1 Abstract: Nourishing the Dhamma Vegetarianism and Animal Nonviolence in Theravāda Buddhism (with a special focus on Sinhala Buddhism) Pāli canonical texts routinely report the Buddha as saying that a good Buddhist must never kill another living creature. Such statements are, in many cases, explicitly applied to the case of animals. Not only do such claims imply animal protectionism, but they also imply vegetarianism: if animals are not to be killed, then it seems to follow trivially that they cannot be eaten either. Yet this seemingly trivial move from the non-killing of animals to the non- eating of them is explicitly avoided in the Pāli canonical texts. This project investigates the prima facie case for vegetarianism, both in the Pāli canonical texts and in the Theravāda tradition more widely — a living tradition that is, in certain crucial ways, based upon that textual tradition. The textual component of this investigation is largely confined to an examination of Pāli canonical texts. In respect to the lived Theravāda tradition, the project specifically engages Sinhala Buddhism as practised in Sri Lanka. The latter investigation is made possible by fieldwork conducted at various times throughout 2011 and early 2012 in the Colombo and Këgalle areas. In the first half of the thesis, I argue that, within the Pāli canon, a conflict arises around the issue of vegetarianism.
    [Show full text]