Sri Lankan Doctors Comments

2012-01-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

Prof.Carlo and Sri Lanka Medical Council

The first task entrusted must be recognition of Malabe Medical School.
In doing this collateral damage would be destroying the high standard of medical education and practice in this country and ruining what ever that is left out of his own image.

2011-12-31T08:51:00.000-08:00

Prof.Carlo was Wise

Prof.Carlo Fonseka was wise to refuse the post of Sri Lanka Medical Council president.Sometimes we are made to sit on a chair to prevent somebody else sitting there.We are offered the place for negative reasons.If he accepted the post he would have been the laughing stock like Sanath Jayasuriya or Mohanlal Grero .He would have left an image of a man who ruined the standards medical education and meidical practice of this country.

2011-12-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

Ministers ,Plastic Crates and Private Sector Pensions

If somebody has been even a minor employee of a large private sector organisation or in State sector they have some idea of how to set about things.Most politicians have been "nobody" before entering politics.At least they should listen to their secretaries who experienced administrators.They do not like to advise ministers because they know that the minsters resent it.
Hon.Speaker was correct when he said that plastic crater rule should have been implemented after discussing with stake holders at grass root level.Labour Minster cut a very poor figure when he confronted the workers during the private sector pensions issue .He looked like a scare crow when he faced the barrage of verbal abuse from female employees.

2011-12-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

Alleged Baby Farm

"Pem Nivasa" was much in news.It was raided by child protection authority.The place is run by catholic nuns.

I am a Buddhist.But I have helped this establishment.I have persuaded a very rich patient of mine to help them.He is a Christian and he was very generous.

What impressed me was their caring for unmarried mothers.Some of the have become pregnant as a result of incest mostly the culprits are their brothers or fathers.

Why cannot Buddhists run an establishment to care for this type of women.Most Buddhists including priests look at these women with contempt contrary to Buddhas teachings.They look at the establishment with envy and suspicion.

2011-12-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Buddhist High Priests and the Archbishop

The Archbishop of Colombo made a very firm and strong statement about the baby farm scandal concerning mother Theresa's Home in Katubedda.Though Court action is pending he did not care a damn.He said he will not attend any public functions including State functions during the Christmas season unless the matter is rectified.

Why is that Mahanayakas backbones are not so strong? It was a shame to see selecting priest in charge of Sri Pada with policemen hanging around.Pitiduwe Sri Dhanmma was subject to impromptu arbitrary action of other priests. Whether allegations against the priest ware true is a different issue .Mahanayakas are silent.

2011-12-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Some Things Missing in Southern Expressway.

In other countries expressways have three tracks,fast,slow and overtaking.We have only two.They have a "shoulder" to park in an emergency.To judge the distance they have inverted "V" shaped markings called chevrons.Vehicles are supposed to keep a distance of three chevrons between vehicles.

2011-11-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Non Performing Enterprises Bill and National Drug Policy

How nice would it have been if same kind of enthusiasm was used in bringing non performing enterprise bill is used to bring National Drug Policy to Parliament ?National Drug Policy has waited for three decades !

2011-11-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

We Can be Proud of our Police

The police was clever enough to track down Karandeniya doctors killers,Emblipitiya killers and Matara robbers.The police is in fact clever and know their work.

Police falls into disrepute only when highly infeluential people interfere with them.Sometimes they drag their feet in cases where there is public attention.Some times they are alleged to carry out extra judicial executions.Some times they behave without restrain (Katunayaka free trade zone)

If left alone I am sure Sri Lankan police will do a marvellous job.

2011-10-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Humanised Animals and Animalised Humans

I have seen dogs and cattle using the pedestrian crossing the road.They are humanised animals.The humans becoming animalised is definitely a much prevalent phenomenon than animals getting humanised.

2011-10-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

SAITM Position in Assault of Dr.Nonis.

In a press notice SAITM refers to the assault of Dr Nonis as an "inside job".This reminds me of a hilarious yarn.

A govi rala (farmer) has a drink of toddy after a hard days work.Unfortunately he gets badly inebriated and has to be taken home by his friends.He falls asleep and gets up in the morning with a terrible hangover.He wobbles out of the bed and goes into the garden.He finds his

amude (loin cloth) on the clothes line and finds a terrible stench of faeces emanating from it and shouts Kawda do me wede kale? (Who the hell did this?)

2011-10-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Assault on Registrar, Sri Lanka Medical Council

This is not simply Dr.Nonis getting assaulted.This is an insult to the entire medical profession of Sri Lanka.With an iota of grey matter one can see who the perpetrator is.It is simply that subhumans cannot tolerate humans. Subhumans cannot figure out any other way of communication other than physical.

The Registrar ,Medical Council is a prestigious position.Physical abuse of a person holding the post is a mile stone in deterioration of the morals of Sri Lankans as a Nation.

2011-10-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

Killing the Doctors

I observe this phenomenon with much concern being a doctor in the end of the career.Three doctors were murdered during last one or two years. One was at Bandagiriya,the

lady doctor.The other one was in Eastern province during the final stages of the ethnic crisis.The latest was at Karandeniya.

The common features of all these murders were

* They were shot.

* They were on duty ,or just leaving after duty or at the duty station.

* All of them were devoted to their profession and were popular among common people.

2011-09-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Piliyandala Medical College: A De Jauv Feeling

It surfaced about 10 years back.It was initiated by a doctor.An aging ex professor

was hired.Students were enrolled before recognition by SLMC. The management went out of the way to enroll children of powerful people. One was an ex health junior minsters daughter. They went out of the way to recruit doctors children.

Medical college never materealised and money was not rfunded. Nobdy was held responsible.No legal action was taken.

2011-09-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Criticising the GMOA to Cover up Malabe Medical College Issue

"If you engage in private practice you should not be against private medical colleges" is what supporters of Malabe medical college tell the GMOA or persuade other people to tell.GMOA is coming out with quite valid criticism on Malabe medical college.In brief they say that it is analogous to Sakviti scam.I agree with them.In doing this GMOA has never taken up a position to say that they are against private medical colleges. Thus the slogan of the supporters of the the Malabe Medical college is not valid.

Quality of service offered in channel service leaves much to be desired.It is GMOAs Achilles heel.Supporters of Malabe medical college is shrewdly exploiting this situation and trying to win the sympathy of the public in fighting this issue.

2011-09-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

Private Medical School at Malabe

I do not see any thing wrong in starting private medical schools as long as they can maintain the standard of medical education.But the Malabe medical college which has become a national issue provokes some queries.

When they were canvassing for student admissions they said that last three years of the course will be in Russia,After several intakes of students now they are trying to organise clinical training in State hospitals of Sri Lanka.Why is this late change in policy?

Why did,nt they finalise every thing about recognition before the intake of students?

Their fee too, seems to higher than the fee of most most foreign medical schools in the region.

Their enrolling children of powerful and influential parents including GMOA members was probably a plot.They planned to use the influence recognition and access to State medical facilities through these parents.It seems to have misfired right now.But 'bulldozing' method with the blessings of State may be used to achieve the objective.

2011-08-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Ranil Bashing for Referring to Prostitutes

The opposition leader is being dealt within an unfair manner for referring to prostitutes.I am not a fan of any politician.But even Buddha made comments like this.He referred to people performing stunts with mental power and said what they are doing is like prostitutes taking off clothes for money!

He also mentioned that when women dress up they cover the crucial places to increase the curiosity. But the beauty of dhamma can be seen only when it is fully uncovered like the full moon..'Are these blasphemy ?

2011-08-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Was Mahamaya Prince Siddahrthas Mother ?

Mahamaya is a strange name! Mahamaya means the great illusion .In Buddhist teaching it is vinnana.Mahamaya is supposed to have died seven days after the delivery.The explanation given by Buddhist monks is that Buddhas should not have siblings! (Why ?)

Prince Siddhartha on attaining Buddhahood acquired maha pragna (great wisdom). Great wisdom and great illusion cannot exist side by side. Is elimination Maha Maya (great illusion) giving place to Maha Pragna a riddle in Buddhist scriptures?

2011-08-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Diagnosis of Death

Once when I was driving along Galle Road, there was somebody laid down on the roadside with blood stains.Police was present. I pulled on to the roadside asked an onlooker as to what was happening.The person lying down was apparently has been knocked down by a vehicle and was supposed to be dead. I asked as to why he thinks that the victim is dead.He said "Well, the police said so".I drove off .He could have been alive but unconscious. If I tried to interfere ,knowing our police,I knew that I may end up dead.

I know of a person who was knocked down by vehicle when he was riding to work.He was left as dead, covered with old newspapers. A Buddhist monk removed the news papers and had a look.His yellow robe naturally offered some resistance to police brutality.Some "gut feeling" told the monk that the man was alive.He summoned a three wheeler loaded the man into it ,despite protests of police and took him to Kalubowila Hospital.The three wheeler driver signed as the person bringing the patient,but the monk did not leave any data about his identity .The man recovered with minor disabilities.Two years after the incident he is still looking for the monk.

I told him that his efforts are futile.The monk did not naturally expect any thing in return.Obviously the monk has been spiritually highly mature.When such people do things they have no strings attached.

2011-08-12T10:14:00.001-07:00

Cement.

Ministry of trade has imported a stock of cement as there is shortage in the Island.The bags have an "SLS" label.The SLS Bureau says that it never issued the SLS certificate to the stock of cement and that the cement is inferior in quality.The Ministry of trade insists that the cement is of good quality.

1. There seems to be no communication among State establishments.

2. Some officials tend to overstep their authority for reasons best known to themselves. ( Trade ministry official guaranteeing the quality of cement which he is neither empowered nor qualified to do.)

3.Consumer Protective Authority is a toothless lion.(Takes up the position that it cannot take action without anyone making a complaint)

4.The consumer is at a badly disadvantageous position.

5. If cement is of poor quality it will be difficult to bring culprits to book since the structures built using the cement will take sometime to collapse killing people.

2011-08-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

National Drug Policy

The National Drug Policy was first drafted in mid seventies.So far it has not become the Law.Patients Right Movement has gone to courts.The Supreme Court has ordered the Hon.Minister of Health to present it in Parliament within two months.

In the hedging deal the supreme court order was not implemented.Same thing may happen with the National Drug Policy too.The pharmaceutical industry will use all the resources and power to stop it being presented in Parliament.They will succeed.

2011-08-02T07:12:00.001-07:00

Fast Track is Slow !

In a two lane road right hand side track is the fast track the left hand side is the slow track.In Sri Lanka people overtake from the left side.Some times the left hand side track becomes really fast and the right hand side track becomes virtually standstill.Okkoma kanapita!

This is because our drivers have no track discipline and the traffic police is very poor in educating the drivers.

2011-07-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

State Bank and Private Bank

I maintain a current account in Bank of Ceylon since 1972.I have never obtained a loan or an overdraft.I have never had a cheque returned for lack of funds.I maintain a steady balance of two million rupees.My wife has another two million rupees as fixed deposits in the same bank.

I have a credit card with a purchase limit of Rs 200000/= When I requested an increase in credit limit by Rs 50,0000/= somebody who addressed me as "oya" declined to offer it.Later it was offered to me by a DGM interfering when I complained.

Recently I applied for a credit catd to HSBC.I was offered a platinum card with credit limit of Rs 500000/= without any fuss.I do not have a cent as deposits in HSBC.

People in HSBC address me as "sir' 0r "oba thuma" on the phone.I am thinking of ending all business dealings with BOC.I need not trust an establishment which does not trust me or respect me.

2011-07-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ministers Unsavoury Remarks About Elderly Candidate

The Minster of Housing made negative remarks about the elderly candidate Buddhadasa during the campaign. based on his age.The Prime Minister is definitely older than him and HE the President may be the same age.Buddhadasa does not of course try to hide his age by dying the hair.

It is unsavoury to make negative remarks on ones age or physical disabilities in public.No cultured and civilised man will ever do it.

2011-07-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Is "Andaya" Synonymous with "Pottaya"?

No certainly not! There are several sign boards close to blind school ,Ratmalana warning about blind children crossing.The chldren are "andayas".Those who halt the vehicle on the zebra crossing to wait for the red light to change,are "pottayas".

"Andaya" is a physical disablity."Pottaya" is a matter of attitude.It is okay to be an "andaya".But it is disgraceful to be a "pottaya"

2011-07-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Getting Physically Abused Because One is Rich

The rate of Cesarean operation is regarded around 12 % in any good health system according to the World Health Organisation..If the figure is high it indicates that mothers who do not need the operation is subjected to the procedure.We maintain a figure around 12 % in State hospitals. That means the quality of practice is good.The rate in private sector is almost 100%.This means that the quality of practice is putrid. Occasionally a patient has a normal delivery when the doctor is held up in a traffic jam or he is cutting up another mother.What is the motivation ? It is money nothing but money!

A lady known to me who lives in UK that she will most probably have a normal delivery by the UK doctors.She came to Sri Lanka in the late stages of the confinement.She booked a private nursing home for the confinement.The moment she mentioned about normal delivery the Sri Lankan nursing home doctors became very abusive!.

The poor people go to State run hospitals and have correct care.The rich go the private nursing homes and get physically abused!

2011-07-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Economising on Electricity

The Minister of Power & Energy is apealing to us to econmise on electicity.It was just six weeks back we were putting up elaborate decorations which heavily consumed electricity.What were we doing ? Celebrating Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi , of course !And the theme of the celebrations? Sambuddhathwa Jaynthiyata pilwethin pela gasemu which means"Let us celebrate the event based on Buddhist priciples !"Are lack of foresight and blatant wasting Buddhist principles? What hypocrisy!

2011-07-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sports Doctor Should Heal Himself

In present era Sri Lanka is luckyto have sports personnel in international arena.We have to abide by international rules on substances banned to be used by sports personnel.We cannot fight and change these laws.The medical chief of Sports Ministry has a great National responsibility.He is not expected to protect people compromising National interests.

In a press conference Dr.Githanjana Mentioned that if the sports personnel in the international arena wishes to obtain services of an unqualified person he will not obstruct it.Why ? In whose interest? He is paid by tax payers when holding his position.Furthermore if he tolerates an qualified person the medical unit of the ministry the Medical Council can take disciplinary action against him for associating unqualified personnel in delivering health care.

He must take an effective potion to strengthen his spine and heal himself or leave that chair so that it is occupied by a more responsible person.

2011-06-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Arsenic

This is an important issue.Agriculture and health authorities have to give ruling without undue delay.Is there arsenic in soil and rice?Does Sri Lankan soil inherently have arsenic.Has the arsenic that is there has come from pesticides?If the level is harmful what National measures are taken.

in an article in "Lakadeepa" Professor Nalin de Silva has discovered arsenic level by super natural methods using a Buddhist lady who meditates.Arsenic level is unimportant within profound teachings of Buddha.He refers to all foreign scientists with the humiliating name "Suddda"Scientists are in search of truth.They do not call humiliating names to people (Vidya dadathi vinayang) He is playing to the gallery.I am asking whether Achan Brahmawangso,Bhikku Bodhi, Colnel Olcott,Bhikku Gnaponika were not "Suddas"In there writings Sir Isaac Newton .Einstein and Stephen Hawkins never called humiliating names to others.

All intersded scintists should cme to a consensus about methof of analysis and come to a cosensus an d make public statement.

2011-06-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Jackson Anthony's Remarks

In a recent function Jackson Anthony remarked that the present head of State is a descendant of King Suddodana ,Buddhas father. Jackson Anthony being a Christian should have used better discretion in making a statement about a Holy figure in somebody else's religion.If he made a comment like Hon .Minister of Justice is a descendant of Prophet Mohamad ,the outcome would have been different.Buddhists and Hindus are non violent and tolerant.

I do not expect Buddhist clergy to comment about the Statements.But the silence of Buddhist clergy who comment about about even things like pesticides is deafening.

2011-06-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Did Arahath Mahinda Introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka ?

The answer is "No" ! Buddha visited Sri Lanka on three occasions.On all these occasions he must have preached something.Buddha does not preach anything except dhamma.Mahayana scriptures have records of a scripture named "Lankavatara Sutta"It is said have been preached to king Ravana at Adams Peak.Apparently there has been several king Ravanas by way of a dynasty.The sutta contains Buddhas teachings in the most profound form.However"Lankavatara sutta" has not been featured in the Theravada Pali cannon.

Arahat Mahinda was responsible for establishment of Buddhism in Sri Lanka but he did not introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka.It was done by Buddha himself.

2011-06-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Transferring of Merit(pin anumodan Kireema): Is it Possible ?

The answer is "no"!.Merit is a mental formation. (sanskara) So are your self and the person to whom you are going to transfer the merit.There is no person (anattta) in Buddhism and Buddha never spoke of rebirth but only of re being ."Punabbhavo" was the Pali word.There is no merit or demerit in Buddhas doctrine for these too are mental formations. Concept of dualism ,two extremes eg .good/bad, near/far, (ubhaya antho) too is not referred to in the Buddhas doctrine ,just like the "person".What is referred to is skill and non skill (kusal/akusal).

This does not mean not to offer food or not to help people.Do them for the sake of doing them, without strings attached (avyakrutha) but not for your benefit or the benefit of your relation.Do not make it like crediting funds to your bank account or your beneficiaries account.Buddhas teaching is so profound that "your" benefit or the "beneficiaries" benefit is too trivial to be considered within the scope of Buddhas profound teachings.

The priests promote these activities for their benefit or due to ignorance of the teachings.Most priests do not respect the intelligence of the audience when preaching.Intelligence is not being educated or sophisticated.Buddha regarded Sopaka ,the town scavenger intelligent enough to realise the ultimate truth (nibbana) and addressed him with respect.Despite these short comings we must unconditionally look after the priests by making food, clothing shelter and medicine available to them.

Buddha had great compassion (maha karuna) for each one of us ,without exception.His parting remark was appamadena sampadetha, strive without delay to seek truth which means end of suffering.He never remarked about the kind of life you lives up to now.There is no discrimination whatsoever!Just like "self" merits/demerits ,duality time too does not exist in Buddhas doctrine(akalika). Therefore what you have been up to now is immaterial.

2011-06-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Muthuhettigamas Query.

When a group of young Buddhist monks were engaged in a anti government demonstration Nishantha Muthuhettigama was shown on the TV querying whether they got the Mahnayaka Theros permission .Why didn't he ask the question when Buddhist monks were taking part in pro government demonstrations ?

2011-06-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ugly Womans Chastity (Katha Genige Pathiwurathawa)

Mahinda Balasuriya in any case due to retire on 18th of June.His resignining.on free trade zone issue reminds me of Sinhala proverbial Katha Genige Pathiwurathawa !

2011-06-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Indecent Hurry:Private Sector Pension and Leadership Training

During the times of poor transport and communication facilities there was a strategy in dealing with boundary disputes in blocks of land.The more resourceful person of the two people in dispute will secretly stock a large amounts of cement ,bricks and sand and have a large group of workmen ready.He will start putting up a parapet wall along the boundary ,with dispute around 10 pm.The aggrieved party goes to the police station to complain as there are no telephone facility. He may take several hours to reach the place.By the time the police arrives the wall is complete.Court action is filed which takes decades.The illegal wall will stay .

The indecent hurry involved in trying to push through private sector pension scheme and implementing leadership training for undergraduates ,are analogous to this strategy.

2011-05-27T08:26:00.001-07:00

Victory Day

Celebrating the victory day is like a school boy celebrating his success in GCE (O/L) each successive year without concentrating on GCE (A/L) he has to sit next.Rsources spent wasted man hours just cannot be justified.The whole thing is a immature activity.Independence day ,National Heroes Day and Victory in the Elam war can be celebrated together.

2011-05-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

Meaning of Wesak

Wesak is regarded as a thrice blessed day.Buddha is supposed to have been born,enlightened and passed off on Wesak full moon day of corresponding years.Is it possible? If it happened it would have been a miracle! Buddhas teaching which depends on a high level of rationality will not bank on miracles or super human powers.

It is true that Buddha enlightened on the Wesak full moon night seated in heavy contemplation under a Bo tree (ficus religiosa) To enlighten one has to come to a timeless moment.We consume time to create a world.I will try to explain this.A cube of ice will become water in a few minutes if left at room temperature .This change goes on every millisecond .The retina of the eye is replaced with a new chemical layer during every millionth of a second.Eye is like camera taking millions of photographs in a second.These photographs have to be collated and mind has to identify the cube of ice.This is called vinnana. Reciprocal to the identification of the cube of ice mind forms "me" who sees the cube of ice.Neither the eye nor the cube of ice is static. Mind shows us a static eye looking at a static cube of ice.Without the mind one cannot see ,hear ,smell ,feel or think.One cannot see when under general anaesthetic even if the eye is kept open.Therefoer at a timeless situation there is no world there is no "me"This is what buddha experienced when he enlightened.Knowing this is not enlightment. Experiencing this is enlightment.Thus Buddha came into being and enlightened at the same moment (timeless).

That is birth end enlightment took place at a timeless situation.This was "piree"(to fill) niveema

(culminate).

Thus birth ,enlightment ,filling/culminating took place in a timeless situation on the Wesak full moon night 2600 years back .

2011-05-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Match Fixing and Whistle Blowing

Hashan and Arjuna are exposing about match fixing alleged to have taken place twelve years back.Better late than never ! This phenomenon is known as whistle blowing.Whistle blowing is safe in developed countries.In the third world where might is regarded right the whistle blowers get gang banged.This could very well be the fate of Hashan /Arjuna duo too!

2011-05-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Darusman Report

The way we are reacting to UN report does not seem to be useful.Burning effigies and collecting signatures will not have any impact internationally.We too must engage a panel of experts,consisting of people with good credentials and international reputation to present our case in writing and publish it.When we say that the report is totally inaccurate we imply that allegations of human rights violation by tigers are too without basis.

I downloaded the 196 page document from the UN website.It has photographs of alleged human right violations by the Sri Lankan government.The photographs of human right violationsby LTTE ,are conspicuously missing!

2011-04-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

Unique to Sri Lanka

Engineers use "Eng." preceding their names.e.g Eng.A.G.Perera. Architects have followed suite by using "Archt." e.g Archt. A.B. de Silva.Very soon mason basses will be using"Msbs" before the name. e.g. Msbs Girigoris Appu .

Probably medical practitioners using "Dr." provoked them to do this.But medical practitioners have a legal right to do this, in terms of medical ordinance.Once one registers as a medical practitioner in the Sri Lanka Medical Council one is entitled to use title "Dr."It is defined in the ordinance.Other privileges are right to issue medical certificates and excemption from jury service.Thus the RMPs who have never been to a University has the legal right to use the title "Dr."more senior RMPs have not passed even their GCE (A/L).They were enrolled to follow the course after GCE (O/L) or earlier the SSC (Senior School Certificate) Law may be an ass but that is what it is! But law has made engineers and architects to behave like asses.Lawyers are more sensible to use "Attorney at Law" following the name only when relevant.

There is an interesting phenomenon in UK.Surgeons although they have the legal right to use the title "Dr." they call themselves "Mr. "The famous Sri Lankan surgeon of 1940s and 1950s called himself Mr.A.T.S Paul, FRCS ,Surgeon. The others who followed this was Rudra Rasratnam ,FRCS and Mark Amarasinghe MCh,FRCS.The latter is still alive.

2011-04-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Public Holidays

The Sri Lankan calendar for 2011 has 27 public holidays.It became 28 when 15th of April too was declared a public holiday.Banks have two additional special holidays. Most countries have only around five public holidays per year.In a majority it is less than ten.Probably Sri Lanka is the country having the biggest number of public holidays.

Poya holidays add a burden to our list of public holidays.This should be reviewed without being emotional .In Thailand and Myanmar which are predominantly Buddhist not all full moon days are holidays.It is known fact that in Sri Lanka majority of Buddhists do not use the Poya hloiday for spiritual activities.

2011-04-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Cricket

I have never played cricket,not even with the soft ball or for that matter kaduru bole and polpithi bat. I do not have the knowledge of the game that a average house wife has.But my common sense tells me (common sense is not common!) that the selectors are either incompetent or are liars.

2011-04-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Timing Strategy and Marketing Patriotism

Price of petrol,kerosene diesel and LP gas gone up at 12 midnight on the eve of world cup final. People have been requested to display lion flags .This is marketing "patriotism"Good timing strategy indeed ,but a negative one.Female pickpockets lean against men in crowded buses .The man thinks he has a good time .When he goes home he finds his wallet missing! Minds of rulers and pickpockets have the same trend! They offer the victim something of low value or no value and grab the valuable thing.Timing strategy is very important both for the ruler and the pickpocket.

2011-03-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

Priests do not Disseminate Buddhas Teaching

The message conveyed by Buddhist priests to the layman is "Feed us,build monasteries for us, offer us robes as we are the authorities to make your existence in this world happy and we are authorised to issue boarding passes to the realms with happiness ,after death".

I have been to Katina Pinkamas since I was a child. Now I am a old man. Only thing I have heard is that as a result of taking part in the event everybody around will born in heaven after death.I have heard the same thing over the last fifty odd years.

Buddhas teaching is not anywhere near this.In dhamma kathika sutta Buddha advised priests to preach only the way of getting out of samsara.On the contrary they are preaching the way of sticking on to samsara.

Under whatever circumstances we have a duty to look after the temples and priests.They are necessary to introduce the dimension of spiritual life to the children.The fault is we do not get anywhere beyond the introduction.
I am happy to have acquired some in depth knowledge of Buddhism which I did by associating practising Buddhists who are lay people.I continue to join them in dhamma discussions on Poya days.

2011-03-09T09:07:00.001-08:00

Buddhists Need Not Observe Sil

"Nahi seela watan hothu,

Uppajjanthi ththagatha,

Attakkara theenapada

Sambuddhena pakasitha,'

"Buddhas do not reccomend precepts.They preach a teaching with eight letters and three words.

Gothama Buddha : Udana

The three words are anicca ,dukkha and anatta ( impermanence, unsatisfactoriness,and non self).The letters are repeated when writing and thus only eight letters are there.

When prince Siddhartha conceived ,according to the scriptures the Queen Mahamaya was observing eight precepts.Thus Buddha cannot be the person who drafted the eight precepts.Scriptures never mention about Buddha proclaiming five precepts.That is because he never proclaimed it.But Buddha never condemned these.There is simply no imposed discipline in Buddhas teaching.But a real follower of Buddhas teaching will be more disciplined than demanded by five precepts or eight precepts.

Pathimoksha seela meant for Bhikkus with 252 precepts came out only after 10 years of Buddhahood.If precepts were an absolute necessity to follow his teachings declaring the precepts would have been the very first thing done by Buddha after enlightenment.But it was not so.Paathimokkha seela was declared to maintain discipline among the ever growing clan of of Bhikkhus ten years after enlightment. The only "seela" declared by Buddha for all followers of his teaching is dhittincha anupaganma seela mentioned in Karaneeya metta sutta. This means to be constantly aware that both world and self are illusions.

2011-03-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

Buddhists Need Not Pray

Last Sunday I happened to be at Bellanwila temple as my wife wanted to go there.People in hundreds were praying looking at the Bo tree.They were in fact begging.Their faces were full of anxiety.As a keen student of Dhamma this was a disgusting site to me. A person armed with Buddhas teaching need not beg !

The surroundings has been designed to encourage the begging.We must clearly understand that Buddhism has no solutions for our worldly problems.Buddhists should not expect any thing worldly from his/her spiritual activities.

Buddhist clergy do not educate the Buddhist about this .Some of them are not aware of this fact.Those who are aware take advantage of keeping the Buddhists ignorant.

For a well informed Buddhist ,recovery from illness,passing an examination,unfaithful spouses,non loyal business partners,success in litigation are too trivial things to look for a solution within Buddhas teachings.

2011-03-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Twenty First Century Homo Sapiens

A new phenomenon is surfacing as the middle east political crisis.There is up rising against existing political leaders.There are no leaderships in these up risings.The twenty first century homo sapiens is well aware of his rights.There has been information explosion since last decade of last century owing to advances in communication particularly the Internet.He knows his rights.He will not listen to so called the leaders spelling out his rights.In fact he does not need leaders.Leaders are necessary only to guide if majority are ill informed.Information has disseminated and most are potential leaders.In fact existing leaders are less informed than the majority.What is happening in middle east is a new intellectual phenomenon.

Last century there were lot of scientific discoveries.The materialistic development took place.Weapons of mass destruction too developed.The leaders used these for their advantage.The twenty first century man resents rulers.He lives in the global village.There are no boundaries.The words like eastern ,western or even patriotism does not make sense to the twenty first century homo sapiens.Universal mutual respect nullifies the necessity for leaders.Only co workers are necessary.Each one is accountable to everybody

2011-02-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

A Prediction on Cricket World Cup Series.

If Sri Lanka does not fare well in world cup series, the captain and the team will be held responsible.

On the other hand if Sri Lanka wins the cup the politicians will take the total credit.

2011-02-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Politics :The Most Intellectually Menial job in Sri Lanka

There is no doubt about it! I have known politicians of of the past.In the past there were politicians who served people.I can remember Hon. D.S. Gunasekara ,cultural affairs minister in sixties ,who was a friend of my father, was a pauper throughout.Dr.M.H.Saddhasena, his son Jagathsena who represented Ambalangoda were closely known to me and they never made money through politics.In fact they lost even what they already had.I know some of the present.Some are "friends" others relatives and some are neighbours..They were sub human to start with or transformed to subhuman status after getting into politics.Sometimes I have been surprised as to how quickly an human being intellectually deteriorate so much.

2010-08-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Animal Sacrfices

Maha Sangha is protesting about animal sacrfices at Munneswaram Kovil. When somebody buys fish /meat foe an almsgiving does'nt it amount to animal sacrifice for relgious
purpose ?

2010-08-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Internet Pornography

Much publicity is given about banning internet pornogrphy.The anxiety is about children getting exposed to it.Looking after children is the duty of the parents .State need not take over this responsibility.
There is no scientific proof that pornography has an adverse effect on mental health or morals of the community.Incidence of sexual abuse and rape are very less in countries like Denmark and Sweeden where porngraphy is rampant.In fact the incidence of sex crimes diminished when pornogaphy was made freely available.
In fact, if somebody is very sensitive to pornography he must take action to ban Chulavaggapali and Mahavaggapali of Vinaya Pitaka if Tripitaka.These scriptures explicitly describes sexual perversions .
It goes to say thes activiies were going on during Buddhas time.He did not try to ban them.He asdvised his descilpes to keep off these activiies.

2010-04-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Road Deaths

First quarter of 2010 has recorded 287 fatal traffic accidents.As person who held a driving licence for four decades and being driving daily ,I am aware that ,road conditions, vehicle condition and factors in drivers cause road accidents.In Sri Lanka the major causes are incompetent and reckless drivers who violate traffic law.
Out of these 287 deaths at least 280 could have been prevented.The prevention strategy does not involve money. I am mentioning this because in Sri Lanka non availability of funds is cited as an excuse very frquently.It needs only being sensitive.All road users should be sensitive to the rights of other road users.This includes pedestrians too.They should use pedestrian crossings to cross when they are available.It is surprising to see the disregard of pedestrians for their own safety.Road discipline has to be imposed.VIP motorcades should set an example as there is no terrorists threat now.
It will be a good move to show video clips of a busy intersection in Sri Lanka followed by a similar video clip from a dicplined country on peak viewing hours on TV.Some of our fellow citizens use the highway way they are doing now because they are not aware of a better way to use the highway!

2010-02-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

The Artisits

The actors ,singers and painters are commonly called artists.When I was about ten years old there were events called "teetar"in our village.Later I realised it meant "theatre".They were shown in a make shift stage erected in the middle of the village. My mother used to serve an early dinner on the "teeter" nights so that we could go to enjoy it.Most of the actors were from were from the village.Occasionally a lady or two used to visit from outside for the female roles.The actors were known as "teeter karayas".My mother never encouraged us or my father discussing about the ladies who performed the female roles.
The "teeter karayas" were recognised and had a due place in the village.So were the exorcist "bali karayas" who were good drawing and painting.They were given a prominent place in decorating the village temple for religious functions.They used to prepare very creative Veasak decorations.
My father used to represent the village in the village council.The school head master,the Ayurveda physician ,the veda mahattaya and village head man were the decision makers in the village.The head priest of the temple used to guide them.The "teeter karaya" and "bali karaya" used to follow orders.It was a very effective system.
Now "teeters" have been replaced by cinema and television."teeter karayas" and "bali karayas" have become "kala karayas".
In my trade ,medical practice the modern trend is to speak of prostitutes as commercial sex workers or abbreviated to CSW. We have CSW(male) and CSW(female)Though the names have changed they do the same job and have the same skills.The homosexuals are MSMs (men who have sex with men) and WSWs (women who have sex with women) The stray dogs are "community dogs".
The head priest of the temple would have never made a decision maker out of the 'teeter karaya" But he respected them and knew what their role in society was.The present day man with all electrinic media ,education andand readind seems to have made a mistake here!

2010-01-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Nostalgic Look at the Sixties

It was in the nineteen sixties that I transformed from a schoolboy to a young doctor.I look back at sixties with nostalgia.Politcally first half of the decade was ruled by the SLFP and the latter half by the UNP.We had Poya holiday system in the latter sixties.It was Poya and pre-Poya in place of Satureday and Sundy.Some weeks had eight days.There was a cosensus about the extra day in all establishments.Some schools used to have the Monday,Tues day or whatever time table for the extra day.
Newer cars bore 4 Sri or 5 Sri numbers.Our professors travelled in Austin Cambridge,Opel Recard ,Ford Consul and Borgward cars.There were no direct dial telephone system.One had to book a call from Kandy to Colombo and wait for hours sometimes.The next door neighbour can hear what you speak than the person in Colombo that you speak to.
Mini skirts were in the vogue.The ladies in sixties now wore minskirts in nineteen sixties! Jim Reeves,Elvis Priestly Englebert,Tom Jones ,Beetles were singing idols.Sydney Poiret,Paul Newmann,Richard Burton,Julie Andrews,Bridgette Bardotte,Ursula Andreas Adrey Hepburn were screen idlos.Local scenario singers were C.T. Fernando.Jothipala,Narada Dissasekara ,Milton Perera and so on.Screen idols were Gamini Fonseka,Tony Ranasinhe,Jeewrani,Punya Heendeniya,Anula Karunathilaka and so on.
Public transport was much bettter than now.One cpuld get a bus to travel from Bamalapitiya to Dehiwala at midnight.The situation was similar in outstation towns too.Trains were very punctual .They were cleaner and more comfortable than now.The railway guard was in the unform and so was the station master.
Our medical teachers were men of stature.They did not spend much time in private practice.They used to entertain us in their homes.They were very sensitive to medical ethics and medical etiqutte.
University poltics were totally dissociated from the politics of the country.There were Leininists ,Marxists ,Stalinists,Maoists and Democratic Socialists.They used to have arguments till late night about their idols but never took part in the party politics of the rest of the country.

2009-12-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka a Nation Political Beings.

There were 23 candidates for presidential election.This is a world record!Nomination of one was rejected.The election comissioneres office with candidates waiting with applications shown on TV reminded of patients waiting to see the doctor in the OPD! And a Buddhist monk too in the foyer.The election commissioner whom I presumed is a Buddhist accepted the papers seated with the priest standing.The commissioner was correct.But it shows how you loose recognition when you are in the wrong place!
We have more than 100 (I have lost the count) in the cabinet.More than 25 MPs have changed sides during the last two years.All these are world records but negative ones.
What does this show the rest of the world?It shows that the people who tolerate and propagate this kind of thing are goats! But Sri Lankans are not goats.Because of some misfortune they are behaving like goats and this has gone on for a few years.It is time we start behave like the lion in our national flag. We cannot do it with a spineless clan like politicians. We need not make the politician and politics so important to us.In fact they are not.We must let them realise it.We have to learn not to invite them as attesting witnesses of weddings, chief guests etc.They should not be given undue prominence in gatherings.
More recognition should be given academics, artists,writers and other intellectuals.

2009-11-22T07:53:00.000-08:00

Doctors Running Pharmacies

This is unethical practice.I am not referring to dispensing section of a family doctor.He charges a total sum for consultation and medicament.It is age old practice.
The problem arises when the consultants run pharmacies.These are run in the most unethical manner.Some drugs prescribed are available only in his pharmacy.They are sold at exorbitant prices.He prescribes by brand and insists that the patient uses it.Patient has no alternative other than purchasing it from the pharmacy run by the consultant.Only less informed peolple are victimised.But it so happens that even the educated people are not aware that there is no differnce between different brands of the same drug.Some of these drugs are not even registered Sri Lankan Drug authority.It is violation of Cosmetics Drugs and Devices Act to sell these drugs.
The ironical thing is one of these pharmacies is run in a channelling center at a stones throw distance from the Drug Regulatory Authority.It is owned by a medial consultant employed by the Ministry of Health

2009-11-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka Dumping Ground for Garbage from Indian
Pharmaceutical Industry

Sri Lanka has become a convenient convenient dumping ground for the Indian Pharmaceutical industry.India does have reputed drug companies ,Ranbaxy, Reddy's Laboratory ,Cipla and Torrent to mention a few.
The names companies that manufactured the drugs claimed to be substandard are never heard of.There are three kinds of drugs dumped
1. Substandard.
2.Short expiry
3.Already expired.
In India drugs are are manufactured as a cottage industry in some lacations. A kilogram amoxicillin capsules and four thousand empty capsules are delivered to homes in the morning.In the evening 4000 capsules with 250 milligrams of amxicillin is collected.That is the mechanism of dead ants and fragments of hairs getting into the capsulesThis can be prevented by dealing only with drug companies who have got the GMP (good manufacturing practice) from the World Health Organisation.
Short expiry drugs expire in store houses after the State has paid the bill.The expired drugs are relabelled.Relabelling can be done in India or locally.To do relabelling here is cheaper.
The whole exercise is to make money the illegitimate way.Money is made by both Sri Lankans and Indians by both working in drug companies and State officials.
The people who are administered the drugs pay by their life or health.All of us pay a part of this money when the State establishments settle the bills

2009-10-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Immunisation Deaths

The immunisation of children in large scale was started in Sri Lanka in in nineteen sixties.There were no deaths related to immunisation up to 2000.Now deaths occur related to immunisation and workshops are held to discuss safe immunisation. (like safe sex) .In early days only good quality products were available.Now mushrooming drug companies produce substandard vaccines which are being used in immunisation projects for reasons best known to health authorities.
The whole process has made parents to loose confidence in immunising children.This will lead to poor immunisation uptake figures. High immunisation uptake figures of Sr Lanka ,about which we can be proud of is the result of many generations of hard working doctors. There seems to be serious detrioration of the immnisation process at the turn of the cenutry.

2009-09-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

Do You Believe in Medical Check-ups?

Doctors call it medical screening.Unless a health system offers screening as one of its integral parts ,they are a good source of income to health industry. Doctors employed by the industry get a good opportunity to create fear psychosis at one to one basis and exploit the client.Health industry generally create fear psychosis through media,both printed and electronic.The doctors appearing in talk shows are sometimes totally unaware that they are being exploited to create fear psychosis.
I will translate the medical statistical outcome of of mammography to lay language for your benefit.
You have to do 2000 mammograms to save one woman dying of breast cancer. In the process ten women who do not have breast cancer will be subject to unnecessary surgery.Two hundred women go off their heads because they are "suspected" to have breast cancer.
Undisputed fact for all this health industry is paid!

2009-09-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

Stupid Guiness Record

A Sri Lankan doctor has set a Guiness record by perfrming 250 cataract surgeries in a day.Speed is not for medical people.It is for typists and stenographers.
Speed had a place in surgery in pre anaestheic era.Shorter the patient had to endure the pain was better.
A surgeon in pre anaesthetic era tried to amputate a leg ,at thigh level, fast and is supposed to have cut off patients testicles too!
Doctors have to go for quality not for quantity.Good time management is not performing this kind of stupid feat seeking cheap publicity.

2009-09-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Surgical Rubbish

A young lady died recently in Colombo South hospital after gasric by pass surgery.I am certain the patient was not properly assesed prior to surgery.Neither she nor her parents probably were never detailed about the hazards of the procedure.Keeping the patient in tha dark about the negative side is a tacitc when new procedures are being touted.Probably some surgeon wanted to complete a series of hundered or two hundred cases to win a trip abroad.Death occuring after ruotine planned surgery is a serious issue.
This kind of surgery is rubbish.Breast enhancing surgery male organ enhancing surgery fall into the same category.I wonder why they should waste tax payers money and theatre time in performing this nonsense.If some one wants to loose wight he or she can be counselled by a dietetician.If necessary dietitician can get the help of a psychologist or a psychiatrist.It will not killl the patient or cost colossal amounts of money.

2009-06-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Buddhism and Science

It is a new trend to to compare Buddhism and science.Ven.Pititduwe Siridhamma ,Dr.D.V.J Harischandra and Prof.Chandana Jayaratna try to verify Buddhist teachings with science.
Science is based on measurements.Time ,mass ,speed and volume is measured.Five human senses are made use to measure.
In Ththagatha dhamma rejects perception of five senses.Time, mass,volume space does not exist in Buddhist doctrine.It cannot be conveyed by words.One should develop a "dhamma chakku" an eye of wisdom to understand the doctrine.It can be done only by consistent radical contemplation (yathabhutha gnana dasana) .
The technique of developing the "wisdom eye" can be explained with words.
It is best for these people to explain the technique of developing the "wisdom eye" rather than
bungling with science which is based on five senses.The Buddhist doctrine totally rejects human cognitive system and condemns it as the source of "avidya" (noscience) the root of greed(lobha) dhosa(hatred) moha (ignorance) known as "akusal mul"cause of all suffering.

2009-05-27T08:56:00.001-07:00

The Morning After Pill

"Postinor" nicknamed the "morning after pill" is officially allowed to sold by pharmacies without prescription.This pill is meant for emergency contraception.They are meant to be given to a rape victim or in case of a ruptured condom and meant to be taken within 72 hours of the incident.
This pill has a huge dose of a hormone called progesterone.The salesmen in pharmacies promote the pill for routine use.This results in highly irregular menstrual cycles.This happens when a woman uses the pill several times a month.This leads to unwarranted fear and expensive medical consultations
"Postinor" in fact is only a emergency contraceptive agent and not strictly a "morning after "pill. A married couple may use it when a condom breaks or when intercourse occurs without contraception in an unexpected situation.( like the husband working abroad comes home suddenly for a short visit) On the other hand if a lady has taken "Postinor"she need not worry if periods become sightly irregular.

2009-05-19T09:30:00.001-07:00

Bashing the British

Bashing the British has become the popular pastime in Sri Lanka.When Karuna went to UK with a passport forged with the help of the State,the British did not react much.Even Karuna who got a jail term was paroled.
It was we who started the war crime issue and gave them ideas.Boggles and Kohona use much restrain when they make statements.Statments made by some parlimantarians are very crude.

2009-05-17T08:41:00.001-07:00

WuShu Deaths

WuShu is an ancient martial art.Only two deaths have occured in performing or learning Wu Shu in the history.
Both deaths occured in Sri Lanka within a time period of two months.Both were school boys.
Do these facts convey some thing to you ?

2009-05-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Wesak Greeting Cards

No real Buddhists will ever greet or bless any one.The Wesak Greeting Cards came into being when the Buddhists encountered Christmas cards.The same can be said of Bhakthi Gee.It is the counter part of the Christmas carols.
Was it really that Buddha was born on a full moon day of May enlightened on the same day of the calendar and died on the same day.I don't believe it? It cannot happen.!
In real doctrine of dhamma every being is born and is dead or born while dying in a flash.To see this, is buddhahood.This really what happened on the full moon day of May at Gaya in India.The ascetic Siddhartha while contemplating under the Ficus religiosa tree in Gaya suddenly realised that there is no being.The sense of being is an illusion, that forms while undergoing destruction ( vaya dhamma).The whole human suffering is based on this.So Buddha was born ,enlightened and dead in a flash!He taught what he realised at contemplation as the doctrine.
Cards , Bhakthi Geetha and Dansal has no relevance to this occurrence!Buddhas last words were "Waya dhamma sankhara ,appamadena sampadetha"Every thing udergoes distruction while forming (not after forming) so that there is nothing formed.Formations including me and the world are illusions in the mind.Observe this wthout delay!"
There is no refernece to cards ,greetings or carols!

2009-04-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

It is a Curse to be Poor

I was comparatively poor in one stage of my life.I can remember how people tried to exploit me and humiliate me.This stimulated to make money but only by fair means.I now understand what it means to be rich and what it means to be poor.I am in a process of renouncing some material things.Riches do not mean the same to me any more.
All the people kept by LTTE as human shields are poor and non influential.Most of the people who voted for known criminals to day are poor.They were exploited.They were prone to exploitation because of poverty.These criminals will become more powerful and exploit them further.
One can be poor and happy if one understands that material wealth is immaterial.A human beings needs only some food , clothing and shelter.Most illnesses are self limiting.Thus health care is not very important.If you have sufficient means to have two meals for the rest of your life and have access to place of shelter and some rag around your waist and tell the world ,"Look here I have every thing I need!" you are a very powerful man.Nobody can exploit you and nobody can humiliate you!

2009-04-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

Pope in a Brothel !

The large majority of candidates in the forth coming provincial elections are known thugs,crooks and criminals.The political parties are aware of the potential of this kind of personalities.
We have paedophiles,people who have violated emigration laws etc in the foyer.They may have been acquitted in courts.The peoples judgement is the most important.People know that they are guilty.
Mingled in this criminal antisocial elements are well known respectable good citizens.Prof.Ravindra Fernando ,and Srinath Perera, PC are people of this category .There may be others like them not personally known to me.
I cannot see the logic of Prof.Ravindra Fernando in this foyer.I see his presence like Pope being seen in a brothel!

2009-04-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Why Soorya Managallaya for New Year?

Since of late some media institutions call the Sinhala and Tamil New Year the 'Soorya Mangallaya".It is an unsavoury name.I know that the festival has some astrological implication involving the sun.
This new term makes us forget that Sinhala and Tamil people share a common festival.Who have made Sinhala and Tamil people to kill each other?The politicians ,of course!The motive?To implement their political agendas !
I personally feel very comfortable with Tamil people though I do not speak the language.I have large circle of Tamil friends.I am a Sinhalese Buddhist.
I hope the present problem will end .We paid a heavy price in terms of loss of life and creating misery.When and if it resolves let us not walk into traps set by Tamil or Sinhala politicians again.
Let us enjoy the festival together and plan to live together peacefully ignoring all politicians.

2009-04-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Who Created the World? I did!

If somebody asks me as to who created a the world my reply would be That "I" did it! I will quickly go on to say that "I" is only a concept.
Our basic problem is that we trust our cognitive system.Our cognition is really cock eyed.Nothing really exists.Things are in a process of destruction rather than existence.If my handkerchief will not be there in ten years (it would have perished by then)well it is in a process of destruction rather than existence.An image of that forms in the retina of my eye.The image immediately disappears and a fresh one is formed.The retina is another non existing like the handkerchief."The retina and the handkerchief" like two trains crossing.I have to make use time (millions of images) and find out its name from the "file"in the cognitive system.By the time the name surfaces the' images" and "retinas" are gone since retina chemically changes every split second.The smell,texture,noise ( may be when you flip it) taste surfaces in the mind.An "I" is formed with sense of vision ,hearing,contact ,taste and smell.To reciprocate this a world too forms.Both "I" and "world" undergoes destruction while forming so that the end result is a void.The world and "me"are thus illusions formed by the cognitive system.In the cognitive system every thing is relative nothing is absolute.Buddha taught this as "Chiththena neeythie loko" the mind forms the world.Buddha never taught a religion.There is no worshipping.There is no praying.Temples, praying worshipping are products of the cartel called the religion. The priests of all relgions survive thanks to the gullibility of the average man.An inteeligent being like the human does not need relgions,temples ,churches kovils and priests.

2009-04-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Health Ministers Poor Knowledge of Health

Recently I listned to the Minister of Health adressing a gathering.He was speaking on the subject of immunisation.He said if the immunisation programme falls into disrepute, people will refuse to immunise children and more and more mongols will be born!
He does not know that vaccines do not prevent birth of mongols.A student in O/L class will know this!

2009-04-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Funny Conclusions

Incident:JVP election campaign offices vandalised in Pannipitiya area.
Coclusion:Done by themselves to gain popularity

Incident:Provivcial Council election candidate s child abducted.
Conclusion: Done by himself to gain popularity.

Incident: Girl falls sick immediately after reieving ruballa vaccine and dies in 24 hours
Conclusion: Cause of death has nothing to do with vaccine.

2009-03-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Quality of thr Rubella Vaccine

In all investigations conducted on the death of a girl follwing rubella vaccine, nothing much has been published about the quality of the product.This must have been discussed at some stage.

The vials shown on the TV had no production date.It had only expiry date.This is quite unusual.Packages of all drugs have the date of manufacture.This producuct not bearing date of manufacture is strange and exceptional.

Dr. (Mrs) Palihawadana, Epidemiolgist, defending the vaccine reminded me of Dr(Mrs) Bindusara, former Director National Blood Transfusion Sevice, defending the expired plasma filtration kits. The two phenomena are very similar.

The GMOA soft pedals issue when their members are involved.The key issue in this problem is the quality of the productThe GMOA is side tracking the issue by bringing in the qualfication of the medical officer who conducted the campaign

2009-03-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Rubella Vaccine Death

Loss of young life.Health Minister promises investigation.
There is a de ja vu feeling.
One of the foreign"vaccine experts is Indian.The source of the offending vaccine is Serum Institute of India. The Indian guy would have pocketed at least 200.000 Indian Rupees from the Institute before he enplaned.Nothing will come out of the investigation.
Death of seven mothers due to contaminated needles,detection and use of date expired plasma filtration kits in blood bank,amputation of the upper limb of the baby from Kandy,alleged rape and murder of patient by a doctor in Negambo, alleged
The reports will never come.No action will be taken.This due to reasons best known to Health Ministry hierarchy

2009-03-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Lining Up to See Buddhas Tooth

To wait in a queue for several hours to catch a glimpse of of Buddhas tooth is criminal waste of time for any human being and specially for a Buddhist.A priest named Wakkali was fascinated by Buddhas good looks and used to stare at him throughout.Buddha asked him not to appreciate a body full of "muck" but if you want to seee me se my teacching you will see me only through my teachings.( Yo dhamamam passathi,yo mam passathi") This teaching was not only for Wakkali but for all of us.In short what he said was do not appreciate any thing physical in me.So we do not have to appreciate his tooth.Let it be in a museum as any collectors item!
Some maintain that there were miracles associated with the tooth relic.There were some disciples of Buddha who had supernatural powers.Buddha totally condemned showing off these powers.He said showing your supernatural powers in public is like a prostitute taking off her clothes to attract a client.
Buddha was humble being who maintained a low profile.But he was a great teacher.His teachings are not only for "Buddhists".There is no entity called "Buddhists " like nudists.His teaching is open to all .That is why he said "ehi pssiko" come and see! but added a word of caution "pacghchattang vehi thabbo vinnoo hithi" which means the
people with wisdom will have unerdstand dhamma working by themselves.
According to Lankawatara sutta a Mahayana discourse Buddha never existed and no dhamma was ever preacched!That statment can nly be understood only by a person with wisdom who undestands dhamma.If Buddha did not exist how can a tooth exist ?

2009-03-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

End of Life Care

The Sri Lankans are very unreasonable by the patient in the end of life care.Some cultural factors may be behind this.Even the doctors do not seem to correct the adverse attitudes in the community.The subject itself seems to be taboo.
One must realise that death is a part of life.Good health care involves care at death too.A good doctor should be with the patient and the family during terminal illness ,at death and at mourning.An easy thing for ta layman is to think how you would like to be dealt with if you are dying.
The patent must informed about the diagnosis.There is no place for lies and conspiracy in health care.The bad news has to be broken gently and in stages.The best person for this will be your family doctor or the priest.
Once the information is conveyed most of the patients make arrangements to write a will and give instructions about organ donation and funeral arrangement's.Some of them even invite fiends and relations with whom they have strained the feelings recently for a "chat'.Some involve themselves in spritual practices.All these make their hearts lighter.It is very seldom that a patient reacts badly.In fact I have never seen that happening.People are not worried about extinction of life during terminal illness.They are more worried about pain.
On the other hand when the patient is pending death without prior warning the become very frustrated.They find fault with doctors and relations.They become abusive and restless .So let your loved ones have good life and a good death!

2009-02-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Demi God & Godess Exposed

The demi god Deshamnya Lalith Kotalawala in in police custody.His wife Dr.Sicille Kotalawala is on open warrant to be arrested on arrival at Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.People applause in court house when order was pronounced.What a paradox!
It is better to study the phenomenon than criti sizing people. This is one of the biggest frauds in Sr Lankan history.The two main perpetrators got honoured by getting around politicians and using cheap publicity.The honorary titles helped them to hoodwink people with ease.
They were the first to get rid f police reports to pay motor insurance claims.The indeed closed a avenue which police and motor vehicle inspectors exploited people.They employed 45000 people.They payed insurance claims of Tsunami victims without going into hair splitting arguments on the agreement.
They were the first to market diabetes and first to market cancer in Sri Lanka.What items to market ! "Ei Lannga pilkawa katada?"The fear psychoses it creates!
They were first to purchase agricultural land block it out and sell.They created a artificial value for real estate.
They collected monthly allownces working up to millionas in one company alone
and collected gratuity for 25 years working for the company for only eighteen years.
They engage in massive tax frauds.The entire group of companies keep on drawing dud cheques.
When you go up fast you do not care how you go up.You come down very fast at a time you least expect it.
Interesting phenmenon indeed!

2009-02-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

The Plethora of Tests

You go to your doctor with a backache.He wants your blood cholesterol tested!Once a neighbour took his wife to a nursing home OPD with asthma in the late night.The doctor wanted an ECG taken.When it was taken the doctor wrote the prescription without scrutinising it!
Ninety five percent of the tests ordered have no relevance to the patients condition.These are ordered because the doctors benefit from them.Most of them get "kick backs" from the medical laboratories.I know this because most of the leading laboratories in Colombo came to negotiate with me about the arrangement.Some general practitioners have their own laboratory.They order blood tests even for the relations who accompany the patient!
Next time when a doctor orders an apparently irrelevant blood test query the doctor about the relevance.You have a right to know it.If the doctor gets offended find another doctor.

2009-02-14T21:52:00.001-08:00

LASANTHA, A MARTYR ?

The journalist Lasantha Wickramathunga was brutally killed in a high security zone .I do not condone any person being dealt with that way.I am reluctant to criticize people posthumously.I am just trying to make records straight. He seemed to be over stepping his mark as a investigative Journalist.His exposures went beyond proving the point he is dealing with to a malicious level.Publishing a suicide note is not ethical.Making personal life of a politicians spouse can be nothing beyond malice and mischief.
His paper deteriorated to a glorified scandal sheet.Their was no high standard if journalism in it. On 4th Janauary issue "Sunady Leader" was conspicuous in not carrying any compliments to the security forces.
He gets the discredit being the first to have "pimp ads" like "a sixty year old rich bachelor seeks lady for friendship" ,among Sri Lankan news papers.

2009-02-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

THE PEOPLES CHANNEL

I never liked the self appointed peoples channel "Sirasa".I do not condone criminal vandalism of a media institution either. I of course admired their exposing plasma filtration kit racket in blood bank,Mavilaru fraud and similar acts of corruption.Sirasa" was the root cause of deterioration of Sri Lnkan TV channels just as much Seylan Bank was the root cause of deterioration of Sri Lankan Banking sector.Their policy was to be"cheap" to be popular."Sirasa" was undermining Sri Lankan values drastically.Their dubbed Indian teledramas poison the minds of masses.Children have started addressing parents as "oya" and referring to paents as "eya".These are found in dialogue of these teledramas.Thse have no artistic value and center around adultery ,blackmailing ,abortions,etc.Women get highly addicted to these and neglect their household duties.They do not even speak to their husbands when they come back from work and they get attracted to alcohol.The buddhist monks get addicted to them and they are invited for sermons they come after their favourite teledrama or get back to temple before it starts!Even the national TV has taken their bad example and has undergone deterioration.The National TV should also be blamed for blindly following a bad example.The priests and house wives too of course should be blamed for neglecting their duties .They show dances like night club dances.Sri Lanka has a rich dancing culture.Swinging your hip wearing scanty cloths is not dancing!They are pro LTTE.You do not have to be an expert to understand it. They show anti Sri Lankan demonstrations in Tamilnadu as a special segmant in news without including that in their "99 seconds around the world"
What happened to their security cameras on the day of alleged attack?What happened to Rs 7.5 million reward?How is that every thing necessary to carry on transmission,including the soap operas were miraculously saved at the alleged attack?

2009-01-31T04:19:00.000-08:00

WEDDINGS

I was invited to nine weddings in January 2009.I am about to attend the last one for the month.The gifts cost me around Rs 30000/=I was neglecting my work.Being a teetotaller and a vegetarian I do not enjoy attending weddings.But I maintain equianimity during the whole proceeding.I,some times settle down to insight meditation regardless of the noise of the band or the DJ ,of course with my eyes open.Some times I take "attika sanna" (imagine the skeleton within) looking at well dressed (or is it undressed?) ladies.
I was pondering over this barrage of invitations.Some of them were relatives.Some were friends.Some were patients.Only some were close enough to invite me for weddings.Nowadays some people seem to refuse the wedding invitations considering the cost of attending.Cost of a gift,cloths for wife,hair do ,make up,cost of transport if you do not have your own transport add up.Thus those who are likely to attend are invited .I am a victim.I see I am invited sometimes after the RSVP responds.The invitation is made two days before the event.I am very frequently honoured to be an attesting witness.

2009-01-25T06:10:00.000-08:00

A PARDOXICAI SRI LANKAN PHENOMENON

When one sees behaviour of Sri Lankans on the highways one begins to think that they are not willing to spend a single second of time.The drivers do not stop for pedestrians at crossings,the pedestrians cross against the red light and drivers jump redlights.
Buses drive over the Islands on the center of the road ,motor cyclists ride on the sidewalk.The drivers over take on the pedestrian crossing or the zig-zag marking or cutting the double line.
If you visit a office specially one of those State run offices ,they waste as much of time as possible.Court houses are notorious for being insensitive in wasting other peoples time.If one employs a daily paid worker he will waste every possible second at work

2009-01-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

THE SINHALA NAMES

The early Sinhalese names were like "Silindu" "Babun" "Menika" etc.Then surnames were added by foreign invaders.They were like "Kumbukgahage", Mudiyanselage" etc.Then people started using first names names of Portuguese Dutch and English origin like Selesthina,David ,John .There were similar surnames like Silva,Perera,Dias etc.Subsequently "national minded" people created first names like Gunapala Sugathadasa,These names were meaning ful.Sugathadasa means a devotee of Buddha.There were similar surnames but they had megalomaniac touches.Jayasuriya,is a victorious sun and Amarasuriya is a Immortal sun .Senanayaka is an army general!
The came names like Sarath ,Nimal ,Sunil etc.Thes e names too are meaningful. Nimal means pure.Than came the meaningless lot Surah ,Akash,Kushla ,Sudesh ,Kushla etc.
Islam names were Mohamad,Aziz etc throughout.There first name are like Umar,Tarique,Pathuma,Faridaa etc.Tamil surnames remain as Subramanium,Chinniahas,Arumugams etc.Their Female first names are Lalitha,Vasanthamala etc.Tamill males have two similar names like Velupliiai Prabhkaran or Ponnambalam Ramanadan.I am not aware of the significance of this.The Burgers have first names like Tom Dick Harry and Mary and surnames like Buuljens ,Koelmeyer,Holdeboettle Wise and Ludovyke.
My observation is that Sinhalese are still trying to to find an identity.They are not stable and have not settled down as far as names are concerned.They have been highly influenced by the invaders like Portuguese and Dutch

2008-12-21T07:40:00.008-08:00

Predicting and Blessing

This is very common practice among Buddhist monks.Both are totally against Buddhist doctrine.They may be aware of this.At the same time they know this is method of making people "happy" and may be carried out for financial gain.
In Buddhist doctrine there is no future.There is no time factor (akaalika).What is there to predict?Whom to bless? There is no being! (nissaththo)In Buddhist doctrine there is no "present" either.Only thing is voidness (suunno)
The famous Buddhist Thai Buddhist priest Ajan Cha was supposed to be an arahath (has attained highest degree of mundane wisdom).VIPs used to ask him to stroke their heads so that they will be blessed.Ajan Cha used to say there is no difference in my stroking a cabbage or stroking the head of a VIP !
VIPs used to come to him and request to predict future .He used to say Sir/Madam your future is uncertain!This is the reply any one reasonably literate in Buddhist doctrine will give if requested to predict future.
Buddhist literature is full of instances where Buddha predicted future.I am certain Buddha was never up to such nonsense.His doctrine has a quality called "swakkhatho" in Pali which means that there is no contradiction. One should not confuse Buddhist literature with the Buddhist doctrine

2008-12-21T07:40:00.007-08:00

The Common Factor

Sakvithi Ranasinghe who played out deposits in his finance company was a "Deshamaanya".Now Deshamaamnya Doctor Lalith Kotalawala also seems to have trouble in paying his depositors who invested money in his finance company.
A 'Deshamaanya factor" seems to be operating.The list of similar "Deshamaanyas" will become longer with time.

2008-12-21T07:40:00.006-08:00

Politicians and Patriots

A patriot is an intellectual .A politician is a crook.

A patriot has no personal agendas has .A politician has only personal agendas

A patriot is a sensitive person .A politician is a insensitive person

A patriot sacrifices personal means for a common goal .A politician amasses wealth somehow

A patriot does not lie.A politician habitually lies

A patriot does not contradict himself .A politician frequently contradicts himself

A patriot is not worried about publicity A politician always demands publicity

Patriots are few in number .We have more than required number of politicians

Only few potential patriots exist but every criminal is potential politician

Patriot have good morals .Politicians are immoral in all aspects

Patriots are religious.Politicians behave like religious.

Patriots are killed by politicians .Politicians are killed by other politicians

2008-12-21T07:40:00.001-08:00

Nobody Can "Attain" Nibbana.

We frequently read and hear wishes as "May he/she attain nibbana" .No body can attain nibbana.More you try to attain nibbana will distance itself from you! It is in fact of ultimate renunciation. It is bliss of non attachment.The bliss of letting go!According to Buddha all suffering is created by attachment or craving.
The Sinhala term "nivan dakithwa" is more appropriate.You realise
me /world are illusions and realise the futile nature of craving.

2008-12-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

SRI LANKANS ,A NATION OF MEGALOMANIACS

In Sri Lanka ,we think that every thing should be big.
Hence rediculous term like,
Maha dansala,
Maha thoran rjaya,
Maha Rohala,
Maha Vidyalya,
Maha Nayaka,
Maha amati,
Maha Veediya,
Maha Purana Viharaya,
Maha maargaya,
Maha wansaya
etc.
In fact there is nothing "maha" in a maha vidyalya.They are all shanty bulidings.Same can be spoken of maha rohalas.Before doing anything we name it 'maha".Why dont we use humble words and do great things.Let other people decide whether they are great or not.

2008-12-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

DANGER OF POLITICAL AGENDAS

In Sri Lanka everything gets ruined because of political agendas.When we got Independence mature ,patriotic people came into politics.Since nineteen seventies those in politics realised that it could be exploited for personal gain.The necessity to to stick on politics propped up.Hence political agendas superseded everything.
Our health care,education,fine arts,sports,transport,diplomatic relations,economy and even war effort to combat terrorism is suffering severe set backs because of political agendas.
Recently when minister of education was speaking over the media about the controversial maths paper of O level examination ,he was using a tone suitable for his political opponents.He is not realising that he is addressing a victimised party ,the students plus the parents.The same was observed when health minister was addressing the media about use of date expired plasma filtration kits in the blood bank.He was using a tone and words suitable for his political opponents.Little did he realised that he was speaking to anxious people utilising State heath care facilities.
Accountability,responsibility patriotism, sacrifice and integrity seems to be words non existent in the vocabularies of politicians and high officials ,not speak of common decency.

2008-12-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

IS EVERY SOLDIER A WAR HERO ?

No Certainly not.But in Sinhala all of them are referred to as war heros,the Rana Viruvas.
Majority join the army for negative reasons.They cannot find another job. There is no reason to give priority to there offspring in school admissions and so on.We Sri Lankans are sentimental fools!Shrwed politicians take maximum advantage of this situation.

2008-12-12T06:08:00.000-08:00

SOME THOUGHTS ON UNDUVAP POYA DAY

When you look at a room with furniture and people did you ever think of the space occupied by the people and the furniture.When you hear a noise did you ever think of the silence.If there was no silence can the noise exist?
If every thing in universe is destroyed what Will remain?The space isn't it? Before universe formed what was there? Space,isn't it?
Who created space?
If universe is not there ,what is distance? For distance to be there there should be two points as "land marks"If there is no distance what is time?
Nothing seems to be absolute.Every thing seems to be relative.Is there any thing that is absolute?

2008-12-07T01:53:00.000-08:00

Time is Not Precious

Time is an illusion.The human being judges the present in terms of past ,seeks salvation in future which is projected time and creates misery.Time is the cause of human suffering.Remove time from the mind and the problems dissolve.If one disregards time the timeless formless realm starts opening up.
Living through memory and anticipation is torture .Nothing ever happened in the past.Nothing will happen in future.Now is the only existing thing .Visit the past briefly to learn from the past visit the future briefly to plan.When one dwells in the past and/or future one creates psychological time or converts clock time into psychological time.
Suffering needs time.It cannot survive in the present moment. Future is always imagined as better or worse than now .Mind creates an obsession to escape into the future.The future is is a projection of the past.Time bound mind is a big problem.
Buddha was the first to realise that time was an illusion.He describes his doctrine as "akalika" which means that there is no time factor is involved.
Modern non religious spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle too agrees that time is an illusion.Most of above ideas were sourced from his book "Power of Now'

2008-12-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

THE EIGHTY YEAR GRAND MA RAPED AND THIRTEEN YEAR

GIRL DELIVERS BABY

These were recent shocking news items.This happens in country where even internet porn is being planned to be censored. The behaviour of the Sri Lankan male leaves much to be desired.
In nature testosterone ,the male hormone is the one that creates sex drive in both sexes.Females also have male hormones in their body,in small amounts.These are produced by the supra renal glands.The female sex drive too is related to these hormone levels.Small doses of testosterone increase the sex drive and ability to achieve orgasms in women.The sex hormone on male makes him to seek sexual activity.The Sri Lankan males are sexually starved.That makes them to commit sex crimes.
Prostitution should be legalised and pornography should be liberalised.Pornography serves as a sexual outlet.In countries like Sweden and Denmark where pornography is rampant and with sex shops sex crimes are very rare.Child abuse and sex crimes are very strictly dealt with in these countries.They are very peaceful countries where human right abuses are not heard of.Being a Buddhist country prostitution is rampant in Thailand.In Thailand you do not encounter males casting dirty remarks when women are going about.It is common practice in Sri Lanka
We have to do away with hypocrisy.It is useless not to sell alcohol Poya days.A politician can get a lot of mileage from such moves.Same with the pornography issue.
A bachelor or a widower will not violate the third precept in Buddhism by engaging the services of a prostitute.Sexual misconduct is relationship with women who are being looked after by others.The prostitute on the the other hand solicits sex.If one refers a good book on Buddhism under violation of third precept one can find this information.Buddhist sciptures clearly define as to what constitutes violation of the third precept.
Prostitution was practised in India during Buddhas time in localities where he lived.He never moved to interfere with these issues.Buddha was not a social reformer.He was a reformer of the mind."Sachiththa pariyodapnam" Cleanse your mind" that was his advice.
I write this as a tee totaller a vegetarian and a person strictly adhering to five percepts.I would like to add Buddha never preached the five percepts.It was already there.He okay ed it.

2008-11-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

THE FAST TRACK IS SLOW.

Yes ,of course the the slow track is fast.You are correct.This is about the behaviour of Sri Lankan drivers.The one who wants to drive slow and get into fast track says that there are Thambili vendors, vehicles being repaired on the slow track.The one who drives fast in the slow track says that the fast track is always slow.It is time that we correct ourselves.
Well over two thousand fatal accidents are reported annually.This is close upon the number of deaths caused by north east problem.This is grossly preventable.The action will not cost a cent.We have to discipline ourselves.At least let it start with owner drivers.Let us observe the law of the round about regarding the right of the way.Let us treat people waiting to cross in the Zebra crossing, with respect.I know that the private coach behind you will make it a opportunity to overtake you illegally on the Zebra crossing.
Police signaling the drivers to proceed against the red light is a bad move.If the police wants to take over the control they must switch off the traffic light.This behaviour of the police will contribute to desnsitise the driving reflexes cultivated over years.
Use the horn minimally.Never flash head lights as a signal.It is not in the highway code as a signal.
Have a compassionate attitude towards others who violate rules and put you in at a disadvantage.They are stupid ignorant and callous.
Road courtesy and discourtesy are infectious.When someone halt the vehicle and allows you to enter the main road you will halt your vehicle for the next person waiting to enter the road.If you have to struggle through speeding traffic blaring horns and flashing headlights you are unlikely to allow the next driver waiting to enter the road to do so peacefully.That needs change.
Let us give it a go and see that driving is a happy experience and see that precious human life which cannot be replaced be saved.

2008-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

THE MIND MAKETH THE WORLD
(chiththena neeyathie loko)

Your sense organs :
The light waves hit the retina of your eye.They originated from the sun eight minutes back! The red has lowest wave length the violet has highest.Though the ultra violet and infra red hits your eye your mind does not become aware of it and therefore you do not perceive it.The light ray hitting the retina is a momentary thing.The mind has to collect or file millions of these .Impulses in your memory area in form of waves has to come in and sort out what is seen by shape and colour.By this time all the rays that hit your retina are non existent.Yet you interpret this phenomenon as seeing "some thing" with the"eye"
The sound waves hit your ear drum.You create a meaning for this using the brain.By the time meaning is realise sound waves are non existent.Analyse the situation where you hear a bell ringing at a distance.
Your body can perceive only mechanical pressure.It may be of various intensities, may be getting interrupted and restarting.
The nose responds to certain chemicals touching the smell sensing area of the nose.
The tongue gives a reaction to a chemical touching the tongue.
Your dog keeps sniffing something you brought for several minutes.You are wondering as to what he has there to smell for several minutes.When you are reading a book the dog may be wondering as to what you have there to see for hours.Dogs sense of smell is three hundred times ours.He remembers every thing by smell.He knows you by your smell.He gets sexually attracted by the smell of a bitch in heat,not the looks of the bitch.Humans get attracted with all five senses and mind too (status of a person is preceived only by mind).Because of this reason buddha categorised mind also as a sense organ (manendriya)Birds get attracted to their mates mainly by noise (love call) All five senses are ultimately in mind.(chiththena eka dhmmassa)
Just ponder over these things when you perceive the world.It is radical contemplation prescribed by Buddha to develop mundane wisdom.
One can do this while in a traffic jam,waiting in an air port,during a long flight ,waiting for an appontment, and cultivate mundane wisdom during the time wasted.

2008-11-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

CYCLES OF NATURE

These are very inter sting.Some lasts billions of ears.Others last Milli seconds.This is what Buddha meant when he said world undergoes formation and world undergoes annihilation. (lujjathi palujjathi loko) One should perceive these with equanimity though one may benefit or not benefit or one may be happy or unhappy with these.(Putthassa loka dhammehi:chiithang yassana kampathi:Buddha)
A Negro happens to be the new US president.Earlier they were slaves ,regarded as sub humans were sold and auctioned like livestock.The attitude was reflected even in works of intellectuals like Mark Twain.
Karuna is heavily guarded by police and whisked around Colombo roads.He is supposed to have killed six hundred policemen.We have not killed any one but have to wait and make way for Karuna.
In 1956 we had English letters in vehicle number plates.We switched over to Sinhala letter "Sri".The cars with English letter number plates dropped the market value as people were clamouring for vehicles with "Sri" number plates.Just the reverse has happened.Now if your vehicle does not have English number plates you find it difficult to sell it. How correct was Buddha when he said "Lujjati palujjathi loko". In 1960 s Poya was the weekly holiday.Weekend was Poya and pre Poya.We planned all over nefarious activities for the Poya day!
If you read Stephen Hawking, the crippled Nobel laureate the Universe is now expanding after the big bang (lujjathi).It will get sucked in and annihilate forming a black hole.(palujjathi) This cycle lasts millions of years.Human menstrual cycle lasts one lunar month. Human sexual cycle consisting of a refractory period, excitation ,plateau phase,orgasm,resolution and back to refractory period is similar.This has wide variation from human to human and in the same human in different stages of life.It is similar in both sexes though some women have multiple orgasms in a single sexual encounter.As one grows older the refractory period between activity become longer , but the cycle exists.
When a thought forms ,according to Buddha. "I' and the "world" forms.This undergoes annihilation during not after formation. It is a cycle.But "me" and "world" never forms.It is a cycle that involves zero time.Thus "me" and "world" are illusions.So is time. Lujjjathi palujjathi loko !
Look at it with equianimity. Otherwise "dhukka" props up ,like when you get annoyed when police stops your car for Karuna to pass or when you find it difficult to sell your car because there are no English letters in the number plates "Puttthassa loka dhammehi: Chittang yassana kampthi" ! Ekhart Tolle the modern non religious spritual teacher this attitude is called"surrendering" a quality in a courageous mind.

2008-11-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

THE POLICE CONSTABLE

One afternoon I was walking towards my parked car.A shabbily clad man came riding a ramshackle rusty bicycle and had a fall on the center of the road.Some things that he was carrying in a plastic shopping bag were scattered all over the road.The contents were a couple of ash plantains,brinjals,about 100 grammes of green chillies ,two limes some and onions etc. Obviously it was a poor man after his marketing.
The snarling traffic was about to run over the man the cycle and his belongings.A police constable who was on duty on the side of the road came foreword ,stopped the traffic till the the man picked up the things got into the cycle and pedalled away.The drivers were grudgingly waiting cursing the police constable. If not for the policeman ,they could have whizzed passing crushing the poor mans onions ,brinjals and chillies.When the policeman came back to the roadside I told him"Hunga kalekin ralahami kenek gowravaneeya dutiyak karanawa dekka" (After a longtime I saw a policeman performing an honourable task) What I meant was every after seeing police tear gassing students,Buddhist priests and chasing poor civilians from the road when VIP motorcades were arriving,I saw something different.He looked at me in my eyes and smiled.
He is on duty on that place every day .When I pass the place he identifies my car among hundreds of cars an smiles at me.I smile back.I don't know anything about him except that he is policeman.I am not interested in finding out either.He does not know who I am.Yet for all we have built up a relationship.We have a common interest.We genuinely love people around us

2008-11-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

SECONDHAND MEDICAL ADVICE

This is a very dangerous trend in Sri Lanka.People quote the advice given to them to other sick people and try to make them to follow them.Some ask others as to what advice they were given and take action making use of them.
Medical advice has no secondhand market,just like a tooth brush or if I may put it in a crude manner ,like a condom.It is strictly on one to one basis.
Each person is unique.Though several people will have the same condition, severity of the condition may vary.Same condition is treated differently at different ages.Some people may have other coexisting diseases.Treatment of many diseases are highly modified during pregnancy.
Be careful of recirculated medical advice.

2008-10-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

BUDDHAS TEACHING DETERIORATING INTO A RELIGION

Buddha himself declared that his teaching is profound and brief and that no such teaching has ever being taught.(pubbe ananusuthesu dahamma).Attempts were made to mutilate his teaching even when he was alive by bhikkus like Devadthta, Sunakkantha and Saathi.Brahamins said that buddha was insane (ummaththko samano gothamo)According to Maha Parinibbana Sutththa Buddha expressed his fears to Mahakassapa thero, about the likelihood doctrine being mutilated after his death.

The salient features in his teaching are

The feeling of "ego" (that I exist) ,the world and time are illusions.

These illusions are the cause of all suffering.

The cause of illusion is ignorance.(avidhya)

As long as the ignorance is there , there will be illusion(Imasming sathi idam hotthi) and therefore suffering

The way out is radical contemplation (yathabutha gnana dassana).That is one has to be always aware that these are illusions and has to be anlysing ones mind accordingly.This will help one to acquire mundane wisdom or enlightment.(virajan veethamalalan yathabhutha ganadassanam suvusuddan ahosi) .This can be done when one is engaged in ones day to day activities.One has to focus attention on ones mind.(pacchupanatha ye dhamma :thaththa thaththa vipassathi: Baddekaraththa suththa:Majjima nikaya)

What is being done is :

Erection of huge statues and dagabas,wasting physical resources.

Singing and chanting.

Worshipping trees.

Making wows and wishes.

Organising pageants.

These are not buddhas teachings.

2008-10-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

WHERE IS NIBBANA?

" May he/she attain nibbana!" most appreciations in press about Buddhists end with this.My patients some time tell me that she attained menopause six months back. Some think that nibbana is a world where people live for ever with no bother.Nibbana is a non enjoyable(avedaitha sukkha) according to buddha.Only buddhism has the concept of non enjoyable pleasure. The final goal of Buddhists is Nibbana.Having a goal hardly understood is not appropriate.

One cannot attain nibbana.He must realise that it is there when it is there.It is all over and exists universally.According to Christians God is omnipresent. So is nibbana.In fact that is the only thing that is there in the universe.We do not see it because we cannot identify it.The being forms only with a thought.If "you" look at a orange the eye cannot show "you" a orange.An image forms in the retina of the eye and disappears with an infinity rapid speed.With new rays of light coming repeated images are formed.The mind has to come forward.A symbolic eye has to form in mind to make you feel that one constant image is there.The mind has to come forward and inform you it is a orange.This is a "sanna" .Mind you ,this is not absolute information.Someone has told you down the line that things like what "you" see is an Orange.This is editing or sankara.Now your orange impinges on a symbolic eye.This is contact (passa) The orange is mental image and so is the symbolic eye.Thus contact is a non entity.But this non entity creates "feeling"
(Vedana) which has to be a non entity.You become conscious of your seeing an orange. (vinnana) The mental image (rupa) feeling (vedana)
identifying (sanna) editing the identity (sankkhara) and consciousness (vinnana) are known as five skandhas.
At the same time you form a symbolic tongue in your mind and recall the taste of the orange.You form a symbolic body in your mind and recall the feel of the orange.You form a symbolic nose in the mind and recall the smell of the orange.You form a symbolic ear and hear the word orange.Five "skandhas" appear in all six mind bases eye ear ,nose ,tongue body and mind.Thse are called ayathana.This is the formation of the being.(Aythanan patilabho skandam paathubhawao thatho nidanam purisang)But when one happens other is over.Thus the thought is never formed.The being is never formed .There is no one to die or suffer !If you accept formation of a being then there is some body to suffer and die.Why does the being form in the mind? It is because of ignorance (avidya)The knowledge that the thought is never formed and therefore neither I nor the world exists is nibbana.But one has to experience this beyond doubt (pacchattan vedithabbo).
This knowledge is worldly wisdom (lokoththara pragna).The moment this gets converted to mundane knowledge (lokoththara pragna)
you have become enlightened.If one is mindful enough to keep contemplating this thought by thought and goes on rejecting the thought,therefore the world and therefore"me" he will become enlightened sooner or later.Once a person is enlightned there will not be any obvious difference in that person from others except his attitude which is " the truth".

2008-10-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

BUDDHA AND ECKHART TOLLE

Many "Budhists" will get offended with me comparing Buddha with a "layman".I do not feel guilty in doing so.Humble nature of Buddha was beyond our imagination.His tea hing shows no reason at all not to be humble.
But Buddha did not answer 10 questions of Aggi Watctchgoththa regarding world and the being.That is not pride.The reason was,the questions were irrelevant.Buddhas teaching does not refer to the world and the being.To keep mum was one technique Buddha used to impart knowledge.
Both Buddha and Tolle agree that "ego" is a mind made non entity.It is the cause of all suffering.Buddha refers to it as "sakkaya dhitthi".According to Buddha and Tolle past and future are non existent.The mind identifies one self from past and projects into future to seek salvation.In doing this the mind ignores the present which is the only thing that exists.Tolles teaching is to keep the mind in the present moment.Buddha calls this "stathi"A basic difference Tolle says present moment exists but but Buddha denies this too.Buddha boils down every thing to voidnes (shunyatha) and that whole thing is mind work (ciththena eka dhamassa) When ego is non existent what exists is termed 'being" 'presence" "essence""whole" and "formless dimension" by Tolle at different times.
Buddha has said that words are inadequate to teach dhamma and arguments will be useless to understand dhamma (atakkawachara)Perhaps Buddha used "asankahtha" ( non formed") or nibbana for what Tolle uses so many nouns and adjectives to explain.
Buddhas teaching is in universe things undergo annihilation so fast and even his teaching cannot exist and that all his teaching is a temporary measure to help people seeking enlightenment.Teaching and the teacher is to be discarded (will be automatically discarded )once enlightenment is achieved (Alagaddupama sutta: Majjima Nikaya 1).He says "ehi passiko" Look from 'my' dimension and "pacchattam vedithabbo" reailse for "your self"!