Unless we call a spade a spade

Finding cure for
AIDS, Ebola and or cancer
Would be like climbing an ant’s hill
Compared to
Finding cure for
Hypocrisy, which is of Himalayan proportion.

Nalanda, Bamiyan, WTC
Sydney and Peshawar too
Sadly have joined the list now.

The list getting longer
And no cure in sight
At least a respite?
Unless we call a spade a spade
And take the bull by the horns.

What Makes Living Interesting.

Favorite stuffs on mobile devices

Headsets on and lost to the world

Missing out on the birds chirping

Rustling of leaves in the wind

Child’s laugher or

Chiming of distant bells.



Detail plans

First is more elaborate than the other

Assuming always

If A fails

Then B would take over instantly.



Efforts to be in Control

Trying to vet everything

And every time

Takes the fun out of living.



Life is a gift

Something to be enjoyed un-vetted

Unwrap it and be amazed

Not knowing what’s in there

Makes living interesting.

මාරලන්තය !

ගුරුතුමි - හා කියමු බලන්ඩ හමුදාපති කෙනේක් නැතුව යුද්දයක් කරලා දිනපු එකම රට මොකක්ද කියල?

ළමයා - මිස් ඇමරිකාව,

ළමයා - මිස් රුසියාව,

ළමයා - මිස් චිනේ වත් ද ?

ගුරුතුමිය - ඔලුගෙඩිය ..... මේ ළමයින්ට මෙච්චර ඉක්මනට අතීතේ අමතක හැටි.

මතකනැද්ද අර කොටි කියලා බයවෙලා හිටපු පුස්පැටවු ටිකට මොකද උනේ කියලා.

කෝ දැන් මීක් කියලා සද්දයක් තියෙනවද.

ඔය ඉන්නේ හොදට රජ සැප පිට කිරි බිබී.

කෝ ඒ කාලේ හමුදාපතියෙක් හිටියේත් නැහැ නමුත් යුද්දේත් කම්මුතුයි නේ?

ළමයිනේ මතක තියාගත්තොත් හොඳයි ..... 

මේ රට කියන්නේ තමයි "මාරලන්තය".

Are We Ready ?

Are We Ready

The above was written a long time ago and there is a likely big political change is on the card soon.

Are we ready for this change?

Missed Opportunity ?

A few years ago at the annual book fair at BMICH, I saw a small girl browsing through lots of books and finally settled for a translation of one the famous Russian writers of yesteryears.

She turned to her parents with pleading eyes.

Mumbling something to her ears, parents put the book back down gently on the heap and ushered the pleading girl away from the counters.

I asked my wife, “Should I give her some money or buy her that book”?

“Do not embarrass the family and they may not even like it”, my wife warned me.

To Sir with Love ( My version ).

A few senior boys and their thugs stormed into the school during interval/recess time to beat up a classmate, when we were in grade 10.

We did not say nor do anything to avert but watched in shock as we did not know what to do.

The chemistry subject was the period immediately after the break and as the master entered the class, we knew that he was not in a mood to teach.

He was silent for some time and we waited for him to say something.

Then he asked all of us a very simple question.

"What kind of young men are you, watching your fellow student being beaten up by thugs on the school premises and doing nothing?"

There was no chemistry lesson that afternoon and some enjoyed the break but a few started pondering the incident seriously.

Having enjoyed success the previous day, the seniors and thugs revisited during the interval with the idea of bashing the poor fellow up a little more.

What happened thereafter is well known in the school history and that was the last time we had thugs visiting school or seniors flexing their muscles.

The chemistry master came to class grinning from ear to ear after the interval that day.

Recently, we had an old teacher’s felicitation ceremony but sadly he could not be invited for obvious reasons.

The value of unity and standing up against injustice were two lessons we learned from that great Chemistry master.

(May our old Chemistry master attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana).

What have they been trying to stifle for centuries?

What hopes can we have
What inspirations can we get
From the message and belief,
If innocent aid workers
And journalists
Are being killed in cold blood
To protect the message?

What are they so afraid of now?
And what have they been trying to stifle for centuries?

Freedom of expression
Or the desire of living beings
To have something better
Than their prevailing conditions.

I count my blessings today
Because I was born a Buddhist
And exposed early to Buddha’s teaching,
Especially the Kalama Sutra.

Kalama Sutra set me free
And it can set anyone free.

When someone resorts to cold blooded killing of his own people . . . !

When you resort to cold blooded killing of your own people, while crying at the top of your voice for the world to hear, “ My neighbour is killing my people ”, it does sound bigotry to me.

Sadly, today this world is full of such bigotries.

Next Windfall

Human feces and snakes were all I dreamt last night,

Elders say those are good signs,

Just before a windfall of some sort to come,

Many have seen them in their dreams,

What would be my next windfall?

What Have We Learned ?

We were at each other’s throats 100 years ago,

Two fissions and two cities obliterated,

And almost annihilated the population 69 years ago.

Vietnam, Cambodia and Rwanda a few decades back,

Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria are still burning,

And not forgetting Gaza.

We go for other’s throats

When more than half of the population is looking for something to eat,

To quell their hunger.

Nuremberg trials and international court of justice,

United Nations.

What have we learned from history?

Just to shake hands and issue flamboyant press releases

In front of 1000 flashing bulbs and

Nothing.

Blind hunger for a Degree of some sort

Blind hunger for a Degree of some sort,
Irrespective of whether the much needed grey matter
Perseverance, discipline and or endurance
Are there or not, is something sad to watch.

Fly by night Colleges and Universities
Springing up at every street corner is fuelling the frenzy
Making everyone want to hold something
Whether the capacity is there or not.

Engage society in a useful manner
Not always endorsing everything.
Encourage intellectual rivalry
Stop following trends, and be different.

One may end up sans a hood or a cloak
Few photographs to adorn the walls
At the end of the day.

But when push comes to shove
Degrees earned in such a manner
Will hold their ground better
Than the ones bought cheap on street corners.

Decency is the Bone Marrow of Society

Decency is what, our parents taught us
While we were growing up
It should be in every man’s bones
Like You & Me
Resting in our marrows.

Decency is the bone marrow
Of living society.

Marrow starts a war as and when
The defence of the body is breached
Kills and destroys the harmful
Invaders.

Decency should work the same way
What marrow does for the body.

As and when society is threatened
By indecent invasions
Do not wait for others to cast the first stone
Or to fire the first salvo.

Let decency
Our parents taught us
Let decency
Imbedded in our bones
Come to rescue and save society of
Becoming indecent, insensitive and intolerant.

Decency is the bone marrow
Of society.

Decency is what, our parents  taught us
While we were growing up.

Minority Moderates among Hypocrite Majority ?

Clad in a saffron outfit does not make one a Buddhist monk automatically. 

Ordination is just a Ceremony of affirmation and having ordination too does not make anyone a Buddhist monk automatically either. 

There is a clear path to be followed, if one needs to be really qualified to be a Buddhist monk. That is to follow the path of a Bodhisattva. 

A Bodhisattva is a person who devotes his or her life to the Buddhist way. 

The vows focus on doing compassionate deeds, striving to benefit every human being and seeking enlightenment. 

Not setting fire and or pelting others’ places of worship. 

Then you become a hooligan and or a murderer than a monk. 

The saffron outfit will not protect such people. 

During the recent incidents in the South of Sri Lanka, I see the Social media was awash with many postings, some in favour and some against for the actions of hooligans in saffron outfits. Among the Against lot, I found an interesting number of Buddhists along with people from the community that was affected. 

I understand the mindset of those who were affected but what were the Buddhists among them were thinking, I was pondering. 

They call themselves the Moderate Buddhists. 

Then the next question sprang into my mind was, where were the Moderates people of other faiths. 

I did not see anyone crying foul when the Buddhist shrines in the East of Sri Lanka were vandalized by bulldozers or the Tigers Flag was taken to the Vatican a few years back. 

Are only Buddhists moderate? 

If so, why I wonder.

Are Only Buddhists In Sri Lanka Moderate ?

Clad in a saffron outfit does not make one a Buddhist monk automatically. 

Ordination is just a Ceremony of affirmation and having ordination too does not make anyone a Buddhist monk automatically either. 

There is a clear path to be followed, if one needs to be really qualified to be a Buddhist monk. That is to follow the path of a Bodhisattva. 

A Bodhisattva is a person who devotes his or her life to the Buddhist way. 

The vows focus on doing compassionate deeds, striving to benefit every human being and seeking enlightenment. 

Not setting fire and or pelting others’ places of worship. 

Then you become a hooligan and or a murderer than a monk. 

The saffron outfit will not protect such people. 

During the recent incidents in the South of Sri Lanka, I see the Social media was awash with many postings, some in favour and some against for the actions of hooligans in saffron outfits.

Among the Against lot, I found an interesting number of Buddhists along with people from the community that was affected. 

I understand the mindset of those who were affected but what were the Buddhists among them were thinking, I was pondering.

They call themselves the Moderate Buddhists. 

Then the next question sprang into my mind was, where were the Moderate people of other faiths. 

I did not see anyone crying foul when the Buddhist shrines in the East of Sri Lanka were vandalized by bulldozers or the Tigers Flag was taken to the Vatican a few years back. 

Are only Buddhists moderate? 

If so, why I wonder.

Should Sri Lanka have Blasphemy Laws?

Should Sri Lanka have Blasphemy Laws?

Such laws are already in existence in many parts of the World.

Should Sri Lanka have religious police too?

Such institutes too are already in existence in many parts of the World.

Then again you have to ask yourself two important questions.

The first one is to protect what, such laws are needed now.

The second one is who will oversee the implementation and execution of the laws to the last letter in a fair manner.

Thinking aloud on social media, like most of us do these days will not take any of us anywhere unless we find the right answers to those two very important questions?

Have a dialogue with yourself first, before venturing in to start  " thinking loud " on social media platforms. 😓

Happy Father's Day !

A text message received from my daughter on the Father's Day celebrations made me think of you.

How do I start was my dilemma?

You were a man of few words.

I got more of your physical appearance than my other siblings but the quality of a few words, I was not endowed with.

The younger brother has received it from you and you know God has very mysterious ways of working and assembling things around.

You showed us the length and the breadth of the country by taking us to various places during school vacation times but I knew that your world was just confined to within our shores only then.

But you showed us the World in a different way by introducing and encouraging us to read at a very early age.

That way you managed to take us far beyond your physically confined shores.

I still remember that every week you used to bring at least two books from the Office Library and we were on them like the vultures on a carcass.

That early induction to reading made us wanted more and to “Think freely”.

And we know now that, it was what you wanted us to acquire then.

Though Your other message, though conveyed in a very subtle way, not in very words was “Never come home get beaten up by someone else on the street”.

“Beat the hell out of anyone and come home victorious and I will defend you to the last tooth”.

Those two messages “Think Freely” & “Never come home get Beaten up by someone else” came in real handy in our later lives but I do not think that none of us got around telling you that how much we were benefitted from those two messages.

At least now we have such celebrations like “Father's Day”, which we have never heard of when we were growing up, gives us an opportunity to at least say “Thank You තාත්තේ (Father)!” even it is a few years too late now.

We would be eternally grateful to you.

Yours loving

පොඩි පුතා (The Black sheep in the family).

Short-lived Euphoria of the Ostentation

Every street corner has now been turned into a place of worship by some object worshiping idiots by placing some objects of their fancy.

The next thing you realize is the blaring noise coming from there, day and night, disturbing the peace around and polluting with singing chanting and preaching etc.

Then what follows is more encroachments and useless expenditure on face-lifting decorations.

The whole country is now being turned into a religious frenzy den.

But the euphoria of the ostentation is short-lived when one switches on the Television News Channels.

Robbing, muggings, raping and killings are galore.

Where have those teachings gone, I wonder?

Should Buddhists be Alarmed ?

Like everyone else, authorities too sometimes take decisions, not basing their mind but heart.

The important thing to look for on such occasions is to look for the intention behind such decision and if the intention is right, then no one should be blamed unfairly.

Recent deportation of a British woman from Sri Lanka, simply because she had a Buddha Tattooed on her arm is getting so much attention especially in the social media sites.

Most posters, post things in some way related to this incident without expressing their true intention of posting such postings or expressing their true stand on this issue.

If you ask me what my position on the deportation of that woman, I say it was a foolish decision.

Some years back, a pop singer was denied entry because the local authorities feared his behaviour towards the most revered figure of more than 70 % of the people in the land amounting to nothing but disrespectful and allowing such a figure into the land could create chaos.

In democracies, the popular sentiment has a bigger say, but not necessarily it will be right.

When Glenn Hoddle made a remark linking past Karma to those who are suffering from challenging deformities, he was forced out of his position by the mass outcry.

Where was the Freedom of speech and or the non religious discrimination then, people are so fond of talking in some parts of the world?

If you are a true believer of Buddha’s doctrine, then one should not be alarmed on such things as nothing is permanent and all come, stay a little and then disappear.

Although it is numbered over 70 %, most are just affectionate believers than those who have really understood the doctrine.

Therefore, anticipating likely backlash cannot be avoided and the authorities reacting before such a thing is intentional-wise a good decision.

The true meaning of Buddha is the “Enlightened One” and not necessarily has to be associated with the Buddhism only.

But Buddhists too have a reason to be concerned because it is always that their most revered figure is being used to decorate Bars, slippers, underwear etc but not any other religious figure or icon and all those disrespectful gestures and creations are coming from one quarter only.

What are their intentions, one could not help asking and naturally Buddhists too have to be alarmed and be on guard as well.

King Sasanka.

What are we really Celebrating now ?

What are we celebrating?
Can someone tell me, please?

Per Capita income is less than the US $ 2000
Not even 3% of the GDP is invested in
Neither Education nor health.

Spend more than SLR 100 Million a day
Just to glorify one person only
Corruption is endemic
And we are at the bottom end of the list
With Sudan and Afghanistan etc.

Winning T20 is not worth celebrating
I will join the crowds on the streets
Only when we beat Sweden and Singapore
In the list of least corrupt nations or
Invest at least 6% of the GDP in education and health
Limit spending to glorify one person
And uplift the Per Capita Income
At least to the US $ 5000.

Those are worth Celebrating and not just a T20 win
And who will remember it in a few weeks' time
What are we celebrating?
Can someone tell me, please?

(My political ranting).

Female Cricketers of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Cricketers (both Male & female) flew out recently to take part in the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

The Male Cricketers were all in their suits and were escorted to one of the premier lounges in the Transit area.

The Females were given a shabby Blue T-shirt and were allowed to wander around.

Do they represent a different country and why there is such obvious mistreatment for the female cricketers?

Need Peace & Quiteness More.

My first ever overseas trip was made a couple of decades ago and during that trip I visited a friend of mine in Paris, who was staying just a stone’s throw away from the famous "Arch of the Triumph".

As I entered the building he was staying, something posted at the entrance caught my attention, though my French was no better then, than now.

It said “NO PETS, NO CHILDREN & NO LOUD MUSIC”.

When I asked why such conditions, my friend explained that many staying in that building were professionals who, after busy day at work did not like to be distracted during their private times.

It was little confusing for me to grapple this idea and get some sense out of this novel arrangement.

Later, I came to know that it was not a novel idea only found in France but something many eagerly have embraced all throughout the Europe and in North America then.

The whole building was surprisingly quiet and ideal retreat for meditating monks even, I thought then.

After spending a few years in the accommodation provided by the company, I moved out to find a place of my choice.

And I was lucky to get something similar to what I had in mind and up until recently I was enjoying my stay in the flat.

Unfortunately, a few months back some families with kids moved in to the building and ever since than, the quiet building was turned in to a hell hole by the kids who do all their activities either in the hallway or on the stairs than in their own houses.

I have seen the destructive powers of misguided youth but hitherto have not seen such destructive powers of kids who have just started schooling.

As for their parents, they are too busy trying to making more and more money and no time left to invest on their own kids and the building owner needs the rent at the end of each month only.

Now I am thinking how wonderful it would be, if we too can have the same sort of arrangements that I have witnessed a couple of decades ago in Paris, somewhere in Oman as well for two reasons.

The number one and the most important thing is, I prefer quietness more than anything else and the second is because I do not want the additional responsibility of disciplining neighbour’s kids.

That primal responsibility of disciplining kids should be with the parents.

I sincerely hope that some building owners who are reading this would seriously consider bringing such changes soon in Oman as well.

Simple economic says that if there is a Demand, there is a Market too.

All we need is a quiet place to come back to after a very demanding and sometimes stressful day’s work and many like me, I am sure will be willing to pay a premium price to have such a luxury.

Over to you building owners, if you are listening!

Why India afraid of Sri Lankans ?

I was flabbergasted to read following when I accidentally came across following headlines in one of the local newspapers recently.

1. .     With tourists in mind, India relaxes visa norms,
2.        Protest after Manipur girl is raped in Delhi,
3.       Court orders arrest of ex-health minister in sexual assault case,
4. .     Kejriwal to “go to any extent” for Lokpal bill,
5.       Devyani seeks dismissal of visa fraud case in US court.

Needless to say,as a Sri Lankan, I was aghast to learn that we are not so welcomed in India as we are not included from the list of 180 countries that have been granted relaxed visa facility.

I am equally amazed as to why are they (Indians) so afraid of Sri Lankans, 

1. where women are being raped in broad day light in their capital city; 
2. fraudsters are being given diplomatic immunity to carry on with their nefarious activities etc etc are daily occurrence in that land.  

Given their track records, I believe that Sri Lanka should be the one to be on the defensive, not the Indians.