𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒍 ( දුක් ගන්නා රාළ )

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?

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.

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...

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 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.

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?

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.