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| Sunday, 19 May 2002 |
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Reliving the experience of great characters Greatest & The Great Author - Waga Nimal Karunarathne Translated by Padma Edirisinghe Printed by M.D. Gunasena Co. (Printers) Ltd. Priced at Rs. 250 It was ANADA NADA, the original Sinhala work of this book, by Waga Nimal Karunarathne that I first read. Now reading the English translation of the book aptly titled GREATEST & THE GREAT I felt that I was reliving the experience of reading a book with a very novel approach to two great characters, The Buddha and Ananda Thera. Here were two characters, almost deified down the ages due to their innate goodness and immeasurable service to humanity. But Waga Nimal Karunarathne sees them in a completely new light, as two humans who as age advances on them get subject to disease and decay as any normal human being. Before delving into this aspect it is fitting to explore into the methods the author has employed to collect all the treasure house of knowledge about the Greatest & the Great. He has not only painstakingly waded into that vast ocean of Tripitaka literature but has travelled widely in India following the trails of Buddha and Ananda Thera and collecting first hand knowledge. He had trekked along the banks of Rohini Ganga and seen Sama island with his own eyes. This was where the Buddha mediated between the Shakyans and Koliyans when they had erupted into a fierce battle over the Rohini Ganga waters. The village where the Sadol lass falls in love with Ananda Thera, he has lodged in and on to Kushinara along the banks of Achirawathi he has loitered to and fro. The entire novel is based on incidents and episodes mentioned in the Pali Canon. Ananda Thera was the personal attendant of The Buddha but the character built by the author contradicts the traditional character of this great disciple. It is apparent that the author has veered more towards the latter stages of the lives of both Buddha and Ananda. The aim here is to focus attention on the decay slowly entering their bodies that neither try to ward off by supernatural powers. One gets extremely moved by the bathing scene of The Buddha, bathing in the river just days before His Parinibbana. The author had been bold enough here to portray the Thathagatha who caused a mental revolution in the world as a mischievous boy re-living his boyhood and splashing in the river waters despite advice by his juniors. The author has also devoted a considerable segment of attention to the role played by Maha Prajapathi and Yosodara in the initiation of the Meheni Sasna ( Buddhist nuns order). Attention paid to many female characters show the author's deep sensitivity to issues affecting females. Translator, Mrs. Padma Edirisinghe, well known for her English writing in the press has done credit to the original book by an almost flawless work. By a very careful selection of apt English words she has created the correct religious atmosphere. In conclusion I may say that books like this would go a long way to popularize Buddhism in the West that has a mental ethos more scientifically inclined than the East. They would certainly appreciate a religious leader minus the trappings and tinsel of a deified human. Prof. Nandasena Rathnapala |
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