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| Sunday, 17 November 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Anagarika Dharmapala's life story My Life Story "Mage Jivita Katava" (my life story) is the latest addition to biographical literature.
After assuming duties as Editor-in-Chief of the "Sinhala Bauddhaya", which Anagarika Dharmapala started in May 1906 as a weekly Buddhist publication, Jayawardana had enjoyed the good fortune of excavating many a treasure which had been buried in the sands of time unheard and unnoticed for several decades. With a plethora of documents - newspaper journals, books, Dharmapala Diaries, letters addressed to numerous people in hand, Jayawardana finally had the privilege of reading the Sinhala translation of the "Return To Righteousness" written by Dr. Ananda Guruge which contained the unfinished autobiography of Anagarika Dharmapala. Unfortunately, he passed away in April 29, 1933 after writing Chapter One of the book. Reading this unfinished autobiography gave a shot in the arm for Jayawardana who read and re-read many a work he came across on Dharmapala, written by various writers - such as the Venerable Ganegama Saranankara and K. B. Sugatadasa and a huge collection of letters of Anagarika himself and his weekly contribution to "Sinhala Bauddhaya." 'Mage Jivita Katava' is the result of the painstaking and laborious endeavours of Lakshman Jayawardana. Dharmapala proudly claims to be a descendent of a Sinhala paramparava which has an unbroken Buddhist lineage for two thousand two hundred years in the very first paragraph of the autobiography. Dharmapala's description of his ancestral house where he was born on September 17, 1864 in the Buddhist era of 2408, is really melodious in its composition. Dharmapala's family were ardent Buddhist. The house resembled a model Buddhist home. His mother's devotion to Dhamma made him recite suttas and gathas regularly. Mother thanked the son with a gift parcel of sweets. He loved his mother most profoundly. Evan in the playing field, he wished that his mother may attain Nibbana in the time of the future Buddha. His father always advocated that one's personal emancipation rests in oneself. Father's fivefold advice to the son was: you may eat anything you like; but don't over sleep. Don't beg like the blind; do not believe anything at once without thinking and examining. You must learn yourself. The whole family observed Ata Sil on Pasalosvaka poya days. For full twenty four hours, the poya day is spent in bhavana, recital of sutta, reading of Jataka stories and commentaries. The pavarana takes place the following morning - after one full day, narrates Dharmapala his youthful life in the parental home. Referring to his student days, he recalls that he was admitted to an English school as an infant. This school was set up for the benefit of Burgher girls in Pitakotuva - which is erroneously called Pettah by the aliens who failed to grasp the word Pita-Kotuva and only could say 'Pita' which later came to be called 'Pettah.' The new name was aped by the locals for whom many things said and done by the suddas they thought to be super. Later he was admitted to Saint Mary's - a Roman Catholic School where his teacher was a Roman Catholic ethnic Moor. He recollects of a visit to the school by Catholic Bishop Hillarian Seilani. "The Bishop asked me to kiss the ring he was wearing on his finger. I had to kneel down before him. I do not know why he asked me to do so. I obeyed his command and did all that he asked me to do. When I knelt down, he stretched his hand towards me for me to kiss his finger. I was too tender to refuse his command or ask him why I should kiss the finger." A few days later I left Saint Mary's school and went to a Sinhala school. "I learnt my first lesson in this school after offering a sheaf of betel and worshipping the teacher following the real traditional Sinhala custom. During the two years of my studies at this Sinhala school all that I acquired and learnt are noble and invaluable. Education I received here stood in good stead in my later years." His two years in the Sinhala school laid a solid foundation to be a patriotic Sinhala Buddhist. Dharmapala recounts his school life in several Christian and Roman Catholic schools and ponders why his staunch Sinhala Buddhist parents chose to send him to Catholic schools? The reason was that the British Government had forcibly closed all Buddhist schools since the seat of education in the town and the village was the Pansala. The British had appointed a Commission to investigate the educational system prevailing in the Buddhist Temple. The Commission's finding was that the children had inherited traditional cultural patterns of the Sinhala Buddhist society. After 1870 the Sinhala children had to obtain religious education only from their parents at home. Besides religious knowledge, the Sinhala Buddhists could not obtain even non-religious education since the Government failed to open sufficient schools to cater to the needs of the local people. This situation provided a fine opportunity to Christian Missionaries who took the full advantage and established Christian Schools like mushrooms everywhere in the country. The Sinhala Buddhists, helpless and battered by the British from all sides, had no alternative whatsoever, other than sending their children to Christian missionary schools. "Like many other Buddhists of that generation my parents too had to select either a state school or a missionary school," Dharmapala says. The chapter on his student-days in Christian schools is a barometer of the sad and woeful state of affairs that prevailed during the ignominious British period in this Buddhist country. The British left no stone unturned to baptise the Buddhists to their faith. Coercive conversions, forced evangelism, closure of Buddhist Temple schools, denial of the rightful place of the Bhikkhus are some of the wicked and villainous deeds of the British who preyed on the poverty of the people like vultures. Before long, Dharmapala bade goodbye to school-studies and joined Colonel Henry Steel Olcott as translator - English into Sinhala and Sinhala into English - that provided an excellent rapport between the English educated American and the non English speaking Sinhala villager. Before long, he threw away bell, book and candle the Anglo-Portuguese nomenclature - Don David - and took the oriental name, Dharmapala. Renouncing household life, he became Anagarika - the homeless. His autobiography "Mage Jivita Katava" is partly the sordid double dealing of the British whose divide and rule policy still seems to be haunting certain minds. Many Sri Lankans, Indians, Europeans and Americans have written books on Anagarika Dharmapala in different languages - Sinhala, Hindi, Bengali and English. These include his collection of writings and selection of speeches. This is the first time his life story has been compiled and published. Lakshman Jayawardana, a veteran Journalist who had worked in the "Dinamina", "Daily News", "Janata" in Lake House and the "Lankadipa" in the Wijeya Publications and currently working as the Editor-in-Chief of the "Sinhala Bauddhaya", the weekly Sinhala Buddhist paper which Anagarika Dharmapala started in 1906, has done the Buddhist world proud in bringing out the Autobiography of this Buddhist colossus of modern times. All these long years the world was starving without being able to learn at first hand what manner of man Anagarika Dharmapala was. Now, the reader can judge him by reading about him in his own words. Jayawardana has spared no pains in neatly and orderly arranging the life story of Anagarika Dharmapala from his birth 1864 in Colombo, Sri Lanka as a princely child to his passing away in 1933 in Sarnath in India as Venerable Devamitta Dhammapala, through numerous letters, to parents, friends and the Bhikkhu - Sangha and well-wishers, newspaper articles, many academic journals, booklets and editorials and features in "Sinhala Bauddhaya", "The Mahabodhi" and "The Buddhist", the three publications he launched to propagate the message of peace and harmony and the civilised way of life shown by the Buddha. Jayawardana's successful endeavour is a rare achievement indeed. "Mage Jivita Katava" is printed and published by Dayawansa
Jayakody and Company, Maradana, Colombo 10. Best of Ray unadulterated Aganthukaya Saha Thawath Ketikatha Aganthukaya Saha Thawath Ketikatha is the Sinhala translation of Sathyajit Ray's The Guest and other stories. This is the first occasion the Sinhala reader is introduced to the world renowned film maker's short stories. Ray is known to most of us as a sensitive artist and Prasad Samarasekera's extremely careful translation brings the reader close to him. The original work was in Bengali and the Sinhala translation is based on Gopa Majumadar's English version. Ray has always looked at the agonies of human mind, in simple men, women and children. He depicts the nature of the world, reality, imagination and mystery when he dwells in the esteemed world of literature. Reading through Prasad's translation the reader is emotionally gripped by the characters and incidents. As told in a language close to us, in a realistic style not only in dialogue, even in the narrative he maintains a simple poetic flow. Aganthukaya comes to life in the eyes of a child's admiration of a guest, yet strongly suppressed by adults. The unknown uncle of 'Choto Seeya' opens a happy world for Montu and his friends. The adults are suspicious of this man claiming to be a distant relative. Montu understands the true man in the innocent eye of a child. At the end we find him to be a great traveller, writer, lavish in his heart. In opening the story Prasad uses simple words and short sentences and holds it clean to the end building up curiosity and anxiety. This story brings me the nostalgic memories of a Maupasant's short story where a boy meets a lost uncle in a boat and the family pretends not to know him. As Prasad notes in his introduction these works of Ray are full of story interest and woven in such a pattern that one will not hesitate to stop until one has completed reading the story. The first story in this collection Aganthukaya (The guest) was made into a full length film by Ray himself and presented at International film festivals. Many other short stories have been produced for television as short features and single episode dramas. The story Bhuto expresses the morals of life in a psychological context. It captures the mysteries of unknown in the conflict of two ventriloquists. The humanity emerging from the theme overpowers the surface quality of suspense and fear the narrative brings forth. Biththarayaka Kathawa, Anath Babuge Bheethiya and Anukul are stories that hold suspense to the end leaving the reader much to think. They also have the novelty of modern vision set back in traditional thinking. In a way, Gagan Chaudrige Chithragaraya. Le Wawula and Brown Mahathage Niwasa have a similarity in concept of the fear of unknown and mysteries of the universe. The subtle horror appears so realistic when the writer associates the realities of world outside with imagination and traditional beliefs. The creativity and aesthetic senses of the writer examining the human emotions and behaviour bring his unforgettable stories of life. Aganthukaya saha thawath ketikatha will open a new world of experience to readers. The use of language by Prasad is something remarkable. Its fluidity aesthetic beauty and expressiveness are essential tools in communication. Ray writes his stories sometimes whilst working on films and always during the free time between one film to the next. English translations of these stories are now popular in various parts of the world. Ray confesses that he enjoys a unique pleasure in writing short stories different to making films. A painter, music composer and world acclaimed film director is now introduced by Prasad Samarasekera to the Sinhala reader as a creative writer. - Chandana Silva The 'Customs' explainded Customs, as officers fronting the border movement of cargo and passengers play a pivotal role in the Gateway of Commerce of Sri Lanka, which is mostly dependent on its imports and exports trade that make a critical contribution to the economy. Last year the Customs collection to the coffers of the Treasury was Rs. 76 billion. On the other hand the avoidable demurrage cost to this sector has increased to Rs. 2 billion. There is hardly any referral books or research made to benefit user community belonging to various professional facets such as Customs house agents (clearing agents/customs brokers), freight forwarding agents, shipping agents, NVOCC operators, importers, exporters, manufacturers,investors, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, state officials, lawyers, policy planners, law reformers and their experiences often finding the customs being a law to themselves. In this context the publication of this book is very invaluable, timely and in fact a great trade facilitation step. This publication has 450 pages with the contents including 'The Customs Ordinance' with all amendments to date with notes and commentaries, judicial decisions, customs case laws, related legislation, proclamations, regulation, notifications and orders. |
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News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Compiled
and edited by veteran journalist Lakshman Jayawardana, one time Chairman
of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, "Mage Jivita Katava"
is the autobiography of the Anagarika Dharmapala, the crusader and
reformist of modern Lanka and Buddhist revivalist of modern India.
