Exposition of a difficult concept in Buddhism

Reviewed by R. S. Karunaratne

Nirvana Now, subtitled One Truth, Many Paths is an unusual book that deals with Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Yoga, Tantra and Viveka. The blurb appearing on the back page says, "Mahaguru - the world's top-notch yogi and Viveki - is the enlightened guide to millions of ordinary people around the world. Understandably, he is a man reviled by priests and politicians."

Many books have been written explaining how to attain Nirvana. Rarely do we come across a book which describes what Nirvana is. In this book the author has shed some light not only on how to attain Nirvana but also what Nirvana is. Yoga International News of London says the book is "a must read for the genuine spiritual seeker".

Author: Mahaguru Publisher: Buddhist Cultural Centre, Nedimala, Dehiwala

Mahaguru says, "There is a universal architecture of infinite elegance and logic from which all things animate and inanimate seem to have derived. It is called Nirvana. The official definition of Nirvana is, "It is a state of neither being nor not-being, a state where all wishes have been fulfilled.

This is in full agreement with the view of Nirvana held by Buddhists.

For instance, a person who attains Nirvana remains blissfully neutral among all opposites. Such a person will experience a great void and becomes a 'radiant light' that will not die. Nirvana in Sanskrit or Nibbana in Pali means "to blow out" the fire of human suffering.

Chapter 2 entitled "Nirvana according to the Jains" is both interesting and illuminating. According to the author, Buddhism and Jainism were accepted by the people as being not mere philosophies but religions.

These two systems became major spiritual forces in the world, mainly because they relied on self-salvation and had nothing to do with a creator God. The comparison of Buddhism and Jainism is noteworthy.

The author says that the word 'Nirvana' is derived from the old Indo-Aryan Sanskrit 'Nir' meaning 'out', joined with the root 'Va' meaning 'to blow'. Theravada Buddhists often give the example of blowing out a flame of light. The author's question is pertinent: "Then what would happen to the four-fold elements and the gases that made the flame, after it had been extinguished?"

Mahaguru has discussed the concept of Nirvana according to the Kundalini Yogis, the Tantrics and the Vivekis.

He seems to have done a lot of research into the subject. Some readers may not agree with his views which are unorthodox and intellectually challenging.

Whatever views he puts forward, Mahaguru has explained them logically.

If anybody wants to find the answers to the following questions: What is Nirvana? What happens to a person in Nirvana? What should one do to attain Nirvana? Nirvana Now is an ideal book to read.

How to live happily in retirement

Reviewed by Jagath Pieris

I was prompted to write a review of this book purely because of an experience I had with Visrama Suvaya.

I live in Washington and my parents who retired as Sinhala trained teachers in Sri Lanka now happen to live with me. On my last visit to Sri Lanka I was looking for some books to be brought to my parents who read only Sinhala and amidst the books I purchased was "Visrama Suvaya" by Dr. Nimal Sedera. I observed from his write-up that he too stays in Las Vegas now.

I was surprised in the interest taken by my parents in reading the book Visrama Suvaya. Especially my father commented that there is no such book written in Sri Lanka for the Sinhala readers. Both of them said that they were able to identify several problems they had in their retired lives through Dr. Nimal Sedera's book.

Their lives truly changed. Their daily routine changed. They became happier people.

They were not very happy staying away from home in Sri Lanka until such time they read this book. So much so, my wife calls it the miracle book. My father said when he had to retire and stop going to school he did not know how to handle time, the extra hours he has due to no work. There had been arguments between by mother and father due to this problem of not knowing what to do with their spare time.

Having read Visrama Suvaya my mother has begun to write her life experiences as a teacher. My father is plotting his life story and I have promised him that I will make arrangements to get it printed in Sri Lanka.

Both began to read the Sri Lanka newspapers through the internet which they never did before. This too keeps them occupied and they discuss the news and the articles they read in the daily Sinhala papers. Infact they relate us news of Sri Lanka as we hardly have time to read it.

They attributed all the change in their lives to Dr. Nimal Sedera's book Visrama Suvaya. They recommended the book to some of their retired friends in Sri Lanka, as well.

It is at this point I took this Sinhala book to my hands. I read a Sinhala book after several years and I am happy that my reading speed has not reduced so much. I am fifty-one and it is the first time I read a book related to retirement. I felt frightened that I have overlooked some key things in my life to enjoy a happy retirement. There had been some things that I should have begun to do to reach a successful retirement. Better late than never. Dr. Sedera's book is written in simple Sinhala and it has true life experiences discussed mainly of his family and parents. It makes the book interesting.

I contacted Dr. Sedera via the internet and was able to thank him for writing this book in Sinhala related to him and how this book has been helpful to my parents. It is at this point Dr. Sedera suggested to me to write the story so that he could send it to the press in Sri Lanka. I am sure that this is the best gift that can be given to anyone due to retire or to one already retired.

Vasidiya Bandun by Upul Senadhirige :

A rich poetic tapestry

Reviewed by Ranga Chandrarathne

Vasidiya Bandun, a collection of poetry by Upul Senadhirige is a seminal collection of poetry which sheds insights into the contemporary milieu. One of the prominent aspects of Senadhirige’s poetry is the cross allusions, ranging from world literature to the ancient Sinhalese classical literature.

It is obvious that the poet appreciates not only the Western classics but also great creations of paintings and music. This is, perhaps, resulted in his rich sub-texts in poetry with myriads of allusions. However, his forte seems to be in his ability to condense those multitudes of allusions to make them relevant in contemporary context.

At most of the times, they are social criticisms spreading over a large canvas of society with political connotations. Poet expresses sympathetic views about the victims of circumstances. For instance the poem entitled Prathirava Nanvunida Nube That.. (Do your strings echo...?), is about a street mandolin-player who plays his mandolin at the threshold of a tavern. It should be mentioned here that the plight of the mandolin-player in Sri Lanka is quite different to the plight of street mandolin-players in Europe. In a way the apt title of the poem sums up the plight of the street musician who leads a hand to mouth existence.

“Do your strings echo …?

You are not a dwarf of flower

Holding a lotus stick

A young musician holding a Veena

Like a guarding stone by the tavern door

Emanates from your mouth a melodious tone

The innermost agony of your soul

Does you, the minor singer desire

For a sip of wine

In the seclusion in the middle of the tavern

Search for the contours of a bubble

A clouds of smoke emanates

Through the gust of wind from the fans

Search for a poem on a weary face

A minor sign of a sad metre

Then heard a collection of Baila songs;

Eirin ,Joshopin and Magiline

…..

The rough teeth which had not felt

a touch of stick of brush

Faded cloths soaked in perspiration

Murky eyes with a grown up beard

The face like that of a clown

Touching on the broken strings of the mandolin

With a weary and aged face

Searching for the broken rhythm of life

Though the wet strings make a sound in the heart

Do the echo of your strings

Feel the strings of the Veena

In the heart of such men “

(Veena, a string instrument of music in the Indian traditional music)

Even in this poem, the poem alludes to Sinhalese classical literature. For instance, the poet refers to Padma Vamanaya or dwarf of flower who plays a Veena with a lotus stick. The crux of the poem is that people, who are engrossed in liquor and devilled meats, are not sensitive to the plight of the street singer who plays his broken rhythm of life. Through the use of apt metaphors and classical allusions, poet recreates an ambiance of a pub which is filled with smokes from the burning cigarettes and the mixed aroma of roasted meat served on plates.

In the poem ‘Sonduru Gamaka Peraliya’ (Transition of a pastoral village), the poet captures the socio-economic changes that had taken place in the village of Koggala where Sinhalese premier writer Martin Wickremasinghe was born. The village has changed over the years; now instead of a sleepy village that Martin Wickremasinghe portrayed in Gamperaliya, is a tourist designation with a host of hotels, motels and villas emerging from every nook and corner of the village. Generation of beach boys ‘guides’ with tattoo on their hands, inquire the visitors in German about their needs.

One of the prominent themes of the collection is politics and the poet expresses his views in no uncertain terms when he mentions that the change of Constitutions is like changing framed picture on a wall. The imposing pictures of different figures will change from time to time but the old wall will remain. Though there are faces similar to dictators such as Mussolini or Hitler, the poet questions will the day ever dawn when a picture similar to those of Martin Luther King or Gandhi hang on that wall.

“ …. Was there a face like those of Martin Luther king

or Gandhi hang on the wall? “

The title poem is a translation of Bob Dylan’s song ‘Buckets of Rain’.

"Buckets Of Rain"

Buckets of rain

Buckets of tears

Got all them buckets coming out of my ears

Buckets of moonbeams in my hand

You got all the love honey baby

I can stand.

I been meek

And hard like an oak

I seen pretty people disappear like smoke

Friends will arrive friends will disappear

If you want me honey baby

I'll be here.

I like your smile

……

-Bob Dylan “

It is important to compare the original song with the translation. In the Sinhalese translation, poet’s ability is amply manifested when he translated original English lyric into lucid Sinhala with a unique metre.

“

Buckets of rain

Buckets of tears

Got all them buckets coming out of my ears

Buckets of moonbeams in my hand

You got all the love honey baby

Vasidiya Badun

Thethi Kadulu badun

Vahe eka lesin

Thulin ma savan

Sada kan bandun

Ma athla matin

Siyaluma senekam

Madumathiya..!

Radenu ma langin “

One of the unique characteristic of an excellent translation is that the translation itself becomes an excellent piece of literature in the target language. The Sinhalese rendering of Bob Dylan’s lyric ‘Buckets of Rain’ manifests qualities such as originality and the poet’s forte is that he has used classical Sinhalese idiom in translating the English lyric into Sinhalese. For instance, the poet uses the world ‘ Madumathiya ‘ for the English world ‘honey baby’. If the poet has stuck to the word for word translations, a common practice among most of the Sri Lankan translators, Sinhalese poem would have been a mere collection of words.

Upul Senadeera’s rendering of Bob Dylan’s song ‘Watching the river flow ‘is also an excellent translation.

“ Watching the river flow

What's the matter with me,

I don't have much to say,

Daylight sneakin' through the window

And I'm still in this all-night cafe.

Walkin' to and fro beneath the moon

Out to where the trucks are rollin' slow,

To sit down on this bank of sand

And watch the river flow.

….

Bob Dylan “

“ Ma degidiyavaka pasuvanu vina

Vadi yamak kiyanu nohe

Uda Avue Alliyaka

Daga karai ma’ kutiye

Raya pura nidivara avanhala tulata vee

Gim nivami ….

“

The translation of the first couples of lines of the lyric amply demonstrates the innate talent and the use of appropriate metaphors and classical Sinhalese idiom in the translation. It is obvious that the mature poetic diction comes from the wide reading of not only Sinhalese classics but also from the poet’s ability to appreciate diverse forms of art such as music, drama and paintings. For instance, most of the poems are inspired by diverse forms of art. The poem Kukulan Ketaveema is inspired by the abstract painting ‘Cock fighting’ by C.Williams. This is a rare instance that a poem is written inspired by a painting. The poet pains a word picture about a cock fighting. The poem Anga is inspired by Eugène Ionesco’s play ‘rhinoceros’.

The poems such as Galumuva dora dee ( At the Galle Face green) stands out for their use of novel metaphor often taken out of the contemporary milieu and in a manner representing the landscape of Galle Face green.

“On the line of black tar in the heart

The people lined up with thousands of slippers and shoes

Trampled the weary thoughts … “

Beyond the superficial description of festivity in the Galle Face green and the busy traffic alone the Galle road, what the poet portrays is the stark reality of poverty and deprivation and grand illusion created by the festive air.

Upul Senadirige’s poetry stands out among contemporary Sinhalese poems for their insights thrown into the milieu and the use of rich poetic diction which is highly influenced by classical Sinhalese literature and novelty of metaphors that the poet has devised out of the milieu. In his rendering of English poems and songs to Sinhalese, the poet has used his unique poetic diction laced with novel metaphors making them truly master pieces in Sinhalese. However, the poet has captured the elements of cultural nuances in the original in a manner preserving the spirit of the original work. One of the prominent features of the collection Vasidiya Badun (Buckets of rain water) is the diverse sources of inspiration that the poet derived for his poems.

BOOK LAUNCH

Chaura Unmadaya

Sumith Nanayakkara's latest Sinhala novel Chaura Unmadaya will be launched at Dayawansa Jayakody Bookshop, Colombo 10 on May 24 at 10 am.

The author's Sinhala novel Magam Soli won the first prize in a competition organised by the publishers.

Chaura Unmadaya is a Dayawansa Jayakody publication.

Metteiya Thera Vatha

Prof. Sunanda Mahendra's latest book Metteiya Thera Vata was launched at Dayawansa Jayakody Bookshop, Colombo 10 recently.

Prof Sunanda Mahendra is the author of several other books such as Devdath Mavata Manavi, Dangara Tharappuva, Unu Alu Palla. Niruvath Devivaru and Niralambanaya.

Metteiya Thera Vatha is a Dayawansa Jayakody publication.

Your Home Studio

Your Home Studio , a book on computerised music studio techniques by Lakshitha Mataraarachchi will be launched on May 27 at the Public Library auditorium, Colombo. A well-know composer Nawaranthna Gamage will address the gathering.

'Ingredients of Happy Childhood'

A lecture entitled “Ingredients of happy childhood “ by the director of Tokyo Children’s Library Kyoko Matsuoka, the author and translator of Sybil Wettasinghe’s The Child in Me into Japanese, will be held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo 07 today at 4.30 p.m. Dr. Gunadasa Amerasekara will be the chief guest at the event. Colour editions of The Child in Me and its Sinhalese version Weniyan Kalu Weniyan and Sybil’s latest publication Pulun Baba will also be launched.

NEW ARRIVALS

Remembering Rabindranath Tagore

150th birth anniversary commemorative volume

The commemorative volume is published by the University of Colombo and compiled and edited by Sandagomi Coperahewa. The volume contains scholarly articles on the life and times of Rabindranath Tagore and his unique contribution to art and culture.

Kaluvarai Purahanda

Kaluvarai Purahanda is a novel by Anura Siri Hettige and is published by Sadeepa Publishers.

Egilennatuva Piyabanna

Egilennatuva Piyabanna is collection of articlwes on diverse themes ranging from cinema, short story and novels. The book is published by Sarasavi Publishers.