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Make life meaningful

It is the duty of all members of the clergy to counsel and guide the people to make life meaningful. This was also the advice to bhikkhus by the Buddha. In material life, progress and satisfaction have to be ensured and life qualitatively improved would be insecure without the Dhamma. In the end what remains is existence – not desire or craving. Most people end up in ruin. What reigns in this world today is lies and deceit. the time is right to give up self-interest and realise the inevitability of death. If the present state of affairs is permitted to persist, in the end, one would find only the sick in the country and not anyone else.

All should think of nurturing happiness, good health and pleasure. Rulers need the help and guidance of the subjects. Which the latter should honestly offer. Although one is entangled in difficulty, one must not subject others to this same destiny. The country needs honest ‘Janata Committees’.

Americans, even a few of them respect their race and national flag and bow down before god, despite creating chaos for others. America is of course amenable to criticism. Perhaps such criticism may be meaningful to them.

In our country it is left to ourselves to reorient our own life patterns. To begin with an austere life, elimination of waste, cultivation, perseverance and preserving good health are priorities. Far from celebrating Independence, we should examine whether we have real freedom. Thievery reigns supreme affecting even the rural areas. The problem of admitting children to schools could be halved, if pirivena education is extended to children for Grade I.

Methods could be evolved to provide primary education to children in places of religious worship. Daycare centres, pre-schools, private-schools for those not admitted to schools, private tuition and all that is there. Who would look into the predicament of parents who had to forgo their money, time and labour? They should report to us their problems.Sri Lanka enjoys free education and free health facilities, we may proudly claim.

Workers are entitled to the most number of holidays. A country where people work only for three out of eight hours, cannot be developed. Commitment on the part of the clergy is important to persuade adherents on the right track, rather than spreading the doctrine. When a person is convicted in a court of law, the priest in charge of his place of worship should also be summoned as a respondent to convince him of his responsibilities as well. The clergy should not remain apathetic to the decline of morals and values. Religious leaders in villages bear the responsibility to protect the village and eventually the country.

Ven. Galboda Gnanissara Thera,
(Podihamuduruwo of Gangaramaya),
Colombo 2.

Pensioner widow and widowers

There are so many government pensioners, who have become widows or widowers, after their spouses have passed away. Due to this, these category of pensioners have become desperate and lonely, as they have no one to care or help them in their sunset years.

It will be a great relief, if the government would allow these pensioners’ pension payments, to be continued to be paid to a widow or a widower, in case of the particular pensioner death, if he or she remarries.

Of course, the government could deduct a certain percentage (Say, about 10%) towards the W & OP fund, from these category of pensioners’ monthly pension payments.

Hope, the government would consider this matter sympathetically and allow these category of widow or widower pensioners, the facility to have some sort of happiness in the evening of their lives, who had contributed much to the welfare of the nation, while they were in government service, in their youthful days, even serving in remote areas, far away from their families, for long periods.

In fact, President, J.R. Jayewardene wanted to implement this proposal, but owing to the intervening terrorist disturbance at that time, it was not implemented.

Now, as the country is enjoying peace, the present government could implement this scheme, so that it may be a source of happiness to these lonely elder widow or widower pensioners, in their old age, with the good blessing of the present government.

M.M.A. Barie,
Kalutara.