Arts

'Sunset and Tranquil Mind'

Wasantha Kumara's 25th exhibition of paintings 'Sunset and Tranquil Mind' will be held on September 11, 12, 13 2006 at Senerath Paranavithana Library hall (old library) Badulla. Wasantha says "I believe the calm and quite environment around ancient temples and hermitages with Buddha statues, is like a university which can solve the problems bound with life and calm the mind.

"In some paintings of this exhibition, I depict this tranquil mind, symbolically. The complete human figures of the paintings symbolise the tranquil mind. The setting sun symbolises the end period of life. There are no clear symbols in some paintings.

"I think the composition of these paintings is important. I built it up with the rising moon through vast mountains and rocks. I changed the moon into the sun as it matched with my concept.

In these paintings you will see a clear space or skies surrounded by mountain rocks. Commonly, in landscape paintings the sun is behind the mountain rocks, but in these paintings the sun comes forth, in order to avoid it appearing as only a landscape painting. All the images of these paintings are built up according to the knowledge of sociology and Buddhist teaching.

He further says, "blooming flowers and thorny creepers in some paintings represent happiness and sorrow of life. People have to accept sufferings as well as happiness, whether they like it or not. Different shapes of human figures represent the nature of life. Unusual creatures creep on long stems of flowers just like how people accept disturbances in their happy moment.

"I believe, you will be able to understand every painting in this exhibition even without this explanation. The reason is the main idea behind this exhibition is the puzzle of life."

Spotting the 'Cuckoo bird'

by Ananda Kannangara

The study of birds is his favourite pastime. He even gave up his legal profession to devote time at bird sanctuaries, swamps and thick jungles. M.S.N.L. De Costa, who was one time a Magistrate and a District Judge, is now an ornithologist (person who study on birds).

De Costa said in his recent research on birds at Patangala in the Yala National Park, he spotted a new bird which he has never seen in his long career.

"I took several pictures of the bird and consulted ornithologists, scholars and experienced bird watchers to find the name of it, but no one knew such a species".

"However, different opinions were later received from them. Some said that it was a `Cuckoo' or an `Indian Cuckoo', some others called this bird `Plaintive Cuckoo' or `Malabar Trogon'," he said.

He said, this particular bird was a brick-reddish coloured one and the size and the shape is similar to `Pied Crested Cuckoo', which is commonly seen in bird sanctuaries.

Costa also spoke about his recent photographic exhibition on birds, `Feathers', held at Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo.

Costa is presently busy on publishing a book on birds of Sri Lanka following numerous requests made by bird lovers.

He said there were 430 identified bird species in Sri Lanka and among them only 26 are endemic.

Nearly 198 species are recorded as migrants to the country and the other 206 are resident species.

Mahapirit potha on VCD

One of the major chants in the Theravada tradition is now available on VCD. The pack of complete Pirith potha on VCD, consisted of eight VCDs is made available to mark the 2550 years of the Buddhist era.

This is for the first time that complete preaching in the Great Book of Protection Piruvana poth Vahanse has been made available on VCD. A variety of chanting recited by the Buddha and his disciples have been passed on from generation to generation of Bhikkus (Scholarly monks) by word of mouth before being codified on ola leafs.

The Mahapirith potha or the Piruvana poth Vahanse is often recited in groups or individually at Buddhist Viharas (temples) and on special occasions at households to dispel and drive away evils and to bring about luck and prosperity.

It is believed that all night Pirith chanting including Maha Piritha (The Great Book of Blessing and Protection) would bring luck and prosperity to the inmates of the household in which the chanting was being recited as well as to those who listen to it.

Over the long centuries, innumerable disciples of the Buddha recited these chants a billion times on some occasions in many lands and the power that these chants possess to heal, soothe and tranquillise, has been experienced by countless generations including non-Buddhists and Westerners.

(RC)