Comments on: Saving the World from Ourselves through Spirituality

By: Nalaka Dreams+Teams

Nalaka Dreams+Teams — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:40:51 +0000

Dear Sir,
I highly appreciate your comments and learnt a lot about a side which most of us dont pay attention.Waiting for another.
Nalaka

By: Lalith Gunaratne

Lalith Gunaratne — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:58:25 +0000

Thank you for all your comments. First of all Ordinary Lankan, my e mail is .

Belle – yes indeed me must bring this message to adults. However, as a mass level we must begin this education with children as we will be able to make a societal transformation when they are taught early. Transforming adults is not easy, as I for one am trying very hard to lose old habits and live this life of contradiction.

The best way to live a life of self inquiry is to try to be mindful about the gap between what we say and what we do – whether its at home, work or with the community. Through my leadership training work, I do bring these out with the corporate adults, but in a competetive, dog eat dog world where, profits and efficiency is the focus, it is difficult for adults to change. But we keep trying…….

Let us wish for peace and peace of mind for all of us – lalith

By: Belle

Belle — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:46:24 +0000

Lalith, I agree with what you are saying about the importance of delivering ourselves from ego-bound rationality. I have found this to be very helpful in coping with difficult situations in life, and recognizing the way one has long been operating in grounds of fear—fear of loss of money or status, fear of loss of approval, etc. But perhaps it is more important to disseminate this perspective to adults rather than to children. Without convinced adults, you won’t find the people in power who would make the decision to incorporate this into the education system. Also, education should be secular—and some groups of people may consider that it disrespects their own religion (for whatever reason). On the other hand, convinced adults will bring up children in a more enlightened way, and it will filter through to them.

By: ordinary lankan

ordinary lankan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:20:37 +0000

dear lalith
what is your e mail?

my vision is on all fours with yours -

By: yapa

yapa — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:02:37 +0000

Dear Justin;

You say;

Let us face the truth and not speak falsehood. That will help us to be correct.
…………………………………………………………………..

A very good advice for yourself.
There are some more good advices.
1). don’t make judgements in prejudice.
2). Don’t try to insult others.
3). Don’t analyse things for your advantage.
4). Don’t make statements in hatred.
5). Deceiving people is not a good practice.

Further if you want answers for your questions please see the discussion underhttp://www.groundviews.org/author/daya-dissanayake/

You will feel very sorry about your ignorance.

Please try to be a good child!

Take care! Bye.

By: Justin

Justin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:45:13 +0000

I often wonder whether there are a handful of practicing Buddhist in Sri Lanka. If so, there is no need for Thailand to advice on Buddhist practices.

If we look at “Buddhism” in SL, those who like to brand themselves and proudly claim as “Buddhists”, are nothing but nominals, because their parents were called “Buddhists”. They were never spiritually born into that religion. They do not know what Buddhism is.

We must ask the UN to conduct an independent survey to ascertain as to what percentage of atheists call thyemselves Buddhits with a view to emerge from the present “Buddhist majority” falsehood.

Yes, christian education was bringing veryhigh moral standards and values, following the teachings of Jesus Christ, a reason why the other countries which value such morals remain civilised without “eating each other like animals”.

Let us face the truth and not speak falsehood. That will help us to be correct.

By: Mihirini

Mihirini — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:49:14 +0000

Dear Lalith,

Thank you as always for your reflections.

I read your posting and then as promised I did meditate while you were at the mass meditation for peaceful elections.

I was inspired by your posting and my meditation to reflect on the moral dillemma I found myself in, on whether to vote or not to vote. I share this below.

http://beingtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/01/to-vote-or-not-to-vote-meditations-of.html

Thank you for your continued inspiration.
Blessings
Mihirini

By: punitham

punitham — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 04:57:14 +0000

Great minds think alike!!

1.”My wish is to see Sri Lanka become a model of peace and compassion, the way King Dharma Asoka transformed his nation.”

http://www.ifpsl.org/images/files/peoples_tribunal_on_srilanka.pdf
People’s Tribunal on Sri Lanka
On pages 23 and 24 is Personal Appeal for Peace from Thai Buddhist Sulak Sivaraksa, one of the members of the Tribunal Panel,:
”The government of Sri Lanka should follow Emperor Asoka who transformed violence into loving kindness treating all diverse ethnicities in his empire with dignity and equal respect, upholding different cultures and religions.”

By: wijayapala

wijayapala — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:21:05 +0000

I always thought that the worst crooks and cheats in Sri Lanka hold the most Buddha/Hindu pujas and give the most dana, just as criminals in the West tend to be more Christian than most.

By: SomewhatDisgusted

SomewhatDisgusted — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:38:22 +0000

Dhiraj,

” This tradition of religious segregation and religious fervour still goes on. I think it is time to end this madness. “

Unfortunately, religious madness is not something we are likely to see an end to in our life times. The religious mind is curiously bigoted. Somehow, every religion feels they are extra special and deserve special treatment. Theirs is the one true way and all the others contain lost, deluded souls. Equality is not a concept that sits very well within such minds.

“In other words humans are neither better nor worse than animals. We are animals.”

Very nicely put.

By: Dhiraj

Dhiraj — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:07:36 +0000

“Even a dog does not kill his fellow dog. ”

I’m sorry I just have to comment on this because so many people seem to believe that humans are the only creatures that kill each other. This is not true at all. Dogs kill each other – have witnessed this myself. Chimpanzees kill each other – sometimes they even go on hunts to kill other Chimpanzees. Snakes kill each other. Lions and Tigers kill each other as well, including killing the babies of rival leaders. The list goes on. In other words humans are neither better nor worse than animals. We are animals.

By: Dhiraj

Dhiraj — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:03:24 +0000

A while back, the Christians introduced schools on a religious basis, made religion a factor in government appointments, sectioned out graveyards on a religious basis, banned the religious festivals of other religions, persecuted Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus and used state resources to further missionary activity. This religious fervour was of the biggest curses to hit Sri Lanka in my opinion and Christian extremism in the end brought out what has been called “protestant Buddhism” in Sri Lanka which itself has also caused problems. Now we have those crazy folks running about trying to convert everyone to their fundamentalist sect of Christianity. This tradition of religious segregation and religious fervour still goes on. I think it is time to end this madness. Let’s start by ending schools based on religion (yes the Catholic Church, Buddhists, Muslim groups will be livid but it has to be done) and start burying christians next to buddhists next to hindus next to muslims in equality.

By: Sarwan

Sarwan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:44:09 +0000

Life is precious and valuable. It does not exist to be killed with vengeance. Even a dog does not kill his fellow dog. But human kind in SL has degraded spiritually to a very low level, a reason for the recent brutal war.

Love for fellow human beings, care for them and happiness should be the important light of those who preach spirituality. Selflessness and agressive love should be the desire of all.

The problem in Sri Lanka is that the Buddhist priests who are supposed to maintain spiritual standards have decayed into desire for ugly greed for political influence and power.

We need a love revolution to overcome the existing hatred.