American Buddhist Net

Monday, July 7, 2008

Government of Sri Lanka along with other Buddhist religious institutions in the island have decided to continue with the forthcoming Esala Perehara with increased security measures.

One of Sri Lanka’s paramount Buddhist cultural events, Esla Pererhara parades the only surviving relic of Buddha, a tooth, in a colourful pageant with the participation of dancers, elephants, and drummers.

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03 July 2008, 07:34 GMT]

The presentation of the History of Eezham Tamils, in some of the international reference material such as Britannica Concise Encyclopedia and The World Factbook by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has become a matter of serious concern for Tamils all over the world. When history is being deconstructed in the portals of knowledge of the postmodern era on one hand, these international sources of information are still harping on colonial brand of Orientalism, by basing history on myths.

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How the disabled - many of them victims of a long-running and bloody conflict - are helping bridge the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka against a background of escalating violence

01 July 2008
Victoria Brignell

...Sri Lanka has all the ingredients necessary to be a popular tourist destination. But this most beautiful and seductive country is also one of Asia's most tragic. Owing to its position, Sri Lanka has sometimes been referred to as "India's tear drop" and sadly this name is now all too appropriate. For the last 25 years life on the island has been marred by a bitter conflict raging between the country's two main ethnic groups, the majority Buddhist Sinhalese community and the minority Tamils.

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By Saadia Khalid
6/25/2008
Islamabad

Revealing the beauty and diversity of a multi-religion and multi-ethnic nation of Sri Lanka, a book titled, ‘Ghar Ka Bhaidi Lanka Dhai’ by Majid-ul-Qadar Yaldrem was launched at the Sir Syed Memorial here Tuesday.

Being a commercial pilot, the writer travelled a number of countries and picked up Sri Lanka as his subject in which he highlighted its religions, people, customs, traditions and important locations of the country.

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Wednesday June 25 2008

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday said the government would set up "peace zones" around sacred places in the country to enable the devotees to perform religious ceremonies without fear.

The government would seek to establish 'peace zones' in various parts of the country, the President said after symbolically handing over funds to religious dignitaries of 42 Buddhist Temples, Tamil Kovils, Churches and Mosques at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday.

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Banners, posters claim Buddhists are in danger; Christian student beaten.

DUBLIN, June 18 (Compass Direct News) – Buddhist extremists have invited residents of Middeniya, a town in Hambanthota district, southern Sri Lanka, to attend a huge anti-Christian rally this Sunday (June 22), where they have promised to “expose the great [Christian] conspiracy.”

Over the past week extremists have erected anti-Christian banners and posters and held four meetings inviting people to Sunday’s rally. A similar meeting in a public school yesterday resulted in students beating a Christian classmate, the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) reported today.

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June 18, 2008
By Gamini Jayasinghe

Until the introduction of Buddhism, the inhabitants of this country believed in ghosts, sun, rocks, mountains, trees, fire and the dead which are lifeless objects. They had spectral or phantasmal powers and viands were offered to demons and ghosts which benefited them in no way but instead increased their awe inspiring terror and dismay. They thought they were punished if they failed to make the offerings. After the introduction of Buddhism, the offerings were accepted by the Buddha and His disciples, Sangha who were human beings like themselves. They could talk to the priests and get their problems clarified. They came to know that the Bhikkhus were not offended even if offerings were not made

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Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Prof. R.N. De Fonseka

Sri Lanka is blessed with several mountain or mountain ranges; Sri Pada Piduruthalagala and the Knuckles Range are just few of them. Some mountains are associated with deities and other supernatural beings hovering above the clouds and these have being the admiration of humans.

Missaka Pabbata in Mihintale is about 16 kilometres to the east of Anuradhapura which was the capital of the island for over 1000 and 500 years since the fourth century before Christ is such a mountain considered to be the abodes of gods.

After the Buddha’s Parinibbana (death), the Bhikkhus in and around the State of Bihar met to codify the teachings. The monks took the teachings of the Master throughout India. Further with the patronage of great Emperor Asoka several able and knowledgeable Bhikkhus went to several countries carrying the message of the Enlightened One and the Buddhist culture.

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Poson is traditionally celebrated on the day of the June full moon. Robyn
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June 16, 2008
By Lenard R. Mahaarachchi

This week, Sri Lankan Buddhists celebrate Poson Poya. It is no exaggeration to say that the Lankan culture and Poson Poya are synonymous. History says it was on a Poson Poya day that Arahath Mahinda, son of the great King Asoka of India, and a group of missionaries came to Sri Lanka to spread the word of the Buddha.

Asoka was a harsh king. He was known among his subjects as “Chandasoka”, meaning “cruel Asoka”, but after embracing Buddhism he came to be known as “Dharmasoka”. He accepted the new religion that was fast spreading in his native India and wished to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in the island adjacent to his country.

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19 May 2008

...Generally speaking Lord Buddha did not say anything specifically about homosexuality because it has never being an issue, however this is not to say that there was no homosexual activity in the time of Lord Buddha. The Tripitaka (Buddhist scripts) refer to incidents of homosexuality and transexuallity. Specifically the Tripitaka highlights the case of a bhikku (monk) Wakkali who became a monk purely because he was physically attracted to how handsome Lord Buddha was. The Tripitaka also highlights a transsexual incident in which a married man with children was physically attracted to a monk, following this the man underwent metamorphosis and became a female and eventually married a man. Another section of the Tripitaka refers to an incident where a novice monk masturbated a high ordinated monk

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Saturday, 31 May 2008

The chief priest of a Buddhist Vihare in Baddegama police division in Galle district was arrested Thursday afternoon with a haul of explosives weighing about 60 kg on receipt of information conveyed by some members of the public. Police team recovered 43 kilos of dynamite, 223 kilos of ammonium nitrate, 22 kilos of black gun powder and 233 detonators and cash of about Rs:29,000 from the Vihare, police sources said.

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Saturday, 17 May 2008
Lionel Wijesiri

Throughout the ages and in myriad cultures, puppets have told us many tales and played many roles. They have been used in everything from ritual to education, myths, social criticism, comedy, abstract poetry, historical epics and urban tales.

A multitude of characters passed through the puppet theatre. Some were drawn from oral tradition or literature, while others were the product of imagination. Puppetry is probably the least restricted in its form, design, colour and movement and the least expensive of all animated visual art forms.

The stories used in our puppetry staging in the olden days were always based on Buddhist Jataka tales and episodes from the history. The main purpose of these stories was to induce religious sentiments and patriotic feelings of the audience.

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16th May 2008

At least nine people were killed and 90 others wounded in a Tamil Tiger suicide bombing near the official residence of Sri Lanka's president in the capital Colombo, officials said.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said seven police officers and two civilians - plus the attacker - died in the massive blast, which was heard across the city on Friday.

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12 May 2008
By Savi Hensman

Smoke rose into the sky above Colombo in July 1983 as Sinhalese men burned the homes and businesses of Tamils, and killed some, while others hid or fled. Twenty-five years later, violence is again tearing Sri Lanka apart.

A former Olympic athlete, the national coach and a government minister blown up by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber in April 2008 were among the high-profile victims, but numerous others have been maimed or killed in recent months.

The violence in Sri Lanka is often described as the result of an ‘ethnic conflict’ between Sinhalese and Tamil people dating back to ancient times. Yet many of the human rights abuses which have taken place in Sri Lanka have been within, rather than between, communities (of which there are several). And cultural symbols have often been exploited by those seeking political and economic gain.

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May 11, 2008

A G/B highly respectable professional, Kandyan, Aristocratic parents from Colombo 7, seek a partner above 26 years, for their very smart, extremely beautiful, very fair, academically and professionally British qualified daughter willing to migrate.

Academically / Professionally qualifed Govigama Buddhist partner with sober habits sought by respectable parents for doctor daughter who has already completed post-graduate degree (MD/ MRCP) and awaiting consultancy status. She is 36 years height 5' 4 1/2" fair complexioned, slim and pretty. Dowry available. Reply with copy of horoscope and family details.

Kandyan (living Kiribathgoda) B/G, respectable family, educated, 38 years, 5'4", fair & slim, pretty very young-looking daughter with excellent character, Senior Executive reputed firm, substantial wealth, seek, educated genuine loving partner with personality. Pls. reply with true details Tel. No., E-mail. Self- replies welcome.

Sri Lanka's leaders are testing a dangerous theory: that the best way to end a civil war is by winning it.

May 19, 2008 Issue
By Jeremy Kahn

The city bus, packed with commuters, had just pulled out of a dusty terminal in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, when the massive explosion ripped it apart, leaving 26 dead and more than 60 wounded. The April 25 attack was another tragic episode in Sri Lanka's seemingly interminable civil war. For 25 years, the government has been locked in battle with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The group is fighting for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamils, who make up about a quarter of Sri Lanka's 20 million inhabitants. The Tigers routinely attack civilians, and pioneered suicide bombing in the 1980s. Overall, the war has cost more than 70,000 lives on both sides and frustrated attempts at a settlement.

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Sunday May 11, 2008

The chief incumbent of Colombo’s Gangaramaya Temple, Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Thera, has strongly criticised the Government’s decision to increase the electricity tariff at religious institutions, and has called for remedial action.

The text of the statement is as follows:

“Our present Constitution requires that Buddhism be shown the highest consideration by the State, and that places of worship of all religions be protected. The Government’s CEB has ignored all places of worship when it drew the new tariff plan, thus belittling all places of worship.

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05/07/08

Colombo (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is calling attention back to the problem of child soldiers used in the civil war in the northern part of the island, and is attributing responsibility to both the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE) and the special forces of the army. A report from the justice and peace commission of the diocese of Jaffna today denounces that many of the victims of the conflict are children: "most joined the militancy without the knowledge of the parents, and making personal decisions, after experiencing harassment, arbitrary arrests and torture and the denial of their educational and other rights".

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Sunday, 27 April 2008

Govi Buddhist very respectable parents seek professionally qualified partner for their well mannered very fair slim pretty 29 years daughter studied at leading private school in Colombo Physical Science Graduate left to UK on Sept. 2006 for her MBA. Write details horoscope.

Parents from very respectable G/B Upcountry family in Kandy, living in Australia, holding dual citizenship, seek for their daughter, 24 years, height 5' pharmacist studied and graduated in Australia, a partner below 30 years, professionally qualified, preferably a medical doctor. Sri Lankans living in Australia preferred. Reply with family details and horoscope.

A highly respectable and affluent Sinhala Buddhist family of professional parents from Colombo seek a partner, (preferably USA based) for their fair, well accomplished, 5'2", vastly educated (ACMA, 1st Class Degree, CFA), 25 year old daughter who is due to enter an extremely presitigious Ivy League University in USA for an MBA. The ideal partner should necessarily be of a similar social background and education while valuing Sinhala Buddhist culture. Since compatibility of partners is considered as the main criteria and not caste and other considerations, getting to know each other well prior to any long term commitment is mandatory.

Respectable Govi Buddhist parents seek suitable educated kind hearted partner for their 44 yrs young looking 5'4" height slim fair pretty professionally qualified graduate daughter with assets. Divorced after short marriage. Innocent party. No encumbrances. Details horoscope, Contact Number required.

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From CNN's Iqbal Athas

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- More than 100 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and another 400 wounded Wednesday when troops attempted to advance toward a stronghold of the Tamil Tigers rebel organization, highly placed army sources told CNN.

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...The statement said that, during a meeting with Norwegian ministers, Dr. Jayawardene had requested the assistance of the Royal Norwegian Government to build this temple for the benefit of Sri Lankan Buddhists in Norway.

Dr. Jayawardene had emphasized the fact that the establishment of a Buddhist temple in Norway would also enable Norwegians to gain a better understanding of Buddhism, it added.

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It is hard to know what to say about small countries who are economically beholden to China. Especially Buddhist countries. Hard to know what to say and hard to swallow. ABN
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April 10, 2008

President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China assured Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa that China will stand by Sri Lanka in its efforts to counter terrorism. This assurance was given when the two Presidents met at Yalong Bay Resort in the Hainan Province of China today.

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Mon, 2008-04-07 02:26
By Janaka Perera

Colombo, 07 April, (Asiantribune.com): Buddhism is being recognized as the fastest growing religion in Western societies both in terms of new converts and more so in terms of friends of Buddhism, who seek to study and practice various aspects of Buddhism.

Dr. Ananda Guruge, leading Buddhist Scholar and former Sri Lankan Diplomat made this observation during a public lecture at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Hall Colombo on Friday, April 4.

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By Paul Tighe

April 7 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka's air force bombed a base of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam used for training suicide bombers after an attack yesterday killed a government minister and at least 13 other people.

The raid took place early today near Mankulam in the north and pilots reported the target was bombed ``accurately,'' the Defense Ministry said on its Web site. The base was used to train members of the so-called Black Tigers, the unit used by the LTTE for suicide missions.

Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and 13 other people were killed when a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew himself up at a marathon race near Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, the ministry said in a statement.

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A human rights group in Sri Lanka has blamed local security forces for the massacre of 17 aid workers in 2006 and accused the government of a cover-up.

Tuesday, 1 April 2008

...The University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) has named three people - a local home guard and two police constables as the killers of most of the 17 local aid workers in August 2006.

"The evidence shows state security forces, including police, killed them and that senior police officers covered it up," said UTHR spokesman Rajan Hoole.

An Action Against Hunger worker watches two of the 17 aid workers' bodies being exhumed in September
The aid workers' bodies were exhumed

"The killing of civilians during time of conflict is a war crime. The perpetrators and their superiors should be brought to justice."

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