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by Nemsiri Mutukumara

The Sinhala Buddhists proudly boasts Sri Lanka as the foremost Buddhist country which continued to protect and maintain the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha in its pristine form for nearly 2,600 years. From the Buddha's first visit in the year of His Enlightenment to Mahiyangana where the Mahiyangana Cetiya is constructed enshrining sacred relics, symbolises the visit.

With the despatching of Dhammadutas by Emperor Asoka and the arrival of His son, Arhat Mahinda who established the National Sangha in Sri Lanka plethora of literary, architectural, sculptural and cultural activities began to spread across the land in a manner unprecedented. So much so, the Sinhala Bhikkhu Sangha, for the first time in world history began writing - inscribing on palm leaves the Teachings of the Buddha during the reign of King Vatthagamani Abhaya (Valagamba - in Sinhala) at the Aloka Vihara in Matale in the second century Before the Common Era.

Regrettably, notwithstanding all these pioneering endeavours of the kings and rulers, the Bhikkhu Sangha, the present day generations are callously and totally ignorant to follow the correct way to write Pali and Sinhala words in Roman character.

Everything has a system and standard so is the writing of Pali and Sinhala words and Buddhist terminology in Roman character.

When Professor Rhy David and his spouse Caroline established the London Pali Text Society, a new alphabet was formulated.

The need arose since the Pali words and Buddhist terminology are written in Alpa-prana and Maha-prana. Those words have to be spelt differently and pronounced differently. The result of their ernest endeavour will end in utter chaos.

The entire labour of setting up the London Pali Text Society will be in vain.

The newly formulated Buddhist alphabet became popular overnight since the PTS started publishing Buddhists texts in Roman character for worldwide distribution. Every country interested in Buddhist texts including many universities in England adopted the new Buddhist alphabet and started vigorously amending and dumping their old style of spelling for once and for all times, taking the cue from the PTS of course. A glaring example is the word Vesak - Vaisakha. Up to that time, the Western world and many others who ape the west blindly, wrote Vesak with Wesak. Now for the entire world, Vesak is Vesak and nothing.

Regrettably, the wrong signals are given by Sri Lanka. Particularly some Sinhala Buddhists unashamedly displaying their callous ignorance of the system and their total disregard to learn or acquire knowledge of a subject which they seem to know next to nothing.

In Buddha Sasana, the Bhikkhu Sangha and the Bhikkhuni Sangha lead a distinct and exclusive way of life a lofty code of ethical behaviour called the Vinaya - discipline.

Once a person enters the Sasana donning the safron robe all the lay terms and words which govern the layman's life ceases to operate.

The media - particularly, a national paper like the Daily News with the largest readership in the country and a fine globalised internet service has a national duty to correct this situation.

Agreeing with the writer, Daily News Features Editor welcomed the suggestion remarking "our readers will be happy to know the correct way of writing and follow the way in their contributions."

Let us start with the most common mistake used by the Colombo Seven type 'hamus' even during their conversation with the Bhikkhu Sangha which should be avoided like a plague. I shall now list the correct and wrong usages:

The fundamental concept of the whole issue reflect on the interest shown by the media and the writers as well.

There is a principle involved here which should be meticulously observed and put into effect by one and all. And that is:

1. The absence of 'W' sound in Sinhala and Pali;

2. The presence of Alpa-prana and Maha-prana in Sinhala and Pali.

When these principles are observed by all concerned including the writers, reporters, sub-editors, news/features editors and finaly chief editors.

The prime objective of establishing the PTS to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in the world would have realised in the internet age in glorious fashion.

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