Refreshing and thought - provoking read

In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree

Author: Mathew S. Friedman

Vijitha Yapa publishers, Colombo

Review: Priyanthi WICKRAMASURIYA

LITERATURE: This book dedicated to all those who had lost loved ones in the tsunami that struck the coasts of Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004, is on the whole an extremely unusual one, bordering on both the mystical and the philosophical and the metaphysical... Divided into 3 parts (Serendipity Lost, Serendipity Found and Serendipity Restored).

This book examines a possibly tragic or semi-tragic event that occurred on one 1st of May that also happened to be a Full Moon Day and a Public Holiday in our Lanka, concerning a little girl named Lyla and her brother Ravi who fall to a lake after Lyla runs there to retrieve a ball, and when seemingly drowning, Ravi follows...

It's also the story of Tore, a retired government pensioner, who is grieving for the loss of his beloved wife of 50 years - Somi, who had always stood by him in his hour of need, protecting and caring for him, but yet whom he had 'cruelly deserted' in her hour of need when dying of blood cancer, because he couldn't bear to be near her watching her suffer in pain...

It's also a treatise on mixed up time - owing to time coming to a stop, when the future and the present and the past get so tangled up together that no one really knows what has happened and what hasn't or what might in fact actually have been... and also whether as to gods and goddesses are quite aware of what they are up to or should be doing.... especially when they are a bit selfish and self-centred as the God of Violent Storms and the Goddess of Love seem to be, snatching at (and hiding) time so that time will not interfere with their goals and plans... though the Goddess of Love eventually comes to realize that not only her fellow-conspirator had duped her, but that though she had been freely doling out love to others (apparently in the hope of exciting love and admiration from others, and causing most of them to 'fall in love' with herself), that she in fact had neither known or understood what love was at all actually to be... until the bitter ugly black Nira - an 'older' Kabaragoya (a kind of large monitor lizard with lashing tail that is endemic to these parts) puts her wise: "Love should be given freely - unconditionally."

That in fact, love is one of those things that cannot be traded - even for such a seemingly precious and equally elusive thing as happiness!

So, without quite being able to explain why, the poor Goddess of Love reaches out her hand and bestows all the love she can muster upon the unsuspecting lizard - not because she expects to retrieve what has been lost at least partly by her own fault, but because she has come to realize that the lizard was right about love: That love was not something to be bartered or sold.

Just as in another story told by Tore to his phantom companion Lyla, the poor fruit vendor who annoys his fellow traders by 'accidentally' dropping ripe fruit in front of poor people whom he knew was short of money on that particular day, and thereby fails to garner as much profits as he otherwise could have (or so his 'rivals' imagine), nevertheless is helped out in his hour of need (when he needs money to pay for an emergency operation for his own beloved wife) by those very self-same poor people whom he has fed gratis on occasion when they needed so, without their ever having to say 'thank you' for it and thereby lose face...

For even the very poorest of the poor, have their pride, and yet, some of them at least, in spite of what economic theorists might say, and again unlike some of our 'super-rich' (including some self-proclaimed 'saviours of the people') truly remembers those who have helped them in their own hour of need.

Surrogate embodiment

And so has nine-year old scrawny Lyla come to Tore in his hour of need, becoming a sort of surrogate embodiment of his own wife Somi (whose real name too has been Lyla before being re-christened by him after marriage), helping him once more to become a warrior who does not run away from problems...

Just as once Lyla had waited with Tore in the shadow of his Tamarind Tree, till just that time when the truly perfect tamarind pod should fall, just ripe from the tree of its own accord, he too goes in search of her in her hour of need.

Once she had told him that the storm he was predicting would in fact not materialise that evening, but that some day, she too might bring a storm to him, just like that one he was waiting for, in that selfsame spot, and that it will be attached to her body the way her shadow follows her body in the late afternoon... That he must watch for it and remember...

And so it does, when there is a storm in his heart after having gone in search of her, he learns to his utter disbelief and horror and grief, that Lyla too had drowned on that selfsame Full Moon Day, a public holiday, 1st of May... but that her swollen decomposed body has been found only two days earlier, and now almost two weeks had lapsed from that drowning.

Shocked, he doesn't scorn the storm as seems to have been his usual way of doing things, but simply waits and watches helplessly - as the torrents of rain sweep away not only the very last pods of the big tamarind tree, but finally the tree itself that had so far hitherto had been his place of refuge and shelter.

Yet, when he wakes the next morn, not a trace of the previous night's storm is there... and his beloved tree and bench still stands intact and in the very place where they were... with no sign of any lightning wreaking its havoc on even one a branch of that Tamarind Tree! Still confused... he finds that instead of it being May 15 as he expected it to be, that in fact, it is once again May 1, the Full Moon Day, a public holiday - which though the author informs us not, must obviously be our Vesak Day that year, Vesak that is so sacred to us Buddhists of Lanka, even those who happen, like me, to have drunk deep from the springs of Christian Ethos and Culture.

For Vesak is thrice-blessed, because it was the day on which the Siddhartha Gautama Bodhisatva (the Buddha-to-be) was born, and then attained the Buddhatvaya (Enlightenment), and finally the day on which the aged Buddha (at the age of 80 years) passed away from all earthly life - never to be born again as we Buddhists understand it.

Significance

As for Tore himself, whether he fully realises the significance of Vesak or not, it does not take long for hope dawn in his heart again.

And so, full of hope, he rushes once again to that lake of Lyla's into which she had so carelessly managed to throw her ball - just in time to save her and her brother both from drowning!

Truly a miracle, whether you be a Christian who likes to partake of Buddhist or other faiths, as the author seems to be, or one who like myself though born a Buddhist likes to partake a bit of both Jesus Christ and concepts and culture that are associated with the one-God of Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc.

The author, whoever he may really be, in spite of the description of his 'career' given in the back-cover, too appears to me, be someone a bit like myself, who perhaps born a Christian, and indeed probably still considers himself to be, yet is not averse to imbibing and borrowing from other cultures and various philosophical musings, and who moreover likes to play mind games with both not only 'making up stories' about imaginary pagan gods and goddesses and other help-kaarayas including animals who can talk not only among themselves (not exactly a proposition that is anathema to most of us Buddhists and Hindus), but at times can manage to converse with human beings as well as those afore-mentioned gods and goddesses.

And again the author seems to be somewhat familiar with the cornerstone of Einsteinian world-view of space and time (where apace and time are relative to the observer); but perhaps also of the many-worlds interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (a la Herbert Gott), which considers the possibility that all possible evolutions of the universe somehow or other come to exist concurrently (i.e. that in each case where more than one possible outcome is possible in the 'universe under consideration', that it 'divides' into parallel alternate daughter-universes, each corresponding to one possible outcome of the 'incident' or 'choice' in the original 'mother universe', which then go onto evolve into other separate multiple daughter-universes and so on... rather odd, but nevertheless seems in a way to reflect the original storyline in the 'plot') to be coupled with the idea that it is somehow other possible for us to influence the actual evolving of those possible outcomes, and 'collapse' it into the one we desire, by an 'effort of will' or something like that - so by wishing hard enough, you can somehow or other backtrack in time even and change the course of events!

Which though comes at a price for Lyla - for eventually she comes to almost (though not wholly) forget those 'dreams' that she had shared with old Tore, though the old man himself gains by it, his heart being flooded with love - a love that he comes to ascribe to his own dead 'Lyla' that was - his wife Somi...

And who knows? Maybe it was the strength of her love (from afar) that allowed the heavens and earth to steal time away. Perhaps it was her way of saying that she understood and forgave for his deserting her in her sickbed and eventual dying...

And by helping him to save that other little girl who too had been her namesake, she had helped him to face love, instead of running away - A lesson which in a way, all of those of us who survived that terrible calamitous events of December 26, 2004, can in fact learn from, not only those who lost their near and dear or other close kith and kin to whom they had been close.

Unscrupulous elements

For in that single terrible day, more lives were lost, I think, than during the combined events of both the first and second JVP insurrections (1971 and 1989), and this more than 20 years of internecine 'Eelam War' waged between 'Tamil separatists' and government troops, fuelled no doubt by those terrible events in the so-called July Riots of 1983 triggered in the aftermath of an ambush by 'Tiger terrorists' that left at least 13 soldiers blown into smithereens - literally into ashes and dust. And dare I say it?

As far as those events of 1983 are concerned, some of those lynching and mob-attacks in 'revenge' for the 13 soldiers killed, were perhaps not quite that spontaneously generated, but were in fact ignited, nay orchestrated by unscrupulous elements intent on carving out a path for themselves to the seat of power, even by spilling innocent blood of strangers whom they neither knew nor known to have harmed personally themselves... And who knows once again?

Behind those 'patriotic elements' hungry for power, might well have stood other perhaps even more devious schemers and evil 'criminal types' who doled out money on one hand to the communalists of the North (even as to the extent of purchasing arms, communication sets, computers, etc.), while at the same time gifting large largesse to those who incited mobs to 'avenge' the killings in the North by hurting innocent people who by and large had nothing to do with those 'blowing ups' carried 'up there'.

For in a way, I believe, even at the risk of going quite outside the parameters of a normal review on a book like this, those who funded Prabhakaran in the North and the organisers of mobs bent on revenge for same South of the Border that runs invisibly between the Northern Peninsula and the rest of our country, (constantly shifting according to the prevailing military situation at ground level), are in fact two sides of the same coin.

That in fact, some of those 'patriots' on both sides seem to have links to narcotics dealers, purveyors in pornography and other people's pain and sorrows and miseries....

But to me, who still believe that 'love' is simply not a matter of ebb and flow of right hormones in the right directions, or being touched and squeezed in the right places, or even finding someone fair of face and lithe of limb, that marriage is not a mere matter of making the right connections with 'right people', but rather, is a sort of sacrament betwixt those who love and care for each other and share an at least partly common outlook on many things, this "In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree" is indeed a book that makes a very refreshing and though-provoking read.

True meaning

A book that might help no less a person than a God or Goddess of Light even to understand the true meaning of love - that in fact, Love can be neither bartered-for nor sold, but may only be given unconditionally and free from all trammels...

A rainbow-coloured iridescent gift without any strings attached... For one who truly loves in whatever way, does not want to hurt the one he or she loves, as far as possible within those parameters and circumstances surrounding them.

And just as 'Fairy Sylvie' in another favourite book of mine (Sylvia and Bruno - by Lewis Carroll) asserts, everything truly beautiful or wonderful in this world stems from someone's love, love whose origins are in a way divine, but it is also something that is unknown (or almost unknown) to hearts cruel and cold... though at times, the very act of falling in love with someone who is basically nice and has got a heart, can act as a catalysts in making a better person of that someone who had let her heart open to love again... I know, because in a way, it had happened to me too, more than once. And this book too is in a way, a wonderful pointer to as to how. Go ahead and read it!

Booklet on meditation

The Awakening Heart with Dhamma

Editor: P. Rajakaruna

Pages: 123 pages

Publisher: Amila Dhamma Foundation, No: 2B-23L, Housing Scheme, Raddolugama.

For free distribution

Review: Ven. Ayagama CHANDAWIMALA THERA

BUDDHISM: This is the first English meditation booklet published by Amila Dhamma Foundation of Raddolugama as its 9th publication of on Buddhism.

This book has been prepared in such a way to help beginners to practise samatha and vippassana meditation. All the sermons found in the book have been presented in a simple language.

The inception and expansion of this foundation and its service for the propagation of Buddhism are aptly depicted in this work. Special attention has been paid to enlighten foreigners who are interested in Buddhism and meditation.

The quotations of world renowned teachers of meditation and resource personalities of Buddhism such as Ven. Ajahn Chah Thera, Ven. Ajahn Buddhadasa Thera, Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera, philosopher J. Krishnamurti, Mr. Suzuki, Ms. Pema Chodron, Mr. Christopher Titmus, Mr. Christine Feldman and Jack Confield, Mr. Trungpa Rinpoche, Sister Ayya Khema, Mr. Thich Nhat Nanh are contained in this booklet.

In addition, the editor's personal meditation experience he gathered while in Burma and Thailand is included in this edition.

The information of international meditation centres situated in Burma and Thailand are provided for the reader's benefit. How the Burmese Buddhists lead their life are also explained in this work. It would be more beneficial to all meditators.

The grandeur of Hindu art

The Creative Touches of the Chisel

Author: Sivanandini Duraiswamy

A Vijitha Yapa publication

Review: Vijita FERNANDO

ART: This scholarly monograph is the outcome of a several years of travelling, study, contemplation and a deep and abiding interest in all aspects of Hinduism by the author.

As she explains, ".... a great piece of Hindu art will reveal its secret and grandeur only when admired in the solitude of one self and studied in moments of deep meditation."

The study is an eye opener to the uninitiated and the student of the close links between Hinduism, and Art, Sculpture and Architecture. The book covers a period of about five thousand years and is the result of total immersion by the author for nearly five years.

The presentation certainly does credit to the vast amount of material she has collected and no less to her easy, facile presentation which is capable of evoking an artistic appreciation even in the most prosaic of readers.

The over 150 black and white illustrations scattered throughout the book certainly help to add to the reader's capacity to comprehend and understand the contents.

A word about the author. A graduate of the University of London, a diploma holder in Carnatic music and Veena from the Trinity College of Music, London, an exponent of Bharatha Natyam and a student of Chinese brush work, Sivanandini Duraiswamy's interesting Hinduism is deep rooted and stems from her childhood.

But, she hastens to add, it is her years of extensive travelling in Asia, the Middle East and Europe with her diplomat husband that honed her skills in appreciation of Hindu art and her researching and comparing Hindu thought and culture with those of other cultures. A combination of all this is really the forerunner to the current work.

Sculpture

Even a cursory glance at the vast amount of material in the book is pointer to the fact that Hindu art, both sculpture and architecture were famous beyond the frontiers of India and spread to South and South East Asia as seen in temples in Borobudur in Java, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Cambodia and Pagan in Burma.

The designs in architecture of these temples were all inspired by Hindu thought and bear witness to the efforts of men who inspired Hinduism as they understood it, says the author.

"The ancient sculpture sand temples studied in this book and those existing elsewhere in India, as well as the modern temples, will continue to serve the people spiritually with less and less stress on myths and rituals and more stress on spiritual growth and development - atma viksas - of all human being, which is the goal of evolution at the human stage, according to Vedanta," says Swami Ragnanthananda, head of the Ramakrishna Mission, in a foreword to the book.

The book is a veritable history of the several aspects of Hindu art which the writer traces through the beginnings of iconography from the Indus Valley and Vedic cultures, symbols of Hindu art, growth of temples, Dravidian and early medieval north Indian architecture.

The significance of symbols and motifs, with accompanying profuse illustrations takes the reader through a series of how these operated in every aspect of religion.

Polonnaruwa period

Of particular interest to the local readers is the section on the Sri Lankan contribution to Hindu art with special reference to the Polonnaruwa period where the South Indian influence is apparent. The author quotes extensively from several writers to give credence to historical evidence of this influence.

The author takes pains to explain through illustrations and references to the Hindu religion the uniqueness of its art, its conventions and techniques which cannot be understood through cursory study.

All aspects of Hindu art, mantras, poetry, hymns, bronze or stone sculpture, architecture, music, dance, painting create spiritual inspiration. It should also be noted, she says that there are instances of traditional sculpture inspired by local ideas exclusive to each region.

However, the craftsmanship of the sculptor and the architect are interwoven and this perfect symphony makes Hindu temples some of the finest structures in the world.

Language learning made easy

A short cut to English through Sinhala

Author: W. Henry

Publisher: Gamini Waduge

9B/79/3 Mattegoda Housing Scheme, Polgasowita

285 pp. Price Rs. 275

Review: R.S. KARUNARATNE

LANGUAGE: A short cut to English through Sinhala comes at a time when there is a resurgence of interest in learning and teaching of the English language.

Newspapers are full of advertisements which promise to teach English in six months, three months, two months, 20 days or even eight days. I have my doubts whether English could be taught in such a short time because it is a complex language to say, the least.

Those who belong to the 'old school' know the difficulty of mastering the four skills-reading, writing, listening and speech and they spend many years to be competent in English.

Some of the young learners who have picked up the language without a proper understanding of its grammatical structure find it difficult to express themselves effectively in speech and writing.

The book under review is written by an English teacher who had spent a life time learning and teaching the language. As a teacher who had served a leading college in the city, he knows the difficulties faced by students.

In this book, the author has thought it fit to explain the rules of grammar in Sinhala. He has done this with a view to helping students who are trying to learn the language without the help of a teacher.

The author has taken a keen interest in explaining nouns, the use of capital letters, articles, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, idioms, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, phrases and clauses, figures of speech and Sinhala slang and English equivalents. In addition, he gives a long list of useful collective nouns.

Since the book is prepared on a self-study format, the author has included a number of exercises and answers for each unit.

This is useful for beginners to test their knowledge in the absence of a teacher.

The book is primarily intended to meet the requirements of students who prepare for G.C.E. O/L and A/L.

However, it is useful even for teachers and others interested in learning English.