|
dailynews |
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER LINKS |
|
|
|
Reversion of local standard time to 5 1/2 hrs ahead of GMTSri Lanka is situated in the Tropical Zone, 10 degrees Latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. All 4 season of the year, the day time and the night time vary only 15-20 mts. From Sept. 22 to March 22, the time during day is little less than 12 hrs and March 2 to Sept. 22 the day is little longer than 12 hrs. The earth rotates 360 degrees in 24 hrs. In other words, to rotate 1 degree longitude it takes 4 mts. The longitude that runs through almost centre of the island is 81 degrees East Longitude. It takes then 5 hrs, 24 mts, less than 6 mts to 5 hrs 30 mts. But according to 6 hrs ahead of GMT, the longitude should be 90 degrees East Longitude. If the present std. time is 6 hrs ahead of GMT, the difference of time is 36 mts which is far away from 5 hrs 24 mts. Our sidereal year for the Earth comes round the sun has 365 days, 5 hrs 48 mts and 46 seconds. That is why there is a leap year once in 4 years to make 366 days. The sun when it is overhead in any place should be mid-noon, 12, not 12 hrs, 30 mts, as presently considered which may not be accurate for various scientific calculations. Astronomically, Geographically, Astrologically, horoscope, etc, the sun and other celestial phases, movements and their positions, should be accurate. The Western countries experience at different seasons the times of day and night vary largely. Day time 11 hrs and thus night time is 13 hrs. So, it is very imperative for various purposes, the standard time changes according to their major necessities. The town, Hamnerfest in Norway is thereby called 'The Land of the mid night sun'. Considering all the pros and cons very seriously 6 hrs standard time or 5 1/2 hr. std. time through the experience we have had for the past 10 years, it is deemed more suitable if 5 1/2 hrs ahead of GMT as the SAARC countries and other neighbouring countries observe their standard time. The distances of various other countries and their std. times could be conveniently calculated by observing our standard time as 5 1/2 hrs ahead of GMT. The National AnthemReference is made to TS's question in DN on March 30. A true Buddhist has no caste, creed or race. It is universal. All humans are alike to them. When you do not belong to a race, there is no National Anthem either. A Buddhist priest is a person who is committed to this true Buddhistic living. Hence the question of standing up when a National Anthem is being played does not arise as far as they are concerned. In fact during the Buddha's time, a king went to see the Buddha (a usual visit of him) the Buddha was preaching to a peasant. At the time the king came and sat after worshipping the Buddha, the peasant did not get-up. The King was upset and angry about it i.e for one of his subjects not paying respects when he comes. The Buddha knew it. After the peasant went the Buddha explained to the king saying that if the peasant got-up when the King came, it would have been an act of disrespect to the Buddha ie to regard the king as a higher person than Buddha to whom the King too worships, and that is why the peasant did not get up. Then the king understood (this principle is not very clear to many people, even present day's and they too get angry when similar happenings take place in the offices.) Therefore, if a Buddhist priest stands-up when a National Anthem is being played, it will be an act of disrespect to the Buddha and his Dhamma, Buddhism. Is that prohibition on or off? It was a black day for the pregnant cows, calves and buffaloes, when the previous regime revoked the law prohibiting their slaughter. As if they, too, had to prove their mettle by doing their bit for animal cruelty, the regime before them, having introduced the export (from this 'Buddhist' land) of flesh! Animal lovers were up in arms, to no avail. Societies, like the Anagarika Dharmapala Foundation, that went in protest to the Minister concerned, were chased away with the query "what else was there to do with aged cattle, except kill the lot?" Now we hear that the efforts of those who did not give up have succeeded and the former prohibition has been reinstated. However it was only the other day we saw a newspaper report of a lorry-load of about 20 illicit cattle being caught, comprising almost half a dozen pregnant cows, many of them half-dead. This means that the prohibition against slaughter of pregnant cows, calves and buffaloes is being simply ignored. May we urge the authorities responsible to publicise the reintroduction of the law, so that the police, sellers, buyers, robbers and abattoir owners are apprised of the fact and the Police authorised to take action against the violaters. 'Vidula' - The children's radio Another first by Sri Lanka, under the dynamic leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The significance of 'Vidula' is manifold. Number one is education, so that they are on a better wicket to face challenges in life, by being enlightened on various aspects of knowledge viz. local, international, thereby assisting them to build up a total personality - mental as well as physical. A very special feature of these programmes ('Vidula') should be to teach English - the world language, opening the gateway to the vast store of knowledge, available mainly at international level, recorded, mostly in the English language. Therefore, a comprehensive program to teach English to the young generation, should be drawn up immediately, by competent English teachers. All programs must essentially be conducive for the child with very special emphasis on discipline, geared towards character-building, so that they would enter the society, to become a good Sri Lankan primarily, thus becoming a world citizen. Buddhism and meat eatingI refer to the letter on 'Cattle Slaughter' (DN/March 17) and think it is a pity that some seem to distort the tenets of Buddhism to justify one's own greed to the consumption of meat. What the Buddha exhorts is to abstain from killing and also not to encourage those who engage in killing. Even if one does not kill or orders others to kill, yet if he still persists in eating meat, it is also an indirect way of encouraging others to kill to satisfy his urge. If people abstain from eating meat, naturally the slaughter of animals and sale of flesh will decrease. So, what does it mean? Are we not encouraging others to kill animals for our consumption? Is it not an indirect way of killing animals? In fact the first precept of Buddhism is to keep away from killing, so it is hard to believe that the Buddha approved the eating of meat if the killing involved is not intentional. Whatever it is, destroying the life of another being either directly or indirectly is sinful according to Buddhism, consequences of which are inevitable. As certain as the cart follows the bull and night follows the day, there is no escape from the evildoing; we reap what we sow. Whatever the reasons one could give to justify the slaughter of cattle, I for one cannot imagine a more heinous crime than killing and eating the flesh of a mother who once fed you when you were small! Tobacco, alcohol abuseThe above topic featured in the DN recently is very timely opted and it is fervently hoped all authorities concerned unanimously view the abuse is a threat to our society and specially to the present budding young generation which will be an asset to the nation. The International Federation of NGO's has supported this proposed legislation to control this and Ven. Omalpe Sobitha initiated this move. The term 'health' is defined as follows: 'In 1948, 'Health' was included in the constitution of WHO. It thus reads - 'Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of 'higher attainable standard of health' is one of the mental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. In 1984, the WHO added 'morality' to its list of factors necessary for optimum health. S. C. |
|
|
 |
 |
 |