Powerful existence of a Super Being

EXISTENCE: Our thoughts are concentrated on the greatest name of Almighty, and to most of the Muffassireens it is “Ismul Aalam” namely Allah. According to the dictionary of Islam the word Allah is used in the Semito - Hemitic languages of Hebrew, Syrian, Arami, Sultani, Hamiri and Arabic.

The word Allah connotes the powerful existence of a super being who rules and protects His creations. The word Allah is mentioned in the Sulthani language as “Ilahiya” in Syrian, it is “Alaha”, in Hebrew it is “Iloha” and in Arabic “Illah” It is this “Illah” which refers to Allah in the First Kalima LA ILAHA ILLALLAH.

In his preface to Surathul Fathiha Maulana Abul Kalaam Azad says “Man is astonished when he thinks of Allah. He accepts his weakness and acknowledges the great power of Allah”

Imam Abu Haniffa (Rah) in his book entitled “Kiyasul Lugath” writes, “Allah is His unique name and it was not born from any language. In the Holy Quran the name Allah is mentioned many a thousand times. His glory and greatness is mentioned 2584 times in the Holy Quran.

In Surah “Ikhlas” the description of Allah is mentioned as thus: (Bismilla) Kulhuwallau Ahad - Say He is Allah the one Alla Hus Samad - The self sufficient master whom all creatures need (He neither eats nor drinks) Lam Yalid Walam Uulad - He begets not nor was he begotten Walam Yakun Lahu Kuffwan Ahad - There is none co equal or comparable with Him.

Allah’s nature is further described in the most famous verses of “Ayathul Qursi” which begins as “Allahu La Ilaha Illahuwal Hayyul Kaiyyum” “He is ever living the one who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep over takes Him.

To Him belongs what ever is in the heavens and what ever in the earth. Who is He who can intercede Him except with His permission. He knows what happens to his creations in this world and what will happen to them in the here after.

And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which he wills. His “Kursi” extends over the heavens and the earth. And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, and the most great.

He has the power to create and to sustain by the words “Kun” “Be” and it “Fayakoon” and it will be.

In Surah “Noor” Almighty Allah describes himself as “Allahu Noorussamawathi Wal Arl” - Allah is the light of heaven and earth” Imam Gazzali (Rah) in his book “Al Maqsadhul Asna” has given a detailed description of Almighty Allah’s power, His position and His greatness.

His “Qudrath” (Power) “Ilm” (Knowledge) and “Iradath” (Orders) along with his “Baseer” (look), “Samee” (hearing) and his hearing and “Kalam” (Commandments)

J.M.B.H. Mahir

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Religious freedom in ancient Sri Lanka

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: The Mahavansa (the Great Dynasty), the national chronicle states, the king Pandukhabaya, founder of Anuradhapuraya, the capital of Rajarata, after his coronation had laid out the blue print for the new capital, allocating premises for building a chapel (a place of worship) for Kuban the god of wealth, another one for the sect called yonas, yet another for various heretical sects and a monastery for wandering mendicant monks. (The Mahavansa, Wilhelm Geiger).

Moreover, Cosmes Indico Pleustes, a Greek merchant had travelled in the East between 520, A.D. and 525 A.D. and given a vivid account of his travels and adventures. “There has been a church of Persian Christians in Taprobane, Greek name for Sri Lanka, with a Presbyter, elder in authority, a Deacon, Minister, a body of believers and a group of Christians. (Typographia Chritiani).

Further two crosses were excavated in 1913 in Anuradhapuraya, by the archaeologists. According to H. W. Codrington they are identical with the cross at Saint Thomas’ mount near Chennai, Madras.

Besides, the decoratived Baptismal font at the museum at Vavuniya, according to Ven. Dr. Kanagratnam, belongs to the Eastern Christianity of the early period. (Sunday Observer 19.07.1992)

Therefore, it is evident, there had been several beliefs, doctrines, religious and philosophies during the kingdom of Rajarata and all the divergent adherents had lived in amity, peacefully, and happily, honouring each others convictions during Rajarata era.

The Mission of Fr. Joseph Vaz

Succeeding the Portuguese, the Dutch in 1658 proscribed Catholicism promptly. The priests were expelled from churches and schools closed down. However, some of the Catholics practised their religion secretly.

Hearing of the plight of the Catholics in Sri Lanka Fr. Joseph Vaz, a Brahmin priest from Goa entered the Dutch province in Jaffna incognito as a beggar and administered sacraments to the Catholics secretly.

Anyhow, the Dutch officials got the wind of his being in Jaffna and tried to hound him out. On the sly Fr. Vaz left Jaffna for the Kandyan Kingdom where there was absolute religious freedom.

King Vimaladharmasooriya realised Fr. Vaz was a harmless bona-fide ascetic, consequently the king gave him complete freedom to exercise his ministry and treated him with honour and respect.

His successor king Narendrasinha too treated Fr. Vaz with good wishes and regards. Fr. Vaz could travel freely anywhere in the kingdom and secretly on the suburbs. In the Historical Relations Robert Knox says there had been several Portuguese priests, all refugees at Kandy.

Whenever the English prisoners wanted counsel or guidance they had consulted the priests who had enlightened them and guarded them legitimately. Further more, there had been Brahmin, Hindu and Muslim priests, practising their faiths freely, unchallenged.

During the Kotte period Brahmins, the Chaplains to the king had their own shrines, Pashndas, a kind of ascetics who blessed people and predicted their future had places of worship. The message poems give accounts of several Kovils that had blossomed in the Kotte kingdom; the prominent and most popular Kovil was the Vibhishana devalaya, shrine at Kelaniya.

Another devalaya dedicated to God Kataragama yet another to God Iswara were in the capital while the shrine of goddess Kali was on the suburb of Kotte. At a latter stage there had been a chapel at Etul Kotte, put up by king Buvanekabahu for a group of Franciscan missionaries, next to the king’s palace.

Obviously, it is to the credit and honour of the Buddhist public that there had not been any major religious conflict or antagonism anywhere in Sri Lanka saving a sectarian clash during the British period in 1915.

The immense number of Kovilas, Devalayas, temples, mosques, wayside shrines and churches all over the island speak eloquently of the religious amity and harmony that has been prevalent from the primeval days of the country.

L. V. Cabral

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What is Hinduism

Continued from last Week

The Yoga and Rituals

These rishis, accordingly, prescribed certain methods and practices for various persons according to their aptitude and spiritual development. They felt that certain people were almost ready to get the taste of Bliss.

They called them ‘adhikari’, i.e. having ability and qualifications to undertake and fulfill the ardent spiritual disciplines required to realise the Transcendental Reality. Others needed some more time, for their attachment to worldly concerns and senses was intense.

And therefore, these people needed or required to undertake certain sacrifices before they became fit for realisation of the highest knowledge. Thus, Yagna (sacrifices) came into existence.

From birth to death, in the ceremonies of marriage and childbirth, on every family and social occasion, certain rituals were laid down that helped in imparting certain measures of self-sacrifice (detachment from bodily pleasures) and control of senses.

Thus, the Vedas were divided into two parts:

1) Karma-Kanda (ritual or ceremonial portion), and

2) Jnana-Kanda (knowledge portion - Upanishads).

The caste system

Unfortunately, this simple factual necessity and social reality was usurped to their own benefit by higher caste Brahmins and unfortunately that paved the way of caste system in medieval India.

Brahmins were respected for their knowledge of and authority over the Vedas and the Upanishads; second in societal order were the Kshatriyas (warrior caste); third were the Vaishyas (mercantile class) and the last and unfortunate were the Shudras (lower caste).

The brahmins, instead of aspiring for realisation of Atman, started to ‘teach’ the Vedas to other two castes - Kshatriya and Vaishya, and prohibited Shudras from even listening to the Scriptures! They took over themselves the sole custody of both the karma-kanda and the jnana-kanda, and forced the shudras to serve the higher castes.

Shudras were thus victims of inhuman atrocities, and were denied access to even secular knowledge - simple reading and writing. Thus, like slaves, the shudras laboured and worked for the three higher castes.

Gradually, over centuries, Kshatriya and Vaishya joined the league of Brahmins to acquire and enjoy material prosperity and social status. Thus Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas became important social force as the kings and the merchants respectively. Brahmins found important positions in royal courts as ‘performers of rituals’, the priests.

This ‘job’ was less arduous and taxing as compared to spiritual practices meant for realisation of the Highest Truth, Brahman. Thus, the Brahmins de facto became serving priests. They gave up their original role as ‘seekers after Truth’ and were, instead, busy in seeking wealth and position. This is the definition of decline of Dharma (religion).

Divine Incarnations (Men of God): The Avataras

When the path to self-realisation is forgotten in favour of hankering after worldly pleasures, the Reality embodies itself as a Divine Incarnation - Avatara - to guide the humankind regarding true religion, and show true path towards the forgotten aim in life, to wit - Self Realisation.

The spark of holiness, purity and divinity present in every human heart coalesces to take a concrete shape as a divine person in every religion, in all chimes and climes. Such great scientists of spirituality show the path of further progress in human intellect and evolution.

They are the embodiments of the aspirations of millions; aspirations to manifest divinity within, aspiration to get liberated. Thus from time to time, India saw incarnations of Men of God: Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Bhagavan Mahavir, Shankaracharya, Guru Nanak, Sri Ramakrishna, and many others.

Influenced by their teachings, Dharma or religion or spirituality still survives in India, although appearing at times in its distorted form. (Internet).

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Savan Piyasa to give deaf their rightful place

HELP TO NEEDY: Savan Piyasa in Enderamulla opened on November 1, 2005 by Archbishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis is an institution set up for the benefit of the deaf and Rev. Fr. Sudath Jayalal Silva has been appointed in charge of the Institute.

This Institution serves as the Mother House for those receiving training to help the deaf who come under them at a number of houses catering to their needs.

Savan Piyasa is for education to give the deaf their ‘rightful place’, help them to learn for a living without being a burden to the society and provide them nourishing food as they are also destitute.

Former Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando asked Fr. Silva to take up the challenge of the new mission to the deaf and on His Lordship’s instructions he learnt the`sign language’ in quick time, a must to communicate with the deaf who come seeking assistance both material and spiritual needs.

Having understood what the new `Mission’ demands from him, Fr. Silva began working visiting several Houses assigned for the deaf and he found it to be very beneficial to the deaf, to the society at large and has dedicated his life for the well-being of the deaf.

During the five years rendering services as the administrator of the Institute, he had shown his capacity to work and as he was also interested to be of service to similar institutions in other part of the country, he had extended his services to institutions looking after the deaf in Weralugama, Moratuwa, Colombo and Ragama.

Fr. Silva is also committed to teach the children to learn, to speak and thus winning the deficiency, the biggest complication to enter the society.

In the long drawn programme Fr. Silva has included a pre-school, and Vocational Training Centre where these deaf children would learn picture framing, tailoring and ornamental work. The Institute hopes to have the support of both local and foreign donors to take these projects forward.

Padmini Nanayakkara

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Rules of observance of supplications

* Supplication must be performed with faith and sincerity.

* It must be fully tried to keep away from Sins. Food drink and clothes must be avialble from legitimate (Hala) earnings.

* One must specially refrain from major sins such as adultery, wine, falsehood, cheating, jealousy, pride, ill-will, back - biting and tale carrying.

* Supplication must be performed with utmost humility and fear to God causing shedding of tears.

* Confessing the commission of sins, to express repentance with sincerity of heart.

* It is desirable that before supplication (Du’a) one must perform ablution (Wudu) and then pray two Rakaath Namaz (Nafil).

* It would be preferable to face Qibla for supplication.

* While supplication, both the hands must be raised and both the palms be kept before the face.

* Invocation and Isthigh far (asking forgiveness for sins) must be repeated thrice.

* There can be no supplication for facilitating commission of sins and cutting of relations.

* In apparent appearance if the Supplication is not fulfilled then it must be thought that there is some inherent goodness in its non - acceptance. Perhaps Allah will fulfil my supplication in some other form, the reward of supplication is nevertheless not lost upon me.

Zahrina Careem Ayesha Siddeqa E.I.

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From A to Z

A - Abide by the values of the Gospel.

B - Born free, live free with dignity.

C - Celebrate life and its blessings.

D - Decide what you want to get and get what you decide.

E - Experience is your best teacher.

F - Friends lighten your burdens of life.

G - Goosip leaves a trail of character assassination.

H - Hope keeps your dreams alive.

I - In times of decision, rely on your gut instincts.

J - Join hands and experience strength in fellowship.

K - Knock at every door of opportunity.

L - Listening is an art and listening to the Divine is a grace.

M - Memories are like roses that bloom in the garden of tomorrow.

N - Never say ‘NO’ to anyone in need.

O - Open your eyes to the wonders of creation.

P - Possibilities are opportunities to be explored.

Q - Quiet moments renew our energy.

R - Rely on God’s promises.

S - Seek the truth with passion and speak the truth in love.

T - Turn your scars into stars.

U - Understand your limits and never cross your boundaries.

V - Visualize your dreams and make your dreams come alive.

W - When provoked to anger learn to be patient.

X - Zip your lips when others annoy you.

Y - You count and you can make a difference.

Z - Zero in on your priorities.

Rev. Fr. George B. Perera