Remarkable book of poetry

Propitiations

Author: Carl Muller

Vijitha Yapa Bookshop, Colombo

Review: N.G.L. Fonseka

POETRY: I was given this book of Carl Muller’s poems by a Reverend Soysa, who said he didn’t really know what to make of it. The Reverend belongs to a free-thinking body of people that tries to see the message of the one true divine in all religious teachings.

What he also told me was that Carl Muller seemed to be grappling with himself, and yet, not willing to accept religion for what it was or had become. “He is seeking,” he told me, “but has not settled to accepting what so many others accept.”

It was not that the Reverend wished to preach, but I did not understand his way of looking sideways at things.

However, to please him, I glanced through the book and then found myself caught in a kind of net in which I floundered. The poems are irreverent; there are jibes, caustic remarks, and then such calm, soothing lines.

There is much satire and sarcasm too, and then a kind of undying feeling for a greater purpose; lines that seem to fall to their knees in prayer; that takes him beyond life and to new worlds beyond understanding.

I told myself: “This is not poetry. This can never be poetry.” I know I’m right. There is an approach that is almost brutal and the mockery is plain to see.

Passion rises, then there is a genuflection before some altar that comes out of his mind; and in flashes one sees new layers of feeling, sensation and, above all, a truth that only a poet finds.

Buddhist philosophy

What astonished me was the Buddhistic thought that is so evident in some of the poems. I remember, long ago, that Carl Muller said he had to study Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy in order to write his massive historical fiction, “Children of the Lion.”

Apparently, this study has not been merely a means to an end. The impact is seen in this book and the lines I give should tell you this:

What evil dares to enter

such a gateway? Within lies

peace, compassion, the ringing

of a bell,

the murmur of soothed spirits.

Makara, doorway from hell

makes heaven within.

(“Makara”, page 4)

Why does Ananda draw

with his fingers those spirals

on the sand ? The priest smiles:

‘So small a boy, but see, he marks

his passage into the next world -

round and round and round’.

(“Spirals”, page 15)

There is surely a Buddhist sermon in “The Karmic Key” (pages 30-31); a fantastic recording in “To the Brink and Beyond” (pages 48-49), and a monk speaks again in “Samsara and the Art of Dying” (pages 50-51):

You must learn to die well;

dying is also an art -

like the art of living.

To die well is to assure

a propitious rebirth.

Religious scenario

“Roads to Redemption” (pages 90-91) also dwells on this world’s religious scenario. This is a magnificent poem in which he tells of the many roads to spiritual perfection.

His poem “The Conqueror” (pages 99-100) is a classic. He deals with meditation in other poems as well, but in this he brings in something truly sublime: The lone monk on Hunasgiriya:

He did not see the lowering clouds,

the mists of near and far,

the mountains that crowded

around him. His was another

world view

of terrifying visions, of spirits and

of the unknown dead,

hearing the rattle

of bones, the cries of things

invisible.

Rising out of the first fears

that assailed him was the urge

to run, run to safety; yet he stayed

and the entities of evil retreated;

then a benediction - a soothing

calming peace. The evening stars

called to him and in his

eyes danced

the colours of the Budurasmala.

In his quietude, the stillness

of it all,

he had conquered.

Biting poems

It would seem at first that Carl Muller is disaffected with Christianity and Catholicism. Some of his most biting poems hit out at the way the faith is put on, but he is also quick to point out in “Life and Non-Lie” (pages 20-21):

Modern organised religion

with its pyramids of hypocrisy,

with its eye on the money bags,

is the greatest farce this world

has ever known....

Oh yes, he spares nothing. He hits hard and does not seem to care where his fist lands - and then he seems to find his own quiet corner, somewhere in memories of past lives, I think, and we have a truly beautiful hymn-like poem “Thoughts by the Sea” (pages 147-148).

What can we make of it all ? Passionate, flippant, belief and non-belief.....

He ridicules, accuses, then owns to something too big for mere moral understanding. This is a remarkable book.

He has kept his theme and exploited it in full. Now something keeps bugging me: is his the mind that we have not taken seriously enough ?

Invaluable guide to legal practitioners

Muslim Law of Succession - A Guide

Author: Al Haj A. H. G. Ameen

Al Ameen Publishers

Price Rs. 500

Review: Fathima Asma Cassim

LAW: I consider it a great honour to be called upon to review Al Haj A.H.G. Ameen’s work entitled “Muslim Law of Succession - A Guide” published by Al-Ameen Publishers and priced at Rs. 500.

Al-Haj Ameen must be congratulated for producing an extremely useful guide to a subject which has always been one of great difficulty.

Al-Haj Ameen has divided his book into 12 chapters, but he provides a useful Introduction to the subject in a preliminary chapter.

In his introduction, quoting certain verses of the Holy Quran, Al Haj Ameen observes that succession or ‘Mirath’ is something that belongs to Allah and that when one inherits he does so in the path of Allah.

The science of ‘Mirath’ in the sharia’ at provides rules for determining who inherits and who is to be inherited and what shares go to the heirs.

The death of a person brings about a transfer of most of his rights and obligations to persons who survive him and are called ‘wuratha’ in Arabic, which means heirs and representatives.

In his introduction Al Haj Ameen notes that before the advent of Islam, women were treated as chattels without any freedom extended to them. Female babies were buried alive in Arabia during the period of ‘jahiliya’, the darkest period on earth.

During this period, the rules of inheritance excluded women from the inheritance of the estates left by the deceased relatives, because according to them only those who could go to the battle field to defend the clan were allowed to inherit.

Al Haj Ameen observes that the Holy Quran brought in reforms through the Messenger of Allah, the Holy Prophet, by way of amendments to the pre-Islamic laws which were not abrogated altogether.

The law of inheritance of succession in the Islamic jurisprudence is the most complex subject, and it is comprehensive and covers a very wide area of relations and provides for even remote members of the family.

The shari’ at rules relating or succession are a fusion of the ancient customary laws of Arabia with the amendments brought in by the holy Quran and Hadith.

Status of women

Al Haj Ameen has stressed that one of the most important changes brought about by Islam related to the status of women. The amendments effected by the Holy Quran are summarized by the author as follows:

(a) Husband and wife were made heirs of each other;

(b) Female agnates were made competent to inherit;

(c) Parents and ascendants were given the right to inherit even where there are male descendants;

(d) A female was given one half of the share assigned to each male.

The general rule of shari’at that a female takes only half of what is taken by a male through intestate succession has been criticized on the basis that the sharia’at discriminates against women.

This is a most unjust criticism in the context that this general rule is applicable only in regard to residuary heirs, and in fact it is the sharers who have the prior right to intestate succession.

It is necessary to stress that out of the 12 categories of sharers who are entitled to specific Quranic shares, only 4 are males, namely the husband of the deceased, the father of the deceased, the true grandfather of the deceased, and the uterine brother of deceased.

It is significant that there are 8 categories of female sharers, namely, the wife or wives, the mother, the daughter, the son’s daughter, the full sister, the consanguine sister, the true grandmother and the uterine sister of the deceased, who will have priority in the distribution of the estate vis-a-vis the residuaries.

This very clearly explodes the theory that there is discrimination against women in Islam in matters of succession.

Succession

Al Haj Ameen deals with the subject of succession in 12 lucid chapters. In Chapter 1, Al Haj Ameen observes that succession could be either testate, where the last will left by the deceased determines the manner in which the estate has to be distributed, or intestate, where the deceased has died leaving no last will and his or her heirs will have to be determined by Court.

Section 2 of the Muslim Intestate Succession Ordinance of 1931 simply declares “that the law applicable to the intestacy of any deceased Muslim who at the time of his death was domiciled in Sri Lanka or was the owner of any immovable property in Sri Lanka shall be the Muslim law governing the sect to which such deceased Muslim belonged.”

It is a fundamental principle of the sharia’ at that a person may not give away by last will more than a third of his estate to outsiders, or in other words at least two-thirds of the estate of a deceased person should be available for distribution among his intestate heirs.

However, in Sri Lanka the Wills Ordinance confers on any person the freedom to dispose even his entire estate by last will leaving nothing to the close relations like the spouse and children.

The question arose in Shariffa Umma V. Rahumathu Umma 14 N.I.R. 464, whether the Wills Ordinance has the effect of shutting out the principles of sharia’at law, and unfortunately it has been held in that case that it is so, and that a person professing Islam may deprive his intestate heirs of share in his estate by the simple expedience of a last will.

This is shocking, considering the importance placed on the protection of the family by sharia’at law. This is also not a very satisfactory state of affairs because the law permits an application of Shariats principles to deal with intestate successions while precluding an application of these very principles with respect to testate succession.

In Chapter 2 of this important work, Al-Haj Ameen deals with the Quranic sharers in great detail. Quranic Sharers (Asab-al-Fard) are those Sharers who have been allotted a specific share in the Holy Quran. He explains the circumstances in which these sharers will be entitled to the specific shares allotted by the Holy Quran.

In Chapter 3 he deals with residuaries (Al Sabah), that is the heirs who take the residue of what is remaining after the Quranic sharers take their prescribed shares or where a particular person dies leaving no heirs coming within the categories of Quranic sharers.

He classifies the residuaries in to 4 classes, namely descendants, ascendants, descendants of the father and descendants of the father’s father.

Inheritance

In Chapter 4 Al Haj Ameen deals with exclusion from inheritance, as for example the rule that a person cannot benefit from his crime, crystalized in the prophetic tradition “a murderer does not inherit.” In Chapter 5 he deals with the administration of the estate of a deceased person.

Chapter 6 is devoted to a discussion of the doctrine of Increase (Al-Aul) and the doctrine of Return (Al-Rudd).

The first of these doctrines, namely Al-Awl, applies where the Quranic shares of the sharers add up to more than unity, as for example, where a person dies leaving the surviving husband with no children who takes one half, the mother who takes 1/6th, and two sisters who together take 2/3rd which add up to 6/8th.

Although “Al-Aul” literally means increase, an application of the principles results in the proportionate reduction of the shares so that the total will be equal to one.

The other principle Al-Radd is applied where the shares of the various sharers and up to less than unity, and it is necessary to increase the share of the sharers proportionately.

It is the need to make such complicated mathematical calculations that helped to develop the science of algebra, the name of which exact science had been coined from the name of the famous Arab mathematician Al-Jabrain.

In Chapter 7, Al-Haj Ameen describes the concept of Umariyathani which was utilized in the era of Caliph Umar to provide certain exceptions to the general principles in deciding the shares of the mother in certain special circumstances.

In Chapter 8,Al-Haj Ameen deals with the right of missing persons to inheritance. In fact, after the devastation caused by the Tsunami, missing persons have given rise to several important legal problems, some of which are yet to be solved.

Al-Haj Ameen points out that rule laid down by Imam Shafie is that person is presumed to be dead if he not been heard of for 7 years, which the period adopted by our Evidence Ordinance.

However, he also refers Minhaj-ul-Thalibin in which it stated the property of “the person of who there has been no news, should be questrated, until death has been legal established or until the lapse of such as may justify its presumption.”

It is not worthy that even in Sri Lanka the period for the application for the presumption of death now been brought down to on year in the wake of the Tsunami.

In Chapter 9 the author deals with the representation of the estate of the deceased and in chapter 10 he goes on to provide numerous illustrations of distribution of the estate in specific cases.

In chapter 11 he deals with decided cases and goes on to provide a step by step guide for the purpose of determining the heirs as well as their shares. The book also contains a useful bibliography and index.

Al-Haj Ameen’s Muslim ‘Law of Succession - A Guide’ is indeed an essential guide to the principles of law governing succession which can be of immense benefit to the law students, legal practitioners, law teachers and judges in Sri Lanka as well as abroad.

Blending the wealth of experience gained through a long and distinguished career as an Attorney-at-law, a member of the Board of Quazis and a member of the Wakfs Tribunal, with the immense knowledge of Muslim law acquired in the process of teaching the subject at the Sri Lanka Law College for a number of years, Al-Haj Ameen has presented in a very simple manner extremely complex concepts relating to the Muslim law of succession.

His presentation is scholarly but has the depth that can only be acquired through experience. I am sure that this valuable contribution he has made to legal literature will provide an impetus to the study and development of the law in this field and will encourage others to engage in similar research for the benefit of society.

Due to the absence of a guide such as what Al Haj Ameen has produced, the legal practitioner as well as the law student was groping in the dark, unable to ascertain the principles of the sharia’at rules governing Muslim intestate succession. Al-Haj Ameen’s work is designed to provide easy access to these principles.

Interesting biography of Nayaka Thera

Hela Sasuna Ekalu Kala

Nimala Himisanda

Biography of Venerable Kirulapane Somananda Anunayaka Thera

Author: Anil Priyaratne

230/1, Welpahala, Batakettara, Piliyandala

Review: Athula A. Dodangoda

BIOGRAPHY: Siddhamulla is famous for over a century, mainly due to the Siddhamulla Sangharama Purana Vihara and the several Nayaka Theras of the Vihara, who nurtured the Buddha Sasana.

The present Nayaka Thera of the Purana Viharaya is Ven. Kirulapane Somananda Anuanayaka Thera, a beacon honourably titled as Aruggoda Indasararama Mahavihara Chapter Upadhyaya Pariyaththi Visharada Sasana Wansalankara Sri Sumangala Vidyawansa Sri Saddharmmakeerthi Sirinivasabhidhana Mahaviharawanshika Shayamopali Maha Nikaya Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha Senior Anuanayaka Thera.

Information

Anil Priyaratne has filled a void by presenting the biography of the 86-year-old Ven. Kirulapane Somananda Anuanayaka Thera to coincide with the 73rd anniversary of the Ven. Thera’s bhikkhu life.

He had been motivated to write the valuable biography of the Venerable Thera by one of the pupils of Ven. Somananda Thera, Ven. Paragastota Piyarathana Thera of the nearby Kudamaduwe Sangharamaya. Ven. Piyarathana Thera has immensely helped the writer by providing a lot of information regarding the Anuanyaka Thera’s bhikkhu lifespan of over seven decades.

Departing from merely describing the colourful bhikkhuhood of the Anuanayaka Thera, the writer has started the book providing a valuable account of historical importance of the surrounding villages such as Halpita, Kesbewa, Mampe and Piliyandala etc, thus adding much value to his work, gluing the reader to eagerly read what is to follow.

Last will

He starts from the birth of the Ven. Thera on April 1, 1921 to his parents Devamullage John Perera and Girona Alwis. His mother died when the baby called Simion was just three years old and the last will of the mother was to enter her little son to bhikkhu order.

Simion was admitted to Kirulapane Saddharmodaya School for primary education, where he proved to be a bright student. He was honoured by Sir D. B. Jayatilake, who came to the school to open a new building for reciting the welcome song compiled by famous Sarlis Master.

Little Simion was brought to Siddhamulla temple in December 1933 and there he read all the books at the temple and was admitted to bhikkhu order on 28 March 1934.

Such was the emergence of an illustrious bhikkhu of our time as described in the biography. Ven. Somananda Thera became the Viharadhipathi of the Siddhamulla Sangharamaya on 21 August, 1963 when the then Viharadhipathi Ven. Siddhamulle Seelananda Thera passed away.

Pilgrimages

There is a description of the Ven. Anunayaka Thera’s tours abroad including ‘Dambadiva’ pilgrimages. America, Japan, Thailand are among other countries the Ven. Thera has toured.

Ven. Somananda Thera was famous for radio Dhammadesanas before the advent of television in Sri Lanka.

The writer has described how the Ven. Anuanayaka Thera was honoured with several high positions. Kesbewa Sasanarakshaka Mandala Lekhakadhikari Ven. Dr. Gombaddala Damitha Thera has written a valuable preface to the book, describing the rich qualities of Venerable Somananda Anunayaka Thera.

It is an interesting biography I have ever read. It is rich in substance and the way in which it is written is admirable.

How to practise Buddhist meditation

Anapanasathi, Samatha, Vippassana Bhavana (part 2)

Author: Yogavachara Amarasiri Bhikkhu

Publisher: Amila Welfare & BE Foundation, No. 2B-23L, Housing Scheme, Raddolugama.

11400, pp 128

Meditation: Yogavachara Bhikkhu Amarasiri is the leader of the Bhavana Mandiraya, Meditation Centre of Parama Dhamma Chethiya Pirivena.

The latest book written by Ven. Bhikkhu Amarasiri is mostly appreciated for its simple language and easy to follow method.

The book is a companion to those who practise Buddhist meditation. I am happy to introduce this book to those who try to crossover the ocean of Sansara.

As a Dhamma Dana gift you will be able to get a free copy of this book by parcel post by sending stamps to the value of Rs. 80 to the above address. Limited copies are available.