Children

Tomorrow is Vesak Poya day

Dear Children,

Tomorrow is the most important religious festival for all Buddhists around the world. The three most significant events associated with the Buddha namely the Birth, attaining Enlightenment and finally the Passing Away or 'Parinirvana' all took place on Vesak Poya Day.

Busy making lanterns. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage

Children must be busy making and witnessing final touches being given to Vesak pandals and lanterns. It is such a nice experience to make Vesak pandals with the help of your siblings and with friends in the neighbourhood. However nowadays parents do not encourage their children to make Vesak pandals by themselves. Vesak too like many other festivals have become commercialised, one tend to buy pandals from wayside vendors. Vesak pandal competitions at national level offering big cash prizes too have caused a negative impact on the serenity of the day.

Dear children, as Buddhists we must not focus only on lighting pandals, lanterns, sight-seeing and perhaps partaking at Dansalas but in more meaningful activities like observing Sil, listening to Dhamma sermons and meditation. Full day religious programs are arranged at temples for the benefit of devotees. Although sight-seeing on Vesak day is a fun-filled event children should be vigilant to stay with their parents or elders.

Make sure you don't get carried away watching beautiful lanterns. So stay together.

We all Buddhists should be grateful to late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar for his pioneering attempts to make the UN declare Vesak as an International holiday.

Vesak is an annual holiday observed traditionally by Buddhists in many other Asian countries like Pakistan, India, Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan.

Please don't forget to share your Vesak experiences with Daily News Children.

Dear Children let me wish you all a happy and peaceful Vesak.

Bye for now.

Aunt Anji

Bolivia

Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia), is a landlocked country in Central South America.

It is bordered by Brazil to the North and East, Paraguay and Argentina to the South and Chile and Peru to the West.

Prior to European colonization, the Bolivian territory was a part of the Incan Empire, which was the largest state in Pre-Columbian America.

The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th Century.

During most of the Spanish colonial period, this territory was called 'Upper Peru' or 'Charcas' and was under the administration of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included most of Spain's South American colonies.

La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia

After declaring independence in 1809, 16 years of war followed before the establishment of the republic, named for Simón Bolívar, on August 6, 1825. Bolivia has struggled through periods of political instability, dictatorships and economic woes.

Bolivia is a democratic republic, divided into 9 departments. Its geography is varied from the peaks of the Andes in the West, to the Eastern lowlands, situated within the Amazon Basin.

It is a developing country, with a medium Human Development Index score, and a poverty level around 60 percent.

Its main economic activities include agriculture, forestry and fishing, mining and manufacturing goods such as textiles, clothing, refined metals and refined petroleum.

The Bolivian population, estimated at 9 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Europeans, Asians and Africans.

The main language spoken is Spanish, although the Aymara and Quechua languages are also common.

The large number of different cultures within Bolivia has contributed greatly to a wide diversity in fields such as art, cuisine, literature and music.

Hostages

Surrounded with darkness,

Without seeing a little light.

Which is day which is night?

Isn't shown for hostages.

Sometimes bread and water,

Sometimes nothing at all.

Death gives them a call,

Making bad dreams for ever.

Dark minutes of fear,

Cover them like a shadow,

The only noise that they hear,

Are gun shots away in the meadow.

They will soon see the light,

Of the sun, moon and stars.

Occurrence of day and night,

Will again make their lives.

D.W. Lilani Anuruddhika 8H
Sanghamitta Balika Vidyalaya
Galle

Create a storm to drive evil away

Uncle Sachi, Aunt Ruwi

- Part 35

"Wait," one of the rabbits cried out.

"Why, what's up?"

"I hear something. Listen carefully."

They heard nothing, but in a little while all hell broke loose.

"Storm," Basu said in a trembling voice.

All the creatures except for Uncle Sachi, Aunt Ruwi and a few others were panicked. They had no idea what to do. Pramodaka was trying to hide behind Aunt Ruwi. Uncle Sachi could well see fear written in Champika. Scooby started yelping incessantly.

"What do you think, Ruwi. Should we tell the real situation to these fellows?"

"Don't forget your vows. Remember"

Pramodaka didn't get what Aunt Ruwi said. He was wondering if Aunt Ruwi is getting mad to talk to herself.

"What do you mean?", he asked. Aunt Ruwi ignored him and went ahead.

Uncle Sachi slowly remembered what was discussed long before they met kids.

Their chief-in-chief is Lord Lanerolle.

The lord called all the chiefs of the clan.

"It has been brought to my notice," the Lord started, "that the evil force is rising its head in this wood. We should not let that happen."

"Yes lord," said all the chiefs in chorus.

"Does anybody have a scheme to drive evil away?"

"I do, lord," said Aunt Ruwi, chief of kindness and tolerance.

"You may proceed chief."

"We can create a storm to drive evil away."

"But what if it harms everybody?" Uncle Sachi raised a question.

"That can be handled." An unfamiliar voice came out. It was Uncle Baldhead who chiefs miracles in the woods. "I can limit that storm only to evil forces."

"Is this the final agreement? Is everybody agreed?"

"Yes lord," said all chiefs in chorus.

"If that is so, let me enlighten you too. A storm cannot drove away evil forces completely. It can only dust the forces away. It may raise its head again." And stood the Lord.

"And before we leave this place, I call for a vow. You should all be honest to the thumb where your supernatural power rests. Bend your thumb and vow that none of us will ever let this reach outside."

Everybody bowed to the lord and bent their thumb crying out the pledge.

Known to none of the chiefs, there was a creature eavesdropping the proceedings. This creature was the last one the chiefs wanted to hear them speak. Was lord aware of the creature's presence? Wait up, you will hear it soon.

(To be continued)

The Sri Rahula Daham Pasela of Ethul Kotte held its New Year festival at Sri Parakumba Temple of Kotte recently. Here some students participating in the coin searching (above) and (below) Singithi Avurudu Kumari events. Picture by Neranjan Konthasinghe	Shiny Pearl pre-school of Homagama Pitipana North held their Avurudu Festival on April 4. Here Nikini Dinethma and Vinuka Wishen were selected as Avurudu Kumari and Avurudu Kumara.	Divulapitiya Dagonna Vimalananda Primary School held a New Year festival in school. Here students participating in the tug o’war event. Picture by Ivan Nissanka, Divulapitiya group correspondent

Rabbit Arundi Nimasha 8B, Mahamaya Balika MV	Vesak Festival Danushika Amarakoon 4A, Ceylinco Sussex College, Negombo	Temple U. M. S. Dulhan Rathnayake 3C, Rahula College, Matara

Puppy Rashini Uthpala Grade 4, Buddhist Ladies College