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Thursday, 12 August 2010

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Calmness of the Mind

I happened to get a booklet from a fellow passenger while going on a bus recently.

What struck me immediately on glancing at the first page was that, it was an interview Prof Carlo Fonseka had with Dr Lelwala Godakanda (Vendol Products) whom I had earlier seen on TV interview.

He is a remarkable self-made man who has risen to the very top of his business venture, being an Ayurvedic Doctor himself.

Well versed in the Buddhist doctrine and also comparative religion; through his inquiring mind, has acquired a capability to understand religion very deeply, the questions put to him by Prof Carlo Fonseka is answered in a penetrating and a simple manner so that Professor Fonseka has to agree, or on further clarification satisfy himself.

On the question of what true happiness is - his view is when a man’s mind is calm devoid of struggle, pain, suffering etc; then there is equanimity which leads to happiness at all times.

In this frame of mind anyone can succeed in any venture he chooses to follow, as clear thoughts come to him naturally.

His view of life is very clear, seeking peace of mind all the time. This he achieves by being free from attachment to all things. He has no desire to acquire merit to prolong Sansara and only serves the people around him.

He does not subscribe to the popular belief that birth, life and death are suffering. Why should we be sad about being born? For one to seek Nirvana he has to come to this life.

So birth should be a happy event. We must come out of the depressing attitude that we had been conditioned for generations and look at life positively. We must strive to be free of attachment to all things and the calm that comes over one is real happiness.

This, he says he has achieved. He has overcome craving which prolongs Sansara.

When the mind is free from the notion of suffering as well as happiness calm takes over which is the state of mind of the Arahaths.

There is no question of being born again. If we consider a rose: from a bud it blooms in all its glory and fades away. Do we have to think that the same rose is born again? But other roses come up and they go on.

Why cannot we be the same? It is the attachment and craving which makes us want to be reborn. If we as Buddhists believe that there is no self as such, why should we think of another life after death. The only meaningful thing is to serve man while we are here.

Dr Godakanda’s views are very clear and I believe that he is one who has understood Buddhism in the correct way with no misconceptions, which clutters the mind of us ordinary adherents.

R WICKRAMASINGHE - Nugegoda


Pension increase

I was retired in 1993 as Labour Tribunal President Grade II.

According to 2006 pension increase circular the pensions of all pensioners to whom this circular applies has to be increased according to the new scale and the adjustments made.

According to the year of retirement this circular applies to me.

The Labour Tribunal Presidents have been Judicial Officers from 1972.

I was appointed controlled, retired by the Judicial Service Commission like all other Judicial Officers.

All that has to be done under the new circular is to adjust the pension according to the new scale. The period of service need not be calculated again.

The Paying Officer at Dam Street Office has in great confusion applied a para that is meant to increase the pensions of the Public Servants a little more by considering their complete period of service to be 25 years after placing them on the new scale.

I was paid 90 percent of my salary as pension as my period of service was more than the period of seven years required at that time.

I have read the pension regulations applicable at that time very carefully.

Even at present the complete period for Judicial Officers is 14 years under the 2004 circular and not 25 years.

Therefore it cannot be a problem to correct this mistake.

As for compulsory retirement all those compulsory retired got this increase.

My compulsory retirement was without an inquiry or finding of guilt and was due to political influence over a property matter regarding which some politicians were against me. If this mistake is not corrected it would be further victimization.

J D M KULATILEKE - Attorney-at-Law


Fire in the belly

State employees are demanding the Rs 2,500 salary increase emphasizing the contemporaneous Cost of Living which the Government announced during the period of the last General Election.

Cost of Living is general to all not only to the State employees and other working population. It is a problem to those who do not have a stable income and worst for the poor class of people.

Hunger is very appropriately termed in Sinhala as Badagini. (fire in the stomach) Yes, actually it burns when one is hungry- whether a magnate or mendicant. So granting financial benefits only to working class of any sector is grossly iniquitous. Everyone should have some morsel to extinguish this fire.

Any government that offers a salary increase to State employees so as to gain benefits for their own purpose will by hook or crook recover the massive expenditure both by enhancing taxes and prices of essential commodities, specially of food items. By this method of any government the situation of other groups of people of whom it is mentioned above will be ‘from the frying pan into the fire’.

Therefore, it is wise if the Government makes an honest attempt to reduce the Cost of Living for all to have a square meal instead of salary increase.

As we witness, massive development programs are in progress either by obtaining long or short-term loans from foreign nations or gifted by donor countries. They are signs of prosperity.

Simultaneously, addressing press conferences or microphones elsewhere that no one has died of starvation and that the Cost of Living is not such a big impact is a foolish attempt to make the people simpletons.

We are aware some ministers playing ducks and drakes from the taxes we pump to the government coffers. President should sternly caution such ministers or deprive them of their portfolios bearing in mind the majority he has in the Parliament.

The Opposition making a hue and cry about various commissions and of different constitutions are not of any use or a matter of concern to the ordinary people. They keep on picking the holes whatever the roles the government plays towards the development of the country.

If the citizens are provided their foodstuffs at reasonable prices sans allowing the Cost of Living to escalate and worsen their standard of living, the government could govern the country without getting themselves disgusted in the eyes and minds of the ordinary people.

The rise and fall of successive governments should not be easily forgotten. Experience should teach the wise to be wiser.

NAZLY CASSIM - Colombo 13

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