|
Book Review:
Insight into life and living
Title: Happiness and
Beauty
Author: Premachandra
Disanayaka
Publishers: Godage
International Publishers (Pvt) Ltd.
Translated by M B Mathmaluwe
Price: Rs 250, pp 152
Practical experience which enriches one’s life in living it has
matured into a philosophy which deserves transmission to others’
enrichment. Thus it has compiled itself into a book under the title
Happiness and Beauty.
Premachandra Disanayaka one who had a long journey in the field of
education has brought out this work which realistically and
theoretically peeps into the life of man leading the reader to the
nature and instincts of man.
In the first part of the book where the contents cover Intellectual
insights of the author and his run through his life in the past.
He finds one’s greed for praise or for anything is the biggest human
frailty which leads man to all other sins and wrongs. In his essay on
happiness and beauty, he says that we laugh for joy, but sometimes for
wrong reasons.
 Further,
he submits a lasting truth, but hardly anyone does like to admit it.
That is that we cheat because victory brings us happiness which happens
in every field of activity today. In this instance, none finds how low
it is to cheat another.
Art is nothing but display of skills. This could be singing, dancing,
acting, painting etc. It is a creation of generating a harmonizing
rhythm. Works of art exalts the mind and if they fail in it, they are
reduced to mere activities.
In his definition of love, the author says that mutual relationship
that relieves us from loneliness is love. If there is no reciprocity
there is no love. Concentrating on philosophy of life, he finds a
person’s view of life being called one’s philosophy of life the nature
of which is being determined by and modelled by the culture in which one
lives.
Moving on to define what truth means, he says that it denotes the
presence of or the existence of something as a reality. Aththa in
Sinhala verbally means ‘the thing that exists’; what does not exist is
neththa.
According to Buddhism, four factors contribute to mislead any person
away from the truth. They are craving, hatred, fear and ignorance.
Meditation would lead to balance one’s mind without yielding to those
four extremes that lead man to moral degeneration and eventual
unsatisfactoriness. Inclination to divert to various aspects of society
is an outcome of nursing oneself in practical experience in one’s
personal as well as official capacity.
In the process of living, he says that one is unable to avoid killing
totally. For instance, the farmers digging and ploughing the paddy field
cannot avoid the worms and insects being killed.
However, it is the intention to take life and consciously planning to
take life of a living being that makes one a sinner of taking life.
Farmers do not fall within this category of sinners because they keep on
digging without intending to take life which is not intentional but
accidental.
He boldly shows his evident displeasure at the Buddhist monks taking
far took longer time to deliver a sermon mainly due to the wasteful
introduction they normally resort to.
Similarly, he finds that those who have secured employment with the
support of politicians never care to do a proper job of work. In fact,
it had become the bane of our public service.
Ironically, he finds that only the students who are somewhat honest
today. Critical of clothing, he sees that today’s women show a desire to
depict the jungle or stripes seen upon the skins and hides of criminals
while still others portraying leaves, twigs and flowers.
Chapter on Personality Enhancing Thoughts reflects the social and
personal weaknesses of man which decides the personality of the
individual in whatever position one is. In the country, general tendency
is to resent and reject advice.
Even children do not listen to advice because they fear it would
restrict their freedom. Governments appoint so many commissions, but how
many reports are at least read or even considered for discussions. It
has become a social weakness in our country not to be guided by others.
The author finally finds that the gift of being able to inspire love
and admiration of another for oneself, is called geniality.
This charming quality is derived from one’s looks, conduct, concepts
and outlook. All what we endeavour is to endear the others ourselves
which is an invaluable asset for a fruitful social life. Lastly, he says
that one’s absolute friend is one’s Personal Diary which records and
reminds one of his or her past. It never leaves one’s memories behind to
be forgotten.
- E M G Edirisinghe |
