Leader and the leadership Piyasena WICKRAMAGE President Mahinda Rajapaksa '... And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them the light. ' Exodus ch.13 v.12 All over the world `leader leads!' Thus the way of life! People need a true leader who guides them where they should lead. `... Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen.` -St Mathew I'm going through the books, to refer how a leader and leadership should be, '... He shall feed his flock like a shepered: he shall gather the lambs with his arm , and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.' -Isaiah ch.40 v.21 'But transient is the smile of fate A little rule, a little sway, A sunbeam in a winter's day, Is all the proud and mighty have Between the cradle and the grave' - John Dyer 1700-58 All these are relevant to our life and society. So, where do we 'lead' from here? 'The only infallible rule we know is, that the man who is always talking about being a gentleman never is one !' - R S Surtees 1805-64 And do you know "Rowe Rule"... the odds are five to six that the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train - Paul Dickson-1931 As we have won a thirty-year terrorist 'War'. But do you know... we have fought the war with a clear vision and mission - that was a "Humanatarian Operation !" 'When Britain first, at heaven's command, Arose from out the azure main, This was the charter of land, And guardian angels sung this strain: "Rwle Britannia, rule the waves; Britons never will be slaves!' - James Thomsan (1700-48) Like that as Sri Lankans, irrespective of cast, creed and religions, all of us flock together to hail this victory. 'Multiplication is vexation, Division is as bad; The rule of phree doth puzzle me, And practice drives me mad.' - Annonymous And in anyway... 'One still strong man in a Blatant land, Whatever they call him, what care I, Aristocrat, democrat, autocrat-one Who can rule and dare not lie.' - Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) In this small island of Sri Lanka will it be possible to say : 'I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor And I polished up the handle of the big front door I polished up the handle so carefully That now I am the ruler of the...' - W S Gilbert (1836-1911) As Winston Churchill in his speech to the House of commons-said: 'Victory at all costs, Victory in spite of all terror, Victory however long and hard the road may be; for without Victory there is no survival...!' And as Churchill further clarified - (to modify a bit) The tools were given to the forces and they have finished the job...!' But to end this quotation, again to go for another Churchill saying: 'This is not the end... It is not even the beginning of the end; But, it is, Perhaps, the end of the beginning!' So as ordinary citizens of Sri Lanka and in the Buddhist way of thinking we are looking at our leader with 'forbearing patience' as it is the highest devotion according to 'Dhammapada', the Buddhist handbook! [email protected]