Excerpted from te authorized biography of Thilo Hoffmann by Douglas B. Ranasinghe (Continued from last week) Thilo continues: “The Ven. Bhikkhu Sumedha, a long-time friend who had grown up in Switzerland, spent his early hermit years as a Buddhist monk at Situlpauwa and at the top of Vedahitikanda. He later obtained higher ordination, and died […]
Dr Sarala Fernando
President Rajapaksa on his recent village walkabout to Meemure questioned why there was so much criticism on social media about environmental destruction, stating that he loved the environment and referred to specific projects of urban beautification undertaken during his previous tenure as head of the UDA. This view would probably have been received sympathetically in Meemure and the large gathering present amazed and happy that the highest in the land would have come down to visit their village .
The problem is that there are other larger unseen circles watching on, thanks to mass media, live tv coverage and internet commentaries, one representing the rest of the nation and the second, the international community, which may not be seeing things in this same light. In the national circle, questions are being asked on the wisdom of such large public gatherings , given that the rest of the nation is being asked to stay home, wear masks and social distance as the C