By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana “I write my songs not for critical acclaim but for the sole purpose of the enjoyment of listeners, without them having to turn the pages of a dictionary!” Thus retorted Karunaratne Abeysekera, during an interview, when reference was made to the disapproval of some critics of his lyrical style. Paradoxically now, […]
By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana British NHS was referred to as “Once a thing of grandeur; but now in the doldrums of an appalling abyss of gloom” by Dr B J C Perera (The Island, 6 April), who concluded his opinion piece by stating: “Let us face the current situation with some gratitude and resilience as […]
By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana The three meritorious practices (Punna Kammas) the Buddha advocated for the purification of our existence are generosity (Dana), ethical conduct (Seela) and meditation (Bhawana). Dana and Seela are considered essential foundations for meditation, which when practised rigorously can lead to the total detachment of mind. But this can be achieved only […]
By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana The malign influence of casteism was well explained in the editorial, “Canker of clientelism” (The Island, 14 March) wherein it was stated: “Caste-based politics has stood many crooks in good stead, and led to the presence of so many semi-literate politicians in Parliament, which has control over public finance. Some of […]
By I. P. C. MENDIS Ranil Wickremesinghe has emerged as the chief “dramatis personae” in the current constitutional deadlock drama. Whether the stars had foretold the event is not known. He was never a man in a hurry. He was cool as a cucumber when he was sacked as Prime Minister by the latter and […]