freedom of terrorism

FREEDOM OF TERRORISM, FINALLY !!!!!
SRI LANKA HOPEFULLY GAINED ITS FREEDOM OF TERRORISM

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. -Abraham Lincoln

Dear Friends

After more then 30 years of terrorist attacks by the LTTE this organization which has been internationally recognized as the most dangerous terrorist Group in the World has been defeated by the Sri Lankan armee.
War and armed action is a horror in the eyes of any normal person, but sometimes a government has to use armed action to protect its people, and a government is the only authority in a country who is allowed to use force for this purpose. We are not happy that the Sri Lankan government had to use full force, but in this case there was a need to do so. The LTTE has killed during the last 30 years more Tamil people then Singhalese, and we all know how many presidents, ministers and even the prime minister of India fall victim to this group. A number of young samanera’s (novices) and monks where slaughtered by them, innocent worshippers at the Maha Bodhi Temple (mainly woman and children)The Temple of the Tooth was bombed , hundreds of innocent Muslim worshippers at mosques where killed, market places, schools, trains, busses etc. etc. where bombed and innocent people slaughtered. Tamil parents who did not want to give their children to them as canon flodder where brutally murdered and so we can go on and on. Hopefully this is now all ended. We want peace and wellbeing for all, not only for a few.

… For Cruelty has a Human Heart,
And Jealousy a Human Face,
Terror the Human Form Divine,
And Secrecy the Human Dress.
The Human Dress is forged Iron,
The Human Form a fiery Forge,
The Human Face a Furnace sealed,
The Human Heart its hungry Gorge.

-WILLIAM BLAKE, Songs of Experience ( A Divine Image)

To long we have been living whit this kind of humans, it should end now!

This cruelty, jealousy and terror has to end!
It should be changed so we can live in peace together true unity, non discriminating, with mutual respect and with a feeling of belonging. That it is possible, we saw that during a number of inter – religious meetings we organized with the purpose to reconcile the different groups! When we started there was animosity, mistrust and fear. After a few day’s during which there was the possibility to confront each other and openly talk about the wrongs done, the situation changed quite quickly, and there where apologizes, expressions of regret, respect, care and love for each other and a feeling of belonging together! There we learned that:

... For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face, And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

-WILLIAM BLAKE, Songs of Innocence ( The Divine Image)


Unfortunately we had to stop these meetings: not because there was no interest (the people who participated had many ideas to expand the activities), but because of a lack of funds. We are so sorry for this because especially now we need this kind of activities mosth. We had hoped to be able to organize also a number of inter – religious activities for woman and children etc. but money is the problem! I want to stress that we need reconciliation and a dialogue and I want to appeal to anyone who can help us to reach our goal! If any of you can help us or knows a way to find funding please help us! Our Christian, Hindu and Muslim brothers AND SISTERS are most willing to meet again and work hard for this purpose!!!!!!

THERE HAS TO BE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THIS COUNTRY.

Democracy on the basis of one person one vote has to become accepted true out the whole population, not one group might it be religious or racial can expect more then that. No more privileges like before, not to the Singhalese but also not to the Tamils; not to anyone!

Corruption has to be routed out! Unity has to be established! Like President Mahinda Rajapakksha said: There will be only one majority; Those who love, and are working for de independence and unity of Mother Lanka! And there will be only one minority: Those who are against that!

This all is a long proces and we hope and pray that it will be successful, it has to be if we want peace and prosperity in this country. It’s a hard and difficult process. This country needs all the help it can get, not the “help” like we had recently, we don’t need this NGO’s and INGO’s who 1st of all fill their own pockets, stay in the most luxurious hotels and have humble crab en lobster lunches!!!!! We don’t need those who work together with and support terrorist groups!!! We don’t need those who put their stickers on houses build be others to show their donators a lie, or those who announce great projects and stop them half way because “its so difficult to work here”. We don’t need those who come here and try to buy over people to become a member of their religious groups so they can collect more funds to convert more “poor heathens”! We surely don’t need more of this politicians who come here to have a nice trip and who look down on the “natives” and feel like the colonial masters they once where! They have the courage to judge the situation here while their own countries invade and slaughter millions in other country’s (based on lies and financial interests!!!!!). We don’t need more of this Sri Lanka “experts” who have been here a few weeks or even months staying in their luxury hotels or villa’s racing true the country to reach the nearest beach resort and the next luxury hotel to open another bottle of whiskey.

Those things which are wrong here may be said, but they will have to learn to do that in a respectful and not in a patronizing way!!! That way anybody here will be willing to listen and agree!!!! We need those who really have the best interest for this country and its people in mind!!! We need those who are willing to help this country to do the work needed in constructing democracy, welfare, development, human rights etc. and who are doing that because they want to help fellow human beings in an independent, peaceful and united country.

My mother used a saying which I want to share with you here: It’s so easy to push the crown of once head, but it’s very difficult to put it back on! Let’s together try to put the crown back on the head of this country!!!!

I know it’s a difficult job, but live has no easy ways if you want to do something positive.
I’ll end this piece by asking you to work together with us and pray for a peaceful and prosperous future for this beautiful and deserving country and its people.

With Love; Yours in The Dhamma:
Ven. Holland Sri Devamitta Maha Thera
Rev. Baddegama Ariyadhamma Thero
Rev. Rotumba Devarakkhita Thero
Rev. Weherajaya Narada Thero
Rev. Baddegama Tapassi Thero.

Metta –Ashrama
Singha Govi Mawatha/ Bandarawatta
Daluwatumulla. Telwatta.
Sri Lanka.

Old Year - New Year

OLD YEAR – NEW YEAR

Dear friends
The old year has passed and the New Year has started, we hope and whish that it will be a good year for all of you; and better year for all of us!

The past year has not been an easy one, we changed place, we had losses and some of us had personal tragedies to cope with.
The Rev. Devarakkhita (Bhante’s second pupil) even lost his father on X-Mass day. Together with the Rev. B. Samitha Thero, Bhante took care of the funeral costs.

Many more of our friends have passed away this past year and the war took its toll like some natural disasters did.
Even the Mafia killings in and around our village are regrettable.

Some of you also had personal losses and even the economic crisis has left its mark on the world.

Even tough all of this there are also good things which happened this past year: we changed place (tough not easy, it’s a good thing because all of us are happy in our new place), we could do a number of very good works for our society, we could help or support some individuals and make some people very, very happy! (If, for example, your eye site or hearing is restored it’s a great thing). Also the list of things we have done (which you will find in an earlier post), is impressive.

Thanks to a donation of Mr. Jaap Plugge we even have a new fridge, a big one with a big deep freezer, and it’s our own one this time!

We are renting a big house in the village now where we are trying out our ideas and some programs. Thanks to Mr. Georg Höfer who donated the rent for a period of 6 months (42.000 SRS). He came here to run a program with a number of kids from Telwatta and Galle called: Telwatta Photo Kids for which he collected the funds. This is a great success and the result is above expectations tough all what we hoped for up till now!!!!! Georg is not only a passionate professional photographer; he’s a great teacher who is able to inspire the kids in a big way, and we hope you will visit the weblog of this program where you can see the really beautiful results of this program in the form of the pics made by the kids. (See the link on this page)

We are very grateful to Georg for this program which is great fun and a source of inspiration for all of us!!!!
He makes the kids, and us, very happy!!

In the house we started among others to show a few films for children of the village and they enjoy it tremendously!!

During the next few weeks we will have a few meetings with woman rights activists to which we will show a (bit of a controversial) Buddhist film, and which will be followed by a discussion.

There will be inter – religious meetings and we will start in corporation with the Salvation Army a HIV/AIDS prevention campaign.

We hope to get our woman and girls activities started (which is quite difficult to begin with).

We have a lack of funds to do all the things we want to do and we hope that there will be found some generous people who would like to donate some funds for this purpose. (on the moment we have NO FUNDS AT ALL FOR THIS PROGRAMS AND AGAIN BHANTE HAS TO PAY MOST OF IT FROM HIS OWN POCKET, AND THE POCKET IS EMPTY AFTER ALL THE COSTS WE HAD TO COVER DURING THE LAST FEW MONTHS!!!).

Talking about funds: the funds to pay for the OK KIDS English teaching program are all spend, we are even behind in payments!
We stopped intake for people with medical needs because there even are no funds for those we have already!
We had hoped to be able to help some of the neediest children in our society to get some extra food and sponsor their study:
but no funds!
We had hoped to improve our living quarters: but no funds!
We don’t like to go on with this list, but you will “get it” I think.
The bottom of our “money box” is totally cleaned out!
We would like to continue our work but need your help with it!!!
PLEASE HELP!!!!!

We recently got the help from Lianne a Dutch volunteer, but although she has a lot of ideas and is more then willing to work hard to realize them; all kind of activities cost money and we have not got it!!!

We hope that in this New Year we will be able to get some structural financial basis so we can continue our work with the poor people and youth from our area and elsewhere.

Anyhow:
We like to thank all those who supported us during the past year, all those who showed interest in our work and life and we hope that you all may be; Healthy, Happy and Safe in this New Year !

Bhante Devamitta Thera,
Rev. Ariyadhamma Thero,
Rev. Devarakkhita Thero, and
Rev. Narada Thero.
O, yes before I forget them :
Rex and Ariel.

Intro with the update of 12-08-08

Dear friends
1st of all we would like to say that we are sorry that it took such a long time to update this blog. Due to sickness, an overload of work and the fact that we had to move to our new place of residence coursed the delay. We hope you understand this and will still enjoy this blog.

We will update the other Blog also and will send you a message when that is done. If you know any one who would be interested to read our blog please give them the address.

Our new residence is the Metta – Asrama ( Metta = Loving-kindness and belongs together with Karuna = Compassion, Mudita = Sympathic Joy and Upekkha = equanimity to the Four Brahma Vihara’s the Divine Abodes of Buddhism).

Also this time we tried to make the whole thing more readable because there are more entries so you can read from the top down.

We hope that you will enjoy reading this blog and as soon as the other postings are ready we will inform you!!!!

Bhante Devamitta

Comming soon; Medical cases –People; storys of people around us – Children who need care; stories of children around us – Try-cycles continued – Ward 6 continued- Buddhist Teachings Yes or No ?

Singhapura part 1

SINGHAPURA A VILAGE IN NEED! Part 1.

Last month we where asked to come to Singhapura, a small and very poor village near the town of Polunaruwa in the Eastern-Middle Province of Sri Lanka. The request came from one of our friends who have been working there for the Red Cross. “They urgently need help, Bhante! For years no one has paid any attention to them!” He told us further that even tough the Red Cross started some work there, they would not be able to finish it and those who needed it most would not be profiting much of it. He then started to tell us all kind of things which made us curious and we decided to go and have a look.

After a trip of more then 9 hours by car we finally arrived. Our friend Kapilla received us at the tank of Polunaruwa and guided us to the village. What we saw there exceeded the things we where told. About 60% of the population is living under such poor conditions as seldom seen, even in Sri Lanka. We where 1st brought to the address where we should spend the night. We received hospitality from a family who can be considered one of the “rich” families of the village. We where well received and after a wash up and thee, we where shown around the village. Here we will give you 1st a report about the good things which are happening there, and after that we will tell you about the other things we where confronted with.

There are in a big part of the village nice channels with vast streaming water, they are a part of the new irrigation system which was much needed here because it’s extremely dry here for a big part of the year.

Thanks to this system the farmers, that’s nearly everybody here, can now grow crops again like in ancient times. This ensures that the people here can earn a living, anyhow those who own land.

Even paddy and coconuts are growing here now! Also most people use those streams to take their bath and do their laundry. It’s a great progress since I’ve been last in this arrear about 24 years ago.

Unfortunately is the drinking water of such a bad quality that we can say that it is quite poisoned, and not suited for human consumption.

Lately the Red Cross has built a water purification centre, which is a great blessing, or could be so. The problem is that if you want to be connected to the water system to receive the purified water you have to pay an entry fee of SRS 5000.=.

There are 92 families who are so poor that it is impossible for them to pay that amount, so they will not be connected and have to do with the un purified water!!!!!!

The water contains among others heavy metals like; Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic and Fluoride which causes chronic kidney diseases.

This is a BIG PROBLEM and there is rice of 25 % of kidney failure, their teeth are rotting away, liver and milt are slowly giving up, and also intestinal problems are chronicle etc. etc.

There where 140 families which had no toilet facilities, the Spanish Red Cross would supply them with a decent toilet. The problem is that after they supplied 55 houses with a toilet the money was finished (or stopped) so there are another 85 families who have to do with a whole in the ground!!! Not only uncomfortable but what is more important very unhygienic and a source of infections and eventually epidemics.

Then we came to the “Mother and Child Healthcare Centre” if you might call the ruined building we saw there so! This 1st line health centre was not to be called a building even! Not even fitted for animals to be stalled in!!!!! Not surprising that during the last couple of years there has not been a midwife here and that even Dr. Indika who is in charge of it never went there anymore. He visited the place 3 years ago and never went back. I must say that this is really very understandable indeed!

This Centre is one of the 1st urgent things which should be renovated so the 1st line health care for pregnant woman and woman with their baby’s should be started again!

Then we went to the Montessori school where the smallest children of the village are supposed to start their education. Even tough the super structure of the building is not too bad and can be repaired quit easily the rest is in a terrible state. What we 1st thought to be a kind of stall for goats or so, turned out to be the place where the children supposed to take their meals. The playground is in fact dangerous for these small ones to play. The toilets are not worthy of the name the washing facility is a trough and the rest is in the same state. As said the walls and the roof can be repaired and should be newly plastered, but the rest …….? (see pictures at picasa)

After we visited those places in Singhapura we had enough of it really!
That evening we talked with a number of people mostly young householders with children and some people in their twenty’s who formed a committee and who where not willing to lie down and accept the state in which their village is in! Admirable, but where to start and how to get things going? They did not have an answer to that!

It was clear to them and us that they needed help urgently!

The next morning we went to visit the school which was also in a bad state, but Bhante saw also that the teachers there where not really doing their thing. (This was confirmed by the English teacher there and he told that the discipline among the staff was the biggest problem of the school). There are 6 teachers and 12 children and the level is below 0 ! therefore we think this has on the moment a low priority and we will contact 1st the inspector for education and schools in the district before we look in to the possibilities. Even tough repairs are really needed, better work by the teachers is a 1st condition.

We talked with a few villagers and asked what their big whish would be except from the things we mentioned, and we where highly surprised to hear that they wanted a good library with, if possible, 1 or 2 computers so the youth could read and study there! We where so surprised because people in Lanka are not exactly known to be readers, and in some place those who like to read books are made fun of!

On that moment Bhante’s phone rung and we received message that due to the heavy rains the town where we used to live for some time, and which is in the vicinity of Telwatta, Baddegama was flooded by the heavy rainfall. There where a number of people who drowned and thousands of people fled their houses and where in need of help. We decided to start back to Telwatta and organize the needed help.

We quickly said goodbye and started our return journey at once.
On the way back Bhante started to mobilize people so next day we would be able to start a help program for those in need. When we where near to Kalutara we where forced to go back and find another way because the water blocked the road. Finally late in the night we returned back to Telwatta and could get a few hours of sleep to start of next morning early hour to Baddegama. But that is another story which you will find elsewhere.

BADDEGAMA FLOODED!

While we where in Singhapura near Polunaruwa we got the message that Baddegama was flooded due to heavy rains, and we hurried back to organize some help for those affected. We arrived back in Telwatta late in the night and during the trip back Bhante started already to organize a few things needed.

The next morning we called to a number of people in Baddegama and tried to make an inventory of what was needed. Fortunately a lot was done already by the army and some government agencies. Bhante had the day before, during our trip back, mobilized our good friend Mrs. Joy Butler Markham of the Manacare foundation and she had gone already to Baddegama and distributed food, medicine etc.

That morning when we went to Baddegama and it turned out that the water was still very high but that the situation was quite under control, and that there was not much help needed anymore.

We found out that in Neluwa near Deniyaya there was urgent need for medical help. The nurse of the Manacare centre who was standby was send there to distribute medicine and help with the needed care to be given to those in need there. This was an initiative from our BLBF.

The next step was that on initiative of Bhante Devamitta there was a meeting held on the 6th of June at the house of Mrs. Joyce Butler Markham in Hikkaduwa. During that meeting the situation in Baddegama was evaluated and on initiative of Bhante Devamitta there was a Disaster Emergency Committee formed.

Invited where:
Mrs. Joy Butler Markham of the Manacare Foundation.
The Ven. B. Samitha Thero vice pres. o/ t Baddegama Pradesia Sabhava. He excused himself and asked Bhante to represent him.
The Rev. Father Niroshan of Christ Church Parish (Church of Ceylon) in Baddegama and
The Ven. H. S. Devamitta Thero.

A number of needs and wants and a work program where formulated.
We hope to have the second meeting soon.

WARD 6

AYURVEDA HOSPITAL GALLE.

During the work on our new place a young painter volunteered to paint the house for free his name is Chami. He’s a nice young man and has also been working hard when we where cleaning the grounds.

When he was finished with the 1st part of the painting, he did not come back and we found out that he was admitted in the Ayurveda hospital in Galle. We went there to find out if it was because of the work he did for us (we where feeling a bit guilty, because he worked very hard J). We where very happy to find that it was not so!

When we came at the hospital we found out that his wrist was kind of “locked” and that he had this before. He was happy with the things we brought for him, but asked if we would have a possibility to help another man who was admitted on his ward. Bhante told him that he would like to talk with the doctor to hear what the matter was.

Now we 1st have to explain that we where very surprised by the hospital and specially the ward Nr. 6. We are used to the Karapitiya Hospital (which we call Karapottiya –a Karapotta is a cockroach).

This hospital however is very clean, and surprise, surprise; the nurses (male and female) really nurse the patients!!!!!

The ward Nr. 6 is a Green ward. The doctor in charge is keen on that color because she says it gives the patients calm, it de-stresses and it’s the color of nature, and here in the Ayurveda Hospital they are cured be natural medicine. It makes sense!

Dr. Manjula Manatunga is a very good looking lady who is handling here patients with kindness, loving care and a high knowledge (she has studied among others in India). When we asked about the patient which was pointed out to us by Chami, she told that this man was one of the cases which where more mental then physical. We asked what was needed in here ward, she told that she needed some kind of medicines for here patients. She told that recently they where not supplied by the government anymore. The patients could not afford to buy them because they are mostly poor people.

We told here to give us a list of needs for here ward and we would see what we could do about it. We expected to get a list of which we would have to refuse 60% because it would be things wanted (or needed in here private clinic), unfortunately we have that kind of experience during the years. But ….. for the 2nd time we where pleasantly surprised; the list consisted only of medicine, pillows, pillowcases (green J), and bed sheets ….yes green lol.

The only “luxurious” item according to here was a fan for the consultation arrear of the ward! Well, I can assure you that its no luxurious item to have one there in 26 – 32 degrees C. We calculated that all this could be get for about SRS. 60.000.= (about €400.-), and we agreed to supply here ward with this needs. Also a brace for the leg of a young monk with MS is needed, he has one for 1 leg but needs another one for the other leg.

The ward has 30 beds so we need 30 pillows, 60 pillowcases, and 30 bed sheets. We bought already 30 pillowcases, 30 bed sheets and a part of the medicine and brought that to a happy and excited doctor.

This week we hope to get the rest of the items needed, bring them, and will put more pictures on picasa.

We hope that in the future we will receive some more donations so we will be able to help this doctor to get the needed medicine for here patients. Maybe there are even some people who like to “adopt” this ward financially? We surely hope to be able to do so, we not for nothing have formulated our policy to: “reward those who are functioning well, but need support” !!!!!!!! We surely think that this ward is doing so, and that we should help them!
Later more about this ward.

SINGHAPURA A VILLAGE IN NEED! Part 2.

If you have been reading prt.1 about Singhapura you know what we found there when we 1st came on the invitation of the villagers send to us by our friend Kapila who worked there for the Red Cross.

Maybe you understand then that it was difficult to decide where to start. We made requests to a chapter of the Rotary in Colombo true our friend Mrs. Joy Markham Butler, but up till now there is no result yet. Also Alexander tried to get some help from the German Red Cross, but also from them there is no result yet.

The 29th of June a small group of volunteer workers arrived from the Netherlands: Saman Vinke and his 4 friends of the SrilanCare Foundation there. They are a wonderful kind of volunteers; every year when they come to do volunteer work they are not only working very hard, they also collect the funds to do some programs in Sri Lanka!

We might wish that there where more young people who take an example of this!!!!

Before they came Saman phoned me and asked if I knew any program they could do while they where here this time. Well, we have so many people and groups in need that we can choose! This time they wanted to do some thing in the Eastern part of the country, and not again in the coastal arrear where they have been doing a lot of great things in the past few years. The recently liberated part of the East and the arrear around Wellawaya where a no no, because of the security situation there, (Even tough we would like to have some urgently needed programs done there). So we offered them the program to renovate the Mother and Child Healthcare Centre in Singhapura.

We where very happy when they went there and told us that they would run the program there, and renovate the centre!!!
Our past experience with them assured us that it would be done perfectly, and in a durable fashion. They contacted Kapila who functioned as our coordinator there and started the work.
To keep it cheap they also worked as their own contractor!!!!!
After 15 days we where invited to come for the re-opening of the health centre and 3 days later we where astonished with the result!
In 18 days they worked out a small miracle, and proved that our trust in them was right! The ruined building had changed in a newly looking Health Centre, the people of the village where enormously happy, and so are we!!! The villagers had worked as free labourers
and they hired only some professionals which where needed. They had worked themselves very hard and because of this combination the costs where far below the estimate! When we arrived there we did not even recognized the place!!!

At the opening Bhante made the doctor promise not only to come and work there regularly, but also to keep an eye on the maintenance of the building from now on. Further more he stressed that the village population should take care of their responsibility and not let things go to waste again. For a detailed photo report we are referring to the picasa picture side there you will find the “before and after” pictures of the care centre.

We hope to find others to sponsor also the rest of the needs of the Singhapura village program, and maybe even people like Saman and his friends of the SrilanCare Foundation who would gather funds and come and run a program for our Blue Lotus Buddhist Fellowship.
In the mean time we would like to express our gratitude to the wonderful youngsters who did this one, Saman and his friends, and to their donators! Thank you! You gained great Merit!
Sadhu, Sadhu, Sa !!!!!