Author Archive for Dr. Daya Hewapathirane

Photographic Exhibition and Documentary Film on Paintings that Adorn Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Shrines

Tuesday, May 5th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane This was a unique cultural event held at the University of Toronto’s prestigious Robarts Library, from May 21 to 30, 2005, to mark firstly, Vesak”, the most holy and venerated time of the year for Buddhists, and secondly, in commemoration of 100 years of Buddhism in Canada. Vesak full-moon day, which usually […]

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IT IS THE GREEDY WHITE MAN OF THE WESTERN WORLD WHO IS DESTROYING THE EARTH?

Friday, April 24th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane  Today, about 21% of the global population are in the so-called Western industrialized countries and 79% in developing countries. This small % of excessively greedy white men of the Western industrialized consume about 80% of the world’s natural resources and are also responsible for the production of about 80% of all waste […]

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UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN: Pioneers in Chemical Warfare and the Biggest Perpetrators of Environmental Damage in the World

Monday, April 13th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane AGENT ORANGE is the best known highly toxic herbicide and defoliant chemical, developed by Americans and used by the U.S. military as part of its chemical warfare program in Vietnam and neighboring countries. Between 1962 and 1971, during the Vietnam war, the United States military sprayed nearly 20 million gallons of various […]

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MUSLIM WORLD’S HEARTLESS INDIFFERENCE TO THE PLIGHT OF MILLIONS OF MUSLIMS INFECTED AND DYING OF HIV-AIDS

Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), is one of the world’s most serious health and development challenges. Globally, approximately 75 million people have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic in 1981. Today, there are about 40 million people living with HIV, and tens of millions […]

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COMPASSION: FOR BETTER HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

Saturday, March 28th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Genuine compassion is based on the rationale that all human beings have an innate desire to overcome suffering and be happy. As an integral part of the Buddhist spiritual path, compassion is a state of mind that is non-violent, non-harming and non-aggressive. It is a mental attitude based on the wish for […]

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“ALMIGHTY GOD” AND CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Rev. Tom Honey was the Parish priest (vicar) of the Church of England in Oxford for more than 20 years and was highly reputed for his thoughtful sermons and the best perhaps being the one he gave in 2005, on Almighty God and Tsunami Disaster” after the devastation caused by the Indian […]

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UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SINHALA BUDDHIST NATION

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane     Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that was visited by the Buddha on three different occasions. During these visits, the Buddha set foot on 16 different places within the country which are still venerated as sacred sites (for details see Deepawamsa written in the 3-4th century CE). Sri Lanka […]

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AWAKENING TO REALITIES OF LIFE

Friday, March 20th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane By regular practice of Bhavana” or Buddhist meditation, one could go beyond everyday consciousness to a deeper level of consciousness or a deep state of mental calm which leads one to a state of awakening to realities of life, to self-understanding and the ultimate meaning of life. According to the teachings of […]

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ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර මහතා, 2020, මාර්තු 13 දින, ලංකාවෙබ් පුවත් අඩවියෙහි (Lankaweb- March 13, 2020) පලකරනු ලැබූ ඉතා වැදගත් ලිපිය හා බැදේ:

Sunday, March 15th, 2020

දයා හේවාපතිරණ ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර මහතා, අප ජනාදිපති තුමා වෙත යොමුකර ඇති ඉතා වැදගත් ඉල්ලීම් මෙන්ම, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා රටෙහි ජනාදිපති ලෙස සිටි කාලයෙහිදී මෙම සිහල බෞද්ධ රටෙහි අභිවුර්ධය සදහා ගතහැකිව තිබුන අවශ්‍යම පියවරයන්, අවස්ථාව තිබියදී පවා, ඉතා අදූරදර්ශී ලෙස අතපසු කිරීම නිසා, රටෙහි ඒකීය භාවයට සහ හෙළ බොදු සoන්ස්කෘතියෙහි උන්නතිය සම්බන්දයෙන් උද්ගතවී ඇති දැවැන්ත […]

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS

Tuesday, March 10th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane In computer science, artificial intelligence” or AI, refers to intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals. It is the ability of a computer program or a machine to think and learn. AI is one of the major developments of our time. Machine learning, and the implications that go […]

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ALCOHOL ABUSE IN SRI LANKA: GRAVE CONSEQUENCES

Sunday, February 23rd, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane About 9 million or an estimated 40% of the population of Sri Lanka consume alcohol and 99% of them are males. Those consuming alcohol daily amount to more than 4 million. The alcohol market includes pure alcohol such as hard liquor mainly arrack and beer and illicit liquor or kasippu. Illicit alcohol […]

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USA: ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN STATE TERRORISM

Sunday, February 16th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane There are a series of publications based on in-depth studies on USA involvement in State Terrorism. The following are highlights on the contents of two of the prominent publications: 1) State Terrorism and Neoliberalism (2009), by Dr. Ruth Blakeley, Professor (University of Kent) 2) State Terrorism and the United States: From Counter-insurgency […]

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BUDDHIST TOLERANCE

Wednesday, February 5th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane As a global religion, Buddhism today has expanded worldwide.  What is significant to note is that this expansion has always been characterized by a spirit of tolerance, harmonization and assimilation. In the process, Buddhism has absorbed pre-existing beliefs to a point where a clear distinction is often difficult today. This is clearly […]

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HOW TAMIL AND EUROPEAN INVADERS DESTROYED SRI LANKA’S ENVIABLE OVERALL INDEPENDENCE IN THE PAST

Monday, February 3rd, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane For a nation, to be politically ‘independent’ means, not to be subjugated, not to be under control, not to be living in fear, not to be harassed, plundered and exploited. However, political independence becomes less forceful and less meaningful in the absence of other important forms of independence, including economic independence, cultural […]

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SINHALA LANGUAGE: THE DEFINING ELEMENT OF THE NATIONAL CULTURE OF SRI LANKA

Sunday, February 2nd, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane   Language is the defining element of any advanced culture and it gives the strongest form of identity to a community and a nation. The large majority of people of Sri Lanka are distinguished by their language, which is Sinhala. From about the 6th century BCE or more than 2500 years ago, until […]

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THE SINHALA PEOPLE AND THE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY OF SRI LANKA

Friday, January 31st, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane  Sinhala is the ethnic group native to Sri Lanka, forming the mainstream or the dominant indigenous community of the island for more than 2500 years. In fact, Sri Lanka is the only national sovereign motherland of the Sinhala people. Their culture, way of life and their Sinhala language originated and developed in […]

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BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES CHARACTERIZE THE NATIONAL IDENTITY OF SRI LANKA

Saturday, January 25th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathira The unique national identity of Sri Lanka is founded on its historic, long-lasting Sinhala Buddhist cultural heritage.  As an island nation Sri Lanka is founded on Buddhist norms and principles. The impact of Buddhism is reflected both directly and indirectly, in the tangible and intangible aspects of the nation’s culture. Fundamental Buddhist […]

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“SINHA KODIYA” : THE NATIONAL FLAG

Thursday, January 23rd, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane It is time we revived and strengthened the movement to restore and reinstate our legitimate national flag, the ancient Sinha kodiya” (lion flag). The authentic National flag of the island consists of a yellow coloured lion representing the Sinhala ethnicity the mainstream community of the nation, holding a ‘kastane’ sword which is […]

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TAMIL TERRORISTS ATTACK DALADA MALIGAWA: JANUARY 25,1998

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Twenty-two years ago, on Sunday January 25th 1998 around 6:30 am, the ruthless Tamil terrorists attacked the Sri Dalada Maligawa – one of the most valued national cultural treasures of Sri Lanka. Built originally in the late 15th century, this fabulous architectural marvel is more than 550 years old, In the centuries that […]

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NATIONAL ANTHEM SHOULD BE SUNG ONLY IN SINHALA

Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane   Our National Anthem should necessarily be sung only in Sinhala. Sinhala language is  the defining element of our nation’s culture and heritage, from historic times. Sinhala language and literature originated in Sri Lanka. All salient aspects of our national culture – tangible and intangible, either grew or evolved within the borders of […]

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PATIENCE AND MINDFULNESS

Sunday, January 12th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Patience means the ability to endure and tolerate difficult situations in life and to maintain calmness in the face of life’s hardships, frustrations, adversity and suffering. It means the capacity to endure varied vicissitudes of life without being impetuous and hasty. Also, it means the   capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, […]

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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE : An Essential Consideration in Education Policy and Curriculum Development in Sri Lanka

Thursday, January 9th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane In 1990, psychologists John Mayer (University of New Hampshire) and Peter Salovey        (Yale University) coined the term, Emotional Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence means the ability to recognize, understand and manage one’s own emotions and to recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. In practical terms, this means being aware that emotions can […]

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The Development Path of Sri Lanka Needs to be Built from its Grassroots, Based on its Buddhist Cultural Foundation

Tuesday, January 7th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Wholesome Buddhist norms and values form the basis of Sri Lanka’s uniquely indigenous Sinhala Buddhist culture. They were reinforced during a historic period that exceeds 2200 years, from the 3rd century BCE. The strength of this cultural foundation was tested several times in the past, especially during periods of South Indian invasions […]

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Sinhala Buddhist Cultural Legacy

Monday, January 6th, 2020

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane    Sinhala is the ethnic group native to Sri Lanka, forming the mainstream or the dominant indigenous community of the island for more than 2500 years. In fact, Sri Lanka is the only national sovereign motherland of the Sinhala people. Their culture, way of life and their Sinhala language originated and developed in […]

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Soilis Mendis & Kelaniya Murals KELANIYA RAJAMAHA VIHARAYA

Tuesday, October 8th, 2019

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane The historic Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya situated in the outskirts of Colombo is a Buddhist shrine of utmost significance. As recorded in the Mahavamsa, Kelaniya is a place visited by the Buddha in the early 5th century BCE. (Mahawamsa alsoreferred top as the Great Chronicle, is the single most important historic work […]

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ATROCITIES COMMITED AGAINST SINHALA BUDDHISTS

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Cruelty and Atrocities by Catholics For a period that exceeded 150 years, from 1505 to1658, a greater part of Sri Lanka’s  coastal region was under the control of Portuguese Catholics. This was a period marked by extreme forms of violence and atrocities by the Portuguese, against local inhabitants  especially the Sinhala Buddhists, […]

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BRUTALITY OF THE PORTUGUESE – SOME HISTORICAL FACTS

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane From the year 1505 until 1658, for about 153 years, a good part of the coastal region of Sri Lanka was under the control of the Portuguese.  This was a period marked by extreme forms of violence and atrocities against the Sinhala community, especially the Sinhala Buddhists. It was a period  marked […]

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STRONG MESSAGE WHICH SHOULD BE HEARD BY ALL CITIZENS OF SRI LANKA: TRUE PATRIOTS SHOULD UNITE TO BRING ABOUT A CHANGE

Thursday, June 27th, 2019

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane Building a stronger sense of national identity holds the key to achieving social cohesion, true reconciliation and overall development in our island nation. We need to be united behind the Sinhala Buddhist norms and values that historically underly our nation. Genuine Sri Lankan patriots, should not under any circumstances let our nation’s […]

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The Heroic Wadeehasinha Mohottiwatte (Migettuwaththe) GUNANANDA THERA

Monday, June 24th, 2019

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane HISTORICAL CONTEXT The ‘Panadura Vadaya’, the historic debate of 1873, was a landmark in recent history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka owing primarily to the leadership, initiative and actions of one of the greatest sons of our motherland – Venerable Mohottiwatte or Migettuwaththe Gunananda Thera (1823-1890). He defeated our nation’s adversaries and […]

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THE UNIQUE NATIONAL IDENTITY OF SRI LANKA

Friday, June 21st, 2019

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane The unique national identity of Sri Lanka is founded on its historic, long-lasting Sinhala Buddhist cultural heritage.  As an island nation Sri Lanka is founded on Buddhist norms and principles. The impact of Buddhism is reflected both directly and indirectly, in the tangible and intangible aspects of the nation’s culture. Fundamental Buddhist […]

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