{"id":116661,"date":"2021-07-31T16:36:38","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T23:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=116661"},"modified":"2021-07-31T16:36:38","modified_gmt":"2021-07-31T23:36:38","slug":"ritualism-is-not-buddhism-venerable-galkande-dhammananda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/07\/31\/ritualism-is-not-buddhism-venerable-galkande-dhammananda\/","title":{"rendered":"Ritualism is not Buddhism \u2013 Venerable Galkande Dhammananda"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raj Gonsalkorale<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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The multi religious and multi\nethnic approach taken by the Walpola Rahula Institute (WRI) and its head, Venerable\nGalkande Dhammananda to advance social healing amongst all people in Sri Lanka\nand elsewhere is set to take a major step forward with the increasing focus on\nonline programs that could potentially reach vast audiences from the comfort of\ntheir homes. In the context of widespread ritualism experienced and expressed\nas Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the focus on Buddha\u2019s teachings on the principles of\nhis doctrine and the need for society to be healed of many mental wounds they\ncarry, the WRI and Venerable Dhammananda offers a breath of fresh air to those\nwho are confused and even disillusioned with ritualism that is being expressed\nas Buddhism.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nuniqueness of the Walpola Rahula Institute in Sri Lanka, begun by Venerable\nGalkande Dhammananda the only Monk pupil of late Walpola Rahula Thero, probably\none the greatest visionaries of our time, is depicted by the above notice that\ngreets all visitors to the Institute at its entrance.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nunlikely that any other Buddhist institution in Sri Lanka portrays Buddha\u2019s\nfundamental message to human beings as the WRI has done. On account of this\nopenness, it has attracted patrons from all ethnicities, religions and diverse\nbackgrounds, to its premises and its activities. Human Rights Advocate Radhika\nCoomaraswamy who was a guest speaker at an event conducted by the WRI a while\nago said she felt safe\u201d in the environment of the WRI.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last 6 years, the\nWalpola Rahula Institute, led by Ven Dhammananda, and with the participation of\nits volunteers, and staff have been working tirelessly conducting projects,\nprograms and discussions to achieve \u2018Social Healing\u2019. Ven Dhammananda\u2019s\nconsistent message has been that the principle of dependent origination or\nPaticca Samuppada\u201d is the cause for many conflicts and they have risen from\nwounded minds which give rise to unwholesome thoughts and which in turn give\nrise to unfortunate and harmful action, and that this cycle repeats itself\nwithout a healing of the wounded. Taken as a collective, societies, which are\ncollection of individuals, in turn experience this same phenomenon of dependent\norigination, and they will continue to deviate from right thought and right\naction unless there is social healing. The fundamental theme underlying\nactivities of the WRI has been the dictum Bahujana Hithaya, Bahujana Sukhaya\u201d,\nfor the happiness of the\nmany, for the welfare of the many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Twin Schools Project that\nwas done in 2017, linking two under privileged rural schools, one a Tamil\nmedium school in Therankadal, near Killinochchi and the other, a Sinhala medium\nschool in Kebithigollewa, near Anuradhapura, epitomised the objective of social\nhealing through joint activities between the two schools, transcending man made\nbarriers that stood in the way of social healing through closer human\ninteraction. It needs to be noted that these two schools were located in areas\nthat experienced the hostilities during the last war between LTTE combatants\nand the Sri Lankan Forces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, and many other programs\ninitiated by Ven Dhammananda, including an educational program for young novice\nMonks, multi religious discussion forums, counselling for victims of floods and\nother natural disasters, as well as victims of man-made disasters such as\nattacks on Muslims, and Christians like the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019,\nwere all directed towards drawing attention for the need for social healing to\novercome conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another\nnotable event in 2019 was the translation into English of one of late Venerable\nWalpola Rahula\u2019s seminal works, Sathoyadaya<\/em>, into English. This was all\nthe more significant as the scholarly translation was done by a person of Tamil\nethnicity, Mr Niranjan Selvadurai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nkeeping with the times arising from the COVID pandemic, and the inability to\narrange face to face programs, Ven Dhammananda chartered a new course to bring\nhealing messages via online platforms commencing in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On\nthe 21st<\/sup> of June this year, eLanka and other eJournals like the Sri\nLanka Guardian  carried articles about\nthe expansion of online programs on social healing being conducted by the\nWalpola Rahula Institute (WRI) of Sri Lanka (see https:\/\/www.elanka.com.au\/walpola-rahula-institute-sri-lanka-expands-online-programs-on-social-healing-by-a-well-wisher-of-the-walpola-rahula-institute\/<\/a>. This article provided some\ndetails about the current and intended activities of the WRI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nWRI has made much progress to broad base online programs and two key\ndevelopments have happened in the recent past. A specialist on program\ndevelopment (both technical and on content, design and themes) has been\nrecruited, along with another person, who is a Tamil, to assist with program\ndevelopment as well as to undertake and provide translations to Tamil of all\nprograms conducted in Sinhala. Their mobilisation has been delayed due to the\nCOVID pandemic and travel restrictions, but it is very likely that the program\ndevelopment work will commence in August and September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All\nsuch programs will be broadcast over the YouTube channel Rahula Dhammavahini\u201d,\nand other means such as Podcasts. The overriding theme that Venerable Galkande\nDhammananda will be focusing on will be social healing.  Venerable Dhammananda and the WRI is being\nassisted by forty patrons who have subscribed to participate in this broad\nbased online program and meet all connected expenditure for a period of one\nyear. It is noteworthy that amongst the 40 Patrons are Buddhists, Christians,\nMuslims, Sinhalese and Tamils, showing clearly that the doors of the Walpola\nRahula Institute are open to everyone irrespective of their religion or\nethnicity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mini\nStudio construction work begins on the 15th<\/sup> of July 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While programs will be recorded in a\ntemporary studio arrangement within the premises of the WRI, progress has been\nmade on the new mini studio construction that commenced on the 15th<\/sup>\nof July. Over 70 persons belonging to all ethnicities and religions have\ncontributed to this project, and are still doing so. It is likely that the\nbuilding will have a roof within the next 4-6 weeks, and internal work would\ncommence soon after. All internal work will be supervised by an expert in sound\nengineering in order to ensure programs of the highest quality are produced and\nbroadcast to well-wishers and the general public<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progress\non the 21st<\/sup> of July 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Progress\non the 26th<\/sup> of July 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More\ninformation on the progress, and on the planned programs will be available from\nmid-August onwards. Meanwhile, anyone wishing to get more information or wish\nto make a contribution towards the studio construction project may do so by\ncontacting the following<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venerable Galkande Dhammananda\n(galkandedhammananda@gmail.com<\/strong><\/a>) and\/or Kamal Jayashantha, WRI Program Coordinator & Research Officer\n(Email wriprogcoordinator@gmail.com<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular programs\nincluding monthly Poya day Metta meditation sessions, remembrance events such\nas birthdays, death anniversaries, customary seventh day and 3 month\u2019s family\nblessings for loved ones who have passed away, are conducted regularly using\nonline methodologies. Besides this, a monthly Dhamma discussion with Venerable\nUduhavara Ananda Thero takes place on the 3rd<\/sup> Sunday of every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recordings of past\nprograms are available on the YouTube channel Rahula Dhammavahini (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/results?search_query=rahula+dhamma+vahini<\/a>) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WRI also has a\ncalendar program where a person could take one day every month as a remembrance\nday for loved ones. During the Monthly Metta session, all such persons\nnominated by a person who has taken a day during that month, will be remembered\nand blessings invoked on them. Those who wish to support the WRI and its\nactivities could do so with a contribution of Rs 5000\/= for the allocation of\none day every year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ven Dhammananda does\nnot encourage material offerings to him for any event or programs he conducts,\nand instead appeals to those who wish to make such offerings to do so to one of\nprojects conducted by the WRI. This is entirely voluntary and anyone who wishes\nto invoke blessings to a loved is free to do so and contact Ven Dhammananda in\nadvance of the day in question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Walpola Rahula Trust also\nboasts of a library that has a collection of over 6000 valuable books,\ncollected by late Venerable Walpola Rahula over many years. The Library is now\nthe corner stone of the Walpola Rahula Research Centre and its catalogue may be\naccessed via the WRI website (http:www.walpolarahula.institute\/library\/). Books\nthat will be of interest to a research library focussing on Social Healing\nwould be welcome and the Research Officer Mr Kamal Jayashantha (wriprogcoordinator@gmail.com<\/strong><\/a>) may be contacted in advance\nif donors have any books they wish to donate to the library. Future research\noriented programs are being worked out now, and details will be made available\nsoon.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Programs and activities,\nincluding reports and photographs of past activities, area available on the WRI\nwebsite at http:\/\/www.walpolarahula.institute\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raj Gonsalkorale The multi religious and multi ethnic approach taken by the Walpola Rahula Institute (WRI) and its head, Venerable Galkande Dhammananda to advance social healing amongst all people in Sri Lanka and elsewhere is set to take a major step forward with the increasing focus on online programs that could potentially reach vast audiences […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-raj-gonsalkorale"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116661\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}