INDEX| LANKA
GEMS cont |
SCN SRILANKA CRAZY NEWS |
| They hang in the air in exactly the same way that a brick doesn't | INDEX |
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| A nation
of Buddhas and Jesuses? (cont) Then came his article titled "Why this craze for power?" (The Island, July 25). My reading of it is that he ardently desires the defeat of the present government in parliament. Fair enough! What else do you expect from an erstwhile ambassador of Mr. J. R. Jayewardene to an affluent part of this world (the former Federal Republic of Germany) and a nebulous part of the next world (the late Sir Don Baron Jayatilleka). Survival by legitimate means is and ought to be the aim of every duly elected government. The present government’s attempt to do so, by recourse to some provisions laid down in Mr. JRJ’s constitution, Mr. Stanley Jayaweera attributes to "monumental stupidity or colossal ignorance". Elaborating this insight, SJ says that we have entrusted the governance of this country to men and women who are "totally without depth" and lacking in "wisdom and sanity". So what is his remedy? After recounting a beautiful story from the life of the Buddha he says, "The country can be redeemed only by individuals who have awakened to this eternal truth". And what is that eternal truth? That "those who seek power are not wise because they are pursuing a mirage". If so, for heaven’s sake, why on earth doesn’t SJ tell that to Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe — and to the marines! Carlo Fonseka, Kotte (There was a rather shifty character by the name of Carlo Fonseka in Colombo Medical School in the sixties and seventies.-Ed) 
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| Modification
of "killing" ads (cont) Surely is this not hypocrisy at its highest? I simply cannot believe how a learned Bhikku could resort to this type of illogical reasoning. Most importantly, when one uses a pesticide on a Cockroach, Termite or any other insect, is it done only to immobilize it? "Immobilize" has a tint of being temporary. According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, immobilize means - "unable to move eg: My car was immobilized for two weeks". But will the Cockroach or insect be only "immobilized" and not killed by this pesticide? Will it ever recover? Why should anyone use a pesticide if he has no intention to kill? He could as well use an air-freshner! There is no point in playing with words when the end result is the same - elimination of the insect. "ÉÉcide" is a killer eg: patricide; matricide; and suicide. Stretching the Rev. Bhikkhu's reasoning a bit further, a habitual drunkard could swear that he does not touch any alcohol. Obviously so because he only holds the glass! Ranjith Gamini Perera, Panadura. (Well said mate! As you chaps out there know we at SCN never touch alcohol. We drink the stuff! - Ed)
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