Vesak, or Viashaka, is the month in which the Full Moon day has been celebrated as a festival of spiritual enlightenment for centuries throughout the Subcontinent, and became associated with the Buddhist commemoration of the Birth, Enlightenment and Death of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. The Mahavansha and later Sri Lankan chronicles have recorded the regular celebration of this festival by successive rulers throughout much of our history.
As the nation moves gradually towards prosperity, these days we see an increasingly greater expression of piety and festivity with a profusion of bhavanaa activity, temple ceremonies, dan sala and much pilgrim traffic. Oil lamps, perfumed incense and flowers abound. Mystic reverence melds with wonder as Sri Lankans observe prayerful ritual, listen to Bhakthi Gee and, tour neighbourhood festive decorations.
Traditional forms of Buddhist art and décor are given new embellishments with electronic innovation adding sparkle and colour to the fervour with which this biggest of all the nation’s religious festivals is celebrated. For those to whom such glitter disturbs, there is a wide choice of venues in city and township, in temples and sacred sites, for worship, meditation and serenity.
The marking of the whole life of the Teacher in a single festival serves to holistically appreciate his Teaching in its entirety along with the exemplar of his life and mission. The numinous power of the Dhamma is brought forth as the faithful re-commit themselves and their communities to the Right Path.
The highest values of the Dhamma – of Metthaa and Karunaa – and, the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhist life, are in the forefront of the nation as a whole, this Vesak Week, as its largest religious community, the Buddhists, celebrate. The whole island community is overwhelmed by this expression of pious goodwill, compassion and charity by the majority community.
It is a wonderful moment for the social flowering of the sentiments and motivations of the Dhamma. And the Sangha plays its ecclesiastical role of instilling these teachings of social love and solidarity.
The truth of any religion or faith is seen in its practice, in the benefits for its community of adherents. Not only should that community progress spiritually as well as materially, but that community must positively contribute to the other communities around it. Ultimately, religion is for the salvation of humanity as a whole.
The larger nation, therefore, looks to the Sri Lankan Buddhist community to lead in the building of nationhood by recognizing and bringing together the diverse communities and social groups that comprise our island society. If compassion and charity is to shine forth from this Dhamma Dveepa, then,the biggest ‘force’ to enable this is the Buddhist community.
As the impacts and memories of war and hatred fade, that darkness is lit up by the glow of the Dhamma showing the way for political reform, societal renewal and peaceful co-existence.
Celebrating Labour
When the country observes May Day, whether on May 1 or May 7, it will be a celebration of the nation’s working people both female and male whatever their type of work and irrespective of caste, class, creed and ethnicity.
It will be an appreciation of all work and workers, whether paid or unpaid. It will also be a re-commitment to the continued well-being of workers and the enhancement of their labour output and value. After all, the nation progresses socially only when its economy grows. And its economy grows only when investors/capitalists, labour and, the government, coordinate their endeavours.
It is up to the Government and the State to ensure that the correct policies and programs are in place that will guide economic development most efficiently. On the one hand, this means that labour and capital must manage their inter-relationship to ensure maximized production and maximized mobilization of the labour force.
On the other hand, the Government has to ensure a level playing field for both capital and labour – for the best incentives and facilities for industry and agribusiness and, for the best working conditions and livelihoods for workers.
Today, the steady growth of the economy over several decades – despite unevenness due to war – has resulted in a slight uplift in both living and working conditions for the mass of the people. At least some of this growth is a result of efficient mobilization of labour in the organized and formal sectors of the economy. At the bedrock of such labour mobilization is employee empowerment by unionization and the fruits of steady business growth ensured by regular labour-management collective agreements.
It is in the less formal and less organized sectors of the economy that such an element of employee motivation is yet to play a role in growth. This is partly due to the ad hoc nature of labour relations since these sectors lack unionization and other forms of systematic labour mobilization and negotiation. The unions, on the other hand, must recognize that their struggles for class betterment are wholly unrealistic without a commitment to sustained productivity.
Both labour organizations and the business community must acknowledge that the proper organization and empowerment of labour must result in both enhanced labour productivity and efficiency on the one hand and, a satisfied employee contingent on the other.