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The Real Forecast
By Gwynne Dyer"The bottom line is that we believe the last three or four years to have been the warmest of the millennium, and 1998 to have been the war-mest of all," said Professor Phil Jones of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia. Not of the century, of the MILLENNIUM: the CRU’s data are based on studies of tree-ring growth and ice-cores that have extended the detailed history of the world’s climate back to a thousand years ago.
Jones’s alarming message on global warming was underlined by this year’s spate of extreme wea-ther, from Hurricane Mitch in Central America to the devastating floods in China and Bangladesh. So why did the people in Buenos Aires pay so little attention?
After two weeks of filibusters, walk-outs, and behind-the- scenes political bri-bery and blackmail, the environment ministers of 170 countries gathered in Buenos Aires to review the Climate Change Con-vention reached agre-ement on Saturday. But on what?
They agreed that by the end of the year 2000 they would draw up a timetable for implementing the agreement made last year at Kyoto by which the developed countries (but only the developed countries) will cut emissions of ‘greenhouse gases’ by 5 percent by 2008-2012. The mountain, having laboured mightily, produced a rather small mouse.
Back in 1990, the scientists of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change recommended a 60 percent cut in emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases produced by burning fossil fuels, in order to stabilise the world’s climate at manageable levels. The Rio conference in 1992 that finally negotiated the Climate Change Con-vention noted their views, considered political realities, and aimed a lot lower.
It then took five years, until last year’s Kyoto meeting, to get everybody to agree on the modest target of 5 percent cuts for the developed countries over the next 15 years. The United States, the world’s biggest polluter (23 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions with 4 percent of the world’s population) did not even sign the Kyoto Protocol until last week — and only Fiji has actually ratified it.
So what was this year’s Buenos Aires conference about? It was, alas, only about negotiating a timetable for implementing last year’s agreement. In the end, it settled for a schedule by which that timetable will be fleshed out over the next two years. But it left 142 other issues unresolved, including key questions like whe-ther developing countries will accept any emissions targets.
And that is as good as it gets in the world of international diplomacy. Twenty years ago, indeed, nobody in the trade would have believed this kind of global negotiation, involving binding controls on sovereign states, was possible at all.
True, the cuts now planned in global greenhouse gas emissions are so small, and phased over so long, as to be almost worthless. But many of the participants at Buenos Aires understood that they were building a template for a follow-on treaty, involving deep cuts, that will only become possible when enough climate-related calamities have finally concentrated people’s minds.
The Buenos Aires conference got a new forecast of when those calamities will arrive in data produced by Britain’s Hadley Cen-tre for Climate Change. The new Hadley model, calculated on the world’s largest computer, represents the ocean currents that drive so much of the world’s climate much better. It predicts a steady increase in flooding, droughts and wild weather up to 2050, followed by a runaway greenhouse effect in the latter half of the century.
Coastal flooding will displace some tens of millions in low- lying areas like the Nile delta and Bangladesh by 2050, and almost a billion people will be hit by water shortages as droughts spread over huge areas. Diseases now confined to the tropics will flourish in formerly safe regions: malaria is expected to reach the Baltic by 2050. Killer storms like Mitch will become normal, and global food production will be severely affected.
The impact will be worst in central and southern Africa and in the United States, where grain yields will fall by up to 10 percent. Yields will rise in northern Europe and Canada, but not enough to make up the losses. And ALL THESE CHANGES ARE INEVITABLE, no matter how fast people start cutting emissions now.
The climate takes about 30 years to respond to new inputs of greenhouse gases, so this hottest-ever year of 1998 was caused by emissions from before 1968. All the additional climate changes predicted down to about 2030 are already locked in, because they are due to fuel that has already been burned in the past 30 years.
If we’re lucky, these changes will be frightening enough to drive us into real emissions cuts – the 60 percent recommended at the Rio conference six years ago, or even more – early enough to forestall the runaway effect around 2050. Because the real shock in the new Had-ley model was the spread of the deserts.
Previous models assumed that a rising level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (which stimulates plant growth) would partly damp itself out, because more plants would remove more CO2 from the atmosphere. But after 2050 the additional plant growth is cancelled out by the failure of rainfall over key areas like the Amazon, the Mediterranean, and the eastern U.S., and the warming goes wild: predicted land temperatures for the end of the next century are 6 degrees C. (10 degrees F.) higher than at present.
There is still time to avert that kind of catastrophe, if major changes are made in the next ten to twenty years, so the game being played at these apparently pointless climate conferences is worth the candle. The numbers they are working with now are too small to matter, but the rules they are making, the precedents they are setting, even the institutions they are creating are not a waste of time. By the time we finally get serious about climate change, there will be no time left for these preliminaries.
Exploitation of the Eppawela rock phosphate deposit
By Prof. V. K. Samaranayake
This article is based on a report subitted to the govrnment by the National Academy of Sciences – Sri LankaThe Eppawela rock phosphate deposit which had been discovered by the Department of Geological Survey many years back, has, for several years, been mined for providing phosphate fertilizer in the form of ground rock to the tea, rubber and coconut plantations. Being of very low solubility, the ground rock has limited use for rice and other short term crops and phosphate fertilizer required for these continues to be imported. The Government has recently made a proposal to enter into a joint venture project agreement with a foreign multinational company to exploit the reserves on a massive scale, to manufacture high grade water soluble phosphate locally and to export both the bulk of the raw material and the value added products while also supplying Sri Lanka’s requirements. The proposal has been publicly opposed by numerous parties on various grounds, and the matter evoked the attention of the Council of the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka.
The National Academy of Sciences is the highest level multi-disciplinary scientific organization in Sri Lanka. Its mandate includes "to take cognizance of and report on issues in which scientific and technological considerations are paramount to the national interest" and "to advise on the management and the rational utilization of the natural resources of the island so as to ensure optimal productivity, consistent with continued use of the biosphere on a long term basis taking into account the repercussions of using a particular resource on other resources and the environment as a whole, and to help in making use of resources of the country in national development" . Accordingly, the Academy studied the proposal from all angles and submitted its report to H. E. the President in May 1998.
The project proposal was examined in relation to –
(a) the deposit and proposed rate of exploitation;
(b) proposal to manufacture fertilizer locally;
(c) environment considerations; and
(d) economic and social considerations. This report gives the Academy’s views on the proposal.
(a) The deposit and proposed rate of exploitation
The proven reserve at Eppawela is 25 million metric tons, and the inferred reserve is 35 million metric tons. It is proposed to mine 3.6 million metric tons during the initial 12-year period of the 30-year project for direct export, and a further 22.6 million metric tons during the next 18 years for local manufacture of di-ammonium phosphate, the bulk of which will be exported. The initial exploratory phase of the project is expected to carry out a detailed geological survey. If the survey reveals that the usable reserve is not much more than 25 million metric tons, the project would exhaust the usable reserve as the proposed agreement has no provision for altering the rate of exploitation. The Committee appointed by H.E. the President (composed of five scientists and two economists) recommended in May 1995 that "a more comprehensive geological reserve evaluation be undertaken in the light of research findings so that the government can make a final decision on the rate of exploitation of such reserves. The decision on the rate of exploitation should be made taking into account the important concerns about the use of resources in a manner that future generations can also benefit." No such survey has been done yet.Another matter of concern relates to the quality of the deposit. The proposal is based on the premise that the deposit has an average phosphate content of 36-37% P2O5 with high levels of chlorine, iron and aluminium as impurities, with compositional variations throughout the deposit.
On this premise, it is considered that highly sophisticated advanced technology and foreign expertise are necessary for processing the rock to water soluble fertilizer. However, studies by scientists of Peradeniya University have indicated that this premise applies only to a relatively small part of the deposit, and that a major part (70%) consisting of primary apatite crystals has a high phosphate content (more than 40% P2O5) and is low in impurities. In the latter event the market price of the ore would be higher and the cost of fertilizer manufacture would be lower as much less sophisticated technology could be used. The findings of the Peradeniya research team have been published and would no doubt have been accessible to the foreign multinational company. There is also the possibility of the ore containing valuable rare-earth minerals. Although the proposed project agreement states that no material except phosphate may be commercially exploited, the clause will not be enforceable in respect of the unprocessed ore that will be exported.
In view of the speculative nature of both size and quality of the deposit, it is imperative that the comprehensive geological survey precedes decisions on quantum and rate of mining, the market value of the mined rock level of sophistication required for manufacturing the fertilizer, and share capital, royalties and other monetary benefits to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan geologists, geochemists and other scientists should be closely involved in the survey.
(b) Fertilizer to be manufactured locally
Di-ammonium phosphate (18% N and 46% P2O5) has been selected as the best value-added fertilizer for production at 600,000 metric tons per annum for maximum utilization of this national resource which has remained under-utilized since its discovery in 1971.Assuming that the ore reserves are as high as envisaged in the proposal, di-ammonium phosphate with its high content of both phosphorus and nitrogen is a good value-added product for the export market and for local use. However the technology required will include setting up ammonia, phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid manufacturing plants, which together with the liquid processing technology involved can lead to serious environmental hazards, including the production of highly toxic waste by-products and release of toxic pollutants to water bodies and the atmosphere.
If the economically exploitable ore reserves are not much higher than 25 million metric tons, it might be more prudent to follow the advice of our scientists and accept the New Zealand Fertiliser Technology Group’s proposition (estimated to cost 20 million US $, less than 5% of the cost of the proposed project) to produce 150,000 metric tons of single super-phosphate per year to meet only local requirements, even if in the short term it may appear to give less monetary benefit. This will ensure the preservation of our ore reserves for a much longer period, involve simpler technology, leave no environmentally hazardous waste by-products such as a million metric tons of phospho-gypsum, and there will be no need for ammonia and phosphoric acid plants which produce toxic effluents. Of course the lower grade (18% P2O5) single superphosphate would lose out on high transport cost per unit nutrient and may have little export demand. Furthermore, under our free market liberal economy, locally produced single superphosphate may be more expensive to our farmers than imported high phosphorus containing fertilisers such as all-ammonium phosphate on unit nutrient value basis unless the local product is given fiscal protection.
The decision on what fertiliser should be produced locally must also await the results of the comprehensive geological survey.
(c) Environmental considerations
Mining and processing of the products as envisaged will be an operation of unprecedented magnitude in Sri Lanka, and the potential environmental impacts could be equally drastic.At the mining site there will be severe disturbances to the ecology of the area through, among others, the mining operation itself, which will result in huge excavations, pits and gullies. In rainy seasons these will be filled with water and serve as breeding centres for mosquitoes, posing serious health hazards. Will ecological restoration be carried out apace and to a satisfactory degree? At the processing site, the effluents and other pollutants that will be discharged would pose severe environment threats unless adequate counter measures are adopted. Will timely action be taken to ensure that effluents are treated and disposed of without causing environmental damage? We also draw special attention to the fact that the Jaya Ganga which is within the area to be mined has been recognized as a wonder of the ancient world and a cultural monument to be preserved by UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention.
Although the proposed arrangement with the prospector has provision to the effect that the operations will be carried out with due respect to the laws of the country, and the national Environment Act does contain provisions to guard against adverse environment impacts, we are of opinion that the agreement is very weak and vague in respect of these requirements. For an operation of this magnitude, additional and specific safeguards should be adopted. This is particularly important as mining prospectors the world over are notorious for creating environmental disasters. Before a decision to offer exploration to any firm, its credentials and tract records on environmental protection should be examined. We must also bear in mind that despite legally binding agreements, the USA itself as well as other countries (eg. Indonesia) have failed to ensure that environmental safeguards are observed. What chance have we little Sri Lanka got? It is therefore important to be extra vigilant in respect of environmental damage and protection. Reports of performance in other countries should be studied. Through study of such reports, we would be in a better position to insist on the incorporation of stronger and more effective measures in the Agreement to ensure environmental safety. A prospector should be disqualified in the event of past failures to adhere strictly to pollution prevention measures.
(Continued tomorrow)
Odyssey of the Tooth Relic
By Aryadasa RatnasingheFew Buddhists are, perhaps, aware that there are three Tooth Relics of the Buddha in Sri Lanka. One is at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, and most of us have seen it deposited in a golden reliquary. It has a long and authentic history, covering a period of 1687 years, from the time it was brought to the island from India, in the ninth year of the reign of Kitsirimevan (302-330), by prince Danta of Udenipura (modern Ujjain) and his consort princess Hemamala of Kalinga (modern Orissa).
The circumstances which led both of them to bring the Relic to Sri Lanka were that when King Pandu’s city of Pataliputra (modern Patna) was attacked by the aggressive Khiradhara, the king sent Guhasiva back to Kalinga with the Relic, and with instructions that it should be kept under the protection of prince Danta, to whom the king had given his daughter in marriage. Soon after, the king was engaged in battle, and he requested his daughter and prince Danta to carry the Relic to Sri Lanka, if he were to be defeated.
King Pandu lost the battle, and the Relic was secretly conveyed to the island by Danta and Hemamala. She brought it concealed in her hair ornament. After an adventurous journey by land and sea, they reached Anuradhapura, and handed it over to king Kitsirimevan, who received it with respect and honour. Its first repository was the Meghagiri vihara (now known as the Isurumuniya vihara) in Anuradhapura.
When the bhikkus of Mahavihara, Abhayagiriya and Jetavana, came to know about the Relic, they all claimed for it. But the king, not wishing to create disharmony among the bhikkus of the three fraternities, placed the Relic inside a horse-drawn chariot, and allowed the animal to go to any one of the three viharas. The horse went directly to Abhayagiri vihara, and the bhikkus accepted the sacred object most happily. Thereafter, annually it was taken in procession, from the vihara to the Gedige, and back to the vihara, so that the people were able to make their benefactions and pay homage with faith and devotion.
According to the Dhatuvamsa, another Tooth Relic of the Buddha, lies enshrined in the Somawathie chetiya at Polonnaruwa, built by king Giri Aba (BC 132-103), whose consort was princess Somadevi, the sister of king Kavantissa of Rohana. As disclosed by the late Dr. Senarath Paranavitana, the Archaeological Commissioner, with reference to a rock inscription of king Epa Mihindu (739-742), "another Tooth Relic is enshrined in the Tissamaharama chetiya in the South".
From the time the Tooth Relic, now at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, was brought to the island, both the Buddhist clergy and the laity protected it from possible harm. Unlike any other object of worship, it was a treasure owned by the kings who considered it as the palladium of regal authority. In other words, whosoever possessed it had the right to rule the land. Accordingly with the transfer of power from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa in 1058, to Dambadeniya in 1220, to Kurunegala in 1293, to Gampola in 1347, to Kotte in 1412, to Sitawaka in 1530, and to Kandy in 1480, the Tooth Relic too was carried away by the kings and had it enshrined in a relic chamber within close proximity to the palace.
The history of the sacred Relic is that an Arhant named Khema carried it away from the funeral pyre of the Buddha, and handed it over to king Brahmadatta, who paid homage to it with complete faith and devotion. When he was attacked by the powerful monarch Pandu, but being averse to fighting, sued for peace, and gave the Relic to Cittayana, the commander of king Pandu’s army. On seeing the miracles performed by the sacred object, king Pandu embraced Buddhism.
During the reign of Upatissa (426-468), there was a severe drought. The king led a procession in the night, carrying the Tooth Relic. Then the drought is said to have ended. Even today Buddhists believe the miraculous power of the Relic in causing rain, when it is taken out of its chamber. King Dhatusena (516-526) had offered a golden casket for the Relic, and renovated the temple which was in decay. King Aggabodhi I (575-608), had decorated the temple, wherein the Relic was placed, with brightly gleaming precious stones, and had made a golden reliquary for the Relic.
When Pandyans overran the country during the reign of Sena I (826-846), the Relic was removed to a place of safety. When the Cholians invaded the island in 1017, the bhikkus in Anuradhapura fled to Rohana carrying with them the Tooth Relic. Later, prince Kitti defeated the Cholians and crowned himself in the name of Vijayabahu I (1058-1114), with his capital at Polonnaruwa. It is said that there are the remains of two temples in Polonnaruwa which housed the Relic. One was built by King Vijayabahu I, and the other by King Nissankamalla (1187-1196).
King Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186), took the Relic to Polonnaruwa, having secured it from queen Sugala, the mother of Prince Manabharana, in whose custody it was, while at Rohana, When the Dravidian usurper Kalinga Magha ruthlessly invaded Polonnaruwa and ransacked the city in 1186, the Relic was secretly taken to Kotmale by bhikku Vacissara, and had it hidden under a grinding stone at Mallawa close to Pusulpitiya, where a temple by the name Datakarandaramaya still exists.
When King Vijayabahu III (1220-1224) established his capital at Dambadeniya, he brought the Relic from Kotmale, but later had it again removed to an inaccessible fortress at Beligala for safety, and kept it under the care of Ven. Sangharakkhitha Maha Thera. King Panditha Parakkramabahu (1227-1269), having reinforced his position at Dambadeniya, brought back the Relic from Beligala and kept it at Sirivijayasundera Vihara. When king Bhuvanakabahu I (1272-1283) ascended the throne at Yapahuwa, he kept the Relic in his possession, but it was soon seized from him and taken to India by the Pandyane general Aryachakravarthi as ordered by King Kulasekhara.
In 1284, the great Khan (a grand uncle of Chingiz Khan), sent an embassy to Sri Lanka. According to the Travels of Marco Polo, "the great Khan’s envoys set out with a great following journeyed both by land and sea, until they reached the island of Ceilan (Sri Lanka). They went to the king and their efforts succeeded in obtaining for them two of the molar teeth, and also obtained some of the hair and the bowl". This seems to be an exaggerated version of their errand.
When Parakramabahu III (1286-1293) ascended the throne, he succeeded in compromising with the Pandyan general and recovering the Relic from him. When King Bhuvanekabahu II (1293-1302) established his kingdom at Kurunegala, he kept the Relic in a chamber specially built for it. From Kurunegala, it was taken to Gampola, but there is no mention of a temple dedicated to the sacred Relic, but mention is made of a royal palace. Probably it was under the protection of bhikkus of a forest monastery.
Next, we find reference to the Tooth Relic in the text Rajavaliya, and to the shifting of the capital to Kotte by king Parakramabahu VI (1410-1462), where the Relic was placed within a beautifully constructed three-storeyed building. Unfortunately, this was razed to the ground by the Portuguese fiends who overran the city in 1560.
The arrival of the Portuguese on November 15, 1505, and their subsequent offensives and proselytising campaigns were so damaging to Buddhism and rigorous to the Buddhists, that the Relic had to be protected from wilful destruction by them at a time when Mayadunne (1521-1581) was the king of Sitawaka. A period of chaos and confusion followed the peaceful years of Parakramabahu’s reign. In 1519, Vijayabahu ascended the throne of Kotte, but was assassinated in 1521. Believed to be the result of a treason.
When Dharmapala, king of Kotte (1551-1597), having baptised in effigy, became a Roman Catholic, the Relic was at risk. Its lay-custodian was Leelaella Divanarala alias Hiripitiye Nilame. It is said that one night he had a queer dream and he was told "Kotte kalale data medaganna rale", i.e., leaving the pillow and mat carry the Tooth to the middle country. The Nilame who understood the dream, took the Relic at once to Sitawaka, and gave it to King Mayadunne, but the king refused to keep it with him, fearing an attack by the Portuguese to destroy it. So, he sent it to Delgamuwa vihara in Sabaragamuwa to be kept secured.
In the meantime, not to arouse the suspicion of the Portuguese, the Nilame got an artificial tooth made of ivory and kept it inside the reliquary, in place of the one taken to Delgamuwa vihara. The Portuguese, as intended, attacked Kotte and took possession of the artificial tooth, not knowing it was only a replica, took it to Goa, pulverized it and threw the powder into a river. They were happy that they had destroyed the Relic of the Buddha. Sir Emerson Tennent says: "The Dalada (Tooth Relic) was erroneously supposed to have been destroyed by Christians in Goa." Goa was a former Portuguese province on the Malabar coast in South India. Today, it is a Union Territory of India. Codrington says: "It is obvious that the Tooth Relic was not in danger in 1552."
When king Mayadunne’s son Rajasinha I (1581-1592), in atonement for his patricidal sin, embraced Hinduism, on the advice of Arittakivendu Perumal and persecuted the bhikkus, the Relic was again taken to the upland country for safety. Before enthronement, Rajasinha was known as Tikiri Bandara who was an ambitious prince to ascend the throne.
Writing about the Tooth Relic, Harvey says: "In 1560, the Portuguese took possession of the Tooth and carried it to Goa. Hearing this, Bayinnaung, the king of Burma (now Myanmar) sent envoys on a Portuguese ship, which happened to be breathed in port, offering eight lakhs of rupees and ship loads of rice whenever needed..... in return for the Tooth, but the Archbishop in Goa disapproved of the request. In 1561, he placed it in a mortar, grounded it to powder, burnt in a brazier and cast the ashes into the river.
"But had the Burmese envoys scarcely reached home, the Tooth was back in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). It had slipped through the bottom of the mortar, mounted up into the sky, flew 750 miles to Kandy and alighted on a lotus flower. Hearing the news, Konappu Bandara, son of Virasundera of Peradeniya, went to Goa, became a Roman Catholic, received baptism in the name of Don Juan of Austria and returned to the island with an army of Portuguese to get the Relic. But it proved futile.
When king Wimaladharmasuriya I (1593-1604), ascended the throne of Kandy, the incumbent bhikku of Delgamuwa vihara, handed back the Tooth Relic to the king, who enshrined it in a case cut out of a ruby, Found embedded in the banks of the river in Kuruviti Korale. According to tennent, "King Senarath, brother of King Wimaladharmasuriya I, fearing that the Relic might be stolen because of the gem cover, encased it in gold. Later, during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747-1781), the gilded case was again covered with an ivory case for better safety. Hence, what we see today is the outer ivory case and not the original Tooth encased therein.
Dr. John Davy (1790-1868), physiologist and anatomist, who had seen the Tooth Relic in 1817, says "Through the kindness of the Governor, I had the opportunity, enjoyed by few Europeans, of seeing this celebrated relic. Judging from its appearance at a distance of two to three feet, it looked artificial and of ivory, discoloured by age. Never a relic was more preciously enshrined; wrapped in pure sheet-gold, it was placed in a case just large enough to receive it, covered externally with emerals, diamonds and rubies, taste-fully arranged.
"This beautiful and very valuable bijou was put into a very small gold Karandua, richly ornamented with precious stones. This was enclosed in a larger one also of gold and very prettily decorated with rubies; the second surrounded with tinsel, was placed in a third, which was wrapped in muslin and this in a fourth which was similarly wrapped. They were beautifully wrought and richly studded with jewels. Here, it may be remarked, that when the relic was taken, the effect of its capture was astonishing and almost beyond the comprehension of the enlightened".
When the Portuguese captain-general Don Jeronimo de Azevedo (1594-1612), invaded the hill country and burnt the city of Kandy, destroying temples and religious edifices, the bhikkus fled for safety carrying with them the Relic and took refuge in the neighbouring mounting wilderness. After the Portuguese were driven away, it was brought back to Kandy and placed in a three-storeyed palace, built by King Wimaladharmasuriya II (1687-1707).
The present building which houses the Relic was re-constructed by King Narendrasinha (1707-1739), the last Sinhala King of Kandy. It was later renovated by King Kirti Sri Rajasinha, who built an inner temple for the Relic. Sri Vijaya Rajasinha (1739-1747), "publicly paid homage to the Relic by prostrating himself on the ground before it" though a Hindu by religion. The beautiful architectural ‘Pattirippuwa’ (octagon), was the work of the artisan, Devendra Mulacari, built on the advice of King Sri Wickrema Rajasinha, the last King of Kandy, who was taken prisoner by the British in 1815. The present Kandy lake is also said to be the work of the king.
In 1818, when the Matale rebellion broke out against the British rule, a bhikku, sensing danger, removed the Relic to a place of safety near Elahera, but the British succeeded in recovering it and appointed the British resident in Kandy as its custodian. The iron barricade built within the sanctum sanctorium (the Relic chamber) by the colonial rulers was to protect the Relic from getting into unauthorised hands. It was in keeping with the pledge made at the Kandyan Convention on March 2, 1815, which expressly stated that "the religion of Budhoo, professed by the chiefs and inhabitants of these provinces, is declared inviolable, and its rights, ministers and places of worship are to be maintained and protected."
By Ordinance No. 2 of 1842, the Tooth Relic was officially handed over to the Buddhists. In 1853, its custody was entrusted to the Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters, with the Diyawadana Nilame as its lay-custodian. Ven. Parakumbure Siri Saranankara Vipassi Maha Thera of the Malwatta Chapter and Ven. Yatawatte Siri Suvannajothi Maha Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter and Loku Banda Dehigama Nilame as the Diyawadana Nilame became the first custodians under the statute.
On May 29, 1828, for the first time, since the Relic was displayed during the reign of Kirti Sri Rajasinha, the Esala perahera was conducted in the presence of Governor, Sir Edward Barnes, as suggested by the chiefs, to cause rain when the country faced a severe drought, relying on the belief that the slow motion of bulky-bodied elephants in large number, similar to the movement of clouds in the sky, creates a miraculous power to cause heavy downpour of rain. It was ostensibly held after a lapse of 13 years when it was banned by the British. The Diyawadana Nilame at the time was Kuda Dehigama Nilame.
The sanctum sanctorium is said to cover an area of 144 sq. ft. and is called the ‘Etul-Maluwa’ or the ‘Vedasitina-Maluwa’. The outer reliquary which we see is 5 ft. 5 in. in height and has a diameter of 9 ft. 10 ins. at its base. Placed upon one another are seven reliquaries of diminishing sizes and the Relic is deposited in the smallest one embellished with gems and jewels. The bhikkus who attend to the ‘thevava’ are from the Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters, who take their turn according to arrangement.
In principle, the Tooth Relic is exposed for public veneration in every ten years, but it is subject to change as desired by the custodians. The Relic that has received the benefactions and homage of the Buddhists, down the generations, despite alien usurpations and invasions, continues to hold its grace as a ‘saririka-dhatu’ (body-relic) of the Buddha incomparable. The bomb that exploded at the entrance to the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy on January 25, 1998, at about 6 a.m., has damaged the building badly. History does not repeat such an incident.
What is wisdom? Wisdom means right understanding. Knowledge of superficial apparent truth only is not true wisdom. In order to understand the ultimate truth, we must penetrate apparent reality to its depths. A child sees precious jewels as attractive, coloured pieces of stone. But an experienced jeweller evaluates the virtues and defects of each gem with expert vision, in order to accurately estimate its value. In the same way, the wise do not conduct a mere superficial examination. Rather, they go to the depths with penetrating wisdom and accurately perceive the underlying subtle truth in every situation. This ability to understand the complete truth properly in every situation is wisdom.
There are three kinds of wisdom. The first suta maya panna, is the wisdom gained by hearing or reading the words of others. The second, cinta maya panna is intellectual wisdom: to test with one’s reasoning and analyzing faculty whether the received wisdom is rational and logical. It cannot be said that these two types of wisdom are useless. However, because they are borrowed wisdom, usually the knowledge gained is merely intellectual, and no lasting benefit is derived from it. Bhavana-maya panna, the third kind of wisdom, is experiential wisdom. It is wisdom manifested within ourselves, based on our own experience of our body sensations. This wisdom is based on direct experience, and therefore is truly beneficial. To develop bhavana-maya panna, it is essential to practice Sila (moral conduct) and to develop right samadhi (concentration). Only the mind established in right samadhi can understand and realize the truth as it is (yatha-bhuta nana dassana).
Samahito yathabhutam pajanati passati. One who has developed right concentration, properly understands reality as it is.
The ability to see things as they really are is called Vipassana, meaning "to see things in a special way." Ordinarily we tend to observe only the superficial apparent truth, like the child who sees the superficial, bright colouring and glitter of the jewels. To be able to properly observe inner truth, we need the penetrating vision of the experienced jeweller — we need to see things in a special way. This special way of seeing is Vipassana; this is bhavana-maya panna, the development of wisdom by practising Vipassana.
It is easy to understand superficial reality, but introspection is necessary to understand subtle inner truths. Directing our attention inwards, we must explore, observe and understand the truth within. To understand the truth within, we practice the four kinds of awareness described by the Buddha in the Satipatthana Sutta. We practice kayanupassana (observation of the body) by observing the course of events within the body with full attention. Observation of the incoming and outgoing breath is part of kayanupassana. Observation of respiration leads to awareness of sensations in every part of the body.
Practicing diligently, we gradually begin to experience gross or subtle sensations on every part of the body. The sensations may be pleasant, unpleasant or neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant. Observing these sensations with detachment, we practice vedanananupassana (observation of sensations within the body). Observing the numerous kinds of mind (citta) that keep arising from time to time, we practice cittanupassana. Observing the different contents of the mind, we practice dhammanupassana.
In this way, we begin to learn to observe the flow of nama-rupa with detachment, with impartiality. The deeper the examination of subtle sensations, the stronger the detachment. As long as there is attachment, we cannot observe the object of meditation objectively, as it is. Through the wisdom gained by practicing Vipassana our attachment becomes weaker and weaker, and we are able to observe the object of meditation more and more objectively. When one enters a dark house with a lantern, the darkness is dispelled: light illuminates the whole house and the contents of the house can be seen clearly. In the same way, the light of wisdom banishes the darkness of ignorance, and the eternal, noble truths are clearly illuminated.
Through continued practice we experience the truth of dukkha at the deepest level - how this constantly dissatisfied and discontented mind is incessantly afflicted with the thirst of craving, how this thirst is never-ending -like a bottomless pit, it consumes all our efforts to fill it. We understand the misery of our attachment and clinging to our belief in an individual ego — how our attachment to this concept of self, to our cravings and opinions, keeps us unceasingly preoccupied and miserable. When we understand dukkha and its root cause, we also understand the Noble Path which destroys all the cravings that cause dukkha, thereby leading to liberation from dukkha. As we progress on this Path, we attain liberation from all suffering, nibbana (the ultimate reality).
As our panna grows stronger and stronger through the practice of Vipassana, this wisdom eradicates all delusions, illusions, false impressions and ignorance. Reality becomes clear because delusions are unable to stick in the mind. When panna becomes strong, sila (moral conduct) becomes pure.
The mind is purified of all defilement. And progressing on this beneficial path, we achieve the pure state of the ariyas. (noble ones).
We experience the joy of nibbana. The happiness gained through Vipassana is superior to any other happiness. Neither the enjoyment of gross sensual pleasures, nor of subtle supra-sensual leasures, leads to lasting happiness. When pleasure of any kind comes to an end, the result is sorrow. And every situation is impermanent; it is bound to change. When a pleasurable experience comes to an end, the mind struggles to regain it. This craving brings misery. True happiness comes only from that which remains stable.
When we become used to observing with complete detachment, our faculty of observation can remain stable even if the objects of our observation keep changing. We do not become elated when we experience sensual or supra-mundane pleasures, nor do we cry when they pass away. In both situations we observe objectively, like a spectator watching a play. At the depths of the mind, as we observe the changing nature of even the most subtle sensations, right understanding arises about the profound truth of impermanence. We observe every changing situation with the same objective and impartial view. To see that which is apparent, that which is before our eyes, without any defilement in the mind — this is true happiness. This state has been called ditta dhamma sukha vihara (the happy state of knowledge of truth). Come, let us strengthen our bhavana-maya panna through the practice of Vipassana. Leaving behind the continuous struggle with cravings which causes such lack of contentment, let us gain liberation on from the bondage of craving. Becoming established in wisdom, let us gain liberation and attain real contentment, real happiness.
— Vipassana Newsletter
Health
The Physics and Chemistry of Food and Drink
By Ephrem FernandoHippocrates, regarded as the father of modern medicine was born around 460 BC on the island of Cos, one of the Greek islands, only a few miles away from the coast of Asia Minor. Centuries ago he said "Let thy food be thy medicine". He seemed to have heeded his own counsel, because legend has it, that he died at the age of 104. Some 20 years after Hippocrates died, the medical people got together and constructed a code of conduct called the Hippocratic oath, after their able teacher and master. Today brethren all over world are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with this oath. Like most professional codes, the oath is full of ideals for protecting the client, "I will use my power to help the sick - to the best of my ability. Whenever I go into a house I will go to help the sick and never with the intention of doing harm or injury". Reality is something else. Ask those who have been insulted by pestilence. There are multiple reasons for this, with axes to grind, products -to sell and vested interests to protect being pre-eminent. As always there are exceptions. There are oath takers who are true believers. You will find them if you care to visit the paupers wards of public hospitals. But they are rare, as rare as flying foxes.
In order to make sense of what Iam about to write, it is important to explain some terms. Forces generate movements. When an object moves down hill, the force is gravity. The ancients believed that a heavy body would fall to the earth more quickly than a lighter body. Galileo surprised them when he dropped two different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The two weights reached the ground practically simultaneously causing the ancients to completely revolutionize the ideas on mechanics. A minority find it difficult to stand, after lying down for some time. They experience dizziness, impaired vision and buzzing in the ears because of gravity. Ignorance prevented Galileo from knowing that gravity is weak compared to other forces and that a bare handful of electrons can create a palpable force, while it takes a mass as great as the earth to create the gravity that draws a leaf from a tree Galileo also did not know that substances called super fluids will defy gravity. Consider the bizarre behaviour of superfluid helium. It will not rest in a beaker but will spontaneously glide over the walls in defiance of gravity. Scientific activity not only brings new knowledge but also new ignorance.
The world of the physical scientist consists of 3 particles, the electron, proton and the neutron. Protons and neutrons form the nucleus. The-latter combines with electrons to form atoms. Atoms combine with each other to form molecules. For the moment we will keep in limbo the positron, the anti particle, twin of the electron and named after positive electron.
Ions are charged particles. For example an average diet produces an unwelcome quantity of hydrogen ions which has to be mopped up. They are protons, highly belligerent and capable of creating a lot of disturbances including the acid base balance. An acid is a substance that gives up hydrogen ions. A base is a substance that takes up hydrogen ions. When positive and negative ions are separated they tend to move back together. Energy associated with this movement is called voltage. Positive ions move down the voltage gradient. Negative ions move up the voltage gradient. Apart from voltage gradients, there are pressure gradients, concentration gradients and osmotic gradients. All these are examples of forces that generate movements.
Water is not electrically symmetrical, because the electron clouds hover closer to oxygen. We classify water as polar. Electrically symmetrical molecules are non polar. They are not soluble in water but soluble in fats. Examples are vitamins A,E,K and D. Vitamins B and C are polar. They are soluble in water.
When electrons get displaced from their normal orbits by free oxygen radicals or oxidants formed during the body’s utilization of oxygen, they emit radiation. The radiated energy damages the cells in the body a key factor in the causation of disease specifically cancer. Free oxygen radicals have to be dealt with and the rate at which they are produced controlled. Appropriate food and drink and antioxidants put a brake on the rate at which oxidation proceeds, specifically the latter because they act as scavengers of toxic free oxygen radicals.
Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are organic substances. They are compounds of carbon. Inorganic substances are not bound to carbon. They are called minerals. Those that are required in amounts greater than 100 mg per day are called elements.Those that are less than 100 mg per day are called trace elements. Vitamins are usually present in foods in similar amounts throughout the world, but this is not true of elements and trace elements.
In 1871 enough elements had been studied to enable the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendelev to find some order among them. By arranging the elements in a table according to increasing atomic weights, Mendelev found a regular repetition of chemical and physical properties. This is the Periodic Table. As of today there are 105 elements. As new elements are discovered they are added on to the Table.
What I am about to write has not been obtained with smoke and mirrors but is based on new research findings of honourable men and women. Our element and trace element intake represent only a fraction of one percent of our intake of nutrients found in food and drink. Yet they are so important that without them we will quickly perish. Evidence is accumulating that supplementation may help to prevent various forms of cancer, heart disease and other degenerative diseases like rheumatism, diabetes and asthma.
In the Periodic Table are elements if taken as supplements may help you to lead a healthy life. For example calcium is critically important in nerve and muscle excitation, contraction of the heart and clotting of blood. It is so sensitive that even a slight change in its ionic concentration can cause a heart beat to occur or not to occur. As we age we have increasing difficulty in absorbing nutrients from our food and drink, the so called malabsorption syndrome where the body’s ability to digest and utilize nutrients is seriously impaired. That is why supplementation is necessary. Calcium and magnesium, another element in the Periodic Table, are intimately interlocked biologically. Physiologists will tell you that cells are like walled cities.
To enter, pathways, channels or gates have to be opened and voltage gradients created. Magnesium regulates the gate through which calcium enters. If too much calcium enters the cells of the heart, because the gatekeeper magnesium is in short supply, then the effect can be disruptive and the very root of an heart attack. Therefore calcium and magnesium has to be taken together in one to one ratio. Another example is copper which plays a singular role in the health of humans. Symptoms of copper deficiency, among others, include joint pains, anemia and problems with the nervous system.
The gullible resort to religious ceremonies to overcome these problems which include among others, tying of charmed copper bracelets. I am unable to tell what charming does to the atomic structure of copper but its reputation as an anti arthritic agent has scientific validity. Copper dissolves in the sweat and gets absorbed through the skin eliminating imbalances. If you have problems with joint pains, first rush to the nearest jeweler before visiting the charmer or even the rheumatologist. You may be deficient in copper. Zinc is the principal protector of the immune system.
Evidence is mounting that humans are increasingly prone to zinc deficiency. Symptoms are poor appetite, mental lethargy and increased susceptibility to infection. Zinc is antagonistic to copper; Maintain a zinc to copper ratio of ten to one meaning ten times as much zinc as copper. Selenium is a trace element and provides protection against a broad spectrum of diseases including cancer. Selenium another element in the Periodic Table is essential for optimal health because it is a powerful antioxidant and a primary contender for slowing down the biological clock meaning retarding ageing. Lecithin is not in the Periodic Table. If you ask a molecular genetist he will tell you that it is not an element but a phospholipid, a substance that is both polar and non polar meaning it has the ability to associate with both water and fats. Papers based on well designed research are appearing reporting that lecithin is a major player in cell membrane fluidity. What this means is lecithin prevents cell membranes becoming rigid, key to healthy working of cells specifically preventing memory loss and deceases of the nervous system. Supplements are available but costly. Try Cauliflower, and include it on a regular basis, in the diet.
A few words about the acid base balance, which I have referred to, elsewhere in the article. Disturbances created by hydrogen ions are corrected by converting them into carbon dioxide. The latter is controlled by the lungs through the mechanism of breathing, for which an exercise was outlined in one of my previous articles. I understand that a significant number is taking this exercise. They should limit the exercise to the time frame suggested. Hyperventilation or over breathing also disturbs the acid base balance. From the foregoing the discerning reader will appreciate how dangerous it is to eat and drink lavishly, even on credit. Indulgence is one of the sad betrayals humans inflict on themselves.
Unlike vitamins, no recommendations are offered for minerals because their intake needs supervision. But they are important and without them we will quickly perish. The sudden unexplained death syndrome (SUDS) is often traced to deficiencies in minerals. Readers should consult their GPs calling attention to this article, before self dosing. This advice will no doubt place them between a rock and a hard place because there exists a bias against the use of vitamins and minerals in the treatment and prevention of disease. Interest in drugs has crowded out them and our medical brethren reject their beneficial effects as old wives tales. Some become incensed at the mere suggestion that zinc inadequacy may aggravate prostate problems or vitamin C may prevent diabetes. Readers should keep a healthy distance from these cynics and consult those who have no bees in their collective bonnets. Taking a potent drug is like using a mallet to modify a microchip.
The Nehru - Gandhi encounter
By S. Jayaratnam(Continued from yesterday)
The spinning wheel of Gandhi is an example of his emphasis on Swadesi. Nehru, the avowed socialist, though placing great emphasis on heavy industries, science and modern technology noted that socialism in India must have relevance to the ‘’special and peculiar’’ conditions in India and stressed the Gandhian background in these matters.
Though Gandhi placed emphasis on ‘’Ram Raj’’— confederation of independent village units, it would be wrong to think that he was against the features of the modern age. Nehru himself stated once – ""I do not think Gandhi was against the features of the modern age. He did not want the country without electricity, electric power, railways and planes’’. Gandhi sensing the concentration of power at the centre wanted de-centralization of political and economic power to the villages.
Nehru had a world view that transcended across the seas and continents, though pre-occupied with the tasks in India. To Gandhi the essential task was ‘’here’’ and ‘’now’’ in India. However his mission and approach had an universal significance. Martin Luther King’s crusade had much to do with what Gandhi preached. There have arisen the world over in recent decades protest movements, non-violence and peaceful against issues like, the arms race, disarmament, racial discrimination, tyranny, using the weapon of satyagraha, and these methods have been found superior to the resort to violence and terrorism. Nehru, both at home and in the councils of the world raised the issues of the arms race, nuclear holocast and world peace. Gandhi said’’I am a humble servant of India and in serving India, I serve humanity at large. My nationalism is intense internationalism. I am sick of strife between nations and religions".
Though Gandhi and Nehru were deeply wedded to the Indian ethos and the best in Indian tradition, they cannot be called traditionalists, in the sense they resisted change and reform in the social fabric. Gandhi worked tirelessly for the crust ridden Hindu orthodoxy to be transformed and for emancipation of the down trodden, especially the Harijans. In later years Gandhi kept out of conventional politics and his energies were devoted to the upliftment of the under-privileged and deprived masses of India. Nehru in his autobiography reveals his concern for the grinding poverty and hunger and the sorry plight of the kisans and the landless. Both Gandhi and Nehru were concerned with the individual as a human person, with freedom to chart the course of his life. They did not want material progress the be all of life but stressed on to higher values that gives dignity to the individual. Gandhi in his life showed the value of dignity of labour and simple living.
Nehru at the helm after Swaraj preferred social reform and transformation by consent. He abhorred the Russian model which used force, coercion and violence. This is in accord with Gandhi’s concern for non-violence.
Both these great men, were liberals in word and deed. They were non-communal, non-sectarian and had a secular and all-India outlook. While they recognized the mosaic of regional variety, languages, religion and countless castes and local interests, they were for national integration and unity in diversity. Gandhi advocated inter communal marriages, his son Devadas, a Gujarati Bania married the daughter of Rajagopalchari, a Brahmin from Tamilnadu. Nehru too reconciled to his daughter Indra marrying Ferose Gandhi, a Parsi. To both of them secularism was more than a legal concept, it was an attitude, a mental abstract conoting that every person is equal and good as the other. It is sad to note that India is faced with the challenges regional loyalities and religious and communal strife.
These two men had a partnership for nearly three decades complemented each other, though had different lifestyles and backgrounds and approaches. They believed in democracy, secularism, non-violence in restructuring the Indian polity, in raising the standards of living of the masses without resisting the common man’s freedom and human dignity. It is not surprising that Gandhi wanted Nehru to be at the helm after indpenendence.
(Concluded)
