Enter virtuous path to sustain joy of freedom - President
May 27, 2010 03:31 pm
It is fortunate that Buddhists now enjoy the freedom and a secure atmosphere necessary to celebrate Vesak. We must enter a spiritual and virtuous way of life in order to sustain that joy, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his message for Vesak.
Let us resolve during this Vesak Day to follow the wholesome path of Buddha
with determination and relentless efforts to build a virtuous nation, he added.
Following is the full text of the message:
Vesak Full Moon Day which marks the birth of prince Siddhartha, His
Enlightenment and Parinibbana is the noblest religious event for all Buddhists.
We can spend this day meaningfully by engaging in Buddhist ritual and practice.
We who observe the five precepts do not approve killing, bloodshed and torture.
It brings joy to celebrate this Vesak after closing the sorrowful chapter of
thirty years of bloodshed and destruction of life. It is fortunate that
Buddhists now enjoy the freedom and a secure atmosphere necessary for that
purpose. We must enter a spiritual and virtuous way of life in order to sustain
that joy.
A path of love (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (muditha) and
equanimity (upekkha) should be followed. Ours should be a nation which is not
shortsighted but farsighted and committed to achieve consolation through
patience as taught by Buddha. If delays in the past obstructed our path to
Nibbana, we should learn to avoid such delay.
Yo cha pubbe pamajjithva – paccha so nappamajjathi So imang lokang pabhasethi-
abha muththova chandima
- Dhammapada
“If one was heedless in the beginning but is not so afterwards, he will
illuminate this world as the moon emerges through the cloud”, thus Buddha
taught.
Those who live virtuous lives will not see the faults of the past and grieve in
the present. Let us resolve during this Vesak Day to follow the wholesome path
of Buddha with determination and relentless efforts to build a virtuous nation.
May the Triple Gem bless you!
Govt. Info. Dept