Thorana Depicts Buddha’s Life Story
Before unveiling the Thorana, Bathi Gee chanted. This open-air Buddhist spiritual exhibition, a free-standing structure 25 feet tall and 30 feet wide, tells the Dheegahithi Kosala–Jathaka Story. The light display was held from 10 pm until midnight from June 22-30, 2024.
The story was illustrated with 17 hand-painted pictures on canvas, fixed to the main structure in a way that appears as ‘windows’ to onlookers. Each window was illuminated by 7,000 electric light bulbs, highlighting every canvas painting. The centerpiece was a sitting Buddha image. The light-fixing team used 30 to 40 color display circles to depict the aura of Buddha.
The Jathaka story was broadcast continuously in both Sinhala and English, with recorded carol songs sung intermittently to explain the story. In Sri Lanka, Thorana construction and its activities are traditionally presented by family and cultural groups. However, the Manitoba Buddhist Vihara and Cultural Association (MBVCA) employed modern high-tech methods, involving young technocrats.
Ven. Dhammajiva Maha Thera: Winnipeg Retreat
The Most Venerable Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva Maha Thera is a revered contemporary teacher and the fourth Abbot and Chief Monk of Mitirigala Nissarana Vanaya in Gampaha District, Western Province, Sri Lanka.
In late 1988, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk, adopting the spiritual name ‘Dhammajiva’. During the early stages of his Theravada Buddhist monastic life, his mentor was Most Ven. Katukurunde Nanananda Maha Thero. In the early 1990s, Ven. Dhammajiva Thera spent a few years in Burma (now Myanmar) studying meditation techniques. He also focused on child education and established Sathi Pasala (Mindful School) in 2016. In 2018, he conducted the Global Mindfulness Summit with 700 delegates. In 2012, I attended Ven. Dhammajiva Thera's first five-day retreat in Winnipeg.
Sati Pasala Winnipeg hosted a half-day mindfulness session conducted by Ven. Dhammajiva in English at Whyte Ridge Community Centre in Winnipeg on June 22nd, 2024, from 1:00-3:00 pm. My family members attended this gathering. He divided the short program into several segments, including walking, sitting, and three well-guided mindfulness games. Subsequently, he went to a five-day retreat center in Winnipeg.
At the end of the session, I had the opportunity to talk to Ven. Dhammajiva Thera. I reminded him of Mahinda Padmasiri in Montreal, and Thera explained how Mahinda successfully managed a similar session.
Mahamevanawa Buddhist Monastery in Winnipeg: Milk Rice Offering and Morning Buddha Pooja
On June 23rd, 2024, before 6:00 am, my family members and I went to the Mahamevanawa Buddhist Monastery in Winnipeg. The resident monk guided us to start at the Stupa, where we offered Milk Rice as a Buddha Pooja (offering of light) and placed four lanterns to represent the four main directions. Subsequently, the monk conducted Buddha Vandana (worship) for nearly an hour inside the Preaching Hall.
PAL 55+ AGM: June 27th, 2024
The Annual General Meeting of Pembina Active Living was held on June 27th, 2024, at Whyte Ridge Community Centre. Ismath and I arrived by 12:00 noon. After lunch, the AGM started at 1:00 pm, conducted by the current President.
Meeting with David Pankratz: Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Waverley
David invited us to his Constituency Office at 204-2265 Pembina on June 25th, 2024, at 10:00 am. Upali Nilmalgoda, Secretary of Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba (SLSM), my wife Chandani (a member of SLSM), and I attended the meeting. David's Envoy Assistant Fahad Riaz and Constituency Assistant Shamailah also joined the discussion.
We discussed the upcoming Trivarna (Three Colors) Fundraising Singing Concert scheduled for September 15th, 2024. All our tickets have already been sold, and we have met our breakeven point. The parent organization of SLSM is the Sri Lankan Association of Manitoba (SLAM). Both SLSM and SLAM are working hard to collect funds for the following causes:
- Siloam Mission Winnipeg: A local charitable organization, for their regular activities.
- Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Sri Lanka: For their new initiative on developing a Treatment Centre for Early Intervention and Management of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
- Sri Lankan Dance School: Organized by SLAM to promote Sri Lankan cultural heritage among Manitobans.
When we mentioned the Autism Centre in Sri Lanka, David stated that he would check if he could obtain any help from the Autism Learning Centre in Winnipeg. He also indicated that he could provide further assistance.
Achievement of Nisansala
Nisansala Karuanratne attended the ceremony titled “Call to the Bar and Admission as Solicitors” on June 20th, 2024, at a special sitting of the Court of King’s Bench at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. Nisansala was an Articling Student at Ratnamalala Law Office, where she was trained by eminent lawyer Hasaka Ratnamalala, Barrister, Solicitor, and Notary Public.
Nisansala is an alumna of Visakha Girls’ School in Colombo. She is an active member of Winnipeg Visakhians and was a student of my wife Chandani at Visakha. Nisansala’s parents traveled from Sri Lanka to attend the ceremony. After the formalities, we went for lunch at Pony Corral restaurant's riverside patio.
