Serenity for locked-down Lankans

Easter celebrations, Avurudu festivities, May Day activities and now Vesak vibrancy have all got impacted by COVID-19. Are we seeing the heralding of a strange new world with survival as a supreme motive? The starting point of staying safe, secure and sound is inner serenity or stillness

• A pre-Vesak pondering

We are heading for a completely different Vesak amidst COVID-19 with no dansals and more devotion. It will be an illuminating sign of seeing the silver lining in the dark cloud. Whilst COVID-19 will stay a long time in the world, can we also have a sign of relief like New Zealand is having, with some certainty of controlling COVID-19 on Sri Lankan soil? 

Sri Lankans have begun to show their discipline to some extent in terms of tackling a pandemic together. Today’s column is a reflection of our resilience and revival, with inherited prospects and pitfalls, in the wake of Vesak 2020. 

Overview

 “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and test of our civilisation,” said Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, it is our duty to ensure that beauty of unity in diversity. It is encouraging to see religious clergy coming forward in convincing people to stay home and to have religious observances as a family. 

Vesak as a festival of light was a reassurance of “Apekema” (the “SriLankanness”) dispelling the darkness of COVID-19. Being home locked for over a month was a rather unexpected and an unpredicted experience for all of us. Easter celebrations, Avurudu festivities, May Day activities and now Vesak vibrancy have all got impacted by COVID-19. Are we seeing the heralding of a strange new world with survival as a supreme motive? The starting point of staying safe, secure and sound is inner serenity or stillness. 

Sanity of serenity

“Stillness is your essential nature,” says Eckhart Toll, the Canadian author of spirituality fame. He refers to the inner space or awareness in which the words on this page are being perceived and become thoughts. Without that awareness, there would be no perception, no thoughts, no world. 

“You are that awareness, disguised as a person. When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world. Your innermost sense of self, of who you are, is inseparable from stillness. This is the I Am that is deeper than name and form.”

See that in the moment of noticing the silence around you, you are not thinking. You are aware, but not thinking. Eckhart Toll invites us to experience silence in a deeper sense. When you become aware of silence, immediately there is that state of inner still alertness. You are present. You have stepped out of thousands of years of collective human conditioning.

“If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.” This is what Buddha preached. In making it happen, one needs the inner stillness. In his bestselling book ‘Stillness speaks,’ Eckhart Toll goes on to say, “Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in being. Allow nature to teach you stillness.”“It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters,” said Epictetus (55-135), a Greek Philosopher. Inner stillness is essential to look at things in a focussed, unbiased manner. People around the world are finally waking up from the dark and starting to find deeper and more meaningful ways of life. 

Many people realise that a true happiness is when this world that is “within” you is calm and serene. It doesn’t mean you are passive. It means you are present in the moment. It means that the little voice inside you can’t destroy you anymore; thus, you can finally live the life that you deserve to live. 

As Lao Tsu said, “Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat.” I wish the misguided youngsters who played havoc in Kuliyapitiya and other areas recently knew this reality. 

By whatever name it may be called, and in spite of finer points with which they may be distinguishable, stillness is a practice which has significant similarities between Eastern Orthodoxy and the Buddhist tradition, says Ekhart Toll. 

There are differences too, but in spite of them, the similarities are strong enough to indicate the possibility that these two major streams of religion might have influenced each other during the course of our history. It also shows that different religions can have a lot of common territory, tapping which may end up making everyone wiser. It, in essence boils down to inter-dependence which is the reality of us as diverse Sri Lankans. 

From serenity to synergy 

The primary aspect in interdependence is synergy. Stephen Covey, in his bestseller ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ describes synergy as follows: “Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It shows that the relationship, which the parts have to each other, is a part in and of itself. It is not only a part, but also the most catalytic, the most empowering, the most unifying, and the most exciting part.” 

“Synergy is everywhere in nature,” he goes on further. “If two plants are placed close together for growth, the roots improve the quality of the soil so that both plants will grow better than if they were separated. In short, one plus one equals three or more. The challenge is to apply the principles of creative co-operation, which we learn from nature, in our social interactions…The essence of synergy is to value differences – to respect them, to build on strengths, to compensate for weaknesses.” There is much food for thought indeed. 

“Probably we never fully credit the interdependence of wild creatures, and their cognisance of the affairs of their own kind,” said Mary Austin, a renowned American author. The way geese fly in “V” shape and the way wolves run as a flock are just two prominent examples. We see more and more the absence of it in the political circles, especially in the Diyawannawa arena. 

Synergy we see in nature is associated with the complex term symbiosis. It is close and often long-term interaction between two or more different biological species. In other words, a close prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may benefit each member. Way back in 1877, Albert Bernhard Frank used the word symbiosis to describe the mutualistic relationship in lichens. It is also described as the living together of two dissimilar organisms, as in mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism. 

The term “symbiotic relationship” is often used in the area of sociology. The word symbiosis has first been used to describe people living together in a community. It is, in fact, a true adaptation from the biological meaning of “living together of unlike organisms”.

In essence, the nature paves the way to show us the need for unity in diversity. As his eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said some time ago, if a garden has only coconut trees, there is no beauty. A garden is beautiful if it consists of trees, bushes and flowers of diverse sizes and shapes with flowers having multiple colours and fragrances. I believe, we Sri Lankans should be such a beautiful “human community”. That’s where the solidarity begins. 

Solidarity 

Much has been said about the need to have unity, citing the National Anthem that we need to act like children of one mother (“Eka Mawakage Daru Kela Bavina”). My point is that we had been making such utterance after every tragedy. 

I recall the political leaders of different parties got together to symbolically to light candles after the tsunami tragedy. Flickering flames feebly faded away shattering the growing hopes of millions of Sri Lankans waiting for solidarity at the helm towards national prosperity. 

I was watching on television the President, Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition lighting the candles at the Holy Mass held at Bishop’s Chapel seven days after the Easter Sunday tragedy last year. What happened thereafter was the usual mockery. The continuing collaborative action with a common agenda towards betterment of mother Lanka, moving from words to deeds, is yet to be seen. 

It is encouraging to see the loads of positive and promising messages on social media, pondering on the COVID-19 battle. Whilst a minority from all fronts attempts to propagate disunity, disharmony and division, the prompt responses from professionals in all fronts is a fitting display of putting “country first”. 

The real silver line in the dark cloud is this emergence of true “Sri Lankanness” (“Apekama”) which, for me the pristine treasure of the precious sacrifice of hundreds of innocent lives lost in Katuwapitiya, Kochchikade, Batticaloa and Colombo last year. Also, the risking of lives by healthcare, military and other key personnel for a noble cause currently needs better appreciation leaving aside petty political divisions. People first, rest is next should be adhered to in safeguarding lives and reviving economy. 

Way forward 

Mother Sri Lanka is being healed, on multiple fronts. We need to show serenity, synergy and solidarity in our sincere thoughts and actions with “Sri Lankanness” (“Apekama”) in mind. The revered Vesak Festival resonates the unity in diversity signalling a significant start. Irrespective of who we are or where we come from, what is needed is to understand what we need to do and how we need to do it for the upliftment of the nation in socio-economic and religio-cultural fronts. Professionals can pave the way with practical actions, in guiding others in the proper manner. 

What Martin Luther King said long ago makes a lot of sense here: “Scientific power has overtaken our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Recovery and resurgence amidst COVID-19 have been continuing challenges for all of us. 

(Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri can be reached through [email protected], [email protected] or www.ajanthadharmasiri.info.)