Today is Navam Poya - Challenges We Have to Meet

By Ven. Horowpothane Sathindriya
Originally Published in the Sunday Observer on the 31st of January 1999.

We passed 1998 and have started to step into 1999. Wisely we should contemplate how we passed that last year. There are many bad and also commendable and satisfactory memories. Especially we must reflect how to expel the deeds, which generate bad and unpleasant memories in our personal lives.

As human beings, we can contemplate to build up our humane characteristics and inner qualities in our day to day life. We all frankly consider the obligations and responsibilities which we have to fulfil towards others as members in our society withouit any discrimination.

"Parents are the great and highest beings in the world," said the Supreme Teacher, the Buddha. If so we should protect and preserve the greatness of parenthood. Our children will be the leaders and saviours of the future. Therefore, with full consideration parents should guide and direct them to a decent and religious background and education. Restraining children from immoralities and leading them towards moralities and ethics are the key roles of the parents, in order to preserve our peaceful and harmonious society in the future.

Once the Buddha said, "Children are our treasures." Fulfilment of obligations and responsibilities could lead to a unique, remarkable, luminous and exemplary marriage and family life. Honesty, trustworthiness, responsibility, empathy, courage, love, compassion and tolerance should be cultivated, developed and practised with each other, as the paramount members of a family. These mutual obligations and key roles will lead to prosperity and progress.

The purpose of religion is to guide mankind to develop unity and a harmonious life and to cultivate humane qualities, especiliy mental purity. Everybody should follow and practise his religion which inherited or choose by examining it, to live in a peaceful and amicable environment. As Buddhist monks and other priests we should contemplate on our duty to make people aware of the importance of generosity, morality and mental -culture, not only by preaching but also by practising.

There are many people in our society, but it is very hard and difficult to find a good and kind-hearted friend faithful to you. A real and a genuine friend should stand by you in happiness and sorrow alike. Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic-joy and equanimity, four sublime qualities (Brahma Vihara) are the crucial and paramount characteristics that must be cultivated by everyone.

Very soon we are stepping towards the year 2000. Science and tech-nology continue to be developed and spread all over the world. As a result of that biochemical weapons, nuclear weapons and nuclear tests are rapidly ever increasing in the globe.

While we demand for peace, drug trafficking, terrorist activities and weapons are ever increasing. As more people are driven to these vices, and degeneracy, which are no doubt harmful to mankind, humane qualities that should nurtured are being disregarded.

We are unable to think and not to be sure about our spiritual background, moral and ethics not only in our society but also in futurte generations. These are the challenges we have to meet for a peaceful society.

Therefore, it is vitally important to educate and give people a religious education to protect our peaceful environment. Developing and practicing, loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity within ourselves should enable us to live in a peaceful world.

When one develops or cultivates humane qualities, he is indeed a real human being in this world. When one practices divine qualities, he will be a divine being here and hereafter. Reflect on your past and mould your life in the present, then your future will be happy and prosperous. May all beings be well and happy!