Saturday, July 21, 2007

Into the West: Spreading the practice of Dhamma

Into the West: Spreading the practice of Dhamma

By D. C. Ranatunga


Exactly fifty years ago on June 15, 1957 three scholar monks from Vajiraramaya set off on a Dharmaduta mission. Leading the delegation was Venerable Soma Thera. The other two monks were Venerable Kheminda Thera and Venerable Vinitha Thera. They formed the first Dharmaduta mission to Germany. While monks were visiting foreign countries to propagate Buddhism, this mission was different. They were the first to go to Europe on a permanent footing and establish the Buddha Sasana there.

It was the fulfilment of the main objective of the German Dharmaduta Society formed on the initiative of Asoka Weeraratne five years earlier. Then known as 'Lanka Dharmaduta Society', it was dedicated towards spreading the message of the Buddha in Germany and other Western countries. The highly respected Ven. Nyanatiloka Maha Thera who had come to Sri Lanka from Germany in 1903 and made this his spiritual home, confessed that his great wish was to give his mother country "the best I possessed i.e. the Dhamma". He worked hard to achieve this "in the firm conviction that the Dhamma will take root in my home country" and predicted a great future there. The Dharmaduta mission paved the way towards it.

A young businessman dealing in jewellery and Swiss wrist watches, Asoka Weeraratne was on his first business visit to Germany in 1951. The country was slowly recovering from the devastation of the Second World War. War-weary Germans were looking for an alternative moral and spiritual philosophy that placed a high emphasis on peace and non-violence. They looked to the East for solace. Buddhism fitted in to what they were looking for.

Two years later Asoka Weeraratne, as Honorary Secretary of the Society, visited Germany and did a survey of Buddhist activities, preparing the groundwork to establish and maintain a Bhikkhu tradition in Germany providing them with the necessary infrastructure to lead a religious life according to the rules laid down by the Buddha. Having established the Society's headquarters and training centre in Colombo, preparations were made to send the first Dharmaduta mission to Germany.

In 1957 the Society was able to purchase Das Buddhistische Haus, the Centre of German Buddhism built by Paul Dahlke, a well-known German Buddhist scholar around 1924. Situated on a six-acre block of land in a lovely Berlin suburb known as Frohnau, it was converted into a Buddhist Vihara providing residential facilities for the Maha Sangha who would visit Germany for the Dharmaduta work.

Over the past fifty years, the Berlin Vihara has attracted visitors from many different backgrounds and enjoyed the facilities provided to learn the Dhamma. There are regular visitors who attend lectures, discussions and sermons on Buddhism. Then there are seekers who wish to know what constitutes Buddhism as well as visitors who are purely interested in meditation. Researchers visit the Vihara to make use of the collection of Buddhist and Pali books for their studies and tourists interested in the history and architecture of the place. Schoolchildren in the age group of 10-18 years form another group who visit the Vihara.

"All these categories find the serene and peaceful atmosphere in the temple and the calm of the well laid out garden a refreshing experience," says Tissa Weeraratne, the Trustee managing the Berlin Vihara. "The more serious visitor sees the natural environment as ideal for meditation and development of spiritual insights in a city with a reputation for busy activity."

Having firmly established the Berlin Vihara, Asoka Weeraratne ventured out to establish the Mitirigala Forest Hermitage creating an ideal place for meditation and self-discipline. Both foreign and local monks interested in meditation find the forest hermitage a perfect location to practise meditation. He himself donned robes as Ven. Mitirigala Dhammanisanthi Thera and spent a peaceful life in a 'kuti' as a 'vana vasi' – monk living in the forest. He passed away on July 2, 1999 at the age of 80.

Since the establishment of the Berlin Vihara many temples have come up in Germany as well as other European countries. Amongst the many Tibetan and Mahayana temples, the Berlin Vihara remains a centre of Theravada Buddhism catering to the needs of those interested in the Theravada tradition.

"We continue to send monks from Sri Lanka and at any given moment we have at least two monks residing there," says Senaka Weeraratne, Secretary of the German Dharmaduta Society. Dikwelle Seelasumana Thera and Velichchiye Dhammavijaya Thera presently manage the Vihara. Vesak draws a large number of devotees to the temple when a full programme is carried out. Buddhist delegations regularly visit the temple.

Three years before the Buddha Jayanthi, Venerable Nyanatiloka wrote that he wished to see "as a happy culmination of my life if Vesak1956, i.e. the year 2500, will see a well-established mission in Germany which will not fail to have a far-reaching influence on the other Western countries too." His wish has been fulfilled.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

To learn English....

























Move to create less clumsy robots


The race to create more human-like robots stepped up a gear this week as scientists in Spain set about building an artificial cerebellum.
The end-game of the two-year project is to implant the man-made cerebellum in a robot to make movements and interaction with humans more natural.
The cerebellum is the part of the brain that controls motor functions.
Researchers hope that the work might also yield clues to treat cognitive diseases such as Parkinson’s.
The research, being undertaken at the Department of Architecture and Computing Technology at the University of Granada, is part of a wider European project dubbed Sensopac.

Greater subtlety
Sensopac brings together electronic engineers, physicists and neuroscientists from a range of universities including Edinburgh, Israel and Paris with groups such as the German Aerospace Centre. It has 6.5m euros of funding from the European Commission.
Its target is to incorporate the cerebellum into a robot designed by the German Aerospace Centre in two years’ time.
The work at the University of Granada is concentrating on the design of microchips that incorporate a full neuronal system, emulating the way the cerebellum interacts with the human nervous system.
Implanting the man-made cerebellum in a robot would allow it to manipulate and interact with other objects with far greater subtlety than industrial robots can currently manage, said researcher Professor Eduardo Ros Vidal, who is co-ordinating work at the University of Granada.
“Although robots are increasingly more important to our society and have more advanced technology, they cannot yet do certain tasks like those carried out by mammals,” he said.
“We have been talking about humanoids for years but we do not yet see them on the street or use the unlimited possibilities they offer us,” he added.
One use of such robots would be as home-helps for disabled people.
Interacting robots

The next stage of the Sensopac project is to develop an artificial skin for robots, making them look more human-like as well as being information-sensitive in the same way as human skin is.
This system is being developed by the German Aerospace Centre in collaboration with other research groups. The ambitious project is just one of many attempts to create more human-like robots. Another European research project - dubbed Feelix Growing - has been given 2.3m euros to develop robots that can learn from humans and respond socially and emotionally.
The medical community is making huge strides in the use of man-made parts for failures in the human brain. Last year US scientists implanted a sensor in a paralysed man’s brain that has enabled him to control objects by using his thoughts alone. The fast pace of current robotics research has prompted deeper questions about how androids would be integrated into human society. Some have called for a code of ethics for robots while others question how humans will cope in the face of machine intelligence.




Children ‘meet net friends often’


Many children are meeting up with people they first encountered on the internet - and their parents know nothing about it, a study claims.
Web security firm Garlik surveyed hundreds of eight to 15-year-olds and found 20% have met an online friend in person - and one-in-20 do so regularly.
Just 7% of parents were aware of their child’s behaviour, the study suggested.
Garlik, which advises people about data protection on the web, said youngsters were putting themselves in danger.
‘Wake-up call’

The firm polled 500 young people about their online habits - and 500 parents were asked about their attitudes.
It found that 40% of children regularly visit websites that are specifically prohibited by their parents and many give out sensitive information without parental consent.
Details divulged include full name (30%), home address (12%), school details (46%) and family photos (9%).
One in 10 admitted to being cyber-bullied - but only half said they had spoken to their parents about the ordeal.
Despite 90% of parents saying they monitored their offspring’s internet usage, more than half of the youngsters admitted to surfing the internet when their parents did not know.
Garlik boss Tom Ilube labelled the research a “shocking wake-up call” to British parents. “The web is a wonderful place to explore - but young people continue to make themselves vulnerable by not applying the same caution online as they would in person.”

-BBC



Words that sound the same

Today we are continuing our general introduction to English language teaching. We will follow with syllabus specific lessons in the weeks to come.


This exercise will help you to handle situations which need grammatical knowledge. Some of the words are pronounced in the same way, but have a totally different meaning. Be careful when you use these words and use them in the correct context so that the words will convey the correct meaning.

Accept vs except

Accept is a verb, which means to agree to take something .
For example: “I always accept good advice.”
Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.

For example: “I teach everyday except Sunday(s).”

advice vs advise
Advice is a noun, which means an opinion that someone offers you about what you should do or how you should act in a particular situation.
For example: “I need someone to give me some advice.”
Advise is a verb, which means to give information and suggest types of action.
For example: “I advise everybody to be nice to their teacher.”
Often in English the noun form ends in ...ice and the verb form ends in ..ise.

affect vs effect
Affect and effect are two words that are commonly confused.
affect is usually a verb (action) - effect is usually a noun (thing).
Hint: If it’s something you’re going to do, use “affect.” If it’s something you’ve already done, use “effect.”
To affect something or someone.
Meaning: to influence, act upon, or change something or someone.
For example: The noise outside affected my performance.
To have an effect on something or someone

Note: effect is followed by the preposition on and preceded by an article (an, the)
Meaning: to have an impact on something or someone.

For example: His smile had a strange effect on me. !Effect can also mean “the end result”.

For example: The drug has many adverse side effects.

alone / lonely
Alone, can be used as an adjective or adverb.
Either use means without other people or on your own.
For example: “He likes living alone.”
“I think we’re alone now.”
There are just the two of us here.
Lonely is an adjective which means you are unhappy because you are not with other people.
For example: “The house feels lonely now that all the children have left home.”

a lot / alot / allot
A lot, meaning a large amount or number of people or things, can be used to modify a noun.
For example:-
“I need a lot of time to develop this web site.”
It can also be used as an adverb, meaning very much or very often.

For example:-
“I look a lot like my sister.”
It has become a common term in speech; and is increasingly used in writing.
Alot does not exist! There is no such word in the English language.
If you write it this way - imagine me shouting at you - “No Such Word!”
Allot is a verb, which means to give (especially a share of something) for a particular purpose:-
For example: “We were allotted a desk each.”

all ready vs already
All ready means “completely ready”.
For example: “Are you all ready for the test?”
Already is an adverb that means before the present time or earlier than the time expected.

For example: “I asked him to come to the cinema but he’d already seen the film.”
Or
“Are you buying Christmas cards already? It’s only September!”

altogether vs all together
All together (adv) means “together in a single group.”
For example: The waiter asked if we were all together.
Altogether (adv) means “completely” or “in total “.

For example: She wrote less and less often, and eventually she stopped altogether.!To be in the altogether is an old-fashioned term for being naked!

any vs some
Any and some are both determiners. They are used to talk about indefinite quantities or numbers, when the exact quantity or number is not important.
As a general rule we use some for positive statements, and any for questions and negative statements,

For example:-
I asked the barman if he could get me some sparkling water. I said, “Excuse me, have you got any sparkling water?” Unfortunately they didn’t have any.
Note - You will sometimes see some in questions and any in positive statements. When making an offer, or a request, in order to encourage the person we are speaking to to, say “ yes”, you can use some in a question:

For example: Would you mind fetching some gummy bears while you’re at the shops?
You can also use any in a positive statement if it comes after a word whose meaning is negative or limiting:

For example:-
A. She gave me some bad advice.
B. Really? She rarely gives any bad advice.

apart vs a part
Apart (adv) separated by distance or time.
For example: I always feel so lonely when we’re apart.
A part (noun) a piece of something that forms the whole of something.

For example: They made me feel like I was a part of the family.

been vs gone
Been is the past participle of be, gone is the past participle of go
Been is used to describe completed visits.
So if you have been to England twice, you have travelled there and back twice. If you have gone to England, you have not yet returned.
Now you’ve been and gone and done it!

bored vs boring
Bored is an adjective that describes when someone feels tired and unhappy because something is not interesting or because they have nothing to do.

For example: She was so bored that she fell asleep.
Boring is an adjective that means something is not interesting or exciting.
For example: The lesson was so boring that she fell asleep.

Note: Most verbs which express emotions, such as to bore , may use either the present or the past participle as an adjective, but the meaning of the participles is often different.

-More next week























Helping the web become worldwide

Although the web has permeated almost 250 nations, everywhere from Ascension Island to Zimbabwe, the language of online life is by no means as diverse.
Take, for instance, domain names such as www.bbc.co.uk. For a long time only Roman characters could be used in domains even if a nation’s native language used none of those letters.
Now international domains are getting more widely used to help people get to grips with the web in their own language.

Core control
China has been at the forefront of the efforts to use international domain names. In 2006 it started seriously promoting three Chinese language domain names: gongsi (.com), wangluo (.net) and zhongguo (China).
“China has a long term vision for the project, they are very persistent and they know what they want,” said Subramanian Subbiah, co-founder of I-DNS.net, who has worked with China on the native language domains. The nation’s aims have been boosted by the fact that during 2007 all the most popular web browsers will have support for the Chinese character set built in.
It is keen to drive adoption of the native language domains for very simple reasons, said Mr Subbiah.
“Chinese domain names will be controlled by China,” he said. “Other domains, like .com, are controlled by other countries and they do not like that.”
The project seems to be working, he said, because native language domains are being snapped up three times faster by Chinese people than those using the Roman character set were.


China has even seen the start of cyber-squatting in which speculators buy up domains in the hope that they will prove lucrative in the future.
Research suggests that the names have captured the interest of younger Chinese net users who know few words of English.
This also helps to explain, said Mr Subbiah, why native web businesses such as Baidu are outperforming Western web behemoths such as Google.
“Google means nothing in the Chinese language,” he said, “but Baidu does mean something in Chinese characters.”
Analysis of who uses Google in China shows if people can spell it they use it. But, he said, the vast majority who can’t spell it use the home-grown Baidu.
The success of China’s work on international domains has prompted South Korea and many Arabic nations to push on with their own projects to create native language domains.

Travelling text
International domain names are all about helping one nation’s citizens get more out of the web. The flipside of this, and potentially more important goal, is translating what people are saying to make the web a universal medium.
“The great thing about the internet is that it is a great leveller,” said Dr Chris Boorman of translation firm SDL.
The common technology of the net, he said, should mean that any firm, be they based in Barnsley or Beijing, has the same chance to win a customer’s business no matter where that person lives.

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