Arts and crafts in Wesak Lanterns

This is an effort of the family of Mrs. Waruni, our immediate neighbours.   

Wesak lanterns are one of the most beautiful creations I have seen in my life. I am not talking about the outer appearances of the creation, when I describe the wesak lanterns as ‘one of the most beautiful creations.  I was thinking of the unsaid or unseen side of creating wesak lanterns and unsaid stories of the people who sell them for a tiny price. it is a another big topic to analyze, i guess.    

Selling or creating wesak lanterns is not a business that is what I believe. and i have not seen people bargaining the prices tagged of the lanterns. It is a symbol of patience and is a fruit/ result of group work.

Long before we started experiencing ‘purchasing wesak lanterns from a fare or another place, creating or making a wesak lantern is a activity done by the whole family or by a group of peers, friends, members of a village, or a community as an effort of their community.  

Every team member has a certain role to play in such group activities; Think of a certain shape for a lantern. The Tem members have to come to a decision as to what shape they must choose or matches their design in mind, whether it is a lotus shape, rectangular shape or a square shape or something else etc. 

Structure and the size of the lantern; some prefer a small lanterns with heavy decorations or big lanterns with simple decorations. Perhaps the size they choose depends on the resources available with the group. (Pieces of bamboo tree / branches)

Choosing the colours of the papers to be used too is important and that should matches the core idea of creations and  if they, the team are planning to tell others a story or many stories that describe the life of the Lord Buddha , in an order to enhance the day today lives of  human creatures.  

Yes, the group members have to think about the other decorations too.  The frills or certain crafts match to the inner idea of the lanterns they create. Mostly or basically they refrain from choosing something that kills the core idea of ‘creating wesak lantern’ but something that enhance their creations and efforts.

And when the members of the team come to an agreement about all above mentioned, you will see a beautiful creation at the end.  

There are no any rules or restrictions with regard to creating Wesak Lanterns but it is always beautiful, if the team members can follow certain guidelines such as ‘creating lanterns without harming the environment, refrain from cutting even a tiny bamboo tree without having a plan in mind. They must cut only the # they require, that is what I meant.

Decorating the temple of their village, using the lanterns the teams made too is a part of the activities, process of lantern making.

Organizing Wesak Lantern Competitions and giving gifts or price money for the best creation is a new activity entered into the celebrations of Wesak, one of the sacred festivals of the year and of the country, the Buddhist communities around the globe.

Such activities bring some spiritual relief, peace of mind for the entire family and that cannot be calculated in rupees or in money.

Little children can gain a lot of things by cooperating or helping their parents, relatives, friends when they are making Wesak Lanterns.

So, in creating wesak lantern, there are many things which enhance the team spirit and the unity of family and of the members of the community / communities involved.   Other than that such activities enhances the Skills hidden in not only kids but also in adults.

If you think of the lives of the people of this complex society we live, such activities provide some chances for both parents and kids to spend some time together and to spend their time meaningfully while teaching the kids, the religious and cultural and package of social values, traditions, norms and customs related to the Wesak Festival   and most importantly the core idea or meaning behind all these activities and practices, other than joining and visiting giving stalls.  

These total and full packages of practices should be continued and must hand over to every generation without harming anything.

Foot path wishes you all a meaningful peaceful wesak!

Foot Path Wishes the Entire Universe a Meaningful Wesak!

Nagala Kanda Rajamaha Viharaya, Polpithigama,  Kurunegala, Sri Lanka.  

This is not a petition about rain.

Rain isn't something that we do not like to embrace , do not like to talk about but is something very dear and near to all levels of people world wide. i cannot think of a poet who has not written any poems about rain. i cannot think of a lyricist who hasn't written a song about rain. i cannot think of an author , writer who hasn't written at least a few words about rain in his / her writings. Rain is the favorite subject of every farmer, environmentalist, politician, student, irrigation engineer, geologist, sociologist, cinematographer, economists, poor, rich, west, donor, fund raisers, all good hearted people etc. 

It is little difficult for me to say that 'rain rain go away come again another day'...........

but i do not mind saying rain rain take some intervals and give only what we require or little by little instead. 

If it rains every day without any control, what will happen to the 'daily wagerers', will they receive their daily wage from the employer? what will happen to the small scale traders who sell their what ever goods, keeping them along the main roads, in an open space, if it rains like this? How does it affect the home budgets if people have to pay big money for the vegetables they purchase ? whom should be blamed? it is something that should be discussed very carefully. 

Rain is not a curse but is a help, a benefactor of every singular person of this world, rich or poor, tribal or other wise. 

When rain starts punishing for the mistakes or faults done by human creatures to frustrate the nature, no genius can find solution unless it stops naturally. 

what genius can do is try to find  or provide accurate solutions to heal the hearts of affected. Every genius not should but must try to help the people who have been affected by flood,  in every possible way. Thankfully it is happening.  i was so glad to hear how some Media Net works have entered into the task in order to help those who have affected by floods.    

About few weeks back, the whole country was in fear and worried about water cut, electricity cut, due to 'lack of rain', insufficient rain. Thankfully we have not such issues now because of the heavy rain we received from the mother nature but unfortunately, currently, unstoppable rain is causing other issues that we do not like to talk about, floods for instance. the total number of people affected by heavy rain and flood is highly huge. 

i think that it is not new to hear or read that people are dying due to natural hazards created or not created, caused by people every day somewhere of this world. 

But, you mustn't forget that providing them essential food items, water , shifting or helping them moving out of the danger zones to a school hall or to a temple or a church or to a Kovil is a temporary solution. And what people of this country need is a permanent solution for every singular natural hazard, the government or the relevant department must find a permanent solution through what so ever project or plan that is to accurately Manage & Control issues that people face due to natural hazards such as Storms, Tsunami, Floods, Earth Quakes, Soil Erosion etc. 

We need to have a proper plan to address such issues & that should be something that brings permanent results and no plaster applying method would work or bring sustainable solution for the issue. If not after every situation like this, the floods for instance, the Media Networks and other officers, the Security Forces, let me not forget to mention their efforts as usual, will have to keep on collecting essential food and medicine and other needs forgetting their other duties. 

My question is what are the things that the officers and the experts of the relevant departments do on the days that there is no heavy rain? 

I am certain that we have experts, the knowledgeable, that can provide solutions to any issues we face but where were they? gone with the wind? What were they doing all those years gone by? Show the people of this land we live, your reports , the plans you prepared during all those years to address such issues? haven't you receive money, i mean the salaries for the jobs you have been doing? 

I do not know the year that the Ministry or Department of Hazard Management was established first? I do not know what they have achieved so far through the department?  

i hope and i wish every affected person a quick recovery and peace of mind.

How do you rate your consumers?

Today, i saw someone has thrown an empty bottle of a famous product prepared for drinking purposes near one of the main roads in Nugegoda, without putting it into a 'dust- bin'. 

That was not the first time that i have seen such actions of people. 

i have noticed that some of the empties that some throw after consuming them and without accurately binning them are very famous products known to most globally. 

And they are very expensive products, according to my awareness. 

Some of the products that some or most or certain age categories that do not have any health issues consume or prefer / like to consume are not the products that certain low class groups / categories buy in general due to issues related to 'affordability'.   some do not buy certain consumer products not because they cannot afford but not interested in consuming them. 

i thought what is the worth of a million dollar customer that consume what ever famous or highly expensive brand / type of consumer product that do not know to accurately bin it after consuming it?

i thought how customer / consumer has throw or bin the wrappers , empty bottles etc shows his / her level of awareness of such things, how they respect related rules and regulations, how nature friendly they are etc. 

Actually it is not the fault or issue of the manufacturer really. it is the fault or issue of the consumer / customer who consume the product you produce.

there is something lacking along the roads as well. i hardly see bins along the roads for people to bin the things unwanted, except in some places. Therefore it is little unfair to fine customers / consumers who throw wastes along the roads until the drainage systems are blocked. The Nagarasabha or the Municipal councils of the areas must take the initiative over such things without really waiting till others tell them, no matter how big or small or how much funds you get or not , whether you are belong to KMC or CMC, SJMC, such things are irrelevant to us. 

But that is not an excuse for the customers / consumers who throw things / garbage / wastes along the roads or wherever they please.  

Couple of days ago, i noticed that near the Janatha pola ( fare) in Nugegoda, the drainage was full of things / garbage ( empty bottles including), no wonder why the city become a hell not a heaven during rainy season or on a day that it rains cats and dogs.

I do not know whether the manufacturers of famous or infamous consumer products must allocate a certain / tiny place around the product / label to give their customers some advice. 

About couple of years back, Colombo and other urban areas maintained by Municipal councils were famous for its 'cleanliness'. i think every responsible authority must pay little more attention than the attention they are giving currently to change the cities into previous level. 

and consumers kindly cooperate buy binning the things accurately after consuming eatables / drinkable. bring them home if you see no proper place to bin them. 

let us keep our cities and villages , communities clean. 

And friends be an intelligent respectful consumer.