Little, little lessons from big, big responsible past ………..

‘Heliye kunu nebiliyen wahanna’ this is what my grand mother once told me during a very informal discussion between some relatives of our family.

( heliya is a cooking utensil, a clay pot- ‘cover the dirt of the pot from the nebiliya’ – this is a another kitchen item which we use to separate sand from the rice before cooking) nebiliya is one of the things that we don’t use that much these days because the farmer now separate paddy from sand and other dusts etc on the ‘Kamatha’ ( the most sacred, important place of the paddy land, this is the place that farmers do every necessary ‘clearing and sharing’ before reach the harvest to the ‘Vee bissa’ ( paddy storage place)collating, gathering( togetherness), clearing and cleaning, distributing,( for example ‘kotasa’ ( share)of the ande goviya ( ande goviya is not the owner of the paddy land. He gets the land from another person to cultivate and he generally has to give I believe .5 of the yield to the owner. That is an unwritten agreement based totally on the trust between the landowner and the temporary farmer/ the cultivator) in the old system there were very little ganu denu ( give and take) were done on ‘cash’ they exchanged labour with paddy.  

‘Attam kramaya’ a way of exchanging labour is the very best way of regaining Unity, togetherness, trust, sharing, honesty,  a better solution for cash issues, labour issues,  time issues, if some thing had happen during other periods of the village/ community ( even now if a farmer does not have enough of money to pay for the tractors or for other things they follow this system. you have every little equipments, machineries now to clear the lands or the beds of the paddy lands, land preparation,  'seeding’and every other step there after can be easily done with the help of hands of the community members, the villagers. This ‘labour rotating system’ is slightly similar to the ‘shramadana’( here ‘we’ donate labour for free- danaya is something we give expecting nothing in return but according to the Buddhism you will get good results of the good deeds you do, the things that you do with a good will having no ill wills) ‘chetanahan bikkawe kamman wadaami’ for every particular thing you do it is the ‘thought’ that generates one’s within that leads you to achieve good results or bad results. If you have a non harmful thoughts within you will suely obtain good results not only for you it will affect the whole society you live.   So this shramadanaya is a group effort. 

So the above saying ‘heliye kunu nebilyen wahanna’how can it be applied to the very small unit or an institution of a society and to the very big institutions and finally to the internal and external affairs of a ‘country’ 

I recently read the ‘SAARC’ agreements of the heads of the states  that gave me at least some understanding on certain things pertaining to country’s internal and external affairs and why those things are important to handle in an independent way. Before we form any organizations local and international the members generally have to agree to certain rules and regulations respecting each others ‘cultural and political, social, economical independence or existence. 

We need to respect the privacy of a country, relations within the country members and the others have no rights to interfere unless if it is a matter which affects the big society, neighboring countries, the world lets say in short.

If you have any issues in a family unit how good it is to solve within the family not allowing external parties to get involved if it is not a major issues that can not be solved within the unit. 

Why are we sometimes not thinking about these things that will lead our thinking towards solving our own issues, small, small things of a family unit,our country within not allowing the outside parties to get involved. (There are things we need help actually big help, the advises of the experts, the financial assistance, etc) but there are things that we solely can solve within the family, country. 

In the past we were not this developed. We were known as a third world country, or a underdeveloped country, back then we needed help in some of the ways to built huge development projects such as ‘ Victoria’ ‘Randenigala’ etc. 

Thinking of the overall development of our country we have reached up to a certain level that we all can dream of another huge changes of future society. Balancing everything is what we really need. Development in certain things and I feel it is so good if we are poor in many other things I thought after reading Mr. Malinda seneviratne’s article posted on Malinda words ‘And up came the underworld’( 19 July 2012) No we do not want to see any development in this field. 

We have the ability to solve even the major issues within. Think of the ’30 year struggle of our recent past’ 

We know what is best for our people. This does not mean we do know everything and we do not need any help WRONG  we need help of our true friends we need to maintain good relationships between countries, we need to help each other when ever need help please remember that. the village man know what is good for the local soil, whether the soil of particular area better for gurkin or to grow dragon fruit sometimes than the experts of the original birth place of these fruits or vegetables that can be easily cultivated. 

The villager knows where the common well is located but for others they need to go and find out. They need to ask from a villager ‘the location’, the depth of the well, the history of the well. Who built it, when was the authority given for the public use’ janatha ithiyata pewaruwe kawadaada’, who owns the land of the well, generally how many are depending on this resource, how many of others are using other sources, etc , etc.

Who knows better of such things. The villager no doubt. Sometimes they know the solutions for their problems, they suggest solutions but they are powerless in some of the things though they are very powerful in human resources then comes the need of an interference of a relevant authority. And that will lead to protect the laws and regulations of a country I personally believe.i am not trying to letdown the knowledge of the experts here that is not the idea behind my saying. 

But if something, an issue can not be solved within an independent unit due to financial and big technical advanced knowledge the villager is unaware of then they need the help of the outsiders. ‘Dependency’  is not a good thing. I do not know how good it is to give ‘pin padi’ the remittances. 

There are things that can be easily solved within I tried to explained earlier in this essay. We do not have to send big experts from Big institutions, departments, ministries  to the isolated ( this is just an example and I believe today every village and city is very well linked compared to the past because of easy and better modes of transport etc) far away villagers for their small, small issues that can be solved their within, within the community, think of the time and other costs it is so useful if this can be practiced everywhere and every time. 

I saw some of our friends in some of the areas how they reacted to when the TV crews ( jathika rupavahiniya etc) visited people on some of the issues. I noticed that they expect and complains about many things , this is not really the answer that we should expect from the public I feel. Can’t we allocate just a one Sunday for a little gathering and collate little amount and find some solutions within in an organized manner sort of at least a temporary ‘organization’. How many more days are you waiting to the relevant authorities to come if they have other important things to attend it is sometimes not fare to expect such things to happen.

‘Bim mattame samaaja, samithi api balagannwamu’

Lets empower the community based organization/ the grassroots level committees, societies etc for such an aim. Let’s support them. Let’s form few more CBO’s if there are no such things within a community. Lets encourage them giving little bit of advise if necessary, participation is what sometimes they expect from big sides. Technical advise if necessary There are ways to encourage them or there are things that can be done for the sustainability of such organizations. We can get enough of examples from the SANASA movement or the ‘SARVODAYA” if the villagers are willing accept and to share knowledge. In Ampitiya, Wevathenna there is no Sanasa society. I believe we need one in our village. There is a good strong ‘FA society in our village (Funeral assistance society) that is kind of a multi purpose organization. 

The available ‘Resources’ of a village within are the big resources for big plans

School children youth, retired GO and other officials, (one of the ways to obtain mature advise not allowing every one to play the role of the JP they worth more than that) they have no time to think of other things, bother about other things I believe if we do so. They worth millions. NO I m not trying to say anything against there right to organize’ gather’ if necessary. They are not weak or powerless that is what I am trying to think here. ‘wishramikayange sangamaya’ the society of the retired personal’ is a powerful society if there is a one very active.  

Don’t forget here the game pansala ( the village temple) here

Here are two more lessons from our valuable past how these little little advises can be used for the sake of the present society think a little 

Once Mr. Attanayake M. Herath ( Sinhala Sir) at the University of Peradeniya he has a way of saying and explain things beautifully getting some examples from the past or from the present society

Issara genu lamayek thoragatte kohomada dannawada? Do you know how a bride is chosen from a family?

Genu lamayata ganga langata walan godaak deela kianawa hodanna kiala

The girl is asked to wash the utensils and this is especially near a river I do not have to explain the volume of water in a river she has more than wheat she want and there is no limit of water we have in a river.

There was always a reason behind such activities

‘Management’ ‘water management’ ‘abilities to save’ how she prepared for the activity, all these were observed and monitored before she gets the acceptance from the head of the family. ‘arapirimessma’  beluwe ehemai ( this is how they checked ‘how one use and manages carefully the resources available)

If she passed the exam she qualifies to be the bride of the groom. That was then

Then do you know how a man qualified 

The young men were asked to go to jungle giving a big knife to bring some firewood.

The family of the girl generally observes and monitors how he prepares for the tour of jungle. Whether he sharpen his knife before he goes or he just goes. ‘ haree oka mokakda’ kiala giya aya failed. It was not the handiness of physical body of a man people thought of some other important things back then. How he prepares, how he collate necessary tools before goes, a robe may be, a bottle of water may be, etc 

If the man bring the wood unnecessarily , cutting unnecessarily all the vital trees that they should not think of cutting.  do you think that such men were qualified NO. He could have easily collated the dead branches, there are many options you have if you observe the surroundings very carefully only if you visit an unspoiled jungle.

Think of the lessons that we can learn from these little, little but big, big valuable ideas of our big, big past.

Miten mite ( mita here is a handful of things this is generally refers to rice) sathen sathe ( a cent by cent ) ekathu karala loku loku weda karanna puluwan. There is a value and demand for a cent not only for a rupee. If you start collecting or keep a side a hand full of rice everyday for ‘future use’ than just start cooking the whole kilo of rice from the boutique. And at the end of the month you will see the results of such actions. Or if you find no money in your pocket, or of your wallet any moment you can used the saved stuff.  If I think of the wastage of rice and other things due to unplanned ways of cooking the meal of the day not knowing the needed or the required quantity we will have to throw the rest or the additional( personal experiences) 

Let’s try to apply this to the total number of hands we own in this country it is not only about savings’ the achieving big aims using the available resources we have. The biggest and the most vital resources of the world is ‘human resources’. If have two millions of population think of the power we have forget the machinery we have for a moment and hand machines still have some power. 

I am truly amazed at little, little things, little, little strategies, some use on little, little plans, at little, little places. Some are very intelligent in using accurate colour for the flag of the organization. They know how many members should get involved, what note you should give in order to purchase something accurately. If we are very intelligent enough in doing appropriate things on appropriate occasions, visits, why not use them for other purposes. If are good at planning things personal and private in a better way and achieving the better results how can that strategy not be possible to use for other important things for the sake of all.

I believe it is no use having the spoon in your hand if you have nothing to be shared. These things must come together. Some have the technical knowledge, some have the resources, and some own the abilities that others don’t have, some have the ability to contribute financially, the knowledge- other.

‘Uda balagena kela gaha ganna epa’- the world is tooo small now. think of this saying what will happen if we see up and spit needless to say the results am I right.

Do you know?

How those brilliant, very strategic ideas can be used for the development of mankind? I don’t know that is why we need to have a better discussion on these things.

Let’s think about these things not once, twice or thrice, or hundred times, or millions times let’s think about these things more than these aforementioned times. Shall we ?