Features

Meditation, mindfulness and thoughtfulness

Published

2 years ago

2024/06/21

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

Two recent articles in The Island extolled the virtues of thoughtfulness, the second supporting piece largely reproducing passages from the first (“Thoughtfulness or Mindfulness” on 5th June and “In favour of Thoughtfulness” on 14 June). Whilst agreeing with the learned writers that the world is what it is today due to thoughtfulness, the creative aspect of the human mind, I was rather taken aback by some comments slighting mindfulness, the main reason for doing so being the commercialisation of mindfulness, as typified by the comment: “All human progress is indebted to people who observed, experimented, invented, created and above all used their imagination with hardly any guidance from mindfulness gurus”!

Science has advanced to produce AI, and some have even started writing articles using AI tools, though only an honest few admit to doing so! In spite of all these advancements, mind and brain remain enigmatic there being no consensus on what the functions of the mind are or what the relationship of the mind to the brain is. It was the Buddha who analysed the mind long before modern scientists did so, or even the Greek philosophers, and it was unfortunate that Buddhism, the religion that evolved subsequently, has submerged the great intellectual achievements of the Buddha. What psychologists now call metacognition is what Buddha described as Sathi: ‘awareness and understanding of one’s own thought process’.

Mindfulness is being misused as much as thoughtfulness. In addition to all the constructive aspects referred to in the articles, thoughtfulness has heaped misery and destruction, too, in spite of the other meaning of the word being ‘consideration towards others’. We do not have to look to the past replete with many instances but just looking at the misery imparted on the innocents in Gaza illustrate what mindless thoughtfulness can do!

Leaving aside misuse, mindfulness and thoughtfulness are interrelated, perhaps serving different purposes at times but working in tandem at other times. Apples, and indeed many other objects, have fallen to the ground but no one cared a hoot or gave any thought to it till, on a summer’s day in 1665 an apple fell beside Isaac Newton seated contemplatively under an apple tree in the garden of Woolsthorpe Manor, seven miles from where I pen this, as Cambridge University had closed in August due to the Great Plague. Mindfulness of the event triggered thoughtfulness in Newton and gravity was discovered!

No one denies exercise is of benefit to the body, multitude of costly Gyms cropping all over being testimony enough. That walking, the best exercise, is free but not fashionable, is another matter! Less emphasis is given to the fact that the brain also needs exercise though Indian sages realised this three millennia ago. Predating the Buddha, Samatha meditation is calming and increases concentration. Perhaps, this helps with thoughtfulness. The Buddha introduced the concept of Vipassana, insight and Vipassana meditation, mindfulness as a concept and Mindfulness meditation evolving from these. The spread of these in modern times is an interesting story.

How intractable migraine led to the spread of mindfulness meditation across the world is the fascinating story of Satya Narayan Goenka. It is well worth listening to him on YouTube, which has many programmes of his, the best being, “The Buddha – Super Scientist – Discourse at IIT Bombay”. S N Goenka was born in Rangoon, Burma to a rich Indian Sanatana Hindu family in January 1924. He was a successful businessman and leader of the Hindu community in Burma, delivering lectures on Hinduism regularly. In 1955, he started getting debilitating attacks of migraine which were resistant to all the drugs available at the time, needing regular injections of Morphine. In desperation, on the recommendation of a friend, he sought the help of a reputed Vipassana teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin (1899 – 1971), who also happened to be the first Accountant General of Independent Burma. Ba Khin had studied Vipassana under the great teacher, Saya Thetgyi.

Goenka met with a refusal from Ba Khin, who said: “I do not want to belittle a technique that helps you overcome all suffering by treating your migraine. If you want to do it, do it fully and I can teach you”. Goenka replied “But sir, I cannot do it as I am a devoted Hindu. I respect the Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu but cannot embrace Buddhism”. Ba Khin had then questioned Goenka whether Hinduism is against ‘Seela’, Samadhi and Panna. Goenka had to admit that it was not. Ba Khin has replied “That is all the Buddha taught and, therefore, you can practice Vipassana. Anyway, we do not believe in conversion to Buddhism”. Prior to starting the ten-day course of Vipassana meditation, Ba Khin had given a little book and turning the first page itself changed Goenka’s attitude. It said “Do not believe” which took him by surprise as he was brought up in a tradition ‘to believe in the words of the gurus’. At the end of the ten-day course of meditation migraines were easing off but, more importantly, he realised what an ego-centric person he was.

After training with his teacher for 14 years and having realised the value of the technique, Goenka came to India in 1969, after handing over his business to the family, to reintroduce Vipassana, which had been lost for over 2000 years. Shortly before his death in 1971, Ba Khin authorised Goenka to teach and his ten-day courses attracted many around India and abroad. When a course was held at the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, some participants who had been associated with Gandhi suggested he sees Vinoba Bhave, considered to be the spiritual successor to Mahatma Gandhi. When he told Vinoba Bhave that Vipassana purified the mind, Vinoba Bhave replied: “I do not believe it as the purity of mind can be achieved only by the mercy of God” and challenged Goenka to prove by changing the behaviour of unruly schoolchildren and prisoners.

He demonstrated convincing results with school children but no prison would allow him to conduct a course, as he insisted he should live with the prisoners for the ten days of the course. No one was prepared to imprison him, even though he requested them to do so! He persevered and finally in 1975, Ram Singh, Home Secretary of the Rajasthan government, who had taken part in one of his programmes, gave him special permission to conduct a programme in Jaipur jail.

When he went for the programme, he was horrified to find that the prisoners were brought in chains, as they were murderers. When he insisted that shackles be removed it was done but jailers armed with guns were stationed during the sessions, with strict orders to shoot to kill if any suspicious movement occurred. Guns were not fired and two courses were conducted with convincingly good results. Since then, prison Vipassana programmes have spread far and wide and two excellent films, based on these, are available on YouTube: “Doing Time, doing Vipassana, a film made in 1997 by two women filmmakers from Israel focussing on the Vipassana programmes done in Tihar Jail, New Delhi, one of the harshest jails in India, where one programme was conducted for 1000 prisoners and “The Dhamma Brothers”, a film made in 2007 about the Vipassana programme in a high-security prison in Alabama, USA.

With the widespread of Mindfulness Meditation, scientists got interested, encouraged by the dynamism of the Dalai Lama. Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn started the Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine in Massachusetts General Hospital and subsequently Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) got acceptance as therapy for depression. We still do not know much about depression and most drugs like Prozac, which were prescribed widely in the past, were pushed on the basis of scanty data produced by random clinical trials.

One of the first publications on anatomical changes was in Psychiatry Research in January 2011 by Sara Lazar’s group titled “Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain grey matter density”. MRI studies showed increases in grey matter concentration within the left hippocampus and other regions involved in learning and memory processes, emotion regulation etc. in the MBSR group compared with the controls.

However, these results were thrown into question by a paper titled “Absence of structural brain changes from mindfulness-based stress reduction: Two combined randomized controlled trials” by Tammi and others in Science Advances, in May 2022. Contradicting this was a publication which reported on meta analysis using 11 trials, published in Scientific Reports of October 2023 titled, “Mindfulness-based randomised controlled trials led to brain structural changes: an anatomical likelihood meta-analysis” by Savannah Siew and Junhong Yu which came to the conclusion “Mindfulness interventions have the ability to affect neural plasticity in areas associated with better pain modulation and increased sustained attention. This further cements the long-term benefits and neuropsychological basis of mindfulness-based interventions.”

Elizabeth Blackburn, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009 with Carol W. Greider for their discovery of telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes to prevent their degradation, with her team published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 2009, a significant paper titled, “Can Meditation Slow Rate of Cellular Aging?” which concluded that “we propose that some forms of meditation may have salutary effects on telomere length by reducing cognitive stress and stress arousal and increasing positive states of mind and hormonal factors that may promote telomere maintenance. Aspects of this model are currently being tested in ongoing trials of mindfulness meditation.” However, a paper by Nirodhi N. Dasanayaka, Nirmala D. Sirisena and Nilakshi Samaranayake, titled “The effects of meditation on length of telomeres in healthy individuals: a systematic review, meta analysis of 5 studies” published in Systematic Reviews in May 2021 concluded the effect of meditation on telomere length per se is still unclear. Strictly designed and well-reported RCTs with larger sample sizes are required to provide evidence of higher quality.

More work needs to be done but Mindfulness Meditation may prolong life, too!

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Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.

Features

Banana and Aloe Vera

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

To create a powerful, natural, and hydrating beauty mask that soothes inflammation, fights acne, and boosts skin radiance, mix a mashed banana with fresh aloe vera gel.

This nutrient-rich blend acts as an antioxidant-packed anti-ageing treatment that also doubles as a nourishing, shiny hair mask.

* Face Masks for Glowing Skin:

Mix 01 ripe banana with 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and apply this mixture to the face. Massage for a few minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off for a glowing complexion.

* Acne and Soothing Mask:

Mix 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel with 1/2 a mashed banana and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply this mixture to clean skin to calm inflammation, reduce redness, and hydrate dry, sensitive skin. Leave for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

* Hair Treatment for Shine:

Mix 01 fresh ripe banana with 03 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply from scalp to ends, massage for 10-15 minutes and then let it dry for maximum absorption. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for soft, shiny, and frizz-free hair.