All educated, cultured people know that reading is a virtue to be encouraged in both children and adults. It is an essential means of acquiring information and knowledge. Historically, books have served a great purpose in recording knowledge gathered by writers and scholars all down the ages. Both cultural and scientific knowledge can be passed down from generation to generation leading to a cultured, literate, knowledgeable society – a society with ‘depth’.

Children can gain a thorough knowledge of their own culture rapidly, by means of reading some recommended books. Reading is an activity that undoubtedly moulds and shapes a young person’s thinking and so, personality: knowledge can bring confidence in speech, especially when discussing ideas with others. It gives food for thought and so, promotes the readers ability to understand and so, his thinking faculties. A young mind has plasticity. It can accept differences, it can learn new ideas easily, unthinkable things: cold fusion; that planet “earth” is a highly electrically charged body in space. A child will keep an open mind on an idea that an older person, a parent may reject: mind plasticity is the essence of “the age gap”.

What you think makes who you are: widely read people, people with a more developed mind, can react to a new situation in a better, more relevant way. The Greek philosopher Plato gave us much food for thought when he wrote his amazing, “Allegory of the Cave”. It is good!

A developed mind is freer to dream and to speculate. It is a developed consciousness that can be creative, unbounded and limitless. Scientist Steven Hawkins, although severely disabled, was able to use his brain professionally, to try to understand the mysteries found in the vastness of outer space and its workings.

People’s reading matter should be attractive and in step with their age and needs. Regular visits to a public lending library are a boon to the enquiring mind. Who was Shakespeare or Charles Dickens or Montagne or Galileo or Isaac Newton or Faraday or Maxwell? Wikipedia is very valuable for answering such questions.

There is plenty of misleading literature, too! The winners of wars, the conquerors, write the history books! To get to the truth of a matter it may be necessary to search far and wide! Any visit to the internet will demonstrate competing and opposites points of view.  Only after time and experience can a commentator’s words be judged as worth accepting as true.

Then, there are politically sensitive matters in which people have taken sides as how as to interpret politics – choose your own truth! And then there is all the debunking people do of other people’s writings.  Sadly, many people are drawn to startling, dramatic headlines, eye-catching news, gossipy information, fashion, etc., where little thought is needed. The reader is asked to keep his feet on the ground and be able to see faults in opposing views. It is an education to see on YouTube all the conflicting ideas claiming truth. Everyone needs to develop the habit of thinking critically about what other people say and claim.

Priyantha Hettige

Third month remembrance

As a Buddhist she followed the precepts with care

Instances where she missed them were rare

She always tapped the goodness of people

Never jealous, never prejudiced or never gossiped with others

Our home was the MAHAGEDERA for all relatives

A sensitive heart is wider than the universe

At the village, she was at home with kith and kin

Fulfilling all chores with respect won

Sometimes we agreed to disagree with some issues real

But she accepted the decisions with a refined smile

I see her everywhere but not physically anywhere

Light of life has gone out leaving us in emptiness

No language has words to render

The feeling of the heart so dear

How can one forget the swelling memory river

As rhymed ‘sada me sansare ape hamuvima nowe’

Is a truth about the ‘Sansaric’ process so clear

But let us wish to attain the Supreme bliss of Nibbana together.

C. Kariyawasam

Disampathy Subesinghe was a remarkable individual who left a lasting impression on those around him. He sadly passed away on January 17, 2025. Disampathy was an alumnus of that fine redbrick institution, Royal College in Reid Avenue where he was a respected Prefect. He joined the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo in 1961.

Disampathy was a year senior to me. Despite the rigorous academic demands, he managed to excel in his studies while also enjoying leisure activities like bridge and billiards in the common room.  His dark skin, broad smile, and loud voice made him a delightful presence wherever he went.

After graduation in 1966 he proceeded to the General Hospital in Kurunegala for his internship. We came together again in 1967 and worked in that hospital as Medical Officers in the Out Patients Department. I well remember his dutiful affection and concern for his patients and the professional care that was bestowed with so much kindness. He had the ability to combine charm and courtesy with a steely determination to get things done.

Disampathy loved all sports. Every evening we played badminton with our medical colleagues in the government quarters. He was popular and charming and well-liked by the medical fraternity in Kurunegala. During those our youthful days what stood out was his unstuffy and self-deprecatory nature and how much he hated any kind of conceit. He was a regular in the Lower Club in Kurunegala playing bridge with a band of friends who came from all walks of life.

He was a raconteur par excellence and has been the life and soul of the many social gatherings we’ve had. His ability to entertain and bring joy to us all was truly special. Some of his humorous stories of people and events still echo in my head.

Disampathy married Srima Jayasinghe who was a doctor in Kurunegala. After a brief stint as a GP in Mawathagama they emigrated to the UK and settled in Leeds. He specialised in Paediatrics and was appointed a Consultant in Leeds where he worked until retirement. Despite his many achievements he remained modest and unpretentious. Disampathy and Srima have a son and a daughter.

My last meeting with Disampathy was about five years ago at the busy Victoria Station in London. Two doctors who were with us in Kurunegala joined us for lunch in China Town. We spent many hours together recalling and reminiscing those happy times in the Faculty of Medicine and in Kurunegala. We shared the travails and triumphs of our lives.

In the last couple of years as his health began to fail, he returned to live in his apartment in Colombo. Whenever I phoned despite the difficulties and hardship he never complained. Disampathy dealt with these issues with enormous courage and characteristic indomitable spirit. His enthusiasm for life never waned. He remained cheerful to the very end.

His was a life well lived.

May he find the Ultimate Bliss of Nirvana.

Dr Nihal D Amerasekera