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| Saturday, 13 March 2004 |
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Kloppenbourg and Goonetilleke by Nemsiri Mutukumara Today, we evaluate the splendid work rendered by two personalities - Professor Ria Kloppenbourg, a Dutch linguist and M.J.P. Goonetilleke, a Sinhala plantation Industrialist both here and abroad for the greater welfare of the Buddha Sasana. Foreign women in Thailand joined the Thais from all walks of life - Buddhist Nuns, Academics, Business entrepreneurs, university students and youth held a ceremony on Sunday January 11, 2004. Buddhist era 2547 - evaluate her work in the greater welfare of the Buddha Dhamma. They had also arranged for the offering of Sanghika Dana to Bhikkhu Sangha. A number of Bhikkhus from many parts of the world participated in the Dana. On March 19 Friday, Mr. Goonetilleke's silent service will be evaluated. A Sanghika Dana will also be offered to the Bhikkhu Sangha at his Frances Road, residence in Vellavatta. Professor Kloppenbourg was a linguist. She was proficient in Sanskrit, Pali, Dutch, German, French. Her linguistic proficiency was utilised to teach the teachings of the Buddha and propagate the peaceful way of life to a war weary world. Besides, she was a scientist and a fine translator too. Having visited Sri Lanka many times, Professor Kloppenbourg is well-known among the Buddhists. She never misses meeting us, particularly, my Kalayanamitta Esme who has quite a lot of similar interests. Writing on Professor Kloppenbourg Mrs. Joke Van de Horst says in "Yasodhara" Volume 20/2 (No. 78) January-March 2547-2004. "Many years ago I met Ria Kloppenbourg for the first time in a very inspiring international conference on Women in Buddhism held at the Tillenburg Religious Centre. Ria told us about translating old manuscripts from Pali and Sanskrit into Dutch. In particular, her research work in the Verse of Nuns - Theri Gatha which was published years later". Among the numerous lectures she gave, I was much impressed with the one, on the explanation of Buddhism in essence for the nurs-training. "I mainly translate now what was written about her in the newspapers in her memory. The Dean of the Faculty of Comparative Religions University of Utrecht wrote: "Professor Kloppenbourg worked for the faculty since 1970, and since 1988 as a professor. In that position she has influenced and inspired greatly the teaching and research in the field of living religions and comparative religions. Both her scientific and personal concern about colleagues and a great variety of young and older students were deeply impressed. The faculty remember her in deep gratitude". She always makes a visit to the Venerable Narada Maha Thera, the Vajiraramadhipati at Bambalapitiya. "Talking to the Maha Thera is absolutely inspiring. One learns many aspects not only of the Teaching of the Buddha, he imparts his encyclopedic knowledge on other world religions and the interest of the Western World in Buddha Dhamma." That is Professor Kloppenburg's comment after visiting the Maha Thera Narada. During her many visits she met like minded people committed to the welfare of the Sasana. She focused on improving the already existing hospital welfare service program. Long years ago, this program was organised on behalf of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress by the Venerable Panvila Vipassi Maha Thera. Schoolchildren, children from Buddhist Congress Managed Homes visited every ward in several hospitals and distributed books and pamphlets on Buddha Dhamma. Whenever, hospital lacked expensive medicines and injections, those were also provided with the permission and approval of the hospital medical authorities. Professor Kloppenbourg was in a position to garner monetary and material support to improve the service. She was also interested in training young Buddhist women, including Dasa Sila Matas on visiting prisoners - mainly women in Sri Lanka jails. Those women who serve long sentences in prisons to be given a job-oriented training instead of the routine prison work so that when they return home after the prison term. They would be an asset to the society. They will be able to venture into a new life of their own and on their own. Professor Kloppenburg also drew up a program to teach infants. A string of Buddhist Nursery Schools should be opened in the big cities to start with. As an initial step, kindergarten teachers - mainly lady teachers should be employed with the payment of handsome salaries. Meanwhile young women should be enrolled for a short-term training to begin with. Many wealthy people joined the discussion but took a long time before Buddhist Nurseries began to open. Professor Kloppenbourg is a painter as well. She painted Buddha Statues inspired by Tibetan Thanka paintings. She took personal interest in all the Buddhist mainstreams. She conducted meditation retreats and give instructions on meditation to all those interested: youth, students, adults and university students as well. She used to say often her meditation helped her to overcome deep sorrow after the death of her only son. Professor Kloppenborug told the Western World her deep interest in psychotherapy and that Buddhism has a lot to offer to Western psychotherapists and vice versa. The Foundation Psychotherapie en Boedddhisme states: "Since 1997 Ria tried hard to bring together therapists from the mental health care, who are interested in the meeting and mutual exchange of psychotherapy and Buddhism. A working group was set up in 1998. Ria wanted to form an official foundation and even during the last stage of illness she put effort for that purpose. We are very glad that just three weeks before, she could celebrate with us this new foundation where she was its President. "Ria was both grounded in the mundane and spiritual. She had a real scientific mind. She was humble and loved authenticity. The human aspect stood central for her. We will miss her warmth, generosity, her sense of humour, friendliness, organising talent and creative input. May she live in loving memories." (Yasodhara: Vol. 20/2 (No. 78) Pg. 8) M.J.P. Goonetilleke Mr. M.J.P. Goonetilleke never sought the glare of publicity in all his activities for the amelioration of the social, educational, cultural and religious life of the people. As an executive council member of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress he performed a solid work for the benefit of these far and near with least concern of their position. A planter whose tea and rubber estates in the South covered many electorates - Baddegama, Akmimana, Hiniduma and bordering the Galla electorate. His first task had been to provide housing to his workers who were living on the estate. Since, many tea pluckers and rubber tappers had turned up for work from their tenements in the close-by villages. Being an influential and well-to-do planter, he had provided for the eduction of the children and marriages of the girls of the worker families. Mr. Goonetilleke never misses Executive Council meetings of the Buddhist Congress. At one meeting two Tamil teachers from Chankanai - Mr. Vyramuttu and Mr. Rattai described their pathetic plight at the hands of the so-called high caste and non-Buddhist people in and around their village. These two had already enrolled the Buddhists and formed a Buddhist Society. This Society is affiliated to the Buddhist Congress. Vyramuttu and Rattai said, "we are called 'depressed classes'. We can not draw: water from the village well. No barber shop allow us to get in for a shave or a hair-crop. Our children have no schools to go. Most of the big boutiques drive us away saying they will lose high class customers. Please help us. Establish schools in our villages with a Buddha Mandir as well. Most of our people are concentrated in our own villages and confined to ourselves. Mr. Goonetilleke observed that he felt like visiting the area on a domestic Air Ceylon flight and organise a program to help those people. The result was that he initiated an action program and several Buddhist schools were opened in Karaveddi, Chankarai and other villages. They were named Narada Maha Vidyalaya, Ananda Semage Vidyalaya, D. L. F. Pedris Vidyalaya, Vipassi Vidyalaya. Mr. Goonetilleke was in the forefront of child and youth welfare work. Since the Goonetilleke's have no children both he had his Kalyanamitta lavishly helped the children and infants as well. Although he held no membership in the Lanka Taruna Mandalaya, the Sri Lanka National: Committee of the Brussels, Belgium based World Assembly of Youth, he supported every single cause of the Taruna Mandalaya - in which Mrs. Goonetilleke was a Vice President. In April 1971, the Lanka Taruna Mandalaya in collaboration with the World Assembly of Youth held an International Conference on Socio-Economic and Family Welfare in Colombo. The international parley was opened by Mr. Chelliah Kumarasurier, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. It was held at the Colombo Jaycee Secretariat auditorium at Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo. Mr. Jyoti Shanker Singh, WAY Secretary General and Mr. K. V. Reddy, Asian Secretary were among the speakers. Youth from India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand with the hosts Sri Lanka participated. The conference was held for five days. The foreign youth leaders were accommodated at the Sports Ministry Hostel at the Independence Square with the courtesy of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Sports Mr. K. B. Ratnayake. On the last day before their departure, the foreign youth and the LTM and WAY officials were entertained at tea by Dr. A. T. Ariyaratna at the "Delgaha Yata gedara" in Maradana. After tea we came out to the road Lo and behold! Police Patrol cars were blaring an announcement that "an insurrection had taken place in the South and the Government has declared a state of emergency and curfew will be imposed. Those on the road must go back to their homes immediately. When everybody was in a panic situation, Mr. Goonetilleke came to their rescue taking all the ten youths to his home and providing hospitality till their departure. He published the "Sigalovada Sutta" Duties of the Laity and presented to the World Buddhist Youth leaders from 35 countries who arrived in Sri Lanka for the Inaugural General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth held at the Colombo Young Men's Buddhist Association Hall, Borella in the Buddhist era of 2516 - 1972 May 26, 27 and 28. Mr. Goonetilleke supported every big and small Sinhala Buddhist cause. His home was the office of the propagation of unitary state against the District Councils Bill. But despite all his pro-Sinhala activities he was the best friend of the Tamil people and also the British planters. His close comeradaries with the British planters was his steadfast commitment to retain his English Justin and Portuguese Perera along with the traditional Parampara name Mutukuda - Arachchige. He must have wished to retain the friendship of the British even if it makes it uncomfortable to retain Anglo-Portuguese nomenclature. Despite, his marriage to the daughter of Muhandiram Arthur Dharmatilleke who has given Sinhala Buddhist names, he has been unmoved. Muhandiram Dharmatilleke has named the first six children of the eleven in two beds, first class Buddhist names which means the disciples of the Buddha. They are Buddhadasa, Munidasa, Ratnavati, Sugatadasa, Jinadasa and Jinavati. In his own family he is the eldest of the six girls and three boys including him. He is an old boy of Prince of Wales' College, Moratuva. |
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