Letters to the Editor

• Why not fags, booze?
• Spread the Dhamma around
• Far from the boardrooms
• Leading towards darkness
• Inhuman humans
• Buyer beware!
• A toothache over 'failed' medics

Why not fags, booze?

Why were these two items spared? 

Usually, not a Budget is announced without the prices of cigarettes and alcohol being upped! But the price hikes came later.

Rumours abound that as most liquor shops and bars are owned by powerful politicians or their lackeys, they were tipped off about the impending price hike, to enable them to hoard stocks.

Concerned citizen
Kandana

Spread the Dhamma around

It is the responsibility of society to determine the contributory factors and find ways of eliminating them.

In the Buddhist doctrine the word wisdom (Panna) is more frequently used than the word intelligence (Buddhi). In religious discourses wisdom is used to denote the knowledge that helps us to understand the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. Wisdom is the highest state of intelligence.

When we discuss Sri Lankan society we should be mindful about our past civilisation and religions that influenced us.

Then people valued humanity and led a peaceful life due to the benevolent influence of Buddhism. They feared to commit sin. 

They were accustomed to saying 'How sinful!' when they saw any harm being done even to an insect. Such compassionate feelings have been responsible for non-violence and non-commitment of crime.

Until the early part of the twentieth century things that brought about feelings of lust, hate and malice were rare.

With the advancement of society, modern literature, art, films etc. appear to incite the subconscious mind towards immoral thinking.

The near pornographic billboards, adult-only films, magazines and videos pollute young minds. 

Thus the declne in morality as opposed to economic development is a materialism versus spiritual conflict, man has to face in the modern world. 

Buddhist philosophy, offers a solution to arrest this conflict and elevate moral standards.

Therefore the Dhamma should be promoted in society. 

Sayings from the Dhammapada, Sirithmaldama and Lowedasangarawa could be displayed in public places for people to read. 

If this could be undertaken by temples, government or private institutions we can hope to see a reawakening of the Dharmishta society, respected by the world for its honesty. 

Preferably these boards could be in temples, schools, universities and at junctions. Some examples of sayings could be:

*It is good to discipline the mind for he who disciplines the mind enters the path of happiness. 

*One who lives according to the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma. 

*Those who do wrong suffer in this life or in the life after. 

*A calm and disciplined mind promotes learning. 

*Do not swindle others. 

*Intoxicants have no sense or power of thinking. 

*Be compassionate and you willl live long. 

*If you inflict pain on others, suffering will follow you, as the cartwheel follows the bull. 

The environment can influence an individual. Those who read these would unintentionally think and subject themselves to self-analysis.

L.C. de Silva
Dehiwela

Far from the boardrooms

Did they think of the pain the trees might suffer? Sir J. C. Bose, a Bengali naturalist, and in his lifetime one of the world's greatest authorities on plant life, could perhaps have enlightened them. He recorded the shuddering reaction of plants to an electric shock and the dying agony of a poisoned plant. Conscientious practitioners of ahimsa should take note. Our eyes lack sensitivity to register the pain of plant life, but that does not mean we should remain unsympathetic.

What of the companies which so boldly display their advertisements?

The desecration is far away from the plush boardrooms of Colombo. Yet, it is a telling reminder of the way these companies conduct business: the attitudes and priorities of their chain of command and their lack of interest in educating and controlling employees. A reminder too that they, and surprisingly the multinationals represented, have no idea of universally accepted business ethics of environmental care and social responsibility. Or is it that a developing country will tolerate anything?

World business leaders, even oil companies, now behave responsibly towards the environment. However, companies operating in developing countries adopt an exploitative, uncaring attitude. But they must recognise the legitimate interest that wider society has in its environment. Ours is a shared environment after all. Plants and animals cannot be overlooked because they cannot speak out.

The ethical conduct of business is here to stay. Environmental concern is just one of its aspects. Businesses must prove they operate in the broad public interest. Recently companies such as Nike, Walt Disney and Gap faced investor and public wrath over sweatshop and child labour scandals surrounding production of their goods. The Ethical Trading Initiative backed by Britain's Department for International Development encourages British retailers to buy from suppliers who provide decent working conditions, fair rates of pay and have a minimum age of employment for their employees. 

The global business environment demands ethical conduct. Why then aren't the companies responsible for these advertisements aware that such acts of sales representatives could harm company and brand reputations? After all company and brand reputation is a competitive weapon, and 40% of the company value is linked to it.

The public judges companies by their actions. Respect for the environment is not an excessive demand to make of them.

E. Gunasekara
Kurunegala

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