Sri Lanka Army, in a new and giant step, designed exclusively towards the promotion of spiritual development of all Army members, is to construct a huge meditation complex (Bawun Seth Manasika Suwa Sevana) for mental peace of soldiers at Helummahara, Dekatana with the patronage of sister services, Welfare Association of the Department of Immigration and Emigration and Hatton National Bank.
The project, to be resourced by Ven Diyasenpura Wimala Thero of renowned Kanduboda Siyane International Vipassana Meditation Centre who volunteered to purchase the plot of land for this worthy purpose after selling his own car, donated to him for religious assignments, is the brainchild of Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, Commander of the Army who took an exceptional interest and initiative while he was serving the office of the Chief of Staff before August last year.
Army Headquarters-based Directorate of Psychological Operations, headed by Brigadier B.H.M.A Wijesinghe, Director, Directorate of Psychological Operations, has been actively devising and coordinating many meditation programmes, organized for tri-service personnel at Kanduboda Siyane International Vipassana Meditation Centre, following guidelines and directions of the Commander of the Army. The popularity of the programme compelled the Army to erect a more spacious hall and cottages for meditation under the project.
Thursday’s cornerstone-laying ceremony for the proposed new construction at Helummahara, quite close to the Kanduboda Meditation Centre, got off to a start soon after the Commander’s arrival at the site.
Simple cultural processions conducted Ven. Inguruwatte Piyananda Maha Thero, Incumbent, Kanduboda Meditation Centre, invitee monks and later on Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and the Commander of the Army before commencement of the day’s proceedings. Traditional oil lamp lighting and amid Seth Pirith chanting of the Maha Sangha, the Commander, together with representatives of several sponsors to the project, laid the foundation stone, to be erected by troops of the 15 Engineer Service Regiment (ESR) and 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI).
Release of a CD on the project and the new ‘Bawun Seth’ magazine that explains the meditation sessions hitherto held at Kanduboda took place at the same time during a brief meeting that followed cornerstone-laying. A brief speech of the Commander to the occasion spelt out why a decision for erection of a meditation centre of this type was taken.
‘Programmes of this nature are to be used for enhancement of moral values and knowledge-based skills since we can groom a wholesome soldier only if he is well armed with knowledge and education,’ the Commander said. A brief anusasana of the Chief Incumbent praised the Army for its initiatives in this direction.
These meditation programmes which have become extremely popular and inevitably useful to tri-service personnel to get rid of post-combat fatigue, combat neurosis, depression, mental complexities, mental restlessness, etc, have to-date conducted 31 one-day meditation sessions for 2253 officers and other ranks and 21 ten-day sessions for 210 all rankers, including a few dozens from the Navy and the Air Force.
The new project, meant for servicemen, to be completed before Vesak 2017 on staggered basis with the blessings of Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development, is to be personally supervised by its architect, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake who expects this result-oriented and highly productive exercise, be made accessible to each and everyone in the tri-services upon completion of the entire complex in the future.
Major General Prasad Samarasinghe, Chief of Staff, Major General S.W.L Daulagala, Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Adjutant General, Major General Sumeda Perera, Director General General Staff, Major General L.N Wickremasuriya, Chief Engineer, Brigadier B.H.M.A Wijesinghe, Director, Directorate of Psychological Operations, Mr Upendra Rajapaksa, Consultant Architect, Managing Directress, Solex Company Ltd, senior tri-service officers, sponsors invitees and a gathering of villagers and devotees were associated with the cornerstone-laying ceremony.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
