Tilak S Fernando Archives

The Pond, Butterflies and Rainbow – by Dr.Tilak S. Fernando Recently the surgeon Dr. Athula Withanage translated into Sinhala for the first time, ‘Evgeni Onegin,’ a Russian romantic novel written in verse and a masterpiece of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Simultaneously, he translated it into English, making it the 46th English translation. This achievement by Dr. Athula Withanage can be hailed as a historical event, as it was declared impossible to achieve by many authors in the past including the great translator, Oruwala Bandu. This was because of cultural differences and the era (1880) when it was written, as well as the different meaning Alexander Pushkin gave his own poetic words. Dr. Withanage escaped the shackles of rhyming by producing the masterpiece in Sinhala using the unique form of ‘Nisandas Kavi’. The books were presented to the First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka, and the ...

A shining example for Buddhist Clergy – By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera was recognised as a noble Buddhist monk who committed his whole life to social service. The Venerable monk never indulged in selfish motives. Some Buddhist monks have joined various political parties and dabble actively in politics. Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera focused on working for the ordinary man. Therefore, the late Thera was considered one of the holiest priests, who earned respect from the public. Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera’s sixth death anniversary was commemorated at the Rajamaha Viharaya in Kotte a few weeks ago. Early Life He was born to Pathirage Don Peiris Appuhamy and Kuruwita Arachchige Karalinahamy in a remote village called Maduluwawe. Educated initially at Maduluwawe mixed school, as a child, he displayed unique qualities that were different from other young children and decided to take up robes as a Buddhist monk ...