Today (the 5th) is Vesak Pun Poya Day, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of Lord Buddha, who introduced a set of principles to maintain human society, such as non-violence, harmony and equality in the world.
The existing evil socio-economic environment creates mental and physical obstacles for a person to get spiritually close to the dharma taught by Lord Buddha and His philosophy. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Buddhist devotees to lead a personal and social life nourished by Buddhism.
Relative to the economic collapse, there is an increase in crime, theft, and spiritual and moral deterioration. The wicked rulers, who try to deceive the people by falsely pretending to uphold the teachings of the Buddha, are responsible for most of these collapses.
Even amidst all this, the Buddhist preaching convinces us not to sink into the existing evil pit but to find a way out of it. We have a personal determination and joint social work to overcome such evil. It is still a challenge before us to build a socio-economic environment that can genuinely shape human lives according to the precious teachings of Lord Buddha and to remove the existing obstacles to create such a society. Let us add our greetings to all the Buddhists in Sri Lanka who are celebrating Vesak intending to enter the path of liberation!