Sinhala

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Artistic quality of Thiwanka Image house of Polonnaruwa
(11th Annual Research Symposium 2010 - University of Kelaniya, 2010) Wickramasinghe, Anjalee
Asian community and co-existence in multi-ethnic and multi-cultural contexts - A critical perspective
(A special Volume of One Asia Convention-Jeju, Jeju National University, Republic of South Korea, 2014) Mallawa Arachchi, Nimal
As we all know, being the largest continent of the globe, Asia shows a lot of diversity in terms of culture and society. In fact it is the cradle of civilisation that nurtured the majority of the early human civilizations. Mesapothemian, Chinese and Indian civilizations that originated in the Asian continent have contributed vastly to develop both the East and the West. At the same time, the enterprise of western colonialism brought forth an approximate contact between Asian and western cultures resulting cultural dialogue and fusion in two ways. The influence of western culture made Asian culture more complex and diverse and on the other hand, some of the best features of Asian culture have had a lasting impact on western culture too. For example, Asian countries have contributed a great deal in the development of international language studies and linguistics. The Introduction of Sanskrit to Europe was a significant incident. Because of the rich cultural and intellectual heritage that Sanskrit opened up, the study of Sanskrit because fashionable during the colonial times among western scholars known as orientalists who explored the beauty of the eastern cultures. Sanskrit grammar is very formal and comprehensive. The study of Sanskrit grammar has had a ground-breaking impact on western linguistics. The vision and the methods of analysis used by Saussure; the linguist, for example, have been widened by the study of Sanskrit grammar. At the same time, western linguistics plays a major role in the academic study of language among Asian scholars. There is a great deal of research being conducted in our part of the world about language, especially in countries like China, Japan and Korea about socio-linguistics, applied linguistics, translation studies, computational linguistics, second language acquisition, sign language so on and so forth. Now I would like to turn to another major area I have dealt with, in my article, the religious and philosophical background of Asia, which also offers a complex and diverse spectrum of issues for discussion. Beliefs and rituals have played a massive role in shaping the society, culture and lives of Asian people. Inter personal relationships strongly grew in the early societies of both the East and the West based on to the religion. The early Babylonian and Mesapothemian civilizations show the relationship between religion and culture. Even the Gilgamesh, the Sumerian story which is considered the most ancient legend in the world, emphasizes the exploration of immortality. India and China have played a significant role in shaping Asian religions and philosophies, mainly because of the evolution of religions and philosophical traditions in these countries from ancient times. . Vedic literature proves how the Vedic religions gradually evolved from Polytheism, Monotheism and culminated in Monism. Gradually, the devotion in God and beliefs spread in the whole Asia and it reveals the common cultural trends. The story of Siddhartha Gautama, the enlightened one in India presents the real historical story of going in search of enlightment. Contemporary Chinese philosophy is also a fine example of how human thoughts and reasoning have evolved since the time of Lord Buddha. Buddhism has become a religion which spreads rapidly in the Western world, and it creates an impact on the world including the United States of America and the Republic of China economically and ideologically. Especially, it is expected that the Buddhism which is based on wisdom will balance the technological world built through science. The main human creations that distinguish man are his language and religion. Human beings get an opportunity to go to his origin called ?man? with the knowledge that he gains from language and religion. Though divided as races and cultures, it gives a chance to think that they belong to one family in the universe ?Ayam Nijah parochethi- Chintha laghuchethasam Udara charithanansthu- wasudhaiwa kutumbakam? ?It is a narrow concept to think that this is mine and this is others. Those who have great characters, the whole universe is one family? is the meaning of it. Religions such as Thai and Confucius faiths have inclined to develop human values. It could be seen that as a result of the spread of inter - religious knowledge, this basic dharma path has been divided into subfields. At present, there is a tendency in China to mix Buddhism and Confucius religion which matches the new millennium. This trend shows a wider trend seen around the world, but predominantly in Asian cultures, the understanding of religious pluralism. The world has become one global village as a result of modern technology and globalization in the past three or four decades. Here, the fusion of religions and philosophical understandings of life are crucial to social co-existence. One example for this is the inter-religious dialogues which have been developed recently. One such turning point of the religious co-existence was the ?World Parliament of Religions? held in America in 1983. The declaration of the ?Universal System of Ethics? by all the people who represent all the religions gathered there, which could be accepted by all the religions, was a universal message of religious pluralism and co-existence. As our understanding of multi-faith and multi-cultural coexistence evolves, it is important not to see things in isolation. We need to acknowledge that all paths that lead to the good are good. Even when we do not represent those paths, we need to acknowledge the rights and liberties of those who chose to take such parts. The academic seminar series which already has been held at the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka, with more than 30 sessions, under the theme of ?One Asia? was capable of changing the views of those who had a narrow perspective, to embrace the theme of ?One Asia?. This seminar series was capable of reducing the narrow thinking of the university students, by making them think in an innovative way. In conclusion, I would like to mention that we could guide the youth to see the world with an open mind. As I have tried to explain in my article, the origins of human languages and societies may be varied. They may have grown separately. But now, in the 21st century we live in a single world. Therefore, it is vital to start thinking in terms of a single world. The best approach to that perspective is to link through language and culture. Therefore, I conclude: Languages may be many, Culture, may be varied, but let us not forget that man is one that mankind can have only one future.
Children’s story books in Sri Lanka: a critical analysis
(Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, 2007) Menike, Y.S.
Influence of Mahayanism on Sinhalese literature
(Journal of the faculty of humanities, University of Kelaniya, 2004) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Mahayana and Heenayana are two branches of Buddhism. Since Anuradhapura period, Sinhala literature was influenced by Theravada Buddhism. Occasionally Mahayanism also had some influence. By the help of some books we can see this difference.
Jana Kavya Sahithya Samiksha
(1998) Gunawardhana, N.D.
By this book I explained about Sinhala folk poetries in Kandian period. There are many folk poetries such as Vessanthara Jathaka Kavyaya, Yashodaravatha, etc. Sinhala folk writers have written these books in a very simple language. Therefore these books were very popular among common readers.
Literature and the contemporary Arts and Crafts of the Polonnaruwa period
(Journal of the Faculty of Humanities, 2010) Wickramasinghe, Anjalee
Minivan P. Thilakarathnege Keti Katha Saha Jana Jeewithaya
(Minivan P. Thilakarathne Ha Sahithya Lokaya, 1998) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Some of Minivan P. Thilakarathne?s short stories are very sarcastic. By his short stories he explains some variances of human beings in Sinhala society.
Mixed Sinhala Language of Mediaeval Period
(Vidyodaya, Special Memorial Volume for Most Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thero, 2011) Mallawa Arachchi, Nimal
The period commencing in the 8th Century AD and ending in the middle of the 13th Century is treated as the mediaeval Sinhalese age. During this age, many of the features of the modern Sinhalese language sprang up and evolved satisfactorily. The declension of nouns and case endings are very similar to that in modern Sinhalese. In this period, a number of clear and somewhat mature characteristics appeared, even in the combination of sentences, and the subject-predicate relation was established for the first time. With the maturity of some of the emerging features, as referred to above, Sinhalese acquired some erudite styles in the 9th Century AD. Sinhalese dispensed with its Prakrit forms entirely. In this history, we see that Sinhalese became a language capable of expressing any thoughts with clarity and lucidity. As discussed above, we come across a language with features similar to those in modern Sinhalese prose language for the first time in the 8th and 9th Centuries AD. The development of the Sinhalese language, which had been taking place at a slow pace until the 10th Century AD, began to change rapidly and therefore freed itself completely from the Prakrit form that it possessed up until then. During the period of the 8th, 9th, and 10th Centuries, we are able to identify the features of a stabilized Sinhalese language. Instead of the Prakrit language form, during this time, the Sinhalese language exhibits basic features which indicate that it has gradually developed. During this period, the rock inscriptions, which had previously been brief, began to grow in size and number. At the same time, major differences were shown between the languages of the ancient and the medieval periods. Since spoken language changes more rapidly than written language, language specialists are of the opinion that there was a big change in the Sinhalese language during the medieval period.
Miyuru Sandese Venum Maga
(Sri Revatha, 1991) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Mayura Sandeshaya which was written by Kavishvara, belongs to Gampola period. It is our first Sinhaloa sandesha poetry. Author compliments about king, prime minister, chief incumbent and so many places from Gampola to Devi Nuwara. So I have explained about these compliments.
Noh Drama, Its Portrayal of Buddhism and Its Influence on Sinhala Drama
(A Glimpse of Japanese Culture, The University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 1997) Kumarasinghe, K.
Japanese Traditional Theatre can be divided into six categories. 1 Early dances imported and indigenous, dating from the 7th century. 2 Noh, a classical lyric drama beginning in the 14th century. 3 Kyogen, comic interludes in Noh, also beginning in the 14th century. 4 Bunraku, or Ayatsuri Shibai, the puppet theatre, dating from the 16th century. 5 Kabuki, popular classical dance dramas, dating from the 17th century. 6 Modern Theatre, foreign translations and original works dating from the 19th century. Aside from its importance as the first reference to any type of dramatic performance in Japanese history, the ?legend? has a deeper significance. It includes three fundamental aspects of all subsequent Japanese theatre arts: 1 The supernatural or religious elements primarily associated with Noh. 2 The erotic element, particularly characteristic of Kabuki and certain types of post-war modern theatre. 3 The dance element, an integral part of all Japanese dramatic arts. Early religion was animistic. It saw gods and spirits everywhere; in animals and trees. It worshipped the forces of nature. These beliefs survived the introduction of later cults, produced a wealth of folklore and greatly influenced the drama. In Noh, the spirits of the iris and the cherry can take human form and speak, and dead lovers assume the shape of trees. In Kabuki, men can be metamorphosed into animals and animals into men. Comic vignettes called Kyogen provide the comic relief between the heavier Noh plays. These two forms have developed side by side through the centuries and are collectively referred to as Nohgaku. This can be seen not only in Zeami?s Noh plays, but also his treatises, which were written about Noh theories. The religion of the Noh plays is predominantly Amidist; it is the common, average Buddhism of medieval Japan. Ediriweera Sarachchandra, an authority on Buddhist Philosophy, was deeply influenced by Zen Buddhism through the Noh theatre while he was studying drama in Japan. This influence motivated him to develop an indigenous Sinhala dramaturgy. The drama Maname was based on the legend Chulla Danuddara which depicts a rebirth story of the Bodhisatva. Sarachchandra composed and produced the drama Maname selecting scenes from the narrative which were most suitable for dramatizing.
Nuthana Sinhala Ketikatha
(Nuthana Kala Nirmana Saha K. Jayathilake, 1983) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Today Sinhala short stories are very famous among readers. Writers have selected different areas of society for their creations. So we can know the variance of our society by reading these short stories.
Panchathanthraya ha Hithopadeshaya
(Vishva Sahithyaya (Published by dept of cultural affairs), 1990) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Panchathanthraya and Hithopadeshaya are very ancient Sanskrit books. We can see so many influences of these books on Sinhala literature. So by this research paper I have explained important instructions which we can get from these books.
Parivarthana Navakatha saha Ema Bovari
(Vimalakirthi Sambhavana, 1992) Gunawardhana, N.D.
There are two sections of this article. First I explained about translated novels in modern Sinhala literature, there are so many translations of English novels and Russian novels. Ema Bovari is also a Russsian novel. This is a very famous novel among readers. In this novel Gustav Flobere has expanded Ema Bovari?s character very cleverly.
Polonnaru Yugaye Sinhala Gath Kathuwarunge Bahushruthathava Heli Kerena Avastha Gana Vimasumak
(Uvasara, 1999) Gunawardhana, N.D.
The writers of Sinhala commentaries were very clever. They read so many Sinhala, Pali, and Sanskrit books and developed a very rich vocabulary. Therefore, they could explain any word very clearly. By this research paper I explained their vast knowledge.
Polonnaru Yugaye Sinhala Vyakyana Sahithyaya
(1998) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Polonnaruwa was known as the commentaries period because various commentaries books were written. These books helped readers to learn the text books which were written in Sanskrit, Pali and Sinhala languages. In this book I explained the language and commentary methods of Polonnaruwa literature.
Sandesha Kavya Ha Gira Sandeshaya
(Sahurda Prasadie, 2014) Gunawardhana, N.D.
The origin of Sinhala Sandesha Kavya is Gampola period. Kotte period became the golden era of Sinhala Sandesha afterwards. Gira Sandeshaya is a good example. Even though the author is unknown, it is known as a brilliant Sandesha Kavya among other books.
Sinhala Literature and Folk tradition
(National Conference on the Humanities -2009. - University of Kelaniya, 2009) Wickramasinghe, Anjalee
Sinhala Vyakyana Sahithyaya Saha Jathaka Atuva Getapadaya
(Sinhala Sangarava, 1993) Gunawardhana, N.D.
Commentaries books help readers to learn Pali, Sanskrit or Sinhala text books. The golden era of Sinhala commentaries literature is Polonnaruwa period. Jathaka Atuva Getapadaya belongs to Polonnaruwa period. In this research paper, I have explained about the language and commentary methods of this book.
The Sri Lankan Language Community and Social Effects of Sinhalese Diglossia
(, A special Volume of One Asia Convention-Bandung, Pendidikan University, Indonesia, 2013) Mallawa Arachchi, Nimal
Sri Lanka is a small island situated on the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula in the Indian Ocean. Even though it is a small island, its significance in the Asian region has always been felt with great interest with whoever came in contact with the island nation. Socially, culturally, linguistically and geographically, Sri Lanka presents a variety of interests to be explored and enjoyed. Strategic situation of the island in the Indian Ocean has always be a key factor for the external powers to look for settlement in the island. Historically encounters with various rulers from the mainland had the interest of making the island a part of their kingdom. In the latter part of the history during the colonization, the Portuguese, Dutch and the British managed to maintain their authority on the island nation for varying periods of time of which the longest being the British who were the last colonizers. Except for the issue of sovereignty of the people on the island under the colonial rule, there are certain aspects which lent to enrich or change the social, cultural, political, economic and linguistic outlook of the country. Sri Lanka has always maintained a close affinity to its neighbors in the region socially, culturally and linguistically. Sri Lanka as a nation comprises of people from two main ethnic origins namely Sinhalese and Tamil with smaller numbers of Malays, Persians, Chinese and Arabs living in harmony. The island also enjoys the co-existence of all the major religions namely Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Baha?i. Ethnically, Sinhalese are the majority and their main religion is Buddhism. Three main languages are in use namely Sinhala, Tamil and English with Arabic and Malay being confined to the cultural and religious activities of the respective groups. Thus it is clearly evident that Sri Lanka belongs to one of the multilingual, multi-religious and multicultural nations in the region. Like any other country in the region, Sri Lanka has its own issues to address internally and where possible with the help of its neighboring nations. The point that I would like to bring to discussion is Diglossia which is one of linguistic interest even though it has political ramifications. I would like to briefly examine the points of diglossia in the Sinhala Language which is the language of the majority of speakers.
The Subjects including Sinhala Language belong to the Humanities are facing problems
(Maanawa Zaastra Pieta Zasthrieya Sangrahaya, 2014) Kumarasinghe, K.
In any study describes the experiences of countries (such as Japan and Korea) that have adopted the mother-tonge as the medium of instruction for higher education. The mother-tonge can be considered as the vital medium of the education which can be seen in any developed country in the world. For example In China, Chinese is the main language of university education as well as the primary, secondary and higher education. This is common to other countries such as Japan and Korea. In those countries, students have to study their mother-tonge until completing their university education. They have to improve their language skills step by step. To achieve this, the authorities in the field of education should carry out the most suitable and correct policy decisions for the development of linguistic skills. However, all students of those countries would prefer to study English as an international language or second language. Japan and Korea commence English medium education from grade three at the primary level. Accordingly most of the Japanese scholars and the students prefer to study English to improve their subject knowledge by reading books written in English and develop their writing skill in English. However, the authorities have understood the methods that they should improve the talents of young students. In Sri Lanka, the mother-tonge is compulsory only for students who study for the O?Level examination. After passing the O?L, there is no need to continue studying in the mother-tonge. In Sri Lanka, scholar?s intelligence has been measured by the knowledge of English which has emerged since the colonial period. Some scholars also use English as a ?weapon? Not only the mother-tonge but also other subjects that belong to the Humanities have been facing some critical problems since the last two decades. The book titled Not for the profit; why Democracy Needs the Humanities written by Prof. Martha Nussbaum has expressed that subjects that belong to the category of Humanities have been facing defficulties this has a great impact on the deterioration of subjects in the Humanities.