Place : Maharagama Dharmayathanaya
Date    : 7^th January 2004 (Poya day)
Time   : 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Introduction

I, Shamika Soysa and Ajith were present by 2.00 p.m. Due to large crowed the other participant could not be found. We met Sajith who was dressed pure white and was a very pleasant person.

The whole temple at Maharagama was in White and full of youth who had observed Sil. Even you just stay there on Poya Day you can listen to many Sermons and participate in many activities.

Janavijaya Organization

They call the sermons of Soma Thero as Janavijaya Sermons. Reason was those were based on what Lord Buddha preached, but the way Soma Thero gave it was the most suitable form that Sri Lanka people would understand.

There had been no regular presidents, secretaries and authorities in this Organization as all are there to promote the philosophy in same capacity.

Sisira Jayaseka

This was one of our major questions raised Sajith as he had worked with him. What he said was Sisira had worked very closely with the organization and even now he cannot believe he has done such thing. Soma Thero had gone to Russia due to that trust he had with Sisira.

Sisira had been facing lots of obstacles, but bravely faced the things with Soma Thero as the Editor of the paper. However Sajith and others suspects this person, because there are valid reasons. But what he said was till things got proved it is not possible to decide anything against him.

Janavijaya Web Site

This is the most important thing that all you are willing to know about. This Janavijaya Web Site had been developed by that particular company and is a small company. It had been done by few beginners of the field and it had done for money.

Around the days Soma Thero passed away, the bill had to be paid and it was not done. During those days it had been suspended for billing. As it was crucial moment Sajith and other main persons, had not wanted to put their hand to the site, because if someone do something wrong things would have got worst.

Other thing is Soma Thero hasn’t had any good knowledge about Internet. I think as most of us are IT persons, we can understand it. So my view on Soma Thero regarding IT, is he had been a typical IT illiterate person like very high officials in our working places. What Soma Thero mainly wanted was to help people within the country.

Sisira Jayasekara and the Web Site

Sisira Jaysekara had no relation with the Web Site. He is only the editor of the paper and he has been suspended at the moment.

What is happening to the Janavijaya Organization?

There is no one in recent view who can continue the activities of Soma Thero as before. The only thing can be done is do it with available materials. That is through his sermons in electronic media and executing Soma Thero’s plans, which had been told to Janavijaya members.

There are many legal issues involve with these things. Those things cannot be done at the Temple Premises, because those had been against the policies of the temple. So they need to settle them down.

As we all know Soma Thero’s method was different from typical monks and traditions. So he had faced lots of obstacles. Soma Thero was not surrendered for any political offers. He was not afraid of any forces. Therefore he faced lots of problems.

Finally he had bought land near the temple to build the Janavijaya office. But the building had not started, because Soma Thero passed away.

Now Janavijaya people want to clear these legal matters first. Then they will start building this place. They are expecting to take Soma Thero’s sermons to all the places in the country. Therefore their expectation is to continue Soma Thero’s activities till be born again through his available sermons.

What is happening to Web Site and what we have to do as a Group?

The Web site will be activated within few days. The Bill has been paid.

The Janavijaya members have plans. They cannot do all these things at once. They have to think about the investigations also. Also they have to build that building. Sajith wants to buy all the resources need to host a Web Site to that Janavijaya office and continue the site from there.

Janavijaya is an organization. Hosting their site has to be done with responsibility. It cannot be maintained the way I maintain “In the Name of Soma Thero”, site. I can publish anything I want. It is anonymous. But for each thing Janavijaya Web Site publishes they have to be careful. So we cannot expect them to get the site out from that particular company and give it to someone else.

Even among us we have not seen each other. Yesterday only we met. Therefore the factor “Trust” is very important and should be built with time. But in case of Sisira, he might have been another “Babu”, who knows?

So we cannot ask them to give us the Janavijaya site, and the re-developing the Janavijaya site will not be done very soon.

The other site next to Janavijaya site

As I have stated earlier, with very much hurry we cannot do anything regarding the Daham Pahana site. It is their right if it a financial organization who develop Web Sites.

In Seylan Bank thing, no one can force anyone to withdraw his or her accounts from the bank. But they can request. Also it should be done with Metta. It is just not cooperating a person, which hates Buddhism as a Buddhist. It has to be done, but with Metta.

Like that, Janvijaya site is with some organization. As a company they have the right to design any site they want. It’s up to them to have policies. We cannot stop it if it is done for money. What all we can do is withdraw our site if we think it is not fitting there. It will be done with new Janavijaya office, but it will take time. Till then Janavijaya site will be hosted as it is.

However it is Janavijaya organizations responsibility to keep the site up to date and do a good service. If something harming Buddhists done from the Daham Pahana site, Janavijaya site has to answer and act against it.

Till then we have to be patient.

What is our Role in the Group?

We have a big role. That is to keep this strength up. I am sure that we have a very good strength as a Group. We have the technical strength as well. Also we have the Shradhdhawa also. But we should not have the hateness. We should practice Metta with Pragna.

Janavijaya site will need our assistance in future. We will keep our unity till then. Sajith will talk to us when needed. The main thing he wanted was to keep this unity and the force active.

What are we going to do in the Web? (My suggestion)

This is what we have to do. To continue this process having two or more sites will not be too much. Intention of both is the same. It is about Soma Thero.

Janavijaya will be the official site. It will be taken to Janavijaya premises in future. They will publish information with more responsibility. They will issue the official statements. Till then do not bother much about Daham Pahana site let it be there. Janavijaya site has to be activated, and it must be more dynamic than earlier. We’ll keep in touch with that, and I can talk with Sajith about this time to time.

So our site. “In the Name of Soma Thero” and the Group. If you search Google for “Soma Thero”, you will get this site as the first result. It means this has gone to the Web Community. I started this with simple HTML pages and no much technology involves with this. Even though time factor is a problem for me to update all these things. However the name “In the Name of Soma Thero”. is spread in the Internet.

Also when publishing information I did not have much restrictions. I was able to publish any information I want.

It is true that sometimes we need to act like that. Sometimes we need to publish information without any responsibility, if our heart says so. We have that freedom in free domains. Other than the official site of Janavijaya we need to have a site with more freedom.

By now we have 43 members in the group. This might expand. So we have a gang and a team. We’ll give our support to Janavijaya site from the best of our capacity. Meanwhile we’ll continue the site and the Group “In the Name of Soma Thero”, like this. This unity will be essential till Janavijaya acts on their premises.

In my site www.esmartstart.com, there is no facility to do forums. Things are limited. As Buddhi suggested we can go for more advance services available in the Web. I want Buddhi to explain about it.

So we go for Web Site Domain in the Internet and continue publishing information informally. We’ll support formal activities in the Janavijaya official site.

So I want your view about this. We can even fight against the Daham Pahana site if they do something bad to Buddhism very freely through our site. But with Metta, and with pure intentions.

We can gather sermons in MP3 format. Then we can publish in our site. We can scan the books of Soma Thero and publish. Also we will have to think of a way translating them to English as we have members, like TA who are willing to learn Buddhism.

Those of you, who can write well, can write articles about Buddhism. Then we’ll publish. You can introduce arguable topics and discuss through online forums. We can address countries issues from our capacity. We can talk about Soma Theros sermons, which has lead to lots of debates, like Devas. We can clear doubts about things. Buddhism is an ocean. We have enough things to discuss. Meanwhile we can observe activities of fundamentalists in the Web, and report them to required places. Our foreign people can take and attempt to promote Buddhism in other countries.

The above had been what Soma Thero did. We have to do the same.

Last Message

All these things came after the passing away of Soma Thero. The Buddhists woke up. But for how long, that is the question? Because people in Sri Lanka tend to forget things so quickly.

There is a message, about what we really have to do. Mr. Sarath wanted us to tell you all this.

If you really respect Soma Thero, what you have to do is following the path. You have to do everything with Metta, Karuna, Mijitha and Upekka. You must try to follow Five Precepts. If you drink or smoke you have to stop it in the name of Soma Thero. If your friend does, you have to try your best to stop it. If your father or relation does, you have to act against it.

On top of all these things this is what we have to do. We are angry. We are aggressive. We feel the pain. But we should not hate. If so it is not following the path. Understand this truth. Answer all the questions with your wisdom. Do not let you govern by the feelings. Let you governed by the Brain.

There are lots of things we have to do. What Sajith told two of us was before on top of all to follow the path. He told us to observe Sil if possible at Maharagama. At least be in the temple on Poya Days and listen to the Sermons and involve with activities to win our own minds.

After that we can do all these things with real understanding. We have to win our minds. Then we have to help others to win their minds. Then only we will be able to take the message of Soma Thero to the future.

Oba Samata Theruwan Saranayi !

Sha