Message-ID: <20031220092941.3fe4168528529@hotmail.com> Received: from 202.51.141.196 by law9-oe15.law9.hotmail.com with DAV; Sat, 20 Dec 2003 09:29:41 +0000 X-Originating-IP: [202.51.141.196] X-Originating-Email: [shamikabsb@hotmail.com] X-Sender: shamikabsb@hotmail.com From: "Shamika Soysa" To: "Shamika Soysa" Subject: Passing away of Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 15:30:04 +0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_01F6_01C3C70E.24575A80" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_01F6_01C3C70E.24575A80 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Passing away of Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero=20 How things happened=20 =20 History of Ven. Thero's brief illness=20 Given below was the report on the condition of Ven Soma. Written by = a Sri Lankan doctor practicing in Moscow with over 30 years experience = on 06th Dec.2003. He traveled to Leningrad to check the condition of = illness of Ven. Thero =20 =20 Dr. Karu's report =20 06.Dec.2003, Petersburg = Report on Soma Thero=20 Rev. Soma Thero has been suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 for = the last 10 years. When he came here about 2 months ago, before landing = in Moscow he felt chest pains. With those pains he managed to fly = further to St. Petersburg spending another 3 hours and then only the = ambulance was called and he was rushed to the hospital. In the = cardiology clinic in St. Petersburg doctors could place a stentor in one = of the coronary arteries and to recover blood flow where it was totally = absent. Then his diabetic therapy was converted into insulin. Now the = glucose levels are fluctuating between 3.9 - 6.0 m.mole/1 litre. After = treating him in the hospital, for rehabilitation therapy Thero was sent = to a sanatorium where pineso therapy moler observation of a cardiologist = and other specialists was done. For this period Soma Thero has improved = a lot. He can walk a distance of about 500 meters without feeling any = pains in the chest. Today he looks very cheerful.=20 But as any diabetic patients he has got diabetic angiopathy. One of = the coronary arteries has stenosis with 3 atheroseborotic plaques in its = lumen, according to the angiographic data. So the doctors have a dilemma = whether to place 3 stentors in those 3 foci or to perform a bypass = surgery. A consilium is planned on 8th of Dec. (Monday) to make the = right decision.=20 According to Soma Thero he is not sure in this condition whether he = can fly or not because last time he got chest pains in the air . I agree = with him on this point, as the diabetic patients may feel chest pains = whenever they get into conditions with low oxygen levels. As he is in = the hands of well qualified cardiosurgeons now, there is no point to be = worried about.=20 Dr. Karunanayake=20 Biography=20 It is with a deep sense of grief in my heart that I write to you on = this occasion of the passing away of Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thera. =20 I am deeply grieved for more reasons than one. Ven. Soma Thera's = demise has caused a great and irreparable loss to both Sri Lanka and the = Buddhists of the world as well as a personnel loss for me as I was = fortunate enough to know this great monk for many years and be a good = friend. =20 How things happened=20 My earnest request from all Sri Lankan Sinhalese Buddhists are that, = not to be a victim of those who spread false rumors or gossips and = create unnecessary problems. Which may blacken the name of our Rev. = Thero and also the whole Buddhist community. Any sensible person may = understand that there are very cunning people with ulterior motives who = may try to instigate innocent people in to situations similar to what = happened in 1983 so they can achieve their goals. =20 The last time I talked to Soma Thero was two weeks ago. I called him = from Melbourne Australia, when I learned, that Rev. Soma was admitted to = a hospital in Leningrad, what he told me was "Lakshman, what happens to = every one has happened to me". ("Monavada Ithin Lakshman, Kata Katath = vena de matath Una"). Purpose of my call was to suggest the Ven. Thero = to return to Australia for further treatment. =20 Twice I asked, why not come back to Australia ? on both occasions = Soma Thero told me that he is happy with the current treatments.=20 I closely knew Thero for a number of years and understand the = difficulty of persuading him to change his mind. =20 That is his strength of character which we admired. We knew, unlike = other Mahanayakas or Nayakas who easily change mind when there is a = chance o getting a big donation or a gift of a Benz car or some other = worldly thing. Our Soma Thero can not be persuaded not even by the = closest friends even in a situation like this, until he himself is = convinced.=20 Knowing that few others who phoned before me from Australia, like = Kosala Jayasinghe, got the same "No" answer, I did not asked for the = third time, Instead I blessed the Thero for a quick recovery. =20 Then I Informed Mr. Kosala Jayasinghe and also the Rev. Vijitha = Thero at "Dhamma Sarana" Vihara at Keysborough, that I too was = unsuccessful on getting a "Yes, I like to come to Australia for = treatments answer from Soma Thero". If that answer was received by any = of those who phoned from here then with the help of the "Dayska Sabahva" = of Victoria Buddhist Vihara it could have been easily arranged and as an = Australian Resident, Rev. Soma could have received the world best = medical treatments for no cost at all.=20 Mr. Kosala Jayasinghe Being a former Russian graduate himself and = also a Committee member of the Buddhist Vihara Victoria (The Temple = established by Rev. Soma Thero), then started doing what ever possible = to do under the circumstances. Like arrangement of the visits of = specialist doctors from Moscow and a range of other things.=20 Until that time. (Until the report from Dr. Karu - about two months = after first heart attack) Nobody here had any idea about the real = medical condition of Rev. Soma. What I see as real unfortunate is, that = during all this time Rev. Soma had a phone with him but he never called = the people who could have mobilized support for him. Even when we = called, Rev. Soma wanted to stay and complete the treatment at = Leningrad. =20 I do not know whether returning to Australia or Sri Lanka may have = saved him or not, but what I can say is that, we tried our best. But = without the consent of Rev. Soma we were not able to do it. Perhaps it = was our misfortune.=20 Ven Soma had told callers on 10th that doctors decided no surgery = was required but they will place 3 stentors and he could go back to SL = in 2-3 weeks. Dec 12 th was a public holiday and a long weekend in = Russia. I presume that when Ven Soma had chest pains on that Friday = morning at 6 a.m. there were no doctors to attend to him He passed away = at 8 am Moscow time. He was not in a hospital per se, it was something = like a rehab centre for post-operative care. His last known = communication was a phone call to Sri Lanka around 6 am inquiring the = condition of his very sick mother and asking to look after her. Then he = had indicated that he is getting chest pains and waiting for the doctor = to arrive. Also he had given instructions about a book written by him = which is completed and needs to be published. Soma There was Invited to Russia by one Shantha Jayasekara and no = travel insurance was taken. To make long story short H.E Ambassador Mr. U.B.Wijekoon and Moscow = businessman like Hiran, Saman jayamaha, Saman Weerasinghe and Rupasiri = did their best for Ven Soma =20 His body will be kept at Maharagama Dharmayathanaya till the 20th = morning. Thereafter it will be brought to Bambalapitiya Vajiraramaya. = Cremation will take place at Henry Pedris Stadium, Havelock Town at 2:30 = pm on Sunday.=20 My dear friend Ven. Sir, May you soon reach your blissful goal of = Nibbana=20 Lakshman Abeykoon=20 Writing from Melbourne=20 =20 _________________________________________________________________=20 This mail has been scanned for viral infections however you should = exercise caution in opening all email attachments. You are advised that = in-bound mail is periodically scanned for content in terms of Company = policy and that you may be subject to disciplinary action if mail is = found to have content of an unacceptable nature. ______________________________________________________________________=20 Information in this message is confidential and may be legally = privileged. It is intended solely for the person to whom it is = addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you should not = disseminate, distribute or copy this email. Please notify the sender if = you have received this e-mail in error and delete the message from your = system immediately.=20 Almarai cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy or = completeness of this message as it has been transmitted over a public = network. Although Almarai operates anti-virus programs, it does not = accept responsibility for any damage whatsoever that is caused by = viruses being passed. If you suspect that the message may have been = intercepted or amended, please call the sender.=20 ------=_NextPart_000_01F6_01C3C70E.24575A80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Passing = away=20 of Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero

How things=20 happened



 3D"Ven.Gangodawilla

History of Ven. = Thero's brief=20 illness =

Given below was the = report on=20 the condition of Ven Soma.  Written by a Sri Lankan doctor = practicing=20 in Moscow with=20 over 30 years experience on 06th Dec.2003. He traveled to=20 Leningrad to=20 check the condition of illness of Ven. Thero =20

 

Dr.=20 Karu's report  

           &= nbsp;           &n= bsp;           &nb= sp;        =20 06.Dec.2003,=20 Petersburg =

Report on Soma=20 Thero

Rev. Soma Thero has been suffering from = diabetes=20 mellitus type 2 for the last 10 years. When he came here about 2 = months ago,=20 before landing in=20 Moscow he = felt=20 chest pains. With those pains he managed to fly further to=20 St. Petersburg spending = another=20 3 hours and then only the ambulance was called and he was rushed to = the=20 hospital. In the cardiology clinic in St.=20 Petersburg doctors could place a stentor in = one of=20 the coronary arteries and to recover blood flow where it was totally = absent.=20 Then his diabetic therapy was converted into insulin. Now the = glucose levels=20 are fluctuating between 3.9 - 6.0 m.mole/1 litre. After treating him = in the=20 hospital, for rehabilitation therapy Thero was sent to a sanatorium = where=20 pineso therapy moler observation of a cardiologist and other = specialists was=20 done. For this period Soma Thero has improved a lot. He can walk a = distance=20 of about 500 meters without feeling any pains in the chest. Today he = looks=20 very cheerful.

But as any diabetic patients he has got = diabetic=20 angiopathy. One of the coronary arteries has stenosis with 3 = atheroseborotic=20 plaques in its lumen, according to the angiographic data. So the = doctors=20 have a dilemma whether to place 3 stentors in those 3 foci or to = perform a=20 bypass surgery. A consilium is planned on 8th of Dec. (Monday) to = make the=20 right decision.

According to Soma Thero he is not sure in = this=20 condition whether he can fly or not because last time he got chest=20 pains in the air . I agree with him on this point, as the = diabetic=20 patients may feel chest pains whenever they get into conditions with = low=20 oxygen levels. As he is in the hands of well qualified = cardiosurgeons now,=20 there is no point to be worried about. =

           &= nbsp;           &n= bsp;        =20 Dr. Karunanayake

Biography=20

It is with a deep = sense of grief=20 in my heart that I write to you on this occasion of the passing away = of=20 Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thera. 

I am=20 deeply grieved for more reasons than one. Ven. Soma Thera's demise = has=20 caused a great and irreparable loss to both=20 Sri=20 Lanka and = the Buddhists=20 of the world as well as a personnel loss  for me as I was = fortunate=20 enough to know this great monk for many years and be a good = friend. =20

How = things=20 happened =

My=20 earnest request from all Sri Lankan Sinhalese Buddhists are that, = not to be=20 a victim of  those who spread false rumors or gossips and = create=20 unnecessary problems. Which may blacken the name of our Rev. Thero = and also=20 the whole Buddhist community. Any sensible person may understand = that there=20 are very cunning people with ulterior motives who may try to = instigate=20 innocent people in to situations similar to what happened in 1983 so = they=20 can achieve their goals.    =

The last=20 time I talked to Soma Thero was two weeks ago. I called him from=20 Melbourne=20 Australia, when I=20 learned, that Rev. Soma was admitted to a hospital in=20 Leningrad, what=20 he told me was "Lakshman, what happens to every one has happened to = me".=20 ("Monavada Ithin Lakshman, Kata Katath vena de matath Una"). Purpose = of my=20 call was to suggest the Ven. Thero to return to=20 Australia for=20 further treatment. 

Twice I asked, why not = come back=20 to Australia ? on=20 both occasions Soma Thero told me that he is happy with the current=20 treatments.

I closely knew Thero = for a=20 number of years and understand the difficulty of persuading him = to =20 change his mind. 

That is his strength = of=20 character which we admired. We knew, unlike other Mahanayakas or = Nayakas who=20 easily change mind when there is a chance o getting a big donation = or a gift=20 of a Benz car or some other worldly thing. Our Soma Thero can not be = persuaded not even by the closest friends even in a situation like = this,=20 until he himself is convinced.

Knowing = that few=20 others who phoned before me from=20 Australia, like=20 Kosala Jayasinghe, got the same "No" answer, I did not asked for the = third=20 time, Instead I blessed the Thero for a quick recovery. =20

Then I Informed Mr. = Kosala=20 Jayasinghe and also the Rev. Vijitha Thero at "Dhamma Sarana" Vihara = at=20 Keysborough, that I too was unsuccessful on getting a "Yes, I like = to come=20 to Australia for=20 treatments answer from Soma Thero". If that answer was received by = any of=20 those who phoned from here then with the help of the "Dayska = Sabahva" of=20 Victoria Buddhist Vihara it could have been easily arranged and as = an=20 Australian Resident, Rev. Soma could have received the world best = medical=20 treatments for no cost at all.

Mr. = Kosala=20 Jayasinghe Being a former Russian graduate himself and also a = Committee=20 member of the Buddhist Vihara Victoria (The Temple established by = Rev. Soma=20 Thero), then started doing what ever possible to do under the = circumstances.=20 Like arrangement of the visits of  specialist doctors from=20 Moscow and a=20 range of other things.

Until that time. = (Until the=20 report from Dr. Karu - about two months after first heart attack) = Nobody=20 here had any idea about the real medical condition of Rev. Soma. = What I see=20 as real unfortunate is, that during all this time Rev. Soma had a = phone with=20 him but he never called the people who could have mobilized support = for him.=20 Even when we called, Rev. Soma wanted to stay and complete the = treatment at=20 Leningrad. =20

I do not know whether = returning=20 to Australia or=20 Sri=20 Lanka may = have saved him=20 or not, but what I can say is that, we tried our best. But without = the=20 consent of Rev. Soma we were not able to do it. Perhaps it was our=20 misfortune.

Ven Soma had told = callers on=20 10th that doctors decided no surgery was required but they will = place 3=20 stentors  and he could go back to SL in 2-3 weeks. Dec 12 th = was a=20 public holiday and a long weekend in=20 Russia. I=20 presume that when Ven Soma had chest pains on that Friday morning at = 6=20 a.m. there were no doctors = to attend=20 to him He passed away at 8=20 am=20 Moscow time.=20 He was not in a hospital per se, it was something like a rehab = centre for=20 post-operative care. His last known communication was a phone call = to=20 Sri=20 Lanka around = 6=20 am inquiring the = condition of his=20 very sick mother and asking to look after her. Then he had indicated = that he=20 is getting chest pains and waiting for the doctor to arrive. Also he = had=20 given instructions about a book written by him which is = completed  and=20 needs to be published.

Soma There was Invited = to=20 Russia by one=20 Shantha Jayasekara and no travel insurance was=20 taken.

To make long story = short =20 H.E Ambassador Mr. U.B.Wijekoon and = Moscow=20 businessman like Hiran, Saman jayamaha, Saman Weerasinghe and = Rupasiri did=20 their best for Ven Soma 

His = body will be=20 kept at Maharagama Dharmayathanaya till the 20th morning. Thereafter = it will=20 be brought to Bambalapitiya Vajiraramaya. Cremation will take place = at Henry=20 Pedris Stadium, Havelock=20 Town at=20 2:30=20 pm on Sunday.=20

My dear friend Ven. = Sir, May you=20 soon reach your blissful goal of Nibbana

Lakshman=20 Abeykoon

Writing from=20 Melbourne 

 


________________________________________________________________= _=20

This mail has been scanned for viral = infections=20 however you should exercise caution in opening all email attachments. = You are=20 advised that in-bound mail is periodically scanned for content in terms = of=20 Company policy and that you may be subject to disciplinary action if = mail is=20 found to have content of an unacceptable nature.

________________________________________________________________= ______=20

Information in this message is = confidential and may=20 be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the person to whom it = is=20 addressed. If you are not the intended recipient you should not = disseminate,=20 distribute or copy this email. Please notify the sender if you have = received=20 this e-mail in error and delete the message from your system = immediately.=20

Almarai cannot accept any responsibility = for the=20 accuracy or completeness of this message as it has been transmitted over = a=20 public network. Although Almarai operates anti-virus programs, it does = not=20 accept responsibility for any damage whatsoever that is caused by = viruses being=20 passed. If you suspect that the message may have been intercepted or = amended,=20 please call the sender.

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