Manoj Jinadasa

07/12/2025

“Same-Sex Desire in Early Buddhism: Canonical Teachings on Sexuality, Ethics, and Non-Harm”

LGBTIQ+ Identities and Early Buddhism: Why Sexual Diversity Is Not Sinful

Discussions of s*xuality, morality, and spiritual practice are often fraught with social and religious preconceptions. In contemporary discourse, LGBTQ+ identities are frequently judged as immoral or abnormal. However, a careful reading of the early Buddhist Pāli Canon reveals that the Buddha’s ethical framework does not pathologize s*xual diversity. Sexual desire, in all its forms, is a natural and conditioned phenomenon, and ethical evaluation arises not from orientation but from intention (cetanā) and non-harm.

Desire and Mind: A Conditioned Phenomenon

The Buddha consistently teaches that desire, including s*xual desire, is a conditioned occurrence, arising through contact (phassa) between the senses and their objects (saḷāyatana). The six senses—eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odour, tongue and taste, body and tactile objects, and mind and mental phenomena (dhammā)—generate sensory impressions that are apprehended by consciousness (viññāṇa) and classified by perception (saññā) (Saṃyutta Nikāya 35.23, Sabba Sutta, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000). Feeling (vedanā) arises from this contact, which in turn conditions craving (taṇhā) and grasping (upādāna) (SN 12.2, Vibhaṅga Sutta).

Sexual attraction, whether heteros*xual, homos*xual, or otherwise, is understood in this framework as a natural function of sensory contact and mental construction. It is not inherently sinful or immoral; rather, it is the mind’s conditioned response to sensory stimuli. The Buddha elucidates that craving and attachment arise from habitual mental proliferation (papañca) in response to these stimuli (Majjhima Nikāya 18, Madhupiṇḍika Sutta, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 1995). Therefore, the ethical focus lies not on the type of desire but on whether it produces harm or suffering.

Ownership, Attachment, and Ethical Evaluation

The perception of “mine-ness” (mamāyita) and personal attachment is central to understanding the ethics of desire (Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.63, Nibbedhika Sutta, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000). The Buddha observes that human sorrow and joy are dependent on relational constructions: grief for a loved one differs from grief for a stranger due to attachment formed through memory, affection, and repeated association. Similarly, s*xual desire is ethically neutral when it does not involve coercion, deceit, or harm (Dīgha Nikāya 15, Mahānidāna Sutta, trans. Rhys Davids & Carpenter, 1903).

The Vinaya Pitaka confirms this perspective. Sexual misconduct is defined in terms of harm, exploitation, or breaking of monastic precepts, not by orientation or consensual s*xual activity. The Buddha’s moral instruction emphasizes intention (cetanā) and mindfulness (sati) as determinants of ethical conduct. As Kalupahana (1975) notes, ethical wrongdoing in Buddhist thought arises from attachments and delusions rather than natural desire itself.

Sexual Energy and Spiritual Development

Sexual energy, when approached with mindfulness, can be a vehicle for insight and spiritual development. Early suttas reveal that desire is a condition for understanding impermanence (anicca) and non-self (anattā). In the Chachakka Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya 148, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 1995), the Buddha explains how perception (saññā) and feeling (vedanā) give rise to craving (taṇhā), which, if observed mindfully, can become the foundation for insight into dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda).

Thus, s*xual desire, including same-s*x attraction, is not inherently a barrier to enlightenment. Instead, ethical and mindful engagement with s*xual energy provides an opportunity to observe the impermanent, conditioned nature of experience. Gombrich (2009) emphasizes that desire itself is ethically neutral; morality arises from deliberate, mindful action, not from the objects of desire.

The Buddha on Sexual Misconduct

The Buddha’s teachings define s*xual misconduct in terms of harm and exploitation, not in terms of orientation or identity. The Sigālovāda Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya 31, trans. Rhys Davids & Carpenter, 1903) lists forms of unethical s*xual behavior, emphasizing deceit, coercion, and violation of mutual respect. By contrast, consensual s*xual activity—whether heteros*xual or homos*xual—is not identified as immoral. Ñāṇananda (1971) further explains that the perception of s*xual deviance is a mental construct arising from social conditioning, not an ontological feature of desire.

In the Upādāna Sutta (Saṃyutta Nikāya 12.63, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000), the Buddha teaches that attachment and clinging produce suffering. Sexual desire, when engaged mindfully, need not result in attachment or suffering; it can be observed as a conditioned phenomenon, supporting insight rather than generating sin or moral culpability.

Sexual Diversity and Ethical Neutrality

Early Buddhist teachings do not discriminate between heteros*xual and same-s*x desire. Both are understood as natural responses to sensory contact and conditioned mental formations. Ethical practice, therefore, is determined by intention, mindfulness, and avoidance of harm. Sexuality in any form—heteros*xual, homos*xual, or otherwise—is ethically neutral when it is consensual and non-harmful.

The Sabba Sutta (Saṃyutta Nikāya 35.23, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000) articulates that the mind categorizes sensory input and produces corresponding mental images, feelings, and cravings. These are universal mechanisms of human consciousness. As the Buddha observes, the same processes apply to all forms of s*xual attraction, underscoring that ethical evaluation should focus on the consequences of action, not the orientation of desire.

Sexual Energy and the Path to Enlightenment

The Buddha’s focus on the conditioned nature of desire reveals that s*xual energy, when observed without clinging, can be integrated into spiritual practice. In the Madhupiṇḍika Sutta (Majjhima Nikāya 18, trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, 1995), he explains that conceptual proliferation (papañca) arises from perception, and mindfulness of these mental constructions leads to liberation. Observing s*xual desire in this way allows practitioners to develop detachment, insight, and awareness—essential qualities for the pursuit of Nirvāṇa.

Bhikkhu Bodhi (1980) elaborates that dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) shows the conditioned flow of phenomena, including desire. Sexual attraction, in this framework, is a natural condition of consciousness and does not constitute moral failure. Only when desire is pursued with heedlessness, greed, or harm does it become a source of suffering (dukkha).

Conclusion: Ethical Implications for LGBTIQ+ Individuals

A careful study of early Buddhist texts demonstrates that s*xual diversity is not sinful, abnormal, or immoral. Desire is a conditioned, natural phenomenon arising from sensory contact, perception, feeling, consciousness, and craving. Ethical evaluation rests on intention, mindfulness, and avoidance of harm, rather than orientation or preference.

By observing s*xual desire mindfully, practitioners—heteros*xual, homos*xual, or otherwise—can cultivate insight into impermanence, non-self, and dependent origination. Sexual energy, far from being a hindrance, can be an instrument for spiritual purification (visuddhi) and enlightenment (Nirvāṇa).

Early Buddhism, therefore, provides a framework for understanding s*xuality as ethically neutral, emphasizing mindful engagement, ethical intention, and insight. For LGBTQ+ individuals, these canonical teachings affirm that s*xual orientation is compatible with spiritual practice and ethical living. The Buddha’s message is one of compassion, understanding, and recognition of the conditioned nature of desire, rather than moral condemnation.

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References
Primary Pāli Canon Sources:
• Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications.
• Bodhi, Bhikkhu, trans. (1995). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications.
• Rhys Davids, T. W., & Carpenter, J. E., trans. (1903). Dīgha Nikāya, Vol. III. London: Pali Text Society.
• Vinaya Pitaka, Cūḷavagga, Pali Text Society, 1906.
Secondary Sources:
• Gombrich, Richard F. (2009). What the Buddha Thought. London: Equinox.
• Kalupahana, David J. (1975). Causality: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.
• Ñāṇananda, Bhikkhu. (1971). Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought. Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society.
• Bodhi, Bhikkhu. (1980). “Transcendental Dependent Arising.” Buddhist Publication Society, Wheel Publication No. 277/278.

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Image from Khajuraho Temple, India ; https://www.earthtrekkers.com/khajuraho-with-kids/

07/12/2025

[…]

06/12/2025

“The Mind’s Camera: How Our Desires and Attachments Are Made”

A Buddhist-Phenomenological Reflection on Desire and Perception

From a Buddhist epistemological perspective, what the body desires is not an inherent need but a reflection of the mind’s constructions. Desire—whether s*xual attraction, longing, pleasure, or aversion—arises through the images and impressions (saññā) that the mind continuously forms. These impressions emerge from the interaction between sensory organs and their respective objects: eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odour, tongue and taste, body and tangible objects, and mind and mental formations (dhammā).

Every sensory encounter becomes a “shot,” an imprint captured by the mind. When this imprint interacts with feeling (vedanā) and consciousness (viññāṇa), it gives rise to craving (taṇhā), grasping (upādāna), and the illusion of personal ownership. Thus, the desire for s*x is not simply a biological instinct; it is the product of a constructed image—an internal mental picture shaped by prior conditioning, memory, and attachment.

This mechanism also explains why emotional responses differ between one’s loved ones and strangers. We feel deep sorrow when those close to us suffer, yet comparatively less when strangers face the same pain. The reason lies in upādāna: the mind’s tendency to cling, personalize, and claim certain relationships as “mine.” A mother waiting anxiously for her child after school does so because the mind has constructed a strong relational bond. This bond is not inherent or absolute; it is created through repeated mental association, emotional investment, and the illusion of continuity.

All forms of closeness—love, affection, grief, loyalty—arise because the mind has built an internal world of “mine-ness” (mamāyita). This includes people (“my son,” “my friend”), objects (“my house,” “my wealth”), and identities (“my beliefs,” “my desires”). These are not independent realities; they are mental constructions shaped by repeated sensory impressions and reinforced by attachment.

Thus, the entire field of experience—our relationships, possessions, attractions, memories, and desires—is a cognitive and affective construction operating within the framework of the pañcakkhandha (the five aggregates). What appears to be an external, solid, and permanent world is, in fact, the result of internal mapping performed by the sensory system and interpreted through the processes of perception, feeling, and consciousness.

When understood in this way, the notions of “I,” “you,” “we,” “other,” and even the idea of external material objects lose their assumed solidity. They are revealed as mental formations—projections emerging from sensory contact and held together by grasping. The world we live in is thus not an independent physical reality but a tapestry woven from the mind’s own imprints, interpretations, and attachments.

In this sense, every desire, image, relationship, and form of ownership is a conditioned mental construction. Recognizing this reveals the profoundly constructed nature of experience and opens a pathway toward loosening attachment, cultivating insight, and understanding the dependent-arising (paṭiccasamuppāda) nature of all phenomena.

In every passing moment, we exist within a conditioned mind (saṅkhata citta). Human consciousness is always shaped and formed through the continuous operations of the aggregates (pañcakkhandha). The mind functions within patterns conditioned by perception (saññā), feeling (vedanā), consciousness (viññāṇa), and mental formations (saṅkhāra). Everything we speak, write, hear, interpret, or enact arises dependent on these preconditioned mental states.

For example, when we hear a romantic song and feel drawn to it, our attraction does not arise from the song itself. Rather, it is the result of how our perceptions (saññā) and feelings (vedanā) have been previously shaped. The song becomes meaningful because the mind habitually constructs internal images and emotional resonances from external sensory contact (phassa). This cognitive-emotional process is what gives rise to craving (taṇhā) and the sense of attachment (upādāna).

All forms of human communication—verbal, auditory, visual, or artistic—are effective because the human mind naturally creates mental images from sensory stimuli. This mechanism is both a strength and a limitation, arising from the biological and conditioned functioning of the sensory organs (indriya).

In essence, what we call “living” or “existing” is a continuous engagement with constructed mental states. Every action—spoken, written, bodily, or cognitive—is shaped by how our sensory apparatus has been biologically and historically conditioned. Like all sentient beings (satta), the human organism operates through the narratives constructed by its own mind—a world produced internally rather than one encountered directly.

Although we believe in the existence of stable external entities—such as “I,” “we,” “my life,” “my house,” “my mother”—these are mental constructions arising through the cycle of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda). The idea of a separate, enduring “I” or “mine” (ahaṃkāra and mamaṅkāra) is a fiction created through the combination of perception, feeling, consciousness, craving, and clinging.

Thus, what we take as reality is profoundly shaped by the limits and patterns of our sensory experience, memory, and cognitive conditioning. All sentient beings, including humans, live not in an independently existing external world but within a mentally constructed world shaped by saññā, vedanā, viññāṇa, and sustained by taṇhā and upādāna. This is the deeply conditioned nature of experience as understood in Buddhist thought.

Image from; https://stockcake.com/i/photographer-in-action_325768_120458

06/12/2025

05/12/2025

අහිමි ප්‍රේමය !

සුව නොවන රෝගයකි
සනීප නොවන පිළිකාවකි
බාහිර රෝග නිධානයක් කිසිත් නැති
කාටවත් නොපෙනෙන - හසුනොවෙන - නොවැටහෙන - නොදැනෙන
අසනීපයකි,
නිබද
පැසව පැසවා
තවතවත්
මටම පාරවන
කවදා නම් හොඳ නොවන
පණ ගිලන් ව කකියන
සම සිඳ මසට වැද
මස සිදා ගොස් ඇට තුළට වැද
ඇට සොයා ගොස් ඇට මිදුළු තුළටම වැද
දුක් දෙන නිබඳ
කුණුම කුණු තුවාලයකි
නොනැවතී රිදුම් දෙන
දරාගත නොහැකි
බසකින් නොදන්නා කිව නොහැකි
හද දවන තාප අග්නියකි
අහිමි ප්‍රේමය.

හිටිහැටියේ
තවත් කෙනෙකුට
ආදරය කර,
මෙතෙක් සංසාරේ ආ මග
සැඩ මහා මුහුද මැද
අසරණ ව අත හැර
මොකුත් නොදන්නා - නොදැනෙන සේ
අකාලයේ
හිටිහැටියේ
යන්න ම යන්න ගිය
සියළු ප්‍රාණ සේසතම
යට කර
භංග කර
ගෙල මුදුනම සිරකර,
ළඟ ම ළඟ සිට
මුළු ජිවිතයම පැහැර ගෙන
ආදරය යැයි රැවටී
මං මුලා වූ
අහිමි ප්‍රේමය.

කිසිවෙකුට ගන්න
ආයේ හොල්ලන්නවත් බැරිවෙන්න
ප්‍රේමයේ පවුරු යදමින් ම බැද,
ආයේ නොයෙන්න,
යන්න ම යන්න
ගිය අයට නම්
හැර දමා ගිය ප්‍රේමය
ඔහේ ගෙවෙන
සෙල්ලමකි, විහිළුවකි
තුටු පහටු වෙන උනුන් හද
ලෝකයා - අනුන් ඉදිරියේ සාහසිකව ම පාවාදී
හෙනපුපුරණ
ඔච්චමට ම ලක් කරන.
කිසිත් අනුකම්පාවක් නැතිවම.

සිමාවිරහිතව
අපමණව
දන් දී පණ දී
මුළු හද ම දී
විශ්වයටම ඇසෙන්න
ලෝකයටම දැනෙන්න
ප්‍රේමය කල අසම්මත
අනවරාඝ්‍ර සංසාර පාප වරදට
පෙරලා ලැබුන
හලාහල ඝෝර විෂ
බදුනකි
මට
මාරාන්තික
අහිමි ප්‍රේමය !

ඡායාරූ ; https://wallpapers.com/picture/sad-man-pictures-ti0k71u8bojhuj2w.html.

04/12/2025

“Screens of Suffering”

“Selling Sorrow: How Media Amplified Trauma After the Ditwah Disaster”

Managing Psychological Recovery Through Post-Ditwah Communication

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In the wake of the Ditwah disaster, Sri Lanka faced more than physical destruction—an invisible crisis of psychological trauma swept across affected communities and beyond. While rescue efforts and rebuilding focused on material recovery, the mental and emotional wellbeing of citizens has often been overlooked. The way information about the disaster was communicated—through mass media, social platforms, and news cycles—played a critical role in either alleviating or amplifying trauma. Effective post-disaster communication is no longer a secondary concern; it is central to national recovery. This article explores how trauma-informed, responsible, and strategic communication can support psychological recovery, mitigate widespread distress, and guide the nation toward collective resilience.
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Preamble

In the aftermath of the Ditwah disaster, Sri Lanka faced not only the devastating force of nature but also a storm of human suffering amplified through mass and social media. What should have been a period of collective recovery became a relentless spectacle of grief, magnified for clicks, likes, and algorithmic visibility. Across television screens, news feeds, and digital platforms, images of crying victims, destroyed homes, and desperate appeals circulated, often stripped of context, and consumed as emotional fodder.

This article examines how both traditional and digital media transformed tragedy into content, turning human suffering into a marketable commodity. From sensationalised reporting to algorithm-driven social media sharing, post-Ditwah coverage intensified psychological harm, spreading trauma far beyond the directly affected communities. By exploring the ethical, social, and psychological consequences of this mediated spectacle, this discussion highlights the urgent need for responsible, regulated, and humane communication in the digital age.

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Introduction

Sri Lanka urgently needs attention from the state, government agencies, and private-sector stakeholders to address the psychological aftermath of the Ditwah disaster, particularly in relation to public mental health. While the disaster caused extensive material and physical damage, reporting practices of mass and social media have amplified its impact on mental wellbeing. Media coverage often saturated the public with distressing imagery and narratives, intensifying psychological consequences.

In other words, while the natural hazard caused material harm, the combined effects of sensationalised reporting and emotionally manipulative content have profoundly affected the mental and psychosocial health of Sri Lankans. This article examines how the interplay between the Ditwah disaster and contemporary media practices has contributed to widespread distress, underscoring the urgent need for responsible post-disaster communication strategies.

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Theoretical Framework: Media, Trauma, and Emotional Spectacle

The Ditwah disaster must be understood through the lens of digital capitalism, affective economies, postcolonial vulnerabilities, and platform-driven media. Today, disasters are no longer merely physical events—they are mediated spectacles shaped by the incentives of mass and social media.

Guy Debord’s (1967) concept of the society of the spectacle explains how lived suffering becomes visual representation and capital; the disaster was performed across screens, turning human trauma into consumable imagery. Susan Sontag (2003) cautioned that repeated exposure to images of suffering can desensitize or traumatize viewers, reducing ethical witnessing to voyeuristic consumption—a pattern evident in Sri Lankan media coverage post-Ditwah.

Sara Ahmed’s (2004) concept of affective economies highlights how emotions circulate and accrue value; in algorithmic media, fear, sadness, and outrage drive visibility. Similarly, Shoshana Zuboff’s (2019) surveillance capitalism shows how media platforms monetise attention and data, embedding sensationalism into the structure of the media ecosystem.

Postcolonial perspectives (Mohanty, 2003; Shome, 2016) further explain how weak regulatory frameworks, politicised newsrooms, and economic precarity in the Global South intensify emotional exploitation. Trauma studies, particularly Cathy Caruth (1996), reveal that continuous exposure to distressing content produces secondary trauma, destabilising entire populations.

Together, these insights show that the Ditwah media crisis reflects systemic failures: profit-driven media, algorithmic reward of emotional extremity, postcolonial regulatory weaknesses, and societal exposure to mediated trauma. Ethical lapses in journalism are thus embedded within broader structural and technological conditions shaping how disasters are represented and experienced.

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Discussion

The role of media has broadened significantly in recent years. While information dissemination, public awareness, and empowerment remain central functions, the most critical task—revealing unspoken truths through investigative reporting—has become even more essential. Yet, despite the integration of Sri Lankan media into global digital conglomerates, mass and social media continue to neglect humane, ethical responsibilities during severe disasters like Ditwah.

The core problem lies in prioritising emotional sensationalism to expand market reach and algorithmic visibility. This trend has pushed both traditional and digital media in South Asia toward yellow journalism, shaped by emotional politics and affect-driven narratives reminiscent of early 20th-century propaganda. Such practices disregard the humanistic, moral, and ethical standards that should anchor modern media professionalism.

The Ditwah disaster underscores the urgent need for a framework of post-disaster traumatic disorder recovery communication. Trauma recovery is not limited to directly affected communities; the entire nation, as consumers of mass and social media, has been subjected to repeated emotional shocks. Sri Lankan audiences were traumatised by media coverage featuring excessive emotionality, graphic imagery, and relentless spectacle.

A comparison with international media outlets such as ABC, BBC, Al Jazeera, France 24, and major Indian networks reveals a stark contrast. While global coverage contextualises Ditwah within broader climate change and disaster patterns, Sri Lankan media overwhelmingly emphasised intimate and distressing narratives: crying victims, destroyed homes, desperate appeals for help, and scenes of profound suffering. This constant emotional bombardment disrupted daily life, affecting personal, professional, and public routines.

Private media organisations, driven by market competition and political agendas, often mislead audiences and negatively impact public morale, political participation, and community engagement. Instead of fostering collective recovery and resilience, media narratives amplify fear, sadness, and hopelessness. Social media further magnifies this spectacle, as users circulate highly sensitive images and videos for views, likes, and algorithmic reach, effectively converting human suffering into digital currency.

As a result, Sri Lanka faces a growing public mental health crisis. Both mass and social media, by prioritising emotional exploitation over responsible communication, contribute not only to the trauma of disaster-affected communities but also to widespread secondary trauma nationwide. Scenes of extreme suffering—loss, crying, despair—dominate media narratives and are repeatedly exploited to attract audiences, boost ratings, and secure visibility. Human tragedy is reduced to consumable spectacle.

Social media follows the same pattern. As in the Northern and Eastern war, today’s digital users circulate intimate footage of distressed individuals to maximise engagement. Videos of crying victims, destroyed homes, and desperate appeals for aid are widely shared to increase likes, comments, and shares. Human suffering becomes monetised emotional capital.

Uninterrupted exposure to such emotionally charged content produces severe negative effects on public mental health. People encounter traumatic imagery across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube multiple times a day, depicting desperate cries for food, shelter, and medicine. The constant emotional pressure disrupts personal, professional, and public functioning. Mass and social media “sell” emotional pain as a marketable commodity, prioritising ratings and reach above ethical obligations and psychosocial wellbeing.

The modern digital media ecosystem underpins this trend. Television channels webcast and podcast content across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, shifting priorities away from public service toward metrics, algorithms, and monetisation. Many individual content creators—particularly young or regional users—use images of victims as personal branding. While presenting videos as “authentic humanitarian support,” they commodify human misery to grow their social media presence. This raises profound ethical, moral, and legal questions for Sri Lanka: Can such practices be justified in a country where media is expected to uphold constitutional responsibilities, regulatory standards, and a moral duty to foster responsible media culture?

This situation forces a crucial question: How can Sri Lankan media and media consumption be regulated and professionalised in the digital age? The Ditwah disaster exposes a contemporary crisis dominated by emotional manipulation in both reporting and audience behaviour.

This is not the first time Sri Lanka has faced such a dilemma. During the 2004 Tsunami, mass media sensationalised suffering even without social media. However, today’s algorithm-driven environment—where mass and social media are tightly interconnected—intensifies emotional politics and affect-driven content. Platforms operate within a saturated digital ecosystem that rewards extreme emotion, leading to more harmful and exploitative practices.

Consequently, the media industry faces unprecedented levels of unprofessional, unethical, and sometimes illegal behaviour. Media organisations and digital creators manipulate public emotions for profit, contributing to widespread psychological harm and undermining public wellbeing. Exposing this misuse of public sentiment is central to this discussion.

Social media also circulates emotionally charged and highly politicised content rapidly. While platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube allow quick access to post-disaster trauma counselling, emergency alerts, and flood warnings, the problem arises when individuals exploit these situations for personal or political gain. Some craft manipulated narratives to damage reputations or create panic, misinformation, and hostility.

Sri Lanka currently lacks updated media laws and a clear ethical framework for digital communication. This regulatory vacuum allows local and overseas-based users to misuse social media emotionally and politically, often targeting government authorities, the military, police, and other professionals working tirelessly to manage post-disaster recovery. The absence of enforceable ethical standards explains the prevalence of unethical behaviour.

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Conclusion

During the post-Ditwah period, Sri Lanka urgently needs sensitive, responsible, and regulated communication practices. Protection is required not only for disaster-affected communities but also for the wider population, who have been psychologically and politically harmed by irresponsible media behaviour. Today’s media ecosystem undermines public health, misleads citizens, and disrupts daily life across all age groups. Immediate statutory, ethical, and policy-based interventions are essential to safeguard media integrity and national wellbeing.

Image from; https://www.freepik.com/premium-ai-image/distressed-young-boy-sheds-tears-sorrow-his-sadness-overwhelming-concept-selfexpression-through-art-emotional-journey-silent-suffering-healing-recovery-inner-turmoil_147976153.htm

04/12/2025

04/12/2025

"Ditwah Cyclone: Sri Lanka’s Political Apathy and Media Spectacle in the Face of Disaster."
Ceylon Today Newspaper. December 04, 2025.
https://ceylontoday.lk/.../ditwah-cyclone-sri-lankas.../

04/12/2025

"Ditwah Cyclone: Sri Lanka’s Political Apathy and Media Spectacle in the Face of Disaster."

Ceylon Today Newspaper. December 04, 2025.

https://ceylontoday.lk/2025/12/04/ditwah-cyclone-sri-lankas-political-apathy-and-media-spectacle-in-the-face-of-disaster/

Coordinated by Director Senior Lecturer Saman Rajapaksha, Media Officer Ruwan Pushpa Kumara, Rasika Surangani Ranaweera, Sameera K AththanayakaCommunication and Media Unit, UoK Media University of Kelaniya, and Editor@Vindya Amaranayake, Ceylon Today.Reminded by Ishara Wijerathna

03/12/2025

"Ditwah's Waka-Up Call" On Disaster Communication - My Article in Daily Newspaper 02.12.2025 page 09

https://lnkd.in/dRSrzPqA

Special Thanks to Daily News Sub Editor Mahendra

03/12/2025

"Ditwah’s wake-up call"

Daily Newspaper Page 09

https://dailynews.lk/2025/12/02/general-opinion/906117/ditwahs-wake-up-call/

Special Thanks to Daily News Sub Editor Sachithra Mahendra

02/12/2025

කවදද අපි විද්‍යාත්මක දත්ත සහ සංඛ්‍යාන මත තීන්දු තීරණ ගන්නේ?

ලංකාව ඇතුළු ගෝලීය දකුණේ අප රටවල රටේ ඉහළ සිට පහළ ගේ ඇතුළ දක්වා අප තීන්දු තීරණ ගන්නේ හිතළු මතය. තවමත් පුද්ගල පෞද්ගලික සංජානන, භාව, හැගීම්, ආදී පටු පංති සහ වර්ගවාදී මිත්‍යා සහ ලබ්ධි මතය අපගේ රාජ්‍යය දුවන්නේ. දිට්වා සුළි කුණාටු විපතේ පමණක් නොව එදා අද හෙටත් අප රටවල සමස්ථ රාජ්‍යය ක්‍රියාත්මක වන්නේ පටු - ප්‍රාදේශීය හැගුම්බර චිත්තවේග මතය. එම නිසා හැමවිටෙක අපගේ තීන්දු කාලාන්තරයක් තිස්සේ පැළපදියම් ව ඇත්තේ අත්තනෝමතික මිත්‍යා සහ අධිපතිවාදී ලබ්ධි මතය. පෞද්ගලික වියුක්ත භාව සංරචක අධිපති අනිසි මිත්‍යා තීන්දු මත ගොඩනගන ලද ආර්ථික, දේශපාලන, සංස්කෘතික, අධ්‍යාපන, කාර්මික සමාජයකය අප සැමදා විඳවන එකම ප්‍රශ්නයක රැදී ඇත්තේ.

මෑත කාලින ලෝකයේ වඩාත් අවධානය යොමු කරන්නේ පරිසර විද්‍යාව (ecology) කෙරෙහිය. එනම් සජීව ලෝකයේ වාස්තවිකත්වය මත මිනිසා කටයුතු කිරීමයි. ගෝලීය දකුණේ දුප්පත්කමේ අර්භුදය වන්නේ විෂය බද්ධ වාස්තවිකත්වය විද්‍යාත්මක භෞතික සායනික සංරචනය හෙවත් සැබෑ ජෛව ලෝකයේ යාන්ත්‍රණය වසන් කිරීමයි. ගෝලීය දකුණේ දරිද්‍රතාවයේ කේන්ද්‍රය වන්නේ මිනිසා වඩාත් පෞද්ගලික මනෝ මුලික චිත්තවේග, සංජානන සහ පටු බල මුලක අවශ්‍යතා අනුව මෙහෙයවීමයි. ඒ අනුව අපගේ දෛනික ජිවිතයෙන් වැඩි කොටසක අප රටවල මිනිසුන්ගේ මානසික සෞඛ්‍ය රැදී ඇත්තේ පෞද්ගලික (දේශපාලන) ලබ්ධි, මිත්‍යා, විශ්වාස, සංජානන, මතය.

මෙහි මා දේශපාලන යන්නෙන් පර්යාය පදයක් භාවිත කරන්නේ පටු අවිද්‍යාත්මක ආකාරයෙන් තමන්ගේ "බල" කේන්ද්‍රීය සපථ කරගැනීම සදහා මුළුමහත් රාජ්‍යය හෙවත් මිනිස් සමාජයේ සමස්ථ චින්තන ක්ෂේත්‍රයම (සිතන පතන ආකාරය) මෙහෙයවීමයි - මෙය සන්නිවේදන විද්‍යාවේ හදුන්වන්නේ මත සහ විශ්වාස ගොඩනගන ප්‍රචාරණ මනෝවිද්‍යාත්මක බල මෙහෙයුමක් වශයෙනි - මෙය සමුහ හෙවත් කණ්ඩායම් මනෝවිද්‍යාව ලෙස සමාජීය කක්ෂය හෙවත් ක්ෂේත්‍රය තුළ මිනිසා සිතන පතන ආකාරය උපක්‍රමිකව ක්‍රමෝපායික ව මෙහෙයවන කූට දේශපාලන අලෙවිකරණ මෙහෙයුමකි.

රටක මානව සංවර්ධනය මැනිය හැක්කේ මිනිසා සිය වසඟයේ පවත්නා මත සහ අදහස් තීරණය කරනේ කෙසේද යන නිර්ණායකය මතය. මිනිසාගේ සංස්කෘතිය විද්‍යාවක් යන්නෙන් ජර්මන් ප්‍රංශ බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය ශාස්ත්‍රීය විමංසනය පදනම් වන්නේය. නැටුම් සංගීත සිනමා සාහිත්‍යය වෙහෙර විහාර පමණක් නොවේ මානව සංස්කෘතිය යනු. රටක සංස්කෘතික අමාත්‍යාංශයෙන් කල යුත්තේ මිනිසා දැනුම සහ වාස්තවිකත්වය මත සංවිධනාත්මක බලගැන්වීමක් කිරීම බව ක්ලෝඩ් ලෙවි ස්ට්‍රුවස් සංස්කෘතික සායනය යන්නෙන් දක්වයි.

අප රටවල දහසක් දෙවියන් බඹුන් බුදුන් යකුන් කුම්භාණ්ඩයන් භූතයින් පිරිවරාගෙන මිනිසා අකර්මන්‍යය කර තිබේ. සිය පරිසරයේ භෞතික ලෝකයේ ද්‍රව්‍යය සහ මිනිසා - ජීවියා ( සිත / මනස/චින්තනය/ මත/විඤ්ඤාන ) අතර ඇති ගැටුම සුවච කීකරු ලෙස සතපාගන්නේ හීළෑකරගන්නේ කෙලකෝටියක් නයින් ප්‍රතිමණ්ඩිත අප්‍රමාණ මිත්‍යා කතන්දර, විශ්වාස, ලබ්ධි, ඇදහීම් වලට මිනිසා කොටු කිරීමෙනි. කරන කියන සියලු දෝෂ පවරා ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂ නොවන නොපෙනෙන ඇදහීමක සිය මනස රදවාගැනිමෙනි මිනිසා එදා දවස ගත කරන්නේ.

අධ්‍යාපනය මගින් කරන්නේ මිනිසාගේ සිත ප්‍රත්‍යක්ෂ විෂය මුලක දැනුමක්, දත්තයක්, මත තීන්දු තීරණ ගැනීමට අවශ්‍ය ප්‍රජා බලගැන්වීම කෙරෙහි වන සජිවිකරණයක් සැපයිමකි. විද්‍යාව හෙවත් වාස්තවිකත්වය මගින් කරන්නේ මේ මොහොතේ මිනිසා රදන ද්‍රව්‍යය සහ තීන්දු තීරණ අතර වන ඉන්ද්‍රිය සංජානනයට අවම ආකාරයෙන් පිළිගත හැකි නිගමන සහ නිරීක්ෂණ ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමයි.

ලෝකයේ ගෝලීය උතුරට මිනිසුන් දුවගෙන යන්නේ එරට මුළුමහත් රාජ්‍යය ම ක්‍රියාත්මක වන්නේ විෂය බද්ධ වාස්තවික විද්‍යාත්මක පර්යේෂණ සහ එකී විශේෂඥභාවයන් මගින් වන නිසාය. රාජ්‍යය සංවිධානාත්මක ලෙස තීන්දු තීරණ සහ සැළසුම් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්නේ ඒ ආකාරයෙනි. භෞතික ජෛව පරිසරය සහ මිනිසා සමාජීය සත්ත්වයෙකු ලෙස රදවන්නේ ඒ ආකාරයෙනි.

ලෝකයේ අද හෝ කලින් හෝ දියුණු යයි කියන ලද මොනයම් රාජ්‍යයක් හෝ පාලකයා තීරණය ගන්නේ ඒ ආකාරයෙනි. ඒ ඒ අංශ වල විශේෂඥ වාස්තවික දැනුම් පර්යේෂණ සහ දත්ත වඩාත් හොදින් ඇසුරු කරන උපදේශක පිරිසකගේ නිසි ක්‍රියාත්මක වීමෙනි රාජ්‍ය පාලකයා තීන්දු තීරණ ගන්නේ.

ලංකාවේ නිදහසින් පසු කරන ලද බොහෝ ආර්ථික දේශපාලන මෙන්ම සාමාජිය සංස්කෘතික සහ භූගෝලීය කායික සංවර්ධන කටයුතු සිදු කර ඇත්තේ පරිසර විද්‍යාව නොතකමිනි. භෞතික ජෛව ලෝකයේ පදාර්ථය සුණුවිසුණු කරමිනි අප රටවල රාජ්‍යය මෙතෙක් ක්‍රියාත්මක ව ඇත්තේ. කද බඩ මහත, තනතුර බලය උපාධිය ආදී බාහිර නිර්මිත ව්‍යාජ ශෝභන බල මුලික විජ්ජුලතා ආදී සාටෝප ආටෝප දේ මත යටත්විජිත වැඩවසම් නිල බල ක්‍රමයේ අයතා මැදිහත්වීමෙනි සියලු සංවර්ධන යයි කියන අප රටවල බොහෝ ගොඩනැගීම් සිදු කර ඇත්තේ. ඒ සියල්ලෙන් මේ වන විට විනාශ කර ඇත්තේ අප ජීවත්වෙන මේ මිහි තලය සහ එහි ජෛව විවිධත්ව කාලගුණික සහ දේශගුණික සමබරතාවයි. මානව ක්‍රියාකාරම් වත්මන් මිහිතලයට දරාගැනීමට නොහැකිව ඇත්තේ මිත්‍යා සහ ලබ්ධි මත ගෝලීය උතුරේ මෙන්ම දකුණේ ද ඒ අකාරයෙන් රාජ්‍ය පාලනය කිරීමෙනි.

ලෝකයේ අද හෝ කලින් දියුණු රටවල මිනිසාට ගෝලයේ සෑම තැනකම ජනාවාස සකස්කිරීමට ඉඩ දී නැත. මිනිසුන් ගෙවල් සහ කාර්මික ජනපද සකස් කරන්නේ සිමා සහිත එක තැනකය. ගෝලයේ බොහෝ තැනක් වනාන්තර තුරුලතා, ජල උල්පත්, සතුන් සදහා ස්වභාවික ව පැවැත්වීම මානව සංවර්ධනයේ කේන්ද්‍රීය සලකුණකි. එහෙත් නිදහසින් පසු අප රටවල දේශපාලුවෝ සහ පුහු ව්‍යාජ අනුකාරක නිවට උගත්තු තම තමන්ගේ පැවැත්ම වෙනුවෙන් සියලු ජෛව සමබරතාවයන් විනාශ කරති. ඒ වෙනුවට කෙලකොටියක් දෙවිවරුන් බඹුන් බුදුවරුන් යකුන් සරණ යමින් අභූත අකත මිත්‍යා ලබ්ධික විශ්වාස ඇදහීම් වලින් ම රාජ්‍යයේ පාලිතයා රවට්ටාගෙන පාලකයා සහ මිත්‍යා පුජකයා යහමෙන් තමන්ගේ කද බඩ මහත ම සරි කරගති. බහුතර පාලිතයා කෙරෙහි ව්‍යාජ ලැජ්ජාවක් භියක් රෝපණය කරගත්තේ රාජ්‍යයේ තක්කඩි පාලනය සදහා ආගම දේශපාලන ක්‍රමෝපාය කරගනිමිනි - ඒ මන්ද යත් පාලිතගේ විද්‍යාත්මක තර්කන සහ හේතු-යුක්ති බල ගැන්වීම වසන් කර අජිවිකරණයක් සමාජය තුල පවත්වාගෙන යාම අප රටවල තිරශ්චින දේශපාලන ක්‍රමයයි. එය කෙතරම් ව්‍යප්ත ව ඇතිද යත් අධ්‍යාපන ආයතන රාජ්‍ය සරසවි පාසල් ආදී බොහෝ තැනකත් කරන්නේ මේ සුත්‍රයම වැපිරවීමයි.

එහි අනගි පල අද අපි සජිවමාන ව හොදින් ම භුක්ති විදිමු.

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