Youth should be taught good values (10 March 1999)

10 March 1999

Youth should be taught good values

Premasara Epasinghe

Dharmaraja College, Kandy, is only a leading Buddhist educational institution in Sri Lanka, but it's also a national monuments in this country. Jointly with the Ananda College Old Boys Association, the Dharmaraja College OBU (Colombo Branch) awarded a Trophy in the name of Mr. P. W. Perera, in recognition and in appreciation of the services rendered as a cricket coach for both schools Dharmaraja and Ananda. This trophy was awarded to him at the Dharmaraja Cricket match played during the weekend.

In an era, where teachers and coaches are sometimes forgotten, the joint effort by Ananda and Dharmaraja Old Boys Associations to respect and honour their old cricketing 'Guru' of yesteryear was highly commendable.

As I have served many years, nearly two decades as a schoolteacher, I know what a great satisfaction and feeling you get when your own students recognise and respect you. For Mr. P. W. Perera, it must have been a very memorable moment who no doubt well deserved it.

Children should always learn to respect their teachers. This will help to usher a disciplined society. If a person thinks that he is far superior because of his deeds position, status or financial stability and forgets their teachers, he is one who will suffer one day or other in the future, and I consider him as an evil-doer. This reminds me of a stanza which I learnt from the Dhammapada Yamaka Vagga (The twin verses) where it explains how the evildoer laments here and after.

Idha tappati pecca tappati -

Papakari Ubhayatta tappati

Papam me katan ti tappati -

Bhiyyo tappati duggatim gato.

Here he suffers, hereafter he suffers. In both states the evil-doer suffers. "Evil have I done" (thinking thus), he suffers. Furthermore he suffers, having gone to a woeful state).

Children should be always taught good deeds, manners and good etiqutete. You learn this in plenty on the playing fields. It's the duty of coaches to mould the character of the players, and teach them the philosophy of cricket, that winning is not everything. What matters is how you play the game.

One of the biggest sporting events in Sri Lanka, the Royal-Thomian traditional "Battle of the Blues" will be played for three days at the picturesque Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) grounds, from Thursday March 11.

When commentating on the 36th Thurstan-Isipatana Big Match I noticed that student participation was at a low ebb. It's a sad situation. This match was very well organised and discipline was very high. This match was played at the Sara Stadium.

A very high standard of sportsmanship has been always displayed by the Royalists and Thomians, on and off the field. In the 1949 Royal-Thomian Encounter, Thomian C. Chellaraj was ruled run out. Royal captain C. H. Gunasekara (Junior) saw that he had been obstructed, unintentionally of course, and while Chellaraj was walking back to the pavilion Gunasekera ran upto him, and invited him to resume batting. The Thomian skipper was the late P. T. Shanthi Kumar. This was sportsmanship of the highest order and always the Royal-Thomian is played in the true spirit of the game.

The joint organising committee of Royal and S. Thomas' has been assured of the co-operation of the Army and Police in ensuring hundred percent security during the three days. Therefore, the fun and frolic and the happy atmosphere will prevail on the grounds and outside. One of the leading private Banks, Seylan, will sponsor the match for the sixth year in succession.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)