A Nissarana Let Go
  • A life of Nissarana 'Let go of' in the following areas: Attire (3), Country (10, 12, 14, 29), Donations - body parts (11, 19), Donations – material (13), Ethnocentrism (15, 26), Leadership (16, 17, 18),
    Life style (25), Name and Signature (1, 2, 4), Personal Relationships (27, 28), Sensory (20 – 24; 30), Vehicles (8), Work /Jobs (5, 6, 7, 9):

  • A life of Nissarana 'Let go'

    1. [1956] Letting go of last name [S H S J] Silva, taken by dad under colonial rule (500 years – Portuguese (1505), Dutch (1658), British (1815).
    2. [1956] Letting go of English initials S H J [Sugunasiri], replaced by Su. Hae. Ja, in taking to the media in Sinhala [short fiction, media, radio]
    3. [1956] Letting go of Western attire, and taking to wearing the ‘national dress’ [redda/baeniyama], slippers replacing shoes.
    4. [1956] Letting go of English signature at the bank, and switching to Sinhala, by writing to the management.
    5. [1958] Letting go of my first job as ‘Clerk’ upon earning my Advanced level [towards social mobility]
    6. [1960] Letting go of second job as ‘Translator’ upon earning my BA (London) [towards social mobility’
    7. [1962] Letting go of first job as ‘Labour Officer’ [towards social mobility].
    8. [1962] Letting go of my Peugeot (EN 2411), when no longer required on the job, owning a car a rarity.
    9. [1964] Letting go of a prestigious job as Asst Assessor, Inland Reveneu Department, and take to WRITING.
    10. [1971] Letting go of opportunity to live in Canada permanently with family, returning to
      motherland, ‘never to return to Canada’, simply out of self-responsibility to serve motherland
      [coming on Fulbright scholarship to the US earlier, but with no financial bond or other legal
      obligation to return].
    11. [1972] Signing up for eye donation while in Lanka.
    12. [1973] Letting go of Lanka, become ‘re-entry casualty’.
    13. [1973] Donating my library to Sarvodaya, leaving Lanka for Canada.
    14. [1980] Letting go of (informally) links to the Sri Lankan Canadian as well as the Sinhala Canadian community, beginning to work for the wider Canadian good.
    15. [1980 on] Letting go (in mind) of any Sinhala Buddhist associations, “one of the very first
      beyond his community to hold lotus to the rock in Canada” (Prof Victor Hori & Janet McLeland,
      p. 397, Wild Geese, Buddhism in Canada, McGill U Press), the Chapter itself titled, ‘S H J
      Sugunasiri: Buddhist’.
    16. [1985] Stepping down from elected position of Founding Coordinator, Buddhist Federation of Toronto.
    17. [1990-2012] Stepping down from invited / elected position of President, Buddhist Council of Canada (thrice).
    18. [2008] Stepping down as Chair, Board of Directors / President / Professor, Nalanda College of Buddhist Studies.
    19. [2010] Signing up to donate body upon death to the Dept. of Anatomy, University of Toronto, for research
    20. [2012 or thereabouts] Letting go of going to the cinema, or any other public performances of song and dance, theatre, opera, orchestra,
      skating, circus, etc., integral leisure dimension of our Canadian life.
    21. [2013 or thereabouts] Letting go of watching TV.
    22. [2013 or thereabouts] Letting go of listening to the Radio
    23. [2013 or thereabouts] Letting go of listening to music
    24. [2013 or thereabouts] Letting go of reading the Newspapers, or any other public reading material.
    25. [2018] Letting go of lay life and getting ordained
    26. [2018] Upon ordination, letting go of (in mind) any identification with the Sinhala Buddhist Nikaya sectarianism
    27. [2018] Upon ordination, letting go of, in the footsteps of the Buddha, any personal relationships with the nuclear family, towards both personal detachment as well as towards theirs
    28. [2018] Upon ordination, letting go of, in the footsteps of the Buddha, any personal relationships with the extended family, towards both personal detachment as well as towards theirs.
    29. [for sometime now] Letting go of attachment to Sri Lanka, USA and Canada, the countries significant in my life, though retaining all gratitude (kataññutà), and all due respect.
    30. [for sometime now] Seeking to let go of the least of attachments, in a 4-fold sammà vàyàma effort – through avoidance, ditching, cultivating and protecting (nivàrna, pahàna, bhàavanà, anurakkhana)
      seeking Nibbana in this very life!

  • A life of Flexibility

    1. Academic: Degrees & Subject areas:
      • 1958: BA. London (Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhala).
      • 1962-4: MA, Vidyalankara (incomplete, thesis written, one more subject to go, but not completed going overseas on Fulbright), U, Sri Lanka (Sinhala Buddhist Culture & Civilization / Thesis).
      • 1966: MA, U Penn, USA (Linguistics/ Thesis).
      • 1972: MEd, Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto (Moral Philosophy).
      • 1978: PhD, Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto (National Development / Thesis).
      • 1990: MA, Buddhist Studies, University of Toronto, Canada
    2. Languages
      • Sinhala (mother tongue).
      • English (under age 10, Christ Church College, Tangalla).
      • Latin (Junior High: Nalanda).
      • Sanskrit (age 10 at local temple, Tangalla; Gr 12: Ananda).
      • Pali (Gr 12, Ananda).
      • French (U of Michign, USA).
      • Spanish (self-taught, age 82) (Reading only [giving translated keynote in Cuba].
    3. Post-Secondary Teaching subjects
      • Buddhism; Interfaith Studies; Sociology; Linguistics; English as a Second Language; ESL Methodology; Psychology.
    4. Writing
      • Languages: Sinhala, English
      • Academic; Popular; Creative
      • Creative: short fiction, poetry, novel.
    5. Psychophysical adaptability
      • After living 7 yrs in N America, spend 7 days at Sarvodaya camp, Sri Lanka, sleeping on the floor, drinking off coconut shell, eating on banana leaves, walking bearfooted, attired in sarong and national.
    6. Attire adaptability
      • Western: short pants, white shirt, tie (Primary:Christ Church College, Tangalla; Secondary: Nalanda, Ananda) (1943-1953).
      • Western to national: in first employment (1954-1956).
      • National: rest of 7 years of employment (1956-1964).
      • Western: studying in the US, Canada (1964-1971).
      • National: returning to Sri Lanka (1971-3).
      • Western (Tie & Jacket): returning to Canada.
      • Buddhist robes: getting ordained.
    7. Lifestyle
      • From luxury in household living to simplicity in monastic life.
    8. Sports
      • Athletics; Badminton; Cadetting; Cricket; Cycling, Ping pong; Swimming; Tennis.
    9. Driving
      • On the right in Lanka, prior to emigration;
      • on the left in Canada
      • on the right in the UK on a visit & next on the left again in Europe on a tour.

  • A life of Inflexibility, ha ha ha!

    1. Living a Buddhist life, womb to tomb [research showing that life in the womb entails active participation and learning].
    2. Respect for parents, paying Homage even after passing away.
    3. Transferring Merit, on a regular basis, to those on my ‘Merit circle’, dead and living : nuclear family, extended family on both sides, teachers, friends & others who has helped me in my endeavours,
      or have had a critical relationship with me, in Lanka and Canada (then to now), those currently helping me in my life, both ordained Sangha and Lay, etc.
    4. Lifetime non-smoker; Lifetime teetotaler
    5. Smiling [“Sugune will have a smile even on his deathbed” – High school friend]; ending up with the Ordained name Mihita, ‘Smiling One’, an epithet of the Buddha].
Academic Publications
Toronto Star article RE: Vesak-1989 Toronto Star article 1992
Poem on me by Ven. SumanasiriPoem on me by my Dad