The gale force winds and torrential downpour of the previous four days did not hamper the arrangements made for the first Interfaith, mindfulness group meditation for the public, arranged by the Sati Pasala Foundation. After many days of dark & cloudy skies Saturday morning dawned with brilliant blue skies and beautiful white clouds. The chilly breeze at the Independence Square greeted the participants, who began trickling in from about 6.00am.
The group mindfulness meditation, conducted in a non-religious manner, was guided by Venerable Dhammajiva. He described the ‘adhesive’ properly of mindfulness, and its power to connect people irrespective of their faiths or ethnicity. Mindfulness unites and joins people like super glue, promoting concord and harmony, rather than discord and divisiveness. He instructed and explained how mindfulness and its ability to repeatedly bring back the attention to the present moment has an enormous potency to transcend diversity and to celebrate the differences we may seem to have.
Reverend Father Andrew from the Anglican Church Colombo, reminded the group of how Jesus Christ praised and valued being in the present moment. He spoke of the benefits of being free of the tensions of the past & expectations of the future. Mrs. Sivanandini Duraiswamy who represented the Saiva Mangaiyar Kalagam, Hindu Women’s Society praised the event and recommended that it is this type of peaceful morning where we sit together as one big group, in mindfulness, irrespective of our religious faiths that could pave the way for reconciliation between communities. Brother Charles beautifully sang the praises and benefits of mindfulness and its ability to unify people of all groups.
The proceedings included mindful sitting and mindful walking and were conducted in both Sinhala and Tamil.