Vishva Niketan International Peace & Meditation Centre

24/10/2025

'සති පට්ඨාන' දේශන මාලා - 10

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22/10/2025

Seeking sacred blessings for the Sarvodaya Discourse Intergenerational and Interdisciplinary Conversation series by Venerable Maliboda Sugathasara Thera, Venerable Gonagalagoda Naradha Thera and Venerable Warapitiye Subodha Thera of Ratmalana Paramadhammachethiya Maha Pirivena. 🙏🙏🙏

21/10/2025

The third intergenerational and interdisciplinary conversation on the Sarvodaya Discourse was held on the theme ‘Spiritual Consciousness vs Materialistic Consciousness’. Most Venerable Dr. Kukulpane Sudassi Thera and Mr. Chandrasena Maliyadde graced the occassion as the resource persons.

20/10/2025

30/09/2025

'සති පට්ඨාන' දේශන මාලා - 09 |

'සති පට්ඨාන' දේශන මාලා - 09

27/09/2025

Sarvodaya Discourse – ‘සර්වෝදය සංකථනය’

2nd Intergenerational and Interdisciplinary Conversation

Human Wants vs Human Needs

A thought-provoking conversation on “Human Wants vs Human Needs” was held with Prof. Asanga Tilakaratne, Emeritus Professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Colombo, and Mr. Dhananath Fernando, Founder and CEO of the Advocata Institute. The session was moderated by Prof. Praneeth Abeygunawardena, former Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and Trustee of the A.T. Ariyaratne Charitable Trust.

This was the second intergenerational and interdisciplinary dialogue conducted as part of the initiative to develop a learning module based on Sarvodaya Philosophy. The session saw active participation from District Managers (Ratnapura, Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Mullaitivu), Social Programme Coordinators (Galle, Puttalam), and the Field Operations and Executive Director’s Team.

The discussion centered around the challenge of balancing unlimited human wants with limited resources. While market mechanisms can impose some limits through pricing, true balance, the speakers noted, is achieved through self-discipline and wise decision-making.

The role of Sarvodaya in educating communities to prioritize essential needs over unchecked desires was particularly emphasized. The conversation further highlighted the importance of spiritual and moral values in helping individuals recognize the negative consequences of poor choices, and in empowering them to make decisions that are beneficial both to themselves and to their communities.

26/09/2025

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPAxMdOijCe/

Remembering Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne

He was more than a teacher, he was a visionary who believed that true power lies not in wealth or politics, but in compassion and service. In 1958, Dr. Ariyaratne gathered a group of students and walked into a rural village to help build roads, wells, and homes. That single act gave birth to the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement “awakening of all through the sharing of one’s time, energy, and skills.”

Over the decades, Sarvodaya grew into Sri Lanka’s largest people’s movement, reaching more than 15,000 villages and uplifting millions of lives through education, health, peace, and self-reliance.

Honored globally with awards like the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Gandhi Peace Prize, and Sri Lanka’s own Sri Lankabhimanya, Dr. Ariyaratne stood as a beacon of selfless leadership... a man who showed the world that real change begins with a single act of kindness.

Today, we remember him not just as the “Gandhi of Sri Lanka,” but as a trailblazer who lit the path of unity, compassion, and service for generations to come.

Source - Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement

24/09/2025

Rediscovering the Feeling of Things through the Sense Doors

When we are exposed to stressful or traumatic experiences, the natural tendency of the mind is to disconnect from the body in an attempt to avoid the discomfort and distress held within it. Clinical findings in neuroscience now show that when the mind dissociates in this way, the brain regions responsible for receiving and processing sensory input often referred to as the "sense doors" can begin to shut down or become less active.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions help counter this disconnect by guiding individuals to become more attuned to the present moment and to the sensations experienced through the senses. By bringing mindful awareness to the body, Mindfulness-Based Interventions encourage a reawakening of the sensory pathways and help restore a connection between mind and body.

Rediscovering the Feeling of Things through the Sense Doors was a mindfulness-based intervention designed by Vishva Niketan to help teenage girls of Sarvodaya Suwasetha Ma Sevana reopen their hearts and minds to the information received through their senses. Through gentle, moment-to-moment awareness practices, participants were supported in reconnecting with their embodied experiences, fostering emotional resilience, healing, and deeper self-understanding.

The teenage girls began their journey of befriending the scattered mind through a simple yet profound exercise: mindfully eating a candy. This practice invited them to slow down, pay attention, and reconnect with the present moment one sense at a time.

With their awareness awakened, they stepped into the Peace Garden of Vishva Niketan, a sanctuary of biodiversity and calm. There, they explored the richness of the natural world while remaining fully present to pleasant and unpleasant sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts, feelings, and emotions reclaiming their innate capacity to feel and experience life through the sense doors.

To give deeper meaning to this sensory exploration, they engaged in a creative and reflective exercise: making a colourful "Sense Mobile." Each element of the mobile represented a different sense or inner experience. It was a joy to witness their creations vibrant, personal, and full of life hanging gently in the Peace Garden, a testament to their growing mindfulness and inner connection.

This exciting day ended with an entertaining movie session.

21/09/2025

🌍✨ World Peace Day Kids Program – "Peace Begins With Me" ✨🌍

On World Peace Day, we gathered with hearts full of hope and hands ready to create, as children came together for a beautiful and meaningful celebration centered around the theme: “Peace Begins With Me.”

🕊 Our afternoon began with lighting the Peace Altar and a gentle introduction to the day’s theme. Through moments of quiet reflection and creative expression, the children explored what a peaceful world could look, feel, and sound like — envisioning harmony, kindness, and shared joy.

📖 A powerful storytelling session, "Gaza’s Story – The Tale of Two Neighbors", helped the children understand peace through empathy, cooperation, and the importance of sharing.

🎨 The little ones then got their hands in clay, building their very own Peace Monuments — tangible symbols of the peace they wish to see in the world.

🧘‍♀ Through guided contemplation and Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta), the children were invited to reflect on how they can become peace — in their thoughts, words, and actions.

🌊💚 We concluded with a thoughtful session on Peace and the Environment, with a special focus on Ocean Protection. The children learned how caring for our oceans — by reducing plastic, protecting marine life, and keeping our waters clean — is a vital part of building a peaceful and sustainable world for all.

This special gathering reminded us all that peace isn’t just an idea — it’s something we can live and practice every day, no matter how small we are.

🕯💛 Because peace truly begins with each one of us. This special program was lovingly facilitated by Ms. Vincika de Saram, Mr. Jagath Gunawardane, Mr. Niven Ganegama, and Dr. Charika Marasinghe — each bringing their unique wisdom and compassion to guide the children through a transformative journey of peace.

18/09/2025