New books by Darshana Ashoka Kumara

The two books written by Darshana Ashoka Kumara titled “Kav Silumina and Non-Buddhist Views” and “Asian Perspectives in Communication” will be launched at the National Library and Documentation Services Board Auditorium, Independence Avenue, Colombo on January 26 at 3.30 pm.

The event will be chaired by former Head of Philosophy and Psychology University of Peradeniya Prof. Desmond Mallikarachchi. Professor Walter Marasinghe, Senior Lecturer Sumith Chaminda and Hashitha Abeywardena will also speak at the event.

In his project, Darshana examines an Asian Communication Model which can be used in the context of media practice in Sri Lanka that helps to minimizeethnic tension. In this study, special focus is given to oriental concepts in communication.

For example, concepts in rich philosophical oriental traditions in Asia including Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism were taken into consideration when the Asian Communication Model was built.

Darshana’s other book “Kav Silumina and Non-Buddhist Views” explores about the socio-cultural and religious perspectives of Kav Silumina, which is considered to be one of masterpieces of the Sinhala poetry that came into existence in the second century. Kav Silumina is based on a Buddhist Jataka story “Kusa Jatakaya”.

Though the original Jataka story is into elucidating the moral precepts of Buddhism, Darshana in his work makes an attempt to deconstruct the ideologies that essentially deviated from original Buddhist thought attached with Kav Silumina.

In his argument, though Kusa Jatakaya is aligned with the Buddhist ideology, king Parakramabhahu II’s Kav Silumina is alluded to Hindu, Tantric and other non-Buddhist oriental teachings.

 

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