Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

In Memoriam'These sterling qualities of Soma Thera were happily blended in a characterin which humility and service formed the keynote. He never spared himself.He gave till it hurt. He gave UNTO THIS LAST—unto death. Overwork,fatigue, were the proximate causes of the dire malady which struckdown this mighty oak of the Dhamma which was a shade and refuge ofmany a seeker after Truth. Today a void is left standing which may takeyears to fill.'To those of us who knew him and enjoyed his friendship and affectionfor nearly four decades both as the dashing young layman Victor E. P.Pulle, and as a monk of blessed memory, Soma Thera presents a remarkablecharacter study. The child was the father of the man, Thera. Yet in histwenties, he was a rebel from the faith of his fathers and questing for theknowledge of the truth. In the 1930's, still hot on the pursuit, he was theleader of a band of young men who formed the Fort Study Circle underthe Presidency of Mr. J. Tyagarajah, with Dr. L. A. (now Sir Lalita)Rajapakse and the late Mr. R. Nadarajah as Vice-Presidents.'Their motto was sacrifice and service and their main object was theeconomic and cultural development of the country. The regular weeklyprogramme of the Circle, all planned by Victor, included classes in Pali,Hindi, Layman's Law, History, Economics and politics. With whatresourcefulness, with what prevision of judgement and success, he organisedand directed its activities towards the cultural and literary formation of theday are now matters of history...'Young Victor's reputation for literary and critical scholarship was suchthat Dr. Lucian De Zilwa prefaced his talk by saying that he accepted theinvitation for a lecture with the major object of making the acquaintanceof Mr. V. E. P. Pulle; and Mr. K. P. S. Menon, one of the most gracefuland eloquent public speakers this country has ever had, began his lectureby saying that he was always anxious to see the set of young men who couldproduce an annual report of such literary excellence as that turned out bythe Fort Study Circle.'For Victor Pulle reason was the touchstone of truth. In this quest, hestudied comparative religion, logic, philosophy—Dahlke and Schopenhauerhad a particular appeal to him—art, sculpture, archaeology, history, musicand even astrology. Indeed, like Bacon, he took all knowledge for hisprovince. There was not a single individual in the Fort of his day whoService of the world is the highest homage we can pay to the Buddha, the friend andhelper of all beings. Let this act of homage with flowers, incense and light, be the symbolof the homage of service of the world every Buddhist has to fulfil. Let us dedicate ourselvesanew today to tread the Path of Service trodden by the Master—the Path of Charity, Virtueand Clear Thought.Let us remind ourselves now and frequently that the greatest charity is in giving thegift of fearlessness (abhaya ddnd) to the world by refraining from killing, stealing, unchastity,lying and drink. Thus we shall be able to become merciful, honest, chaste, truthful andsober, and make the society in which we live a noble one.May right understanding and right thought grow in the world!XI