As revealed by Memory Bank on 18th May, today’s Sunday Observer published a Sinhalese advertisement on its 95th page insulting the image of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda thero. It was very clever marketing to attach the name of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda thero to something which he is never involved in. The advertisement never says it’s supported by the thero, but simply says ‘Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda thero mathu budu wewa”. This is where they escape from the law. That is clever marketing, ah?The advertisement is about a VCD for a price of Rs.600/=. A spokesman from Mahamevna Asapuwa told Memory Bank they never guarantee the content of the VCD and had no any sort of involvement in making it. Further he explained MB, the people behind this attempt are trying to use the reputation of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda thero to market their product & in most of the cases they pretend to be promoting Buddhism, but truly what they do is giving wrong explanations to Buddhist preaches.
All true buddhists, including Kiribathgoda Gnanananda thero, wish to attain nirvana during this life time, at least during this "buddha sasana" (the time period during which the teachings of a Buddha lasts)
ReplyDeleteTo wish some one would become a Buddha in the future is a diversion from that.
Er... what? Is that not in the future then?
ReplyDeleteAnd I still don't get why this was an insult to the Ven. thero.
And btw, you can't get much info about this priest from the net, except that he's written a book and published some CDs. Maybe that's why they used him on an ad for CD player.
Becoming a Buddha and attaining nirvana are two different things
ReplyDeleteIt's illegal and unethical to advertise your product as having been endorsed by someone when it's clearly not. Simple as that. I don't know about this monk, but this is just plain wrong.
ReplyDeleteThis is offensive because the man is dead. There are some suggestions that the content of the CD is somewhat controversial as well.