“යෞවනය දඟකාරයි, හිතුවක්කාරයි, ආවේගශීලීයි” ඒ බොහෝ වැඩිහිටියන්ගේ චෝදනාවක්. ඒත් යෞවන යෞවනියන් එහෙම වෙන්නේ ඇයි කියලා තේරුම් ගන්න බොහෝ දෙනා උත්සාහ කරන්නේ නැහැ. යෞවනයට පා තැබූ තමන්ගේ ආදරණීය දුව, පුතා ඉස්සර වගේ තමන්ට කීකරු නෑ කියලා කනස්සල්ලෙන් ඉන්න මව්පියන් පවා දරුවා එහෙම වුණේ ඇයි කියල…
“Youth is naughty, stubborn, and impulsive” is a complaint made by many adults. But many people do not try to understand why young people are like that. Even parents who are worried that their beloved daughter or son who has entered adolescence is not as obedient as before, rarely think about why the child is like that.
Every mother and father dreams of seeing their child go to the top of their education and do a good job. Many parents do not realize that despite filling their mind with subjects, there is a void in the child’s heart and spirit. Or, by the time they realize that, the child is lost in life. Many mistakes that cannot be corrected have been made.
Knowledge from exam-oriented books alone cannot make a child a good citizen. His knowledge, attitudes, and skills must also be developed. The crucial stages of a child’s life are the first seven years from the mother’s womb and the third seven years, that is, from 14 to 21. A complete education and personality development that goes beyond conventionality are essential for a child's life to be successful. To accomplish that task that cannot be accomplished through school, a child needs an environment that awakens his mind, heart and spirituality.
Subodhi that changes lives
The place of self-realization or 'Subodhi' is a complete educational institution. You can enter Subodhi by walking a short distance on Subodhi Mawatha, in front of Kospalena Bridge, Piliyandala, about 20 kilometers from Colombo. Subodhi, with its wonderful beauty that captivates your mind and body at first sight, is a beautiful gift of nature. Subodhi, which shines with green color when you look at it, is located on one bank of Bolgoda Lake. On the other bank is the University of Moratuwa, which produces scholars for the nation. We asked the Director, Reverend Father Lawrence Ramanayake, about the forty-five-year history of the enchanting ‘Subodhi’ Institute, which is situated on a land of about 13 acres.
“Subodhiya, a comprehensive education and personal development center belonging to the Archdiocese of Colombo. Its founder is the late Dr. Rev. Father Mervyn Fernando. He was a scholar in space science, sociology, and psychology. He had a great skill and love for aesthetics, Sinhala language, and culture, and was a contemporary of many scholars such as Arthur C. Clarke and Geoffrey Bawa. Father Mervyn has identified the gaps in the education system that hinders the development of young children in our country and has intended to start such an institution for their mental development. For this, Father Mervyn has entrusted the construction of this place to Mr. Jeffrey Bawa, a famous architect and friend of the father at that time, to represent the idea of Subodhi, or “a place that gives self-realization”. His unique architectural knowledge, Father Mervyn’s psychology, and This place, which was created by combining the concepts of spirituality, is not just an ordinary building, but a haven that adds deep meaning and values to education. This institution was started in April 1981 under the name ‘Subodhi’, and initially conducted monthly courses and later seven-day residential courses. Although Father Mervin passed away in 2017, the purpose he envisioned is being fulfilled by this institution, as it was then, today, and in the future. Subodhi, which operates as an institution that conducts mental and spiritual development, youth leadership training, psychological and life education, meditation, yoga, and residential workshops, conducts special programs for the mental, personality and leadership development of young men and women, especially young men and women.”
We further asked what these programs are aimed at school children and young people.
‘Children are also very restless in the current education system. That is why they are stressed. Therefore, many children suffer from anxiety and confusion. It is a major obstacle to their mental and physical well-being. If the children are not happy, their parents are also not happy. When the parents and children are unhappy, the bonds in that family become weak. Such a family does not produce productive citizens for the country. Therefore, the mental well-being of children is very important. What hinders it is the emptiness between the child’s mind and heart and spirituality. Father Subodhi, the founder of Subodhi, started Subodhi especially to provide the understanding needed by young people and youth to fill the emptiness within them. Knowledge received from outside and wisdom received from within lead to this. Accordingly, Subodhi conducts one-day and three-day residential programs that teach the seven secrets of life. In addition, leadership and personality development programs, special yoga and meditation programs that calm the mind, as well as counseling services are also conducted.”
A ray of light from the darkness
That day, a group of student leaders from a famous boys’ school in the capital were participating in a three-day leadership training program. They arrived there on a Friday afternoon and their program was scheduled to end on Sunday afternoon. We saw how the children were very actively and happily participating in the various activities and lectures held there. We also asked the father about the challenges faced in involving children in such residential programs and their responses afterwards.
“Children are not allowed to use their mobile phones during the three days of participation in this program. They can only use the phone of the teacher who is with them to call their parents in case of an emergency. When we inform them about this, we find two or three children in each group complaining that they want to go back home. But at the end of the three days, the same children tell us that they spent these three days very relaxed and happy, without using a mobile phone for the first time in their lives. Also, a common observation in every group is that the hardest thing for us is sending the children away from here after the program ends. On the last day, many children tell us that they are sad to leave Subodhi. The children get so much happiness and freedom because of these programs.
We see how they have transformed into new people in the “Seven Secrets of Life” program. The main objective of this program is to provide them with an opportunity to understand themselves. During the three days spent away from the outside world, including mobile phones, we guide the child in various ways. For example, there are three children in one room. Let’s say one child cannot sleep in the dark, he must have the light. If another child turns on the fan, he will get depressed. But the other child will not sleep without the fan. In that case, they will understand how to sacrifice their own needs, respect the opinions and wishes of others, and how to manage such a situation. These activities provide opportunities for each child to take on leadership roles, to learn to share with others, and to be generous. They also provide opportunities to understand that they are unique individuals through the activities they do during those three days.”
“Who am I? What are my goals, objectives, and interests? What are my physical flaws and weaknesses? What are my special talents, abilities, and values? How will society respond to them? How will I deal with those reactions? Every child gets a unique opportunity to develop a true vision of themselves. It is essential for any person to know themselves properly for their physical and mental health. The children talk to us very honestly about the changes that have occurred in their lives as a result of that recognition. They leave here having completely changed their chaotic and entangled lives. They are very blessed events.” The truth of what Father Adiyuru said was revealed in the words shared with us by several children.
Testimonies of Light
Anjana Samarasekera (age 17)- “For a while, I didn’t really know who I was. But Subodhiya gave me an opportunity to see myself. It was as if I was looking at myself from the outside. I saw my faults and shortcomings as well as my good qualities. That’s how much I felt about self-realization.”
Gayan Chamikara (age 17)- “When I was at home, I would just get up from bed and go, but I wouldn’t make the bed. I think my mother or elder sister would make my bed. I don’t even know for sure. But for the three days I was here, I had to do it. When the other two people in the room with me made the bed, I also had to make my bed. On the first day, I did it because I couldn’t do it. But on the second and third day, I did it with pleasure. I have been doing this for 17 years. But now I know that I will never be able to do it again.”
Malith Jayasekara (age 18) “I am a Buddhist. When I was asked to go to a program like this at school, I could not imagine how this would turn out. But here we were not taught religion. We were only taught life. As a young man, I had looked at girls the wrong way for so long. I did not feel respect for them. In our words, I thought that girls were there for our entertainment. But what I was taught about sex and love here changed my views. I felt ashamed of myself. Now I know how beautiful and valuable love and sex are. I promised myself that I would never think badly of a girl again.”
Ashen Wickramasekera (age 16) “I am the only child in the family. It was a great pain for me to have my mother and father always looking out for me. I came to this program to escape their harassment for three days. But now I realize how wrong I was. I now know how much my mother and father have done for me since I was in my mother's womb. I now feel a love for them that I have never felt before. It is because of Subodhiya that I have gained the determination to make every dream that my mother and father have about me come true.”
Mihiran Fernando (age 16) “I have done more work at home than I have ever done before. I have been cleaning the teacup and the plate that I ate in for a long time. I have done all this to clean the place where I ate and sweep the room. I did those things with love and not because of what my family told me to do like before. These are three unforgettable days in my life.”
The positive responses of the children are testimony to the success of Subodhi’s programs. Father Lawrence Ramanayake said that more than 3,700 school children in the Western Province have participated in these programs during the 2025/26 school year. At the end of the program, teachers and parents evaluate the children, and a mother who participated in the program told us about it.
“When we came to this program, we also did not have much understanding about it. But now I feel that it was a shame to come to this program with our child late. We saw the activities the children did there. We saw how happy they were. We also understood where our children were stuck. We are very happy about that. I think it would be very good if we could refer children to such programs whenever possible.”
A mother teacher also confirmed her opinion.
“Our main goal at school is to cover the syllabus. In that limited time, we hardly get a chance to know the nature of children. I think such programs are a good opportunity to fill that void. I see the inclusion of such programs in the school curriculum as a timely need.”
Subodhiya, which has changed the lives of many people in the past forty-five years, conducts leadership skills and personality development programs, life study programs, institutional programs and counseling services not only for school children and adolescents but also for individuals in the government and private sectors. There is no caste or religion barrier to participate in it, said Rev. Father Merrill Gunawardena, Course Coordinator of Subodhiya. With room facilities sufficient for about 120 people, an auditorium that can seat about 350 people, and 10 rooms that can accommodate three people with adjoining bathrooms, Subodhiya invites everyone who wants to change their lives to enjoy that unique experience.
Note and Photos – Indika Jasingarachchi