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Imandi talks about Dhamma school

07 Feb 2021

By Kusumanjalee Thilakarathna PHOTO SAMAN ABESIRIWARDENA    Imandi Pahanya Pinidiya is an eight-year-old student who believes it is essential for every child to go to Sunday Dhamma School, as it’s where they learn discipline and a lot of interesting stories with life lessons. She dreams of becoming a doctor when she is older, and says every student must have the ambition to help humankind when they are older. “My birthday falls in March, and I am looking forward to that day. I will receive a lot of gifts for my birthday,” she said.   Imandi, tell us more about yourself. I am a student of Malaththawala Maha Vidyalaya, and it’s located in Wellampitiya. My brothers also attend the same school – one is older to me and the other one is younger to me. My favourite time of the day is when we come back from school and get free time to play outside. I really enjoy playing with them. I also love to dance with malli, to climb trees, to draw, and also to read poems.   You have always been at the top of the class. What is your secret? No big secret, really. I make sure I read all my books and complete all my homework. If there is something that I don’t know, I get ayya to help me.   What is your favourite subject; and also tell us why you like it? My favourite subject is English. I love to read and recite English poems. They sound very nice, and sometimes very funny too.   Since when have you been dancing? Since I can remember. It is one of our common hobbies too. We play music on the radio or on the TV, and we dance according to the rhythm. We enjoy doing that very much. I used to go for dancing classes too, but with the corona curfew, I had to stop going for that class. But I plan to resume the classes very soon.   Have you started going back to Sunday Dhamma School?  Yes. Our Dhamma School reopened last month, and now we can go there every Sunday. I'm glad we can go back. I missed my friends and the stories we learned at the Dhamma School.   What do you learn when you go there? Lots of stories about our bodhisattva, the good deeds he did, jataka stories, different sermons, and good habits. Teachers in my Dhamma School can narrate stories very nicely.   You didn’t tell us the name of your Dhamma School. It’s Kotaweheragala Sri Aloka Dhamma School in Wellawaya.   You also said that your hobby is reading books. Yes. Most of the presents I get are books. My parents always bring me new books to read, so I never run out of good books to read. My favourite books to read are jataka stories, because there are always lessons you can learn while reading them.   What is your ambition? I want to become a doctor, when I am older and treat all those who are suffering. I think it’s the best profession to help people.   Is there anyone you would like to thank? Yes. I want to thank my parents for supporting me at all times, my brothers, my school teachers, and the teachers in the Dhamma School are those whom I want to thank.


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