Introduction
It is with deep joy that I introduce to
WSCF/SCM readers this book presented by Sevaka
(meaning, Servant) Yohan Devananda,
which records the thoughts and experiences of a group in Sri Lanka which,
started in 1957 to take seriously the implications, first, of a living
dialogue of persons of differing religious faiths (Christians and Buddhists)
and, second, of their encounter with people of different ideologies and
with the masses of Sri Lanka.
In late 1975, I had the pleasure of
visiting with Fr. Yohan and the people of the
collective farm at Devasarana. I was very much
impressed by their deep commitment and the simplicity of their speaking, their
gestures, and their over-all life-style.
The visit brought about the idea of WSCF
Asia's sponsoring the publication of the documents of the Devasarana
Movement. In a sense, this work is definitive in that it is the very first
comprehensive publication documenting the beginnings, the development, the ideas
and ideals, the problems and the aspirations of the Movement.
This book is the second in the Self-Reliance
series of WSCF Asia. It, likewise, conforms to the theme articulated by the
last Asia Committee, which met in Hong Kong, May 1976: Faith and Social
Justice.
Nael Cortez
WSCF