Arisen Ahubudu – Epitome of greatness

Commemorating the 100^th Birth Anniversary nonpareil scholar cum educator

By S.V.D. Kesarralal Gunasekera

He was my teacher 51 long years ago, but what he taught us is etched in my mind. That is why it is such an honour for me to write about him and the influence he had on generations of Thomians.

Clad in immaculate national dress and small in stature, he was a Sinhala scholar, Buddhist activist and patriot. During our school days we came across all sorts of teachers. Some were strict; some were firm; some mild and soft-spoken and some were ‘no-nonsense’. Often, all those teachers raised their voice to control the students. Mr. Ahubudu had his own style of bringing the class to attention. He did not need any words or sounds or even gestures. I recall how he would walk into our classroom. No sooner had he entered the classroom than all students became silent. We were ready to receive him. For a teacher to receive such acceptance is incredible. One can imagine how boisterous a class of young Thomians would have been. But he commanded our respect and attention because of his unique style of teaching. And his influence has lasted over fifty years.

Commitment to educate

Looking back, I realise that he believed his duty was to impart knowledge. He made every attempt to teach everything he knew. He knew teaching had to be interesting as well as entertaining. He used creative methods. What the present-day development theorists call ‘edutainment’ is exactly what Mr. Ahubudu practiced decades ago. He knew that kindling interest of the student was tantamount to completing 75% of teaching; the remaining 25% was the imparting of the information.

As soon as he greeted us, he would pic up a piece of chalk and draw pictures from one end to the other of the wall-to-wall blackboard. Within minutes he completed the drawing. He was a fabulous artist. His visual aid to the lesson was what he drew on the blackboard. And that was how he kept our attention riveted on the lesson. His dedication to teaching was indeed exceptional. And to think that in this day and age with the availability of technology, teaching materiel and investments made in education, we still worry about the generations of children and what the future holds for them simply because we do not have teachers of Mr. Ahubudu’s calibre.

Teaching a noble service

During the last few decades, we have seen how trade union action has taken its toll on the noble profession of teaching. Teachers have struck work and even refused to evaluate answer scripts. There were numerous occasions where teachers and principals took ‘sick leave’ and neglected their schools and students.

Mr. Ahubudu went beyond and above call of duty. He taught from Grade 7 up to the GCE O/L classes. To me he was like no other. His style of teaching was what we call ‘out-of-the-box’ today. The pictures he drew included figures of kings, stupas, etc. With them, he got us interested in his lessons. His illustrations were lively and intriguing. Then he would relate the story pertaining to the drawing. Most often the stories were about a king or a historical event He told us about kings such as Dutugemunu and Dhatusena and their service to the country, religion and the people. His stories also included ancient cultivation practices, irrigation and the extraordinary commitment of the leaders of our country. The stories which lasted for about six to seven minutes touched our minds and hearts, creating a deep sense of affection for our language, culture and country.

‘Respect the Dead’

I distinctly remember how he narrated the story about the final confrontation between Kings Elara and Dutugemunu. The story did not end with King Elara being defeated. He carefully narrated what happened thereafter; how King Dutugemunu decreed that anyone passing the tomb of the Late King Elara should pay respect to it.

He stressed that the greatness of King Dutugemunu was this action and not defeating of his rival as such. Today, we are debating in Parliament whether the final rites of the Muslims who die of COVID-19 should be allowed to be performed according Islam. Today, we bring in court orders disallowing Tamils to remember their loved ones who died in war. We as a nation have forgotten to respect the dead. But those of us who were fortunate enough to be taught by Mr. Ahubudu have no difficulty in respecting the dead.

Patriotism not racism

For us, the inculcation of the virtues of unity began at STC. Mr. Ahubudu was the one who sowed the very first seeds of patriotism in our minds. Our forefathers who were the main characters of the stories he narrated always placed country before self in whatever they did—going to war, building stupas, trading with other countries or constructing irrigation systems. He was able to strike that fine balance in his stories by highlighting the exemplary traits of those heroes and heroines and not just giving a false sense of pride of being Sinhalese.

Even when he told us stories about our fight against the British Empire, he left no room for anger or animosity. He knew his audience was a bunch of boys of a very impressionable age. So, he was careful not to allow us to misconceive the idea of nationalism. He also introduced the concept of farming for self-sustenance to us. That was the time that Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s government had launched a national cultivation drive, and Mr. Ahubudu’s contribution to it was immense. He made us understand the importance of agriculture and taught us to love and respect the farmer. In the same manner, our college was full of students from all ethnicities and there was no trace of racism.

Wealth of knowledge

I can still recite many Pali and Sanskrit stanzas effortlessly thanks to Mr. Ahubudu. At some meetings when I recite these to the surprise of my colleagues.

Today, a teacher will not go beyond the subject matter in teaching his or students for two reasons; one is that his or her knowledge is limited, and the other is that he or she does not care about their students and the need to impart a wholesome education.

Whenever Mr. Ahubudu taught something extra it was made very interesting to us. It was his guidance which helped many of us today to move with people from all walks of life.

Disciplinarian

I have been guided by many disciplinarians in my life. But none was gentler than Mr. Ahubudu. I still wonder how he commanded attention and respect, kept the students quiet and still won our hearts and minds without ever having to be strict with us. He was a different type of character; affable and soft-spoken but extremely effective as a teacher. He never punished us. He addressed as ‘oba’ (‘you’ in its mildest and most respectful form). There was no need for him to send anyone to the Warden or mete out any punishment himself. The reason was not that we were great students but he was a great teacher.

We hardly see any discipline in this country. Starting from Parliament, what we see is indiscipline, which is tolerated even by the Speaker. We have witnessed interruptions, disruption and even the destruction of public property at times in the House. There is a myth that only the military in this country has discipline and its members should be appointed in every field to instill ‘discipline’. If discipline means merely obeying orders, then that measure makes sense. But we need teachers as well as leaders who could inculcate human values such as integrity, honesty and self-respect. We therefore need teachers like Mr. Ahubudu.

Worthy Citizens

What Mr. Ahubudu did was preparing us to become worthy citizens. Never did he tell us to become doctors, lawyers or engineers. He wanted us to be good citizens. He wanted us to do better than he. He was always punctual. It was his way of respecting others and also being an example to others. Sadly, as for many present-day teachers it is the other way around. The present-day generation is in dire need of teachers of the calibre of Mr. Ahubudu. We do not need teachers who consider their pupils a burden. We need teachers who understand hearts and minds of children.

A lesson for today’s teachers

Undoubtedly, the teachers of today draw good salaries. However, at the time Mr. Ahubudu was in service, salary anomalies or personal benefits never affected schools. There may have been such issues, but teachers brought them up at different fora without letting them affect children’s education, which they considered sacred. Like the health sector, the education sector too was considered noble.

‘Sirs’ on billboards

For additional teaching Mr. Ahubudu never charged a single cent extra. Teachers of yesteryear never worked for money. They believed in imparting knowledge and moulding characters of their students. In the case of Mr. Arisen Ahubudu, he came into this world to teach. And he did an excellent job of it.

Today, there are many ‘sirs’ advertising themselves as experts in their respective fields to make money. The Sri Lankan education system promotes private tuition in such a way that it has become an unregulated business. Parliament is not interested in introducing any regulations for private tuition.

I think that someone helping students on a one-to-one basis for a short period could be considered private tuition, but what we have today are huge private tuition centres that cater to thousands of students in one go. This, we see in a country where even a school classroom with 45 students is considered overcrowded!

It is indeed an honour to appreciate a teacher who lived a simple but exemplary life. For all the teaching and guidance he has given us, I cannot thank him enough. This nonpareil educator made our childhood and school life memorable and colourful.

May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana!