Upali (Sanskrit उपालि upāli) was a monk, one of the ten chief disciples of the Buddha. Before joining the order, he worked as a barber. He asked the Buddha if a person of "low birth" such as he could join the order. Buddha ordained him before the princes and asked the princes to pay homage to Upali, who by then had become an Arhant with Buddha's sermons while Buddha was getting a hair cut. He became the chief disciple in knowing the rules of the order and the foremost disciple in keeping precepts.

External links[link]

• http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/u/upaali.htm
• http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/db_06s.htm

Aleksandar Vuksanović (Serbian: Александар Вуксановић), most known as Aca Lukas (Аца Лукас) (born on 3 November 1968 in Belgrade) is a popular Serbian folk singer. kijo A Scepovic and Sasha Lunginovic. They started performing various music genres, from jazz to Gypsy. Aca started mixing them into special potpourris that became his trademark in years to come. His appearance was an overnight success. After "Hogar" and "Lukas", he moved on to the next stage by playing with rock singer Viktorija. Then he started a solo career. His first big hit was song called "Pesma od bola". Thanhe continued with other hits "Kafana na Balkanu", "Bele ruže" and many more. In 2003 he was arrested in police action "Sablja" because he possessed a non-reported gun. He was having drug and gambling problems that removed him from scene for two years. He made a comeback in 2006. He won 1st prize on "II Axal Grand Festival" in 2008. with song called "Upali svetlo". Nowadays, Lukas is renowned artist in Serbia and has some discographic success. His first concert in Belgrade Arena (03.11.2008) was on his birthday in front of more than 25,000 people. He has since had another two successive concerts in Belgrade Arena on 03.11.2010. and 04.11.2010. in front of altogether almost 50,000 people.

On the night of 3. February 2009, Lukas was shot at from a gun, by an unknown assailant. The assailant fired two hits, but Lukas survived with just a wounded leg. When he came out of the hospital, he said: "Dobro se osećam. Hvala Bogu, nije mi ništa. Pustili su me iz Urgentnog centra i dobro mi je!" (translation: "I am feeling well. Thank god, nothing is wrong with me. I was released from the ER and I am feeling good.") Lukas was shot in front of Gandijeva street no. 66, while he was entering his vehicle "Porsche Cayenne".

Career[link]

In 1995, his colleagues forced Aca to record his first album right after he has gained great success with a hit song "Kuda idu ljudi kao ja", that became an instant folk hit. In that mix of pop, rock and folk music, Aleksandar Radulović Futa and Marina Tucaković borrowed music from Greece and Turkey and next year they made him a hit-album, with a song called "Pesma od bola" becoming the hit of the year, along with other hits like for example "ža zivim sam", "Nije ti ovo Amerika" etc.

In 1999, he performed at his first triumphal concert in Belgrade Hala Pionir in front of around 10,000 young people. After the tour around the country, stadium Tasmajdan Sports Centre is also conquered. In the meantime, Aca publishes two albums for the international market with his live performances at clubs and pubs that he likes so much.

In 2002, Aca published one of his best album so far called "Nesto Protiv Bolova" with hit songs "Koma", "Nešto Protiv Bolova", "Suncokreti". After his concert at the Belgrade Fair in front of nearly 20,000 fans the media pronounced him as the most popular Serbian folk singer.

After he spent four months in jail, Aca was back with a new hit album "Istina je da te lazem", but not too long after he published it he left the country saying that he is "sick" from all those trying to push him off the scene.

He came back to Serbia in 2006 performing at "Melos dani Estrade" in Čačak as "the star of the night". His comeback album was called "Jagnje Moje" with different authors but also with great songs "Udari Prva", "Jagnje Moje".

In February 2008, Aca Lukas won 1st prize at "II Axal Grand Festival" with his song "Upali Svetlo". Not long after that he published his most recent album so far called "Lesce" with very a provocative cover. On that cover he was pictured lying down in a coffin showing his extended middle finger; as he sayd "To all of them who wished I ware dead". This album brought great songs such as "Pao Sam Na Dno", "By Pass", "Lešće", "Chivas" etc.

On his 40th birthday on 3. November 2008, Aca performed at a concert in Belgrade Arena in front of nearly 25,000 fans. He repeated that two years later. On 3. and 4. November 2010. he performed again in Belgrade Arena in front of almost 25,000 fans each night. That brings the total to almost 50,000 people, making him likely the most popular singer in Serbia, especially among younger people.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Ponos i laž (1995) ("Pride and lie")
• Pesme od bola (1997) ("Songs of pain")
• Lična karta (1999)("ID")
• Rođendan (2000) ("Birthday")
• Nešto protiv bolova (2001) ("Painkiller")
• Istina je da te lažem (2004) ("The Truth is I'm lying to you")
• Jagnje moje (2006) ("My lamb")
• Lešće (2008) (Cemetery in Belgrade)

Cover albums[link]

• Jedno veče u kafani (1998) ("One Night at the Pub")
• Drugo veče u kafani (1999) ("The Second Night at the Pub")
• Još sam tu (za drugove) (1999) ("I am still here (for my friends)")
• Zora beli... (1999) ("The Dawn Whitens...")
• Aca Lukas & O.K. Band (2000)

Live albums[link]

• Najveća žurka na Balkanu (1999) ("Biggest party in the Balkans")
• Žurka (2002) ("Party")

Compilations[link]

• The Best of Aca Lukas (2000)
• Aca Lukas - Hitovi (2008)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

• Lukas ispunio obećanje
• Aca Lukas zapalio Arenu
• Osvojio Skoplje

External links[link]

• www.aca-lukas.com

External links[link]

• Aca Lukas Video Playlist
• Aca Lukas New Fan Forum
• Aca Lukas bloger
• Aca Lukas Blog
• Aca Lukas Diskografija Lista Albuma
• YouTube Kanal

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Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk. He is often affectionately known as Bhante G.

Early life[link]

Henepola Gunaratana was born December 7, 1927 in the small Sri Lankan village of Henepola. He was ordained as a monk at the age of 12, and received his education at Vidyasekhara Pirivena, a monk's school at Gampaha. He received upasampada when he was 20, in Kandy. He received his higher education in Sri Lanka at Vidyalankara College in Kelaniya and the Buddhist Missionary College (an affiliate of the Maha Bodhi Society) in Colombo.^[1]

Missionary work[link]

After his education, he was sent to India for missionary work as a representative of the Maha Bodhi Society. He primarily served the Untouchables in Sanchi, Delhi, and Bombay.

He also served as a religious advisor to the Malaysian Sasana Abhivurdhiwardhana Society, Buddhist Missionary Society, and Buddhist Youth Federation. Following this he served as an educator for Kishon Dial School and Temple Road Girl's School. He was also the principal of the Buddhist Institute of Kuala Lumpur.

Arrival in the United States[link]

Bhante Gunaratana came to the United States at the invitation of the Sasana Sevaka Society in 1968 in order to serve as the General Secretary of the Buddhist Vihara Society of Washington, D.C.. He was elected president of the society twelve years later. While serving in this office, he has conducted meditation retreats and taught courses in Buddhist Studies.^[2]

Since his arrival in the United States, he has expanded his scholarly knowledge by earning a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate in philosophy at American University.^[1] He has also taught graduate level courses on Buddhism at American University, Georgetown University, Bucknell University, and the University of Maryland, College Park. He also lectures at universities throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. He is the author of the book Mindfulness in Plain English.

Bhante Gunaratana is currently the abbot of the Bhavana Society, a monastery and meditation retreat center he founded in High View, West Virginia.^[3][4]

Published works[link]

• The Path of Serenity and Insight. Motilal Banarsidass. 1985. ISBN 0-8364-1149-8. 
• The Jhanas in Theravada Meditation. Buddhist Publication Society. 1988. ISBN 955-24-0035-X. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html. 
• Mindfulness in Plain English. Wisdom Publications. 1992. ISBN 0-86171-321-4. http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php. 
• Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path. Wisdom Publications. 2001. ISBN 0-86171-176-9. 
• Journey to Mindfulness: The Autobiography of Bhante G.. Wisdom Publications. 2003. ISBN 0-86171-347-8. 
• Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English. Wisdom Publications. 2009. ISBN 978-0-86171-529-9. 

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
• Bhante Gunaratana's books at Wisdom Publications