Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

23 May 2021

 

IN COMES CHINA; OUT GOES BUDDHISM

 

Hindus and Buddhists accept the philosophy of karma. It is commonly expressed as – ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’. Often the average person does not relate to sowing and reaping at the same time. Those who follow the law would get to project the effects through that law. Towards this the law needs to be common to sowers and reapers.

 

In autocracy, the law maker has to be cleverer than the citizen to know intellectually, both sides at the same time. In  Democracy, the law maker has to be no more clever than the common citizen. The role of the Opposition is to Oppose to limit the government’s cleverness to that level. Towards this the Opposition needs to be intellectually cleverer than the Government. An Opposition that cares about the People will have this exponential power so long as it takes equal position and no more.

 

In the case of Colombo Port City Economic Commission bill, the Sri Lankan Parliament demonstrated 148 (66%) for, 59(26%) against. The rest abstained. Out of those who abstained were 2 from the government’s side. Theirs is taken to be exponential in value. Hence one is entitled to conclude that the vote was 61 (27%) against.

 

Given that Buddhism foremost is applicable to Buddhists one can work out whether this law is Universally powerful through belief or whether it is a mere trading rule, which damages the Sovereign Borders of Sri Lanka.

 

Majority Sri Lankans do practice their respective religions and hence it would protect them in terms of fundamental values. The parliament needed two thirds majority to override the religious laws of Sri Lanka – notwithstanding where they are grouped in the Constitution. The fact that the vote of Buddhists leaders was dismissed by the Colombo Port City Economic Commission law, was confirmed as follows:

 

[This year’s National Vesak Festival will not be held due to the prevailing pandemic situation in the country, Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs Sunanda Kariyapperuma stated.]

 

The timing confirms the connection to the believer. If therefore the Colombo Port City Economic Commission law is active, to accommodate communist China – then Buddhism foremost will no longer have a place in the Sri Lankan Constitution. The king virus facilitated this exit of Buddhism.

 

As per the fundamentals of Buddhism – Lord Buddha consumed food given as act of Service by the householders. Hence economic prosperity beyond that does not deserve to be protected by Buddhist sovereignty which is largely for the poor person.