Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

11 October   2016

Not in My Name Says Buddha

Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution requires:

[ The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).]

Majority within the Tamil Community of Sri Lanka are Hindus. To deliver as per Articles 9,10 and 14(1)(e ) – a Government needs Separation between religions. All three cannot be upheld at the same time without Separation on the basis of religion. The Constitution is the Soul of a Nation and it needs to be faultless. Hence we are entitled to Separation as Ordered by the Constitution itself. Mr. Wigneswaran, the Chief Minister of Northern Sri Lanka, had the moral duty to use his wisdom in the Constitution to demand on behalf of his Province – Separation of the way religious issues were managed through Hindu pathway. Instead he chose the more sensational political pathway through the ‘Arise Tamils’ rally. Had he used the Judicial pathway – he would have not feared threats to his life.

As per the adaderana.lk news report:

[Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Minister Mano Ganesan should be arrested, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila says.

The observation was made while speaking at a press conference held in Colombo this afternoon (10).

He pointed out the reconciliation process has come to an abrupt end in Sri Lanka due to disputes between Kumaratunga and Ganesan.]

The above leader is closely associated with Buddhist clergy and is likely to be associated with a Buddhist Government, by the average Buddhist who is ignorant of the deeper values of Buddha. As per my knowledge – Lord Buddha personified renunciation of lowly pleasures to be happy.

What would Buddha have said about the conflict between the former President and the Hon Mano Ganesan – a Hindu? The former being a Buddhist and the latter being a Hindu – he would have asked them to not indiscriminately mix their pathways but to find their own Truth by looking within.

As per the Island report headed ‘President won’t do anything inimical to Buddha Sasana’:

[President Maithripala Sirisena attending a Buddhist religious ceremony at Kurukude Ancient Vihare in Peradeniya on Tuesday (04) afternoon assured that his government would never take any final decisions with regard to Buddha Sasana that would lead to disagreement, dispute or dissension among the Sangha. Any such decision would be taken only with the blessings of the Sangha led by the Mahanayake Theras.

…..Addressing the meeting chaired by the Most Venerable Mahanayaka of Asgiriya, Warakagoda Sri Gnanaratana Thera, President Sirisena said that the government had not presented the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance with amendments as some members of the Sangha were opposed to it. The ‘dayaka’ sabha should be capable of providing the necessary requirements of the vihares. The responsibility of a government was to assist the organisations committed genuinely to developing the abodes of the Sangha, he said.

The President attributed the misuse of modern technological development to the rising incidence of crime, drugs, murder,  sex abuse and other evils in society.

President Sirisena also found fault with a sections of the media for false and malicious publications.

He paid a tribute to late Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandarnaike for his service to the people, the Sangha and the country at large amidst numerous challenges and obstructions.]

The part that was most illogical to my mind was about SWRD – about  whose death – the Wikipedia reports as follows:

[In his fourth year in office he died on 26 September 1959, aged 60, at the Merchant's Ward of the Colombo General Hospital due to wounds received after being shot by Talduwe Somarama, a Buddhist monk.

The previous day, 25 September, Somarama had visited Bandaranaike at his private residence, Tintagel, in Rosmead Place,Colombo. Since Somarama appeared to be a member of the Buddhist clergy, he was not searched for weapons and given free access to the prime minister as he began his routine meetings with the public. When the Somarama's presence was intimated to him, Bandaranaike rose to greet him in the traditional Buddhist manner. The assassin then plucked out the revolver hidden in his robes and fired at the prostrate prime minister. The wounded Bandaranaike was rushed to hospital but died the following day despite six hours of surgery by Ceylon's most skilled surgeons]

Had the President been independent of the Buddhist clergy – he would have identified through the above example, with the dangers in allocating unearned authority to Buddhist clergy who ought to need no authority through a Secular system that the position of Prime Minister is part of. A true Buddhist will make do with the little s/he has. The family of the Hon S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike did not take him to a Buddhist institution but to the Secular institution during their time of need. This ‘Do as I say and not as I do’ attitude which was given life recently by the current President whose advisor is the daughter of the Hon S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, has also contributed to the true Buddhist manifesting the Truth – not only through the above abuser of Buddhism – Mr. Udaya Gammanpila, but also the President  himself. Even one person who practices Article 9 or 10 and/or  14 (1) (e ) has the power to invoke Buddha powers to punish. I know I am one and hence my insight into the deeper cause.

As per Colombo Page Report under the heading ‘ Sri Lankan President's son implicated in night club brawl’ :

[Oct 09, Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's son Daham Sirisena has been implicated in a night club attack in early hours of yesterday when a group allegedly led by him attacked Club Clique, injuring one guard and damaging the club.

According to local media reports, the incident occurred when Daham Sirisena along with the Presidential Security Division Personnel and a few others were denied entry to the night club at around 2 a.m. yesterday.

They have reportedly returned later, armed with sticks, and attacked the security guards and vandalized the premises. One security guard was injured and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with head injuries.

Meanwhile, Colombo Telegraph said it has obtained and released the CCTV Video footage of the attack on Clique Night Club.]

My mind immediately recalled the cause of the above as the President himself – when he took his son with him to the UN.   One of Gandhi’s sons was also found to be vastly different to Gandhi. But Gandhi did not share his Public status with his children. Like Buddha, he renounced such authority so he did not have any to sacrifice. Through the above incident itself the President ought to have known that his powers as President needed to be separated from his powers as a Parent. Had he learnt his lesson through that experience - he would have refrained from expressing his assurance of power as President to the Buddhist clergy – because his Secular Status would have been Equally important as any religious status or the two were separated in terms of Time and Place – so there was no risk of relativity.

According to ITN news – the Prime Minister has stated yesterday ‘Buddha Sasana is being protected not by words but through deeds’. One who does not know exactly what Buddha Sasana says, would conclude in regards to the deeds of the first family – that nightclub activities are acceptable to a true Buddhist and if such were denied it is quite in order to attack those who denied access.  Now, that is an insult to the Buddhist clergy primarily responsible to groom Buddhists.

The current President’s mind order seems to flow from that of his guru – S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who is reported to have stated :

[S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike: Well, when our country became independent, naturally the question aroused... of national language. superseding English as the official language of the country. Sinhalese, we decided upon, as the official language, because 70% of the people of Ceylon are Sinhalese. At the same time, we naturally realized that the Tamil minority had a language that was also old, very rich language, literature... so on, and therefore we decided, also, to give a reasonable use to the Tamil language, as a language of a national minority. In such matters, and education, examinations, and the public service, and so on: We fear that that is the fairest way, for a problem to be settled.] Wikimedia

Given that the then Prime Minister acknowledged that Tamil was old and rich, it ought to have been recognized as one of Equal status and hence no one can ‘give’ authority. It is an earned entitlement. Likewise, that of non-Buddhist religions. By keeping on repeating that Buddhism is foremost – both Sri Lankan leaders are exposing their own insecurities in relation to Secular system. In addition they are also eliminating Buddha from their minds. Those who use the name of a leader without connecting to the Truth discovered and shared by that leader – are actually disrespectful of that leader. The consequence is that Buddha Energy manifests the Truth through one who is more connected to her/his own Truth through any pathway in that area. I know this through my own experience – when I seek Buddha to guide me in predominantly Buddhist areas – including Government Ministries carrying Buddha statues.

All reliable religions lead to Truth. The secular pathway is also a religion. If Buddhism is allocated a particular status by a leader who got the authority to lead through the secular pathway – it means that to such leaders their religion lacks the ability to stand on its own rights – as per the practice by the people particular to that area. In this instance the President’s son has shown in action that he was less committed to Buddha’s pathway and was more comfortable with  the Secular pathway. But his father was preaching that Buddhist pathway was the highest pathway particular to Sri Lanka. The son who uses the Security personnel as per his father’s authority acquired through the secular position – has no authority to Buddhist status. Perhaps the son is not really interested either – especially after he has had a taste of UN pleasures through that joyride.

This kind of disorderly leadership carries the risk of mental illness in those who blindly follow such leaders.