Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

29 October   2016

Happy Deepavali to Buddhists Also 

‘We are ignorant that we are ignorant’ – Dr. David Garlic – the founder of UNSW Sports Medicine

Param and I were watching Kakka Kakka Tamil TV Serial – episode 44 of 26 October 2016. I became more focused when it came to Thiruchendur Temple history being narrated by an elder to a Diaspora youth whose family according to that story migrated to Sri Lanka from India. The narration  was about soldiers of Colonial Rulers damaging Thiruchendur temple and throwing the statues from the altar into the sea. I had already written about this on 20 October – under the subject heading - Indian Protection for Lankan Hindus. I was appreciative of the ‘timing’ which confirmed my belief in Lord Muruga.  Of special interest to me was that the elder was stating that the waves of Tsunami 2004 had actually receded into the sea and that they did not damage this temple. Today I looked it up  and found that this was reported as follows by Hinduism Today Magazine – published by Kauai's Hindu Monastery – a monastery based on the teachings and discoveries by Saint Yoga Swami of  Nallur Jaffna:

Tsunami Updates: Rameshwaram and Tiruchendur Temples; Sri Lanka News Coverage

on 2004/12/31 8:49:02 

KAUAI, HAWAII, December 30, 2004: HPI received a report from S. V. Chandraamogan of Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu stating that the Rameshwaram temple and the Tiruchendur Lord Murugan temple were both undamaged in the tsunami, being in the shadow of Sri Lanka from the waves. In both areas, he said, the sea water drew back a kilometer from the shoreline, but there was no wave, and no casualties.

The reason why this Tsunami connection was important to me was that I myself ended up working to serve Tsunami victims in Eastern Sri Lanka, on to the invitation from American Patrick Harrigan , closely associated with Kathirgama/Kataragama Murugan. My partner in that project – Julia Hall is associated with the Kauai Monastery. I have included Patrick’s valuation as follows in my book ‘Naan Australian’/ I am Australian:

[I discovered that Body, Mind & Soul in the language  of ‘work’ is ‘Money, People & Ownership’.  The Seen, the Thought and the Felt. ‘Small body, big heart and great mind’  is the introduction I like best identifying with’ about myself. It came from an Australian academic. This academic said it in his natural environment but failed to uphold it at the wider/higher levels. I concluded that those wider/higher levels were not part of his natural world.  Some Sinhalese in public forums (for example Lankanewspapers.com)  have declared that they find me physically unattractive. Around the same time Tamils in public forms (for example Unarvukal.com) declared that I was good looking and that I was a renowned Tamil. To me both were driven by emotions. Sinhalese went mostly by the following picture published  on the internet by Patrick Harrigan – an American Religious Scholar living in Sri Lanka and helping the needy:

Living Heritage tsunami relief volunteers

Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam of Australia

(Living Heritage Project Manager in Mankerny, at left)

 and Mankerny Project Coordinator Julie Hall of USA (right).

Patrick wrote to international investors in Sri Lanka  ‘The Living Heritage Trust is very fortunate to have great friends and supporters, including some really talented and motivated volunteers. But among all these volunteers, one stands out from all the rest in terms of sheer drive, energy, and commitment. Gaja Lakshmi Tsunami Paramasivam, now Project Manager at our Mankerny site, despite her petite frame, packs more power than any three football players combined, and brings with her long experience working in Jaffna with the Tamil Relief Organization even before the tsunami struck. Thanks to a circle of supporters in Michigan, led by Natalie Hall, we were able to equip Gaja with a brand new notebook computer to take into the field at Mankerny, a remote coastal village north of Valaichchenai in Batticaloa district whose residents, some 400 families of indigenous Tamil speaking Veddas, nearly all lost their homes and livelihoods in the tsunami. We have selected the Mankerny Veddas as the community we hope to rebuild with your support, starting with the first indigenous style model dwelling now under construction there as part of a larger project to support, rebuild and reinvigorate indigenous Vedda communities on the east coast. Mankerny has no electricity, so it is a marvel that Gaja Lakshmi and her colleague, fellow volunteer Julia Hall of USA, have been able to accomplish so much there under primitive conditions in the refugee camp, and yet somehow continue to turn out professional reports not only about our Mankerny project but also about another project in Pala Munai (Kalladi) near Batticaloa town as well. Rather than pre-empt Gaja’s reports, we are going to attach them for you to read at your leisure. You will immediately notice the professional approach that Gaja and Julia have brought to our work in Mankerny, which hitherto had consisted of my occasional visits, including 18 annual pada yatra foot pilgrimages through Mankerny, whose poverty never prevented the Mankerny folks from feeding the multitude of pilgrims on their long trek to Kataragama. Gaja’s style also tells you something about her motivation in wishing to serve the poorest devotees of the inscrutable god of Kataragama, Lord Skanda-Murugan ]

I feel overawed by the timing when information seem to come to me. In my above mentioned article of 20 October I wrote also as follows:

[“Rita Izsák-Ndiaye also stated that the foundation for people coexisting is laid out in the constitution and must therefore be adhered to.” – News Radio,  Sri Lanka, 19 October 2016

As per the latest order by the UN through the above representative – ‘Buddhism Foremost’ which is clearly spelt out in Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution is part of the foundation for people coexisting in Sri Lanka. In 2013, the UN called on Iran to exercise the Freedom of Religion. But in 2016 – the same UN Representative is effectively ordering Sri Lanka’s minority religions to ‘coexist’ despite Buddhism being afforded foremost place in the Constitution. ]

Yesterday, in response to my article ‘Law & Order or Terrorism?’ Mr Nanda Godage who as per my knowledge is of Sinhalese Buddhist origin wrote:

[Thank you for sharing this with me --- kind regards --K Godage Ps --Please keep writing]

I felt deeply touched and read my article again as if  both of us were experiencing the sharing in common.

Then when I read Sri Lankan News again - there it was – the reference to the much awaited focus by the UN on Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution through a write-up by an American Academic of Sri Lankan origin – Dr. Asoka Bandarage, published by Colombo Telegraph:

United Nations Special Rapporteur On Minority Issues: Statement On Sri Lanka

[The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues,  Rita Izsak-Ndiaye released a Statement on Sri Lanka on October 20, 2016 following a ten day visit to the island. Representing the position of the ‘international community’,  her Statement identifies  ‘Sinhala-Buddhist majoritarian leadership’ as the main reason behind minority grievances and Sri Lanka’s ‘long civil war’. The Rapporteur expresses fears that keeping Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution which refers to the primacy of Buddhism, ‘could lead to further suppression of and discrimination against minority religions and communities’.]

Yesterday was the first time I had knowledge of the above report by the UN Representative. The report obviously was published earlier. But it came to me – the person who needed the experience, yesterday when my mind was ready to receive it together with another  common medium from the other side. To my mind, one of the forces so influencing came through the appreciation expressed by Mr. Godage. Ms Rita Izsak-Ndiaye releasing her report was no coincidence to me. It helped me ‘complete’ my own picture of belief that the system of Truth supports me when I need the support and am ready to use the support effectively – even though I may not be conscious of it.  With this inner confidence – I kept reading Dr. Bandarage’s own mind through her article in which the lady states:

[The mandate of the U.N. Rapporteur on Minority Issues is to ‘promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities’, is a laudable one. This mandate, however, does not grant the Rapporteur freedom to curtail the rights of those belonging to majority communities using conceptually and factually flawed approaches ]

As an Academic – Dr. Bandarage would appreciate that a theory to be valid needs to be self-balancing. If therefore Dr. Bandarage considers the UN Policy which empowers this mandate to be laudable,  Dr. Bandarage  the academic accepts that the policy / theory is valid at global level. What right is the UN Rapporteur entitled to expect on behalf of minorities on the basis of ethnicity, religion and/or language?  Explaining  her own interpretation, Dr. Bandarage states:

[ For instance, although Article 9 the Sri Lankan Constitution gives ‘foremost place’ to Buddhism (the religion of 70% of the island’s population) and refers to the duty of the state to protect and foster Buddhism, Article 10 asserts that “Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice”.]

Both of the above – Articles 9 and 10 to be valid –  require for  all non-Buddhist religions in Sri Lanka to be junior religions to Buddhism and their freedom depends on Buddhists enjoying freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The entitlement to seniority is being taken through Article 9, on the basis of physical majority and not on the basis of higher mental value. A law to qualify as law needs to see both sides of the physical at the same time which requires aerial view. Towards this the physical needs to be lifted to the mental level by taking Equal  physical values as  consolidated One Value. Otherwise it does not qualify as law but a mere expression of one sided expectation. When used it would breed injustice. Article 9 by its very existence in the Constitution of Sri Lanka – confirms the fears of majority which manifests from time to time as suppression of minorities. If not for Tamils of Tamil Nadu – with a population of over 72 million, compared to Sri Lanka’s total of  20.3 million – coupled with this consciousness of  physical power, article 9 is not likely have been included in the Constitution. Article 9 confirms the fear of Buddhists that Hindus of India would overpower them. If they were true Buddhists they would have known that Truth is a Universal Power that would naturally come to their contribution to keep Sri Lanka Sovereign.

Out of Body, Mind and Soul – Belief confirms Soul Power.  It is above all Human laws but will include all just Human Laws. If Article 9 were based on the belief of Buddhism being the leading power it would be valid if the total value  of the investment by Buddhists at  ‘Belief level’ through the Buddhist pathway is greater than the total value of the investment by non-Buddhists through their own religions. This value is calculated through the seen (physical) and the known (mental through common measures).

Taken merely at the physical level – we need to use either the Time based majority OR  place based majority. The subjective system where seniority is calculated on the basis of age / time – is the Hierarchical system of Autocracy to structure  which there needs to be at least one senior and one junior – given that time is not visible on its own. Under the objective system of Democracy – the measure is physically visible space/numbers but because it is visible it has no invisible powers as in seniority. It is only bigger/larger and that component obviously is the most visible on its own rights. Those who read at the physical level only – would be influenced by this.  But this cannot be raised to the level of Law – unless one or more citizens without portfolio – establish that as their Truth within that country. Lord Buddha was not Lankan and hence Sri Lanka is limited to legalizing theories common with those beyond its borders to measure and allocate rights and wrongs in the pathway to realizing Peace.

To allocate vertically higher value to influence the power of the mind / brain – one needs to lose consciousness of the physical element by either converting the extra into mental powers (as in fasting) and/or  subdivide until it becomes equal to another space or group of smaller size (as in electorates). Where this is difficult – and those in the smaller space/group have done more mental work there needs to be separation of powers. If that also does not work – then there needs to be separation of space/groups on the basis of their belief established through another pathway to that of the majority.

Given that Truth is the destination of all valid laws/theories – Truth when disintegrated at mental level would show laws/theories that are self-balancing. On time basis – a subject would enjoy work and enjoyment alternately. One who enjoys first and earns later – has to pay more due to time delay and v.v. Hence mothers enjoy parenthood more than fathers.

 On space basis the two need to be produced at the same time, with the outcomes being visible to the whole.  Where there is a higher person common to the two sides – such a person would be of higher mind than the two being measured. To be just – that higher person needs to be at the same height from one as with the other. Until then such a person would tend to use the easy pathway to rule in favor of the side closest to her/him – especially when one gets rid of ‘supervisors’.

In Western nations, democracy was facilitated by seniors by age, accepting their own children as equals. They preferred this to suffering due to juniors moving totally away from ‘home’ when they had financial freedom. Here in Australia, religion was one of the avenues through which Subjective powers were ‘taken’. To the extent the then juniors accepted this but did not themselves get the opportunity to become Seniors by age only – one of the following would have happened:

1)      They accepted it by sacrificing their entitlements OR

2)      Rejected the seniors by keeping the memory active in relation to the costs they the juniors paid.

Those who sacrificed, got in return Belief of the whole relationship at the level of the higher contributor. Those who carried forward the memory beyond the valid time and/or space – would have become reverse discriminators if they stayed within the same space or had higher status than those senior to them in age in a new space. Where this does not happen because there is no way out – they become depressed or frivolous through hallucination.

Those driven by physical numbers have to sacrifice more than those driven by mental influence. Under the hierarchical system the mind of the senior includes the mind of the junior due to the combined effect of Responsibility and Surrender respectively. The Senior who does this due to true Love / Belief in Commonness/Heritage – clears the junior’s mind of the unwanted – and thus becomes one-minded. Where the junior has strong Love/Belief – the junior surrenders to the senior – and has her/his mind connect to the mind of the senior and carries the consolidated value wherever s/he goes. But to become Belief – this Seniority should not be taken over by anyone else. If it is mere submission it would amount to compromise and that Seniority would be exercised  over person who appears to carry lower position or is known to carry lower position through a particular law. To qualify as belief -  the entitlement/benefit cannot be re-invoked  by that person . For example Dr. Bandarage who has taken her Buddhist mind with her to America, is taking authority over the UN Rapporteur  through Sri Lankan Constitution instead of the Global Principle of Equality. As an Academic carrying Western certificates – I expect the lady to ‘quote’ her source or use fundamental principles from zero base - when presenting to the wider Public.

Dr. Bandarage states:

[Unlike most other pluralistic countries in the world, Sri Lanka has Cabinet level Ministries each to protect and foster Hindu, Islamic and Christian Affairs in addition to Buddhism. The critics of Article 9, including the U.N. Rapporteur, fail to acknowledge that Article 9 has not prevented Sri Lanka from allowing widespread Christian evangelical and Islamic Wahabi  proselytization and conversion which are not permitted in Islamic and many other nations. In contrast, international attempts to sever the historical link between Buddhism and the Sri Lankan state, is sowing seeds of disharmony, aggravating tensions, resistance and inter-religious conflict]

Not all laws are practiced nor are all discovered Truths, legislated. With much of Sri Lankan Laws – the source is not Buddhist philosophy but Roman-Dutch as well as English philosophy. By repeatedly using their fight against colonization – those who did so – have categorized themselves into group (2) above. As those who are versed in Prescriptive Rights would know – Title through physical possession needs to be continuous and uninterrupted over a given period. When Colonial rule is treated as ‘foreign’ rule – one loses the claim of entitlement through physical occupation over long uninterrupted period. Where on the other hand, minorities more accepting of Colonial Rule – for example Tamils, Muslims and Burghers – included those rulers also as their seniors – they have greater right to Prescriptive Title by accepting the difficulties as discipline. Hence they are more likely to be connected to the minds of those Communities than are those who reject that period.

This breeds ‘fear’ due to the memory of colonization at physical level only. Hence the fear of Indian invasion as well as Muslim and Western invasion. The parallel here in Australia at People’s level is  Muslim invasion due to Indonesia and Malaysia. This habitual fear prevails also with Tamil Only claimants within the Tamil Community against Westerners and Middle Easterners. Thanks to the proximity to Tamil Nadu – this ‘invasion’ fear is not present in most Tamil minds. This fear is brought out as follows by Dr. Bandarage:

[A Tamil politician was appointed as the Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition even though his Tamil National Alliance party won only 16 seats as opposed to the much larger number of seats gained by the United People’s Freedom Alliance of the Sinhalese.]

The Laws of Democratic Elections require a group to be distinctly Diverse in its form as woman is to man - to be eligible for the position of Equal Opposition. Wikipedia reports as follows about last year’s Sri Lankan elections:

1.      The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Amaraweera is the general secretary of UPFA. 

2.      The 2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election was held on 17 August 2015, ten months ahead of schedule, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 15th Parliament. The incumbent United National Party (UNP) led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) won 106 seats, an increase of 46 since the 2010 election, but failed to secure a majority in Parliament.  The main opposition United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won 95 seats, a decline of 49.  The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest party representing Sri Lankan Tamils, won 16 seats, an increase of two from 2010.  The remaining eight seats were won by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (6), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (1) and Eelam People's Democratic Party (1). Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the UNFGG and UNP, was able to form a national government with the support of UPFA MPs loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena.

No party had the simple majority of  at least 1 to become eligible to form Government. Had UPFA formed its own coalition – it would still have had only 101 seats out of the 113 needed to form government and with Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and Tamil EPDP they would have formed at best a coalition of 103. Given that there was an opportunity to join the Government under the excuse of  the new formation – some crossed over. The form – like in Sinhalese majority - is UNP due to majority  members being of that party. UPFA members thus lost their identity as UPFA. But legally they remained UPFA and this disqualified the UPFA from become the Leading Opposition.

By retaining their Diversity – TNA won that position. It was NOT appointed on merit. In 1977 – TNA’s predecessor TULF was the second highest scorer and hence won the position. But the then Government brought about legislation to deny that Diversity and therefore Equal status – and Tamil leaders resigned. This time – they have wider world’s support to stay in that position. This support has become possible only due to  Natural Forces of Belief through Tamils investing in Global Values more than Sinhalese and more than they did in 1977, keeping the uninterrupted connection with cultural Ancestors through their acceptance of Colonial minds also. Forces of Nature facilitated this through migration. The role of LTTE in this was to keep the official armed forces away and also to prevent compromise and acceptance of lower standards of their parallels in Government. The LTTE was ruthless when it opposed but there was order and that can come only from common mind within their group. This LTTE mind lives on and could be quickly invoked especially in those who do not know of any other alternative but Tamil leadership.

Often Hindus are found fault with for abusing caste system. Whenever I noticed those in my ‘class / caste’ using that I resisted it expressly – including with my father. But after living in Thunaivi – a village of Toddy Tapper caste – I realized that many of them carried genuine respect for those in the higher caste. I found them thinking at the higher level than the cleverer youth amongst them who failed to carry that connection and whose family elders practiced separation and isolation – so they had the ‘senior’ positions in the isolated group. It’s these youth who became ruthless within LTTE. They did take orders from LTTE Leadership but resisted higher caste within LTTE. There were others in LTTE who accepted new leadership as per secular system and they added health to the Common mind. Youth from higher caste families whose minds could not project ahead to hope for return of their investment in seniority – took advantage of the LTTE positions and to the extent they accepted  LTTE rules – they became even in their mind through exercise of status over juniors within LTTE. Even now, some young ones say to me when they talk to me freely – that they were attracted to LTTE because of the Order in the Authority carried by them.

To the extent LTTE was orderly -  it has rendered Diversity in the armed forces also. Until now – they have remained a clever and more orderly army at the lower levels, than the official army. The more disciplined they are and the stronger their habit of taking order from Intellectuals becomes – they would become a Diverse and more Respectable Army than the official Army.

It is for these reasons that juniors need to be facilitated to share their Truth. Alternate policies take us downwards – as is the case with Sri Lanka at the global level.

Becoming Equal through Truth is already the case with Hindu religion which as per my knowledge is senior by age also to Buddhism as it is practiced in Sri Lanka. Such religious minorities who Believe – will Naturally invoke Divine powers to defeat again and again – the less faithful. Towards this borders will be removed by natural forces to redefine Sovereign Borders as per Truth. Belief is Truth and Truth is exponential in value. It does not recognize any laws other than Its own, leave alone numbers that render mere volume. Dr.  Bandarage is a clear example of using Buddha’s name to support Ravanas in Sri Lanka. Where Buddha is the leader as spelt out at the physical level the Land Includes India.  The Law is not true of  Sri Lanka when applied  at the physical level only.

Like the Buddhist Clergy-Politicians who worship Buddha at physical level - Ravana – the king of Lanka used physical powers to rule.  Rama renounced His status as Heir to the Throne – and with that he disconnected with the wrongs of his father’s past that would have become sins if they had not been corrected during the time his father was in power. Rama thus protected His dignity and the real eligibility to be good King/Governor. When Rama went from India to Discipline Ravana of  Lanka – He went without any official portfolio. To my mind, had Rama gone as King – Ravana would have been defeated but Ravana would not have transformed himself before dying in the Land of Lanka.

Given that Lord Buddha renounced his throne – he is of Rama’s group and not Ravanas group. Yet, Ravana groups are growing amongst Sinhalese who are being Traitors to Buddhism. Every Buddhist in the armed forces has the duty to use her/his powers through Secular laws and leave the weapons within the official premises and the times they are bound by the Secular laws. This did not happen during the wars against minorities. Hence they are all Ravana followers and not Buddhists. Administrators who protect them are also being disloyal to Buddhism.

Tomorrow is the Hindu festival of Deepavali – the Festival of Light / Wisdom by  Truth killing the Demon Asura representing  attachment to the Physical. Happy Deepavali to all those who value Truth and Blessings to all those who have the potential to seek and find Truth.