Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

02 April 2017

India’s Sai Baba, Jaffna’s Yoga Swami, Kandy’s Saint?

The other day at the gathering of Tamil Seniors here in Sydney I introduced Mr. Shiva Pasupati, former Attorney General of Sri Lanka, to a younger senior lady lawyer. My expectations as per my cultural mind-structure was for the lady to be happy to meet such a leader in person. But the lady did not even stand up despite all others in that group standing up. After Mr. Pasupati left the group I asked this lady whom I met that day for the second time – as to why she did not stand up? The lady promptly said that she was taught that ladies don’t stand up!!!!  I said to her that was Peethal Paranghi / Broken English culture. It is significant to know that this lady is a Catholic and that she did not practice law here in Australia. The lady is of Jaffna Tamil origin. If the lady had been a practicing Hindu of Jaffna – or if she had attributed credit to her legal profession of Sri Lanka for at least part of her current social status – the lady would have recognized Mr. Shiva Pasupati as her senior and shown respect. As per my interpretation – ladies are taken to be seniors until known otherwise and hence like the queen they did not standup to shake hands when introduced. I concluded that this lady had profited from the war and hence her migration to Australia. The lady herself did not have a firm structure through which to regulate her thoughts, words and actions. Hindus of Jaffna would pay their respects to Pasupati family and in Sydney particularly to Mrs. Isha Pasupati and Mr. Samy Pasupati who have been leading the activities of honoring Saint Yoga Swami of Jaffna. This is a strong foundation on which the Hindu Community of Sydney comes together through common Sri Lankan heritage.

Similarly Indian Guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba who is celebrated including by Christians and Buddhists all over the world. I have knowledge that most Buddhists of Sri Lanka commonly mention the Mahavamsa as the source of the Buddhist mind-structure but I have no knowledge of a Common Buddhist leader of Sri Lanka, accepted beyond her/his local area. Mr. Upali Cooray states in his Colombo Telegraph article ‘Sinhala-Buddhist Culture & Reconciliation’:

[The “Mahavamsa” or the Great Chronicle is said to be the main cause for “Sinhala Buddhist mentality” of the majority community which is supposed to have conditioned the Sinhala mind about their culture.

Mahavamsa which is not a part of Buddhist scriptures such as the Tripitaka. It is a poetic narration of Sri Lanka’s history by the Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Mahanama who lived in Maha Vihara Anuradhapura in late fifth or early sixth century. Naturally a Buddhist priest is inclined to give buddhism a prominent position though it is a chronicle on history of Sri Lanka he was compiling. Therefore It is not unusual for the chronicler to creatively include substantial fictional and mythical features but what is important here is many of the socio-political historical facts written in Mahavamsa have been established correct by other supporting evidence such as Epigraphs, and other historical data discovered locally and in India. The edicts of Asoka are the oldest, best preserved most accurately dated epigraphic records of India. The mystery of these epigraphs was unveiled by James Prinsep in 1837 who deciphered the asokan Brahmi scripts of epigraphs and identified King “Piyadassi”of the edicts with king Asoka on the testimony of Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa, in which the title Piyadassi was given to Asoka. There are many more such instances where Mahavamsa has been used to authenticate historical data discovered in India as well as Sri Lanka. ]

In other words, majority Buddhists of Sri Lanka do not separate Politics from religion.

It is important for us to note this at this juncture when the opinion of Tamil Political leader in National Parliament is reported by the Nation under the following heading:

‘Power sharing within a united, undivided, indivisible country – Sumanthiran’

Mr. Sumanthiran states during the interview:

[On the question of foreign judges, the wording in the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka adopted on 2015 October 1, is very clear. It has separate categories including judges, prosecutors, lawyers including defence counsels and investigators.

Internationals are not mentioned in the said Resolution in the capacity of consultants or as those providing technical assistance. If the latter was the case, the Resolution would state such. The roles are instead specified. Any intelligent person can read and understand it. Sri Lanka co-sponsored the said Resolution not once, but twice. The second time involves the UNHRC Resolution 34/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. Both contain the same words. Whatever that is said by anyone to the contrary, outside the process, elsewhere, the two Resolutions, commitments are given to the world.]

The essence of the above Resolution could become part of UN’s Constitution. A reliable Constitution is a combination of who we have truly been until now and where we aim to be on the basis of our abilities and commitment to commonness.

To the average person, Reconciliation is the process through which one side understands why the other side did what it did, to produce ‘different outcomes’. The respective side’s outcomes when produced without supervision by any other would confirm their true Constitution.

The precondition is for each side to present their outcomes independent of the other and share why they did what they did when there is difference in outcomes produced under the same principles.  Towards this the two sides are taken to be ‘independent’ of each other, until known otherwise. Once known otherwise – the two become Unitary in structure and there can be no room for reconciliation. They are marked right and wrong under the one structure. The parties concerned become relatives and the  side that gets more rights becomes the Senior. When there is difference in interpretation, Senior’s interpretation is taken as right.  Where the principles are not the same then we are foreigners to each other – even when living within one territory.

Under a unitary state structure – two nations structure within one country is not possible. The simplest example through which we could relate to this is our own families. Under Unitary structure – the oldest couple / parent remains the common head of the family. The likes of Sathya Sai Baba and Yoga Swami are such examples of Hindu leadership in the Indian Subcontinent. The Hindu leaders in Thiruketheesawaram in Northern Sri Lanka state that the orders for their Catholic/Christian  parallels come from the Vatican. To them there is no local Catholic/Christian  leadership to provide subjective  leadership. I once read someone’s report that Chief Minister Wigneswaran’s instructions came from Australia!

Where children show outcomes independent of the parents – as the above lady demonstrated – it places a ceiling on the subjective leadership for that group – as happened in Sri Lanka through JVP in South and LTTE in North. In families – especially migrant families where the parents are ‘attached’ to their past – children often show independent outcomes – especially where they are ‘ambitious’ to be leaders in the new world. Where parents also appreciate this and keep their distance – the outcomes would be reconciled where the two outcomes are vastly diverse. That is the way of harmonious coexistence even though the two may seem as one family on the outside. Once children start producing their own outcomes independent of the parents – they become Equal and different to that extent. Parents who are attached to their past benefits would tend to cling to their old status and infuse fear in their children that they – the children would not get the full credit for their contribution – especially to the new culture that they are now part of. The solution is independence at the earned level.

This requires also some degree of separation at the physical level because seniors are likely to get hurt if disrespected by the juniors who are now independent due to producing their own independent outcomes without any reference to the seniors. When such seniors are killed / suppressed (mentally and / or physically) by juniors – it becomes a curse on the unit. When we as a community attribute credit to those who developed higher mind structures, we offset the effects of such curse. That is the significance of religion that is self-sufficient / sovereign in that part of the world during a particular period.

Through religious pathway, India of our period showed Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Jaffna showed Saint Yoga Swami. The more we surrender our earnings (money and status) to them the more we offset the effects of this ‘curse’. In Politics India has Gandhi during our period. Sri Lankans in Common have not identified such a leader.  Mr. Sumanthiran’s Political group has Mr. SJV Chelvanayagam as their Spiritual leader. But there is often no attribution  to this leader to confirm the subjective pathway. Effectively therefore the above statements by Mr. Sumanthiran are about his own cleverness. They do not invoke the power of those who sacrificed in their own way for ‘independence’.

Sacrifice of what we believe to be ours results in automatic development of Common structure that is available to all those who are bound to us by Common faith. Such common structures are the true bases that produce the laws that connect one part of the structure with another – and these connections are  known as relationships. Those who practice those laws would naturally work the system through the consolidated value of all those who contributed positively to that system.

Those who produce their own outcomes and have taken on leadership authority, are not entitled to lead the groups that follow the older leaders. The two are separated by time/age and are independents. Mr. Sumanthiran therefore has no authority to speak on behalf of  those who consciously or otherwise accepted LTTE leadership:

[The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) confirmed that they would guarantee a significant contribution from the Diaspora in terms of investments in the country’s economy, if the new Constitution solved the Tamil issue and restored confidence in Sri Lanka. TNA MP, Attorney-at-Law M.A. Sumanthiran made these statements in an interview given to the Nation. He further added that the Diaspora was keen in doing so.] – Nation article - TAMILS AWAIT THEIR DAY – SUMANTHIRAN

Mr. Sumanthiran is officially not a member of the Diaspora. Hence he does not have the right to speak on behalf of the Diaspora, except as part of global community including through religion. Those of us independent of the TNA and other Political groups have been investing in Sri Lanka for a long time – including during the war – through the gaps created by ceasefire – official or unofficial. Family  uses barter system and not money. A Family that users money / economy as the yardstick – confirms lack of Commonness.

 Investment  of money without policy is Expenditure and would lead to disorder – not only through young ones but seniors who now have more money in their hands than they did back in Sri Lanka and hence disturb the old structure through which we invested to become who we are today. Many of these seniors in the Diaspora would try to be the bosses of Sri Lankans of their age or even older than they. If the monies are invested through structures that fail to demonstrate global standards – they would form coalitions of disorderly structures in Sri Lanka – including within Government circles. The Lycamobile saga in which Indian cinema superstar Rajinikanth was involved in relation to housing aid is an outstanding example of such disorderliness. As per the latest news -  Lycamobile is suing Sri Lankan Member of Parliament – the Hon Charles Nirmalanathan for linking Lycamobile with former President of Sri Lanka – the Hon Mahinda Rajapaksa. As a politician representing Vanni District in National Parliament, the Hon Charles Nirmalanathan is entitled to express his belief on behalf of his people. Given that Mr. Rajapaksa is also an elected member of National Parliament – such links could be classified as baseless but not defamatory. If on the other hand one was linked to the LTTE which is officially classified as a Terrorist organization – and it is not factual – as has happened to me many times – especially by Sinhalese – then there would be grounds for defamation. Then again there are jurisdictional issues where the statements were made in an area not covered by the jurisdiction of judges – as in the case of ‘foreign judges in relation to war-crimes’. Yet during his interview with Nation Mr. Sumanthiran failed to take a stand on this:

 Q: There have been various views on the cancellation of the visit to Sri Lanka of actor, Rajinikanth. What is your view?

A : I have no thoughts on this matter. It has nothing to do with our politics.

If the above is a true reflection of Mr. Sumanthiran’s mind – then money brought into Sri Lanka through Mr. Sumanthiran’s influence – is likely to be without a common base. Post war housing construction is very much a Political issue. Easy money often promotes disorder due to wrong leadership.

The example that comes to mind is that of my sister in law who was primarily a home-maker and left it to me and my husband to sponsor her family to Australia, but wrote directly to Barclays Bank in London on the basis that she was the eldest who took her mother’s place when the mother passed away. The lady did not attribute credit to her father who was the one who made the sacrifices to develop that family’s structure. Also – during that time – responsibilities of sons and daughters were separated and a daughter cannot claim status over a son in ‘External status’ issues. Even mothers do not have that authority beyond the local family borders.

As per the local laws of Thesawalamai that the family is bound by – the sons inherit the father’s position to represent the family. But this home-maker overrode that protocol once she had Australian pension in her hands. This happens when our conduct is outcome based – as in majority power. That is animal / asura culture which is also within us. So long as we stay within those boundaries – and not damage higher structures through majority power – we would not invoke the curses of saints.

The reason for excessive, unjust use of majority power is indicated to be in the genes of majority race in Sri Lanka and those who reacted to them. Mr. Upali Cooray reveals this as follows:

[I was watching in dismay the other day, how one of the participants on a TV talk show analysing the well known story, the origin of the Sinhalese; the story of “Sinhabahu”.

As the narrative goes briefly, a Lion King cohabitated with a royal princess having imprisoned her in a cave in the jungle and had two children by that relationship. Then the grown up son, Sinhabahu rescues the mother and the sister by killing his Lion father and cohabitates with his sister. King Vijaya, who is the progeny born out of the Lion killer prince Sinha Bahu’s relationship with his sister, Sinha Seewalee, is said to be the first Sinhalese who arrived with his entourage in Sri Lanka. A son born by the cohabitation of a brother and sister. That is how the story goes. Vijaya is supposed to have been banished from India with his followers on grave crimes and aggression against people in India

According to this talk show participant, the Lion king a beast living with a human female is “against the law”(Neethi virodee). He did not say whether it is the current law or the law in the era they lived which is applicable!. Secondly, he claimed it is incest when sister and brother cohabitates. Therefore the Sinhalese should be ashamed of their origins. Rationally correct. This be will be commented on later in this piece.]

If  Lion and Tigers are leaders respectively – it would be natural for those groups to be limited to that level of civilization. Majority power leads to that structure of the animal kingdom where there is no bar to biological parents enjoying pleasures with their children. It is still not unlawful in most countries for people with vast age-gap to marry each other. It’s the mind that sacrifices the physical and the immediate that naturally develops the higher structure and earns the higher position. In the animal world all that seems of the same size/structure  are taken as Equals. Others are foreigners.

Sinhalese-Buddhists  need a Buddhist leader of Sri Lanka, who so sacrificed, to have the blessings of  Article 9 which entitles Buddhism to be the foremost religion. Then they naturally set aside the system of democracy to that extent. To the extent they take the Mahavamsa directly and produce outcomes independent of such leadership and those outcomes are diverse – they form their own nations. In the meantime – if minorities share through Common Leader – spread their territory and form – for example – Tamil Nation; Sai Baba Nation and Yoga Swami Nation. The higher the mind the broader its reach. Minorities have the advantage of small group focus in the privacy of which the mind is steadied and raised to the higher level. But those distracted by majority power would tend to confuse matter with mind. That’s the lesson to be learnt by both sides to the Sri Lankan war.