Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

28 June 2017                                          

Let the Buddhist Clergy Confirm Non-Violence

["The Western world including US, UK and Germany as well as other European countries had immense wealth. But many of their people have faced problems regarding worldly life such as what end result could be gained by powerful nations by war, unlimited worldly pleasure and luxury and so on. They were searching for a feasible alternative for all these," the Premier said................ The Prime Minister expressed there sentiments addressing the gathering at the Upasampada (High ordination) ceremony of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya held at the Kalutara Bodhi complex on June 25.] Daily News report - Buddhism not an extremist religion: PM

Replace the ‘Western World’ with Sri Lankan politicians or Australian politicians and we would find the ‘internal pathway’ through which we would find our own solutions. In my mind, Kalutara Bodhi complex – where the above words were spoken, is the Spiritual Home of Sir Cyril de Soyza – the chairman of Associated Motorways Ltd. Presented as follows by Wikipedia:

[De Zoysa was a successful businessman having a diverse array of ventures. During law school he earned money by tutoring, and used his first earnings to buy a buggy cart. He later reminisced that "I gifted this to my father, who blessed me for this act of love and generosity. I perceived that this gift I gave my father brought him immense joy. Likewise this brought me too unforgettable joy.” He was the founder of the AMW group, one of the largest conglomerates of Ceylon.]

That genuine expression of buying the buggy cart to say thank you to his parent – confirmed Sir Cyril’s depth of commitment to his own origins indicating Spirituality. Sir Cyril was in Hospital when I saw him last. I was still a junior executive at AMW but Sir Cyril spoke to me from time to time in relation to my work. Even though he was known to be a strict disciplinarian, I did not feel overawed by him. Now I feel that that was due to our Spiritual Commonness. At the hospital I was the only visitor at that time and Sir Cyril asked me to ‘look after’ AMW.  I believe I have upheld the Spiritual values of AMW – the business side of Sir Cyril – including through my current contributions to institutions like Sri Lankan Airlines due to losing touch with its roots.

This week which reminds us of  the death anniversary (26 June)  of  Mr. Anandarajah, the principal of St. John’s college of Jaffna  who was killed by the  Tamil Tigers, I stated that the LTTE killed a representative of the root power of Jaffna – Mother Saraswathi – the Goddess of Education. Jaffna is the Education Capital of Tamils. Jaffna folks may protect the militants against ‘outside’ armed personnel but when it comes to choosing between armed power and educational power – the true Jaffna person will always choose Education. This is why the LTTE could not set up their headquarters in Jaffna but in Vanni.

Each block of Land that represents Sovereignty will naturally empower those to whom that block is ‘home. Last year, when the Toddy Tapper folks of Thunaivi played loud music on the Holy day of Thai Pongal,  and stated to me that they the youth group would make Pongal (sweet rice) at that time for which they said they did not need my approval, I felt really upset and cancelled all the ceremonies. With a kitchen knife in hand, I  walked up and down and I felt that Mother Kali Herself was in me as Energy to manifest the warning in the language they understood. I was still feeling sad when I heard within me – the voice saying ‘go to Jaffna’. I went to Jaffna – to the church near our rented homes in Jaffna. There some people had treated the festival as Common and Pongal /Sweet rice was waiting for me. To me that denoted  integration that the educated Tamil is capable of. This was further confirmed during the recent conflict within the Political Leadership of  Northern Tamils.

As per my knowledge, in 1985, when Principal Anandarajah was assassinated – all Jaffna schools shut down despite the threat from the LTTE who were traitors to the Jaffna Tamil who genuinely mourns the damage to the Jaffna Public Library in 1981. Jaffna’s spiritual root is education and so long as we are empowered by this root power – we would be self-governing in any environment that includes Jaffna as part of itself. This Common factor – confirms our strong contribution to multi-religious society. Each one who looks within would identify with their root power.

If we take for example immigration issues in Australia, those Australians who do not have common belief with Aborigines local to that area – including Coogee which is home to our family – would not recruit the right persons to whom Australia would be ‘home’. In terms of time based seniority – Aborigines have lost count of time and hence are most Natural. Now that we attribute respect to those to whom the Land has been sacred – we are showing more and more respect to Home Power at root level. Majority power of one generation needs to be greater than this seniority power for authority through majority power alone. The more Nature worshippers we recruit at grassroots level – the stronger our root-powers in immigration.

In Sri Lanka, if we take the Chief Minister of Northern Province – the Hon. C.V. Wigneswaran for example, is he a politician or judge? The politician’s force is through grassroots belief local to that place – developed on the basis of common experience. The Judge’s root force is intellectual through investment in Common Laws which often include European laws in Sri Lanka. As a Tamil the root power as a citizen was developed by Mr. Wigneswaran – in Colombo and not in Jaffna. His political  solution to the ethnic problem would therefore be based on the Colombo experience and not experience of Northern Sri Lankans. But in terms of Education and its tools of Administration – Mr. Wigneswaran’s root force would naturally merge with that of true Jaffna Tamil.

This in turn would be in natural conflict with the likes of Mrs. Ananthi Sasitharan, the roots of whose pathway has been in militancy through gun power.

The root power of any true Buddhist would be Non-Violence – physical and/or mental. The Buddhism foremost clause in the  Constitution confirms mental violence to elevate the power of Buddhists which then at the causal level makes Sri Lanka a country of autocracy which is Anti-Buddha – because Lord Buddha became Wise by renouncing the throne.

The way Buddhism came to Sri Lanka is presented as follows by Wikipedia:

[Emperor Ashoka took a keen interest in the propagation of Buddhism across the known world, and it was decided that his son, Mahinda, would travel to Sri Lanka and attempt to convert the people there. The events surrounding Mahinda's arrival and meeting with the king form one of the most important legends of Sri Lankan history.

According to the Mahavamsa king Devanampiyatissa was out enjoying a hunt with some 40,000 of his soldiers near a mountain called Mihintale. The date for this is traditionally associated with the full moon day of the month of Poson.

Having come to the foot of Missaka, Devanampiyatissa chased a stag into the thicket, and came across Mahinda (referred to with the honorific title Thera); the Mahavamsa has the great king 'terrified' and convinced that the Thera was in fact a 'yakka', or demon. However, Thera Mahinda declared that 'Recluses we are, O great King, disciples of the King of Dhamma (Buddha) Out of compassion for you alone have we come here from Jambudipa'. Devanampiyatissa recalled the news from his friend Ashoka and realised that these are missionaries sent from India. Thera Mahinda went on to preach to the king's company and preside over the king's conversion to Buddhism.]

Going into that period in virtual reality mode, one could conclude that Buddhism  is ‘foreign’ to Sri Lanka. Likewise Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.  Like the Nature worshippers here in Australia – Veddahs of Sri Lanka are the root powers that make us Sri Lankan through Land ownership.

When we therefore celebrate Buddhist Leadership in Sri Lanka – to override the fighting nature of Veddhas who were hunters, we are actually claiming to be part of India. Our success along Buddhist pathway therefore depends on Buddhist India which is minority power relative to Hindu India. The ethnic war taught us this lesson – with India now having its stakes in Trincomalee. So long as Education is honoured, Jaffna will continue to resist Indian invasion, leave alone Sinhalese invasion.

If the Buddhist Clergy look within and are honest with themselves – they would not make the claim that they were true disciplines of Buddha. Sri Lankan Politicians have no right to overtake that right to declaration – except when they seek to confirm that they are above the Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka.