Gajalakshmi
Paramasivam
11
January 2020
BUDDHISM IS OPPOSITION OF HINDUISM IN SRI LANKA?
On 03 January, the Daily Mirror reported that the current President of
Sri Lanka, cancelled the guard of honor at the ceremonial opening of the
Parliament in the new year. On 09 January, Ravi Nagahawatte wrote :
[Right now the only lawmaker who is opposing
President Rajapaksa is former Army Commander and present parliamentarian Sarath
Fonseka. The latter is displeased that the president has made comments
amounting to racial remarks (that the government can be formed without the
minorities) and also because he cancelled a guard of honour which was
traditionally part of the ceremonial opening of the parliament session. For the
record the president had also said that he rejected ‘the role played by
minorities as kingmakers’. ]
The above was preceded by the following:
[Speaking at the inauguration of the
fourth session of the eighth parliament President Rajapaksa underscored the
economic challenges before the country. The incumbent president said that he
wishes to see the country raise its annual growth to 6% (which was hovering
under 3% earlier) and also double the present per capita income from the
current US $ 4060 by the year 2025.]
One is entitled to conclude that in the mind of Ravi Nagahawatte the
above is a genuine projection by the new President. The cancellation of the guard
of honour also could be taken to mean a no-frills government.
Time and Place are agents of change. If we keep one constant we can
recognize the movement through the
other. Time change is zero along the lateral plane – as seen in time-distance
graph. Hence current lateral spread through democracy. Distance change is zero
along the vertical plane and hence the ancestral pathway.
The new Sri Lankan President has stilled time in cancelling the
traditional guard of honour in National Parliament. But in a Buddhist
environment he has stilled Distance a week after the above demonstration:
Why did the President not cancel the frills in the Kelaniya Perahera?
Which President is true?
As per the Daily Mirror article ‘KELANIYA DURUTHU
PERAHERA 2020 ’:
[This
Religious Cultural pageant has evolved over the years to become the country’s
most elaborate and grandest low country
pageant in its category. Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara is the most sacred temple in
the Western Province of Sri Lanka since Lord Buddha’s sojourn here during his
3rd historic visit to Sri Lanka. This event is celebrated annually on the
“Duruthu Poya” in January, when a historic, traditional and cultural pageant,
the “Kelani Perahera” is conducted. Whilst the Kelani Perahera commemorates the
religious significance of Lord Buddha’s visit, it also supports and revives Sri
Lanka’s cultural traditions of drummers, dancers, singers, caparisoned
elephants and colourful parades, which have always made this culminating
perahera a night of all nights. ]
One is entitled to conclude that in the mind of the above author - ‘Low
Country Sinhalese community ’ is different to ‘Kandyan Sinhalese community’. The
overall difference is presented as follows by Wikipedia:
Kandyan castes
In the Central Highlands, many
traditions of the Kingdom of Kandy were preserved from its
1818 collapse beyond independence in 1948 and the Land Reform Act of the 1970s.
Although large agricultural landlords belonged to the Govigama caste,
many now may not own land. Most Govigama were however ordinary farmers and
tenants as absolute land ownership was exclusive to the king until the British
colonial period. The most
important feature of the Kandyan system was Rajakariya ("the king's work"), which linked each
caste to an occupation and demanded service to the court and religious
institutions.
Southern castes
There are still differences between
the caste structures of the highlands and those of the low country, although
some service groups were common to both in ancient Sri Lanka. The southwestern
coast has three other castes (the Salagama,
the Durava and
the Karava)
in addition to the majority of ancient Govigama, which is common throughout the
region. Some of these castes' ancestors are believed to have migrated from
Southern India, and have become important in the Sinhalese social system.
The first-century
BC Anuradhpura Abayagiri inscription referring to a Karava
navika may be the first reference to a specialized occupation.
Karava Navika is mentioned in Karava of Sri Lanka article by Kshatriya
Maha Sabha, Sri Lanka:
[ An ancient
inscription on the council terrace at Anuradhapura This is illustrated in
Paranavithana S. 1970 Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol I Early Brahmi Inscriptions.
One of the dignitaries who used this terrace for their meetings was a Karava
Navika - a naval officer. ]
The above confirm that the Kandyan Sinhalese were
the Royal group – as confirmed also by Kandyan Law.
These connections are important when we do not have
current measures to know why something is manifested. From time to time, the
Tamil caste system is used as the reason why Tamil militancy happened. I find
this to be true indicator where the person / group fails to demonstrate current
merit based structures.
The Rajapaksa family – as per my knowledge are from
Hambantota – a Coastal District in
South. Their caste seems to be Govigama – the parallel of Vellala / Farmer caste in Tamil
community. This indicator was further strengthened when the new President declared
in Sri Lankan Parliament his ‘kurahan
saatakaya’
policy as follows:
[Even though I do not wear this
shawl, I stand for the same profound philosophy of constant dedication to the
poor that is symbolized by the maroon shawl,” he said in his policy statement
in Parliament yesterday. “From the first day the honourable D.M. Rajapaksa,
known as the Lion of Ruhuna, appeared in the State Council, he wore a maroon
shawl. What he symbolized through this maroon shawl were the millet farmers of
Giruvapaththuwa. Following D. M. Rajapaksa, my father D.A. Rajapaksa and each
member of the Rajapaksa family who was elected to Parliament wore the maroon
shawl,]
We look for genetic connections when we are not able
to find current causes of a disease. The mind that is not active in current
environment lapses into ‘genetic’ mode for better or for worse.
Similar indicators are being manifested by the
President’s mentor who states as follows:
[Prime Minster President Mahinda Rajapaksa
yesterday confirmed that the Government would seek a two-thirds majority at the
upcoming General Elections to change the Constitution………
When
asked why the Government had now decided to object to the 19th Amendment when
it had voted for the legislation when it was in the Opposition, Rajapaksa and
several Ministers who were at the meeting claimed that a promise was given that
the 20th Amendment would follow the 19th Amendment.] Daily FT article ‘We will seek 2/3
majority at General Polls to amend Constitution: MR’
When the 18th Amendment was passed in
Parliament – under Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidency – it was passed by 72% with
only 8% dissenting. To my mind Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa wants that structure where
he was Royalty.
The problem that is indicated by the genetical structure
of this President-Prime Minister partnership is indicated by the following :
[The Peraheras of the three devalas
dedicated to Lord Vibishana, Lord Vishnu and Lord Kataragama is followed by the
main Sacred Relics Perehera. The Basnayake Nilames of the respective devalas
are Messrs. Lalith Hapangama, Jayaraja Chandrasekera and Samantha Perera. The
Perahera is organised under the guidance of Ven Professor Kollupitiya Mahinda
Sangharakkita Nayake Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
and Dr. Saman Weerasinghe the newly elected president of Vihara’s Dayaka Sabha.
]
Vibishana is recorded
in my brain as the brother of King Ravana of Lanka. Lord Vishnu is part of our
Hindu Holy Trinity and Lord Kataragama is the son of Lord Shiva who is also part of the
Hindu Holy Trinity. There are serious conflicts in vertical structures of
spiritual leadership between the Sinhalese version and the Tamil version. As per the latter, Vibishana was Lord Vishnu’s
devotee.
Those who worship the
Tooth Relic due to the belief that it would bestow leadership of the land –
would not recognize the higher spiritual power of Buddha and v.v. That is the
truth I see. No amount of current resourcing in terms of reconciliation can
resolve the genetic problem of desire
for Autocracy which when invoked by those who came to power through democracy
would invoke its equal and opposite twin – Fear of invasion by India and the
West.
Democratic Sri Lankans
deserve better.
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