BEGGING FROM CHINA IS A VIRTUE SAYS THE BUDDHIST

According to my understanding of Hindu philosophy one who knows oneself would identify with others’ truth. As per my understanding of Buddhist principles – one who renounces desire would realise the Truth.

Mr Mahinda Panapitiya, - a Sri Lankan engineer responded to my article ‘CHINA DEFEATED  LANKAN BUDDHISM’ by referring me to his article headed ‘Recent trends of Indian politics and Buddhism’ published by the Daily News on 23 September 2015. This article included the following:

[Buddhism is a kind of software which could be used to hack the military hardwares used by super powers to conquer the world. That soft power tool is available in Sri Lanka. It is within Sri Lanka's capability to unite the nations of Asia using the Buddhist soft-power tool politically. Buddhism should be treated as a powerful tool that policy makers need to seriously look upon.]

I responded as follows:

[This confirms to me that you have been successfully brainwashed by ‘Buddhism foremost’ article in the Constitution of Sri Lanka. As an engineer, you must know that ‘foremost’ is a relative value. If you therefore use Buddhism to brainwash – then you have the duty to not celebrate Vesak – which represents Absolute value.]

The response was:

[What I meant by Soft Power Tool is the convincing of the above vision via our embassies. Also note that SL is the only country where Buddhism is enshrined in the constitution. ]

The said article interestingly includes the following:

[Our ancient irrigation technology which was based on Buddhist guidelines is also another area which should be exposed to the world which is currently heading to an environmental disaster. Buddhist based ancient technologies addressed the total eco system in producing foods and the western system addresses only the hunger of mankind which is in fact only one link of a total eco cycle. Buddhist system of producing food from nature was a deal with it and not a confrontation as being practiced now because mankind definitely failed in such confrontations. Kidney disease in Sri Lanka which kills average one beneficiary farmer of so-called modern irrigation project is a good illustration for the plight of pure western approaches in dealing with the natural eco system.]

 

To the extent Mr Panapitiya believes that this would work for Buddhists – it would. This includes the current President who also declared he was a Buddhist leader and later recommended ‘natural farming’.

 

When we believe – the system works for us at that level. In this instance, the likes of Engineer Panapitiya as well as the Daily News that published his article – would have ‘naturally’ influenced the President. Given that my husband and others known to me from that same batch of Engineers,  have not expressed similar beliefs, I conclude that the investment by the University of Sri Lanka, Peradeniya, in the likes of Mr Panapitiya, were wasted. They needed local wisdom which to them is Buddhism based. The engineering wisdom of their ancestors would have been enough for them.

To the extent they were successful – they experienced   loss of Foreign resources confirmed by the current economic meltdown. But the true Buddhist would have sustained it.

As per Christian philosophy:

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. ... 

At the primary level, one has to ASK. This means that which we ask for has  a definite objective form. When we seek we find as per our seeking and this does not have a definite form. When we at tertiary stage – all we have to do is knock and the opportunity is ours. This is because we own the whole.

 

Those who traded in votes were ‘asking’. Buddhism foremost article confirms this asking. Those who ‘gave’ the votes became ‘providers’  and the ban on Chemical fertilizers confirmed this connection with Buddhist minds such as Mr Panapitiya’s to that of the President’s. The investment in secular  science was ‘wasted’.

Both sides in politics at the moment are Buddhists. It is when we have a non-Buddhist Opposition that we would stem this downturn. As per my personal experience that happened in 1977 when Tamils became leading Opposition in National Parliament. Later in 2015, when also Tamils became the Leading Opposition due to divisions in the SLFP – led by the Rajapaksas – there was no complaint from Buddhists then about economic downturn.

Those who claim to be true Buddhists – would consider begging for their living to be a humbling pathway. So long as we have Buddhism as the foremost pathway – we would consider economic downturn to be an opportunity to beg from fellow Buddhist Nations such as China.