By Shyamon Jayasinghe –
Shyamon Jayasinghe
In today’s Lankadeepa I read a story about the Kataragama Devale that made me wonder if I had travelled in time toward somewhere in the 10th century in Sri Lanka. This story is said to be based on an account given by the chief Kapumahattaya of the Devale, Mr Somipala Ratnayake. Claimed as having been written by the ‘editorial board,’ the story, therefore, is invested with some authority and official stamp from what goes as the most popular Sinhala daily in Sri Lanka. It is an axiom that newspapers tend to reflect the quality of its readership. If that be so, oh what faith can we have about Sri Lanka making any headway with a kind of media like this and a kind of 10th century gullible population?
The story begins by saying that the God Kataragama is a most powerful deity. He is none other than the local ruler, King Mahasena. The site of the Devale is in fact the site where the king’s palace had once been. Now, there isn’t a shred of historical evidence to support this statement but that doesn’t worry the ‘editorial board.’ More to come: The Buddha once visited this spot and gave a sermon to the king. No evidence at all that the Buddha ever came to Sri Lanka. But no worries; continue. Having listened to the sermon, the king instantly reached the state of ‘Sovan.’ What magic! Just one sermon and hey presto the king shoots up into a sublime state. Was the Buddha so seductive?
When the king reached that state he had requested the Buddha for a ‘pooja wattiya.’ This means an offering. Height of cheek, I thought! The Buddha felt around his head pulled out a lock of hair and gave it to the king as his offering. Treasure hunters, here is a winning goal for you: this lock of hair is buried under the present Kiri Vehera. Our political heavyweights can head toward this spot and keep digging under the base of the Vihara like termites. Now that they don’t appear in Parliament for important business they could turn into treasure hunters.
King Mahasena eventually passed away in India and reappeared as the deity of Kataragama. Why did he go to India at all? The ‘editorial board’ is happy accepting such bull. The deity once met King Dutugemunu and gave his blessing to fight King Elara. Why on earth did a deity show favour like this to one of the warring parties? Besides, King Elara, according to historical records, had been a benevolent king who even did a lot for the Buddha Sasana. He would not have reigned for forty years had he not received popular support from the Sinhalese people. The story gives a clue and that is that Dutugemunu had had a deal with the deity to build a palace with gold tiles and make arrangements for daily poojas to the deity. If this wasn’t plain bribery then what was it? If this was his behaviour the deity could not have been the same person who had morphed into ‘Sovan’ after receiving Buddha’s one power-packed sermon.
The war won, King Dutugemunu returned to Kataragama Wedihitikande, met the deity and announced that he is about to fulfill his promise of the palace.
This whole crap of a story written by ‘the editorial board’ of the Lankadeepe mercifully ends with an excellent prophetic statement alleged to have been made by the deity who declined to accept the promised gift. The deity said: “Oh King! There is no point in making luxury palaces even for me because very soon the country will face a ‘kali yugaya’ (evil period) when people will no longer worship the Buddha or the deities. Therefore, Oh king, refrain from your great building plans. People will destroy them all. Build something very modest.”
That Kali Yugaya has arrived today. Praise be to the deity of Kataragama! The deity deserves a ‘malwattiya’ for that bit of prophetic warning.
Readers, if you happen to visit Kataragama you should follow the advice of Mr. Ratnayake who in this fairy tale explains that the deity personally appears on Tuesdays. “As he arrives, a red light sweeps across the Devale,” says Mr Ratnayake.
If any of you have seen this red light you are bloody lucky. A word of caution: be sure it is not the chief Kapuwa himself who emanates the light.
Robert.R / November 8, 2014
What a wonderful write up. Thank you, this should be added to Champika’s fancy stories esp the ones he uttered in Paris (which you wrote about here on CT).
Red lights on Tuesday? Hopefully no one will end up in the red-light district by mistake, there too I am sure some see deities, but of another kind I suspect LOL.
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Amarasiri / November 8, 2014
Shyamon Jayasinghe –
RE: A Special Malwattiya For God Kataragama
Thanks making sense into a nonsense story. What is the I.Q. of Sri Lankans?
1. ” If that be so, oh what faith can we have about Sri Lanka making any headway with a kind of media like this and a kind of 10th century gullible population?”
2. “The Buddha once visited this spot and gave a sermon to the king. No evidence at all that the Buddha ever came to Sri Lanka. But no worries; continue. Having listened to the sermon, the king instantly reached the state of ‘Sovan.’ What magic! Just one sermon and hey presto the king shoots up into a sublime state. Was the Buddha so seductive?”
Didn’t Buddha Marry his Cousin Yasodara?. Isn’t Rahula a product of in-breeding?
Yasodhara was the daughter of King Suppabuddha,[1][2] and Pamitā, sister of the Buddha’s father, King Suddhodana
3.”King Mahasena eventually passed away in India and reappeared as the deity of Kataragama. Why did he go to India at all?”
Because he is a para, and went back home.
Now all these can be explained by looking into the I.Q. of Sri Lankans, at around 79 compared to the rest of the world. So Sri Lanka has a variety of flavors including Champika Pachawaka and many others, as you have exposed.
Did you ever wonder why the Arabs, indians and Sri lankans have Low I Q compared to the Europeans and East Asians? With I.Qs lower than 85? 79?
To much inbreeding, between 10 to 60% for Arabs and Muslims. For Sri Lanka and India it is 20 to 25%
If the Arabs did not do inbreeding for the past 1400 years, their I.Qs would have been close to that of Europeans, 100. To what extent was inbreeding responsible for the decline of Islamic Science and Civilization? Same with Sri Lankans, Avassi Matssina.
Europe and China, less than 3% in-breeding. I.Q’s over 100
http://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html
http://www.sabhlokcity.com/2013/07/the-average-intelligence-quotient-iq-of-indians-is-around-80-85-with-significant-potential-to-increase/
http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/86956/international-study-iraqis-are-the-smart/en
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289608001608
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/cousin-marriage-can-reduce-i-q-a-lot/#.VF1nhvnF-4I
http://www.rightsidenews.com/2010081120756/life-and-science/culture-wars/muslim-inbreeding-impacts-on-intelligence-sanity-health-and-society.html
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Don Stanley / November 8, 2014
Mahinda Jarapassa has equated his Corrupt family’s self-interest with the national interests of Sinhala Modayas.
But infact Mahinda Jarapassa is violating democracy, decency and national interest of the people of Sri Lanka.
It is the job of the UNP and all opposition to Educate Sinhala Modayas but the morally corrupt clown and UNP DICTATOR Ranil Wickramasinghe is busy in-fighting with the party.
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Ben Hurling / November 8, 2014
“I think I can sum up my religious feelings in a couple of paragraphs. First: I believe in you and me. I’m like Albert Schweitzer and Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein in that I have a respect for life — in any form. I believe in nature, in the birds, the sea, the sky, in everything I can see or that there is real evidence for. If these things are what you mean by God, then I believe in God. But I don’t believe in a personal God to whom I look for comfort or for a natural on the next roll of the dice. I’m not unmindful of man’s seeming need for faith; I’m for anything that gets you through the night, be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. But to me religion is a deeply personal thing in which man and God go it alone together, without the witch doctor in the middle. The witch doctor tries to convince us that we have to ask God for help, to spell out to him what we need, even to bribe him with prayer or cash on the line. Well, I believe that God knows what each of us wants and needs. It’s not necessary for us to make it to church on Sunday to reach Him. You can find Him anyplace. And if that sounds heretical, my source is pretty good: Matthew, Five to Seven, The Sermon on the Mount.”
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 8, 2014
Ben Hurling,
“You can find Him anyplace.”
A agree with you. He can also be found in everybody and everything, if one seeks Him. ‘He’ is the logic that governs us and everthing around us. We may call him by any name, but ‘He’ remains the only ‘He’. It is we who are groping in the dark for him, when all the while is in us and around us.
Dr.RN
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BBS Rep / November 10, 2014
Dr Rajasingham,
I can sum up my religiosity in one long sentence unlike Ben Hurlings two paragraphs. There is no god or benificial divinity out there in any form or devine presence, in us or around us and the only logic that governs us, if it comes from any divinity, that divinity is no one but the devil incarnate itself.
You don’t believe me. Just take a good look at a fellow Sri Lankan and if you don’t find the malevolent satan looking back at you well masked behind a disarming smile, you are not looking well enough.
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ramona therese fernando / November 9, 2014
There’s more than mere sensory perception. There are the more unseen intricate atoms, molecules, chromosomes, nerves, etc. of in inner body. What we can’t see, hear, smell, touch and taste with our 5 senses, we then speak of the combination of all in the 6th sense. Now there is interplay between the 6th sense and the 5 other senses- the sixth sense gives rise to the 5 others, possibly. But we certainly need the spiritual factor to enhance our existence. Otherwise we’d be like dumb ones, merely extolling our 5 senses and thoroughly missing out of awareness the 6th, and then becoming like drug addicted White Westerners who have lost all sense of culture, religion, heritage, other than the religion which speaks of e.g. Aryan superiority to bolster up the spirit, and other lustful and carnal things the West is currently indulging in (which incidentally is rousing up such extreme elements like Isis).
So! Therefore a bit of myth, folklore and legend is permissible. In the light of rebirth in Buddhism, continuity of the developed sixth sense passing onto a newer generation (differing in the genetic physic of the reproductive tissue), can therefore give rise to the legend of the Katharamagama God (6th sense psyche reaching elevated dimensions). Therefore it is a harmless, though titillating thought, for Lankans to indulge in such Buddhist legendry, so as to secure the country within her cultural and religious heritage. And if Rajapakse can pull off being the person who is a reincarnation of Dutugemunu, then all hail to him. But if he is eventually removed because of the burden of taxation due to unnecessary projects, and the cutting up of the land to look like industrialized South Korea (with a North Korea to balance out the industrialized capitalism and ancient heritage), then he is not Dutugemunu – time will tell.
Ps. and having a more powerful advocate to help in the spiritual process is also a permissible, in this existence of everything the is unsure…….(other than Nirvana)…….some people are born with such power, you know…………..and if they are up if the heavenly realms, away from the mortal body, they are very power forces indeed. But if one can rely on the self (W/O God concept), and all the atoms of the self to secure an even existence, that is the best.
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / November 8, 2014
as Buddhists we ashamed.
Lord Gautama Buddha and the truth,
the real philosophy to follow for life.
Buddhism.
or
Sinhala Buddhism and Kathragama Deiyo??????.
We are in jeopardy Man????????/.
Better to Worship [Edited out] Ma Ra ya, and his Goons,
Now a days, it will give you more instant results.
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
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Sharp Shooter / November 8, 2014
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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aratai / November 8, 2014
.
What????… Kataragama not yet renamed as Mahindagama!!!!
:-)
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Rajash / November 8, 2014
You mean Mahindapura? A gamma would be insulting to the great King.
By the way is Mahinda not reincarnation of Buddha? Or is that left for the next chapter.?
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Rationalist / November 8, 2014
” The Buddha felt around his head pulled out a lock of hair and gave it to the king as his offering.”
This must be a Different Person to the Buddha we know and revere.
Didn’t Gautama Buddha shave his head?
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AVB / November 8, 2014
Rationalist, it is bizarre question.. Most of old statues, Buddha was not bold headed, he had Afro style hair… But he asked his disciples to shave their heads. We should ask Supreme Court opinion on this ?
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Rationalist / November 8, 2014
AVB – Did The Buddha have a ‘BOLD’ head?
He would not have asked the Disciples to shave their heads if He was not willing to do so!
My understanding is that the Buddha did not want Statues made of Himself, for followers to Worship.
He advised Ananda from His Death Bed, that he did not want to be treated like a God and Worshipped.
It was later, with arrival of Alexander and his Army in India, that Greek statuary inspired the carving of Statues in the Greek Manner, with short curly hair.
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Rajash / November 8, 2014
May be that’s why he became bald?
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Rationalist / November 8, 2014
He did not Not ‘Become Bald’ Rajash; But ‘Shaven’ because it was cleaner, and cheaper to look after!
The Sadhus of His time roamed about in matted locks full of dirt and nits.
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whywhy / November 8, 2014
Rationalist
We are talking about Sinhala Buddha!
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Rationalist / November 9, 2014
Whywhy;
Please don’t talk about Sinhala ‘Buddha’.
It is an Insult to the Gautama Buddha, and all the Others who attained Buddhahood before and after Him!
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Dr. Rajasingham Narendran / November 8, 2014
Sirimavo’s sacred city project has come to its expected conclusion. Lord Murugan ( Katharagama Deviyo) has been replaced by King Mahasena. Valli Malai ( The abode of his consort Valli ) to which access was denied to Hindus in the early stages of the project by Monks spewing obscenity, has become Wedahittikanda where in Mahasena promised Buddha to build a golden palace.
Indeed it is the Kali Yaga- the of declining values and conduct, we are living in.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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justice / November 8, 2014
Kathirgamam has been slowly transformed into “kataragama” – a Buddhist shrine.
Sirimavo government took over the Ramakrishna Mission madam which was a place of refuge, rest and meditation for all pilgrims and also provided tasty vegetarian meals.
A short history is here:-
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=401
The fantasy of Lankadeepa editorial board quoted above,may be swallowed by gullible persons.
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Rajash / November 8, 2014
Nallur muruga temple next .?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 8, 2014
Thanks for the link. There are many more disgraceful stories that can be added.
All this is being done in the name of a compassionate and logcal philosophy that has been politicised and brutalised. I hope true Buddhism will survive our politicians and their simian antics.
Dr.RN
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Sensible Thinking / November 8, 2014
Kataragama was NEVER knowns as Kathirgamam or Murukamam.
Murugan is a black god in India. Has nothing to do with Kataragama. It is another homeland myth. Ultimately Tamils have NO country in the world let alone homelands! :)
Before the start of the war Mahinda Rajapaksha vowed at Kataragama to “finish off” Tamil terrorists. Few believed the president. It came true and made good on the vow.
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whywhy / November 9, 2014
Sure Sarath Fonseka and Gota were not involved in the war?
New lead for the UN to direct investigation against
Kataragama!
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Diogenes / November 8, 2014
There is no God at Kataragama now. If there ever was , he has fled the area long ago. Now this god forsaken place is possessed by a Demon. It is the real Sin City of Sri Lanka where bloody fools go to offer money to the greedy pig Basnayaka Nilame – who has become the owner of the shrine . `Red light emanating from Kapuwa`? What nonsense! Maybe it is emanating from that bloody Basnayake Nilame`s arse, blessed with piles!
Lankadipa – particularly its Sunday issue with its worthless feature articles – seems to have become a rag of nonsense published for the most uneducated readership. Either the editors are deliberately aiming at leading the poor readers from `darkness to darkness` of ignorance or else they themselves are uneducated irresponsible fellows not suitable to hold their positions.
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Leon / November 8, 2014
History is being rewritten. Kathirgamam has become Kathragama and very soon we should not be surprised if the name is changed to Mahindagama. This is a classic instance of the saying that history is written by the winners.
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Prem Vaidyaratne / November 8, 2014
SWRD went to Kataragama and pleaded in Sinhala with the deity to help him finish off the Tamils.The deity responded:
“Namaka sinhala theriyadum>” [I don’t understand Sinhalese]
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 8, 2014
To those interested:
Please ckeck on Google for ‘Patrick Harrigan on Kataragama’ to understand the mysticism linked to that shrine.
Further, read the following link to the Cosmology of our island by the same author:
http://www.hiddenmysteries.org/mysteries/reports/ceylon-cosmography.html
Having read over the years on this subject and listened to German Swami (Swami Gauribala), who was close to Patrick Harrigan, I wonder whether Sri Lanka caused itself great damage by tampering with realities, it did not understand and because of its perverted politics.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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K.A Sumanasekera / November 8, 2014
Isn’t this dude a Christian?…
Anyway, didn’t Rama and Hanuman come all the way from Madurai to kill our King Ravana?…
Don’t this dude’s mates worship them big time..
Is that ” bull ” too……
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Native Vedda / November 8, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“Anyway, didn’t Rama and Hanuman come all the way from Madurai to kill our King Ravana?…”
Rama didn’t fly but used south Indian monkey civil engineers to build a bridge to cross the Palkstrait. Hanuman was supposed to have been Vasuputra like Hollywood superman. He used stealth aircraft to cross the sea. Like your genetic engineers 2500 years ago in Venga your brethren in the South too were highly advanced in aerospace engineering.
Don’t forget Ravana was not your king and he too enjoyed recreational flying and had owned Puspak Vimana. By the way your king was a beast, a lion.
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Avi / November 8, 2014
Hey KAS-the Rajapakshas Koolaid man,
Does it matter wether Shyamon is a Christian dude or
a Buddhist dude? He is just pointing out the bullshit
nature of this letter which was published in a major Sinhala
newspaper in Srilanka. This is how your “inhabitants” are kept
credulous so that bogus patriots like Rajapakshas can take advantage
of them and continue to loot the country.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 8, 2014
An old Sinhala saying based on age old wisdom:
“Dänagana giyot Kataragama, Nodäna giyot ataramaga.”
Means: When going with spiritual knowledge one can reach Kataragama, but when going without that knowledge, one will be stranded.
A saying with deep meaning that needs to be pondered from a spiritual/ mystical approach.
Dr.RN
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K.A Sumanasekera / November 9, 2014
Dr Narendran.
Vanni Atththo and even Jaffna Atththo used to walk all the way to pray to Lord Kataragaman ,
And they took the hazardous route along the West coast,Probably that is where that quote came from.
Now these devotees can take Kataragaman and Yarl Parnam CTB express all the way with only a few pit stops.
So they don.t have to get lost thanks to the Chinese .
And the merits these poor Dalits acumilate are automatically passed on to the Chinese, according to the Buddhist thinking.
The likes of Mr Shaymon who have taken refuge in Lands of Milk and Honey think Lord Katagaman is all Bull.
See how things change when Srilankans become Foreigners…
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Native Vedda / November 9, 2014
K.A Sumanasekera
“And they took the hazardous route along the West coast,Probably that is where that quote came from.”
We know you are an ignorant ever to walk in this island and you need not to confirm it with every comment you type.
Google, “Patrick Harrigan padayatra images” where you will find many images documenting Pada Yatra to Kathirgamam.
The well established route is through East not West.
You have no obligation to prove your stupidity to the fellow forum sharer in every comment you type.
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JULAMPITIYE AMARAYA / November 9, 2014
You are talking / Writing to a IDIOT,
who does not Know what is NORTH OR SOUTH.
They are the Expert hired by Jarapassa and clan to comment on web sites.
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george jilmart / November 8, 2014
Shyamon, thank you for this enlightening article which states facts clearly and which any one with a bit of brains will understand. All this cock and bull that one reads on the history of buddhism and the Sri Lankan glorious history of 2500 years is riddled with fantasies and poppycock which arouses laughter in the intelligent reader. Our glorious leader cant take a crap without consulting the crooks who pose as astrologers. Remember how the wolf nursed the baby in the forest going back to our early history. What these idiots dont understand is that the Buddha himself said do not believe in anything that is said or what you have read , even if it comes from me unless it agrrees with your own reasoning and common sense. The behaviour of the royal family in Sri Lanka dressed with the armbands and bracelets and ruby rings just goes to show the illiteracy and stupidity which has been forced down the throats of the gullible idiots by the state controlled media. at least the North Korean leader does not consult his astrologers before throwing his uncle for dog feed.
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Kitta / November 8, 2014
I’m wondering what Deiyo our Jarapassa would become after he kicks the bucket. Our learned, wise and unbiased Mahawansa authors would definitely not stop making him Sowan – they would place him well beyond Nirwana. Vote the Jarapassa Deiyo next time or let him loot it – my dear fellow Sri Lankans.
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whywhy / November 9, 2014
Since Mahinda has provided shelter to number of UNP MPs
in his UPFA,he could be a different but one and only,
“Ambalama”Deiyyo!
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justice / November 8, 2014
The Kataragama Devotees Trust gives a good history of the shrine.
http://kataragama.org/centers/kaeleken.htm
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j.thavarajah / November 8, 2014
Kapumahatmahatmamayas account of Kataragama or its original name KATHIRGAMAM will now be added as a chapter to that great work of Fiction the MAHAVAMSA,the AESOPS FABLES of SriLanka!
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Ransimala Ranasinghe / November 8, 2014
I know the writer very well. He is a rationalist and atheist.Man of letters and fine artist. It is important that we expose all the myth that has been making fools of us, Sinhala people. We have to grow up if we are to be serious contenders.
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paul / November 9, 2014
“Having listened to the sermon, the king instantly reached the state of ‘Sovan.’ What magic! Just one sermon and hey presto the king shoots up into a sublime state. Was the Buddha so seductive? “
This man called Buddha has millions of followers as against a handful of followers the writer has on a lousy internet tabloid. People will judge who to believe.
http://www.tbsa.org/articles/BuddhaQualities.html
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Native Vedda / November 9, 2014
paul-istani
“This man called Buddha has millions of followers as against a handful of followers the writer has on a lousy internet tabloid.”
No one is disputing the fact that there are millions who follow Buddha’s teaching however they are not followers of Sinhala/Buddhism which is not Buddhism but a nasty little political force invented by the so called Sinhala/Buddhists. Over the past hundred or so years Buddhists have been systematically conned and converted into Sinhala/Buddhism.
Sinhala/Buddhism is not Buddhism.
“People will judge who to believe.”
Of course they will but
“The truth will set you free, but first it will pi** you off.”
― Gloria Steinem
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Dharmabandu / November 10, 2014
The Mahawamsa is the book of Sinhala Buddhism. It shows an attempt to Sinhalise the great religion. Sinhalese try to own the religion. This is why all this rubbish about the Buddha having come to Sri Lanka. According to Mahawamsa the Buddha has spent a good part of his life in Sri Lanka. He has been to Siri Pada, to Kandy, to Kelaniya, to Anuradhapura, to Kataragama, to Nagadeepa and what not. Sinhala monks (good many of them -not all) have ruined the religion by making it a political weapon.
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paul / November 12, 2014
It is no different to Mecca and Jerusalem my friend. There is no denial that when Buddhism was being wiped out in India, thanks to Muslim moghuls and the like, the original books and other treasures were smuggled into Sri lanka for preservation. Buddhists rightly consider Sri lanka as the birthplace of Theravada buddhism and they venerate. Mahavansa and the like only documented this history. If you don’t like it leave it.
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Native Vedda / November 12, 2014
paul
“Buddhists rightly consider Sri lanka as the birthplace of Theravada buddhism and they venerate.”
Why didn’t you tell us this in the first place that it is not Buddhism but perverted Theravada.
Keep your Theravada Buddhism and venerate it let us venerate Buddha and his teaching.
“the original books and other treasures were smuggled into Sri lanka for preservation.”
Could you site evidence.
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paul / November 12, 2014
“that it is not Buddhism but perverted Theravada”
You seem to confuse your Wahhabism with Theravada, NV.
It may be Many “Buddhisms but one doctrine and discipline.”
Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/theravada.html
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Native Vedda / November 12, 2014
paul
“You seem to confuse your Wahhabism with Theravada,”
When we look at world around us Theravada sounds like Terror Vah Dah, for example this island, Cambodia, Burma, where Theravadins seem to have their own interpretation of Buddhism, to justify all killings.
There can only be one teaching by Buddha. All interpretations of doctrines lead to dogma, schisms and factionalism. So I stick to Buddhism in its pristine form.
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paul / November 13, 2014
“where Theravadins seem to have their own interpretation of Buddhism, to justify all killings”.
You really are confused NV. Islamists kill in one day, more people than how many have Theravadians killed in the past 2,600 years.
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Native Vedda / November 13, 2014
paul
“Islamists kill in one day, more people than how many have Theravadians killed in the past 2,600 years.”
Is it about numbers?
Cambodia, Buddhists killing Buddhists ran into not less than 2 Million.
In Burma it has just started.
Sri Lanka ?
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paul / November 13, 2014
In Cambodia, it was not a religious war but a political, idealogical one – just like JVP in Sri lanka killing thousands of civilians. Don’t call them theravada buddhist murders.Unlike Islamic State murders
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