By Vipula Wanigasekera –
Dr. Vipula Wanigasekera
The social deterioration and rising crime rates are a concern for Sri Lanka, a country known for its deep Buddhist past and unique cultural tapestry. It is vital to examine these concerns through a prism that is strongly rooted in the island nation’s Buddhist ideals as it navigates the intricacies of modern times in the face of having to project country’s values within and outside.
In order to maintain the core of the nation’s spiritual and moral compass, the writer intends to highlight the urgent need for Buddhist research studies to address societal degradation and rising crime rates in Sri Lanka.
Over two millennia, Buddhism has played a fundamental role in shaping Sri Lanka’s cultural landscape. Except for politically driven violence majority of Sri Lankan Buddhists have been blessed by the nonviolent teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, which have helped to cultivate compassion, tolerance, and a strong sense of community.
However, Sri Lanka’s social fabric has been put under tremendous strain as a result of many effects. Traditional values that formerly helped communities stay together have been weakened by the advent of materialism, consumerism, and individualism as well as politicization.
In this situation, research studies on prevailing Buddhist practices are essential for determining the level of social decay and for coming up with practical solutions for preserving the essential elements taught in Buddhism in modern society.
People in Sri Lanka have traditionally lived in close-knit communities where they rely on one another for support and cooperation. The sense of community is thinning as urbanisation and technology-driven lives take hold, which causes feelings of seclusion and alienation.
A continuous quest of wealth and prestige is also a result of the rise of consumerism and material aspirations. This pursuit of material gain frequently takes precedence over moral considerations, resulting in corruption, dishonesty, and a disdain for the welfare of society. Significant negative effects include the collapse of trust and the fraying of the social fabric as a result of the moral standards’ loss.
Sri Lanka has seen both benefits and challenges as a result of the digital era. While having access to information and technology has given many people more power, it has also exposed vulnerable people—particularly young people—to new threats. The proliferation of toxic ideology, online fraud, and cyberbullying all contribute to a divided society.
The harsh manifestation of the larger problem of social deterioration is the crime rate in Sri Lanka. Criminal activity finds fertile ground to take root and develop when societies become fractured, poverty endures, and moral norms erode. Understanding the relationship between crime and social decay is necessary for effective treatments, even if it is important to recognise that crime is a complex issue with many contributing elements.
Theft, robbery, and assault are three of the most frequent crimes. Vulnerable people may turn to unlawful activity as a method of survival due to a lack of social cohesion and shrinking support networks. The need for material wealth and status at all costs also feeds fraud, white-collar crime, and corruption, further dividing society.
The youth of Sri Lanka are also seriously threatened by the drug pandemic, as substance usage has disastrous effects. In addition to limiting the drug trade, combating the causes of drug-related crimes requires promoting a feeling of purpose, belonging, and wellbeing among the most vulnerable members of society.
The writer has refrained himself from making remarks on recent reports that had led to controversial debates as to conduct of some Buddhist monks, viewpoints expressed by Buddhist audiences as well as perceived role of some monks in political circles. Here is how research can prevent social degradation.
* Studies to show that moral principles like compassion, kindness, and generosity are essential building blocks for a harmonious community. Scholars through pragmatic research, can encourage people to adopt these ideals by demonstrating the applicability of these concepts in contemporary circumstances.
* Buddhism places a strong focus on mindfulness and meditation as methods for achieving inner tranquilly and self-awareness. A more attentive and compassionate populace can be created by incorporating these practices into educational curriculum, businesses, and community centres, which lowers the risk of crime.
* Research studies can shed light on tactics that foster connection and community engagement. Fostering a sense of belonging through community-based projects and activities helps lessen social isolation and potential criminal behaviour.
* Researchers can suggest policies and efforts aimed at elevating marginalised communities by looking at the causes of poverty and socioeconomic disparities. Equal access to possibilities for employment, healthcare, and education can keep people from turning to crime as a method of surviving.
* Probing into the social, economic, and psychological factors contributing to drug abuse can pave the way for targeted interventions, rehabilitation programs, and awareness campaigns to combat addiction effectively.
* Given the influence of technology in contemporary life, research can explore the potential impact of digital ethics education to counter cyberbullying, online harassment, and the spread of harmful ideologies.
Buddhist research studies can play a transforming role in leading Sri Lanka towards a more peaceful and compassionate society in the face of these formidable obstacles. These studies can delve into Buddhist doctrine to provide useful remedies by concentrating on social decay and the rise in crime. These are some crucial topics that such research ought to delve into the following:
There are many Buddhist Universities and Institutions in Sri Lanka. At a time Sri Lanka has detrimental and reported indicators such as high liquor consumption, Rape Cases, Child abuse, Suicides, Poverty, Domestic violence, Discrimination, it is imperative that Buddhist research studies concentrate on Sri Lanka’s societal decay and rising crime rates.
These studies and their outcome can offer important insights and workable answers to reduce if not alleviate social decay and promote moral values by drawing on the timeless wisdom of Buddhist teachings.
*The writer is former Diplomat, Tourism Official and Lecturer for ECU as well as author of ‘Pointers to Enlightenment and Meditation teacher for tourists
chiv / August 4, 2023
Is it Buddhist or SB (Pseudo Buddhist) research study ?????? Regardless the study should focus in finding out the reasons for SB Lanka’s bankruptcy, failures and dysfunctional systems. Issues you mentioned are secondary (theft, robbery, assault). Don’t blame the digital transformation. If not for that, you would have not even known that, there is a problem, ever existed in our prosperous splendor Lanka.
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Jit / August 4, 2023
“……..The writer has refrained himself from making remarks on recent reports that had led to controversial debates as to conduct of some Buddhist monks, viewpoints expressed by Buddhist audiences as well as perceived role of some monks in political circles. Here is how research can prevent social degradation…..”
You should really be ashamed to state that!!
WHY REFRAIN???
Then what do you expect from the average people? If ‘learned PhD’ fellows like you are soooo back-boneless to call a spade a spade, and trail blaze a movement to cleanse Buddhism from rogue, corrupt yellowrobies, then how do you expect Appuhamy and Heen Menike to do that job?
Commercialized, greedy, politicized, womanizing rogue Buddhist monks are the main problem why Buddhism in SL has gone down the gutters so quickly. If you educated elites are so gutless not to tell the truth as it is, then who else will do that job???
Your statement clearly shows why SL has been going down the gutter in all spheres so quickly in its 7th decade after the independence!!
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chiv / August 4, 2023
Jit, you’re absolutely right. First, “try saving real Buddhism from SB /Pseudo Buddhist”.
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Jit / August 6, 2023
Thanks mate! Saving true Buddhist values from these rogue yellow robies is the biggest challenge honest Buddhists are faced with today. Unfortunately, some of them do not even know who the real enemy is!
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leelagemalli / August 4, 2023
Dear Jit, long time no see, but you are back.
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Although the country is called a Buddhist country, it is Sinhala-Buddhism, not real Buddhism, that is completely different from true Buddhism based on non-violence. Sinhala Buddhism is the way of life for many and the criminals used it as a ploy to mislead the nation (Rajapalses)-
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If this country is Buddhist, it should be easy to enforce law and order.
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Unfortunately, that is not possible at the country’s airports, with arriving foreigners complaining that visa issuance counters are not properly serviced. The sanitary facilities at the airport are said to be beyond world standards. How can a country full of rascals produce a better nation than the opposite ?
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Building a consensus regardless of its size is a big challenge in this country.
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The French President’s 2-hour visit is being called a mere transit by some nefarious groups.
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There is no morality or ethics in this country today.
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This was made by Udaya Gammanpila who is Member of Parliament from Pohottuwa, and stated that he is a law graduate and a qualified person and lived then in Australia, was also accused of having criminal cases with an Australian citizen.
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Sinhala Buddhism has become the weapon of political self-indulgence of these criminals. When this is the reality of the island nation, how can the youth hope for a better life?
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Jit / August 6, 2023
Thanks LM! :) Have added more comments – some addressing few of your concerns too, in general.
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old codger / August 4, 2023
“Studies to show that moral principles like compassion, kindness, and generosity are essential building blocks for a harmonious community. Scholars through pragmatic research, can encourage people to adopt these ideals by demonstrating the applicability of these concepts in contemporary circumstances.”
The best people who could benefit from these principles are the Sangha themselves. The author, being a devout Buddhist, suffers from the mental block of being unable to criticize the monks. Some of these monks display a disgusting amount of arrogance and a sense of entitlement which is far from the Buddha’s teachings.
The other day, the very vociferous chief monk of Mihintale called the President an irreligious “kallathoni” , using a racist slur on the Head of State. How come the people who nit-pick on mispronounced national anthems missed this? How do thugs like this come to the top of a religious hierarchy?
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Raj-UK / August 4, 2023
Dr. Wanigasekeraula
”In order to maintain the core of the nation’s spiritual and moral compass, the writer intends to highlight the urgent need for Buddhist research studies to address societal degradation and rising crime rates in Sri Lanka”
I think we lost nation’s spiritual and moral compass long ago. Anyway what is the research study you talk about? We have punks in robes inciting violence & spreading hatred, then there are young punks rewriting Buddhism that consumerism is good (I remember Wall Street wizard Gordon Ghekko’s catchphrase ‘Greed is Good’ but that was fiction). I see Buddhist monks at the Amarawathi Temple in UK living a simple life, not even handling money, & then I see SL monks traveling in luxury vehicles & even promoting consumerism. Can the SL Buddhist institutions you refer to, enlighten me if the SL Buddhist version is for the 21 st Century? In which case, what happened to ‘the middle path’? Are the Buddhasasana Ministry & the institutions you refer to fit for purpose if they are unable to crack the whip on punks & thugs who distort Buddhist teachings & principals & bring disrepute? Are we satisfied with banging up comedians who disrespect Buddha & his father by addressing in colloquial language?
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Douglas / August 5, 2023
The writer stresses the need to do RESEARCH on Buddhism. Good idea and worthy effort in consideration of the present status of the TEACHING that has been used and abused.
In this “Research Effort,” I would propose to find an answer to the following question.
IS BUDDHISM PRODUCTIVE OR CREATIVE?
Briefly stated PRODUCTIVE is goal-oriented and concerned mostly with GAINS through productivity.
On the other hand, CREATIVITY recognizes IMPERMANENCE that leads to change and risk failures.
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Nathan / August 5, 2023
Of what earthly good, at this moment of our history, is a Buddhist Research Studies.
I haven’t read the article; Don’t intend reading it.
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There is a lot of good in being religious. Questionable perhaps, but not deniable. Can’t we wait for our political and economic crises to besettled before we engage in such a luxurious pastime!
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Jit / August 6, 2023
What is gone wrong with SL Buddhists is their unquestionable revering of what these yellow robies preach, just like the author of this article who is not willing to question the behaviour of SL Buddhist priests. People never dare to question the despicable level of obviously clear, widely spread, misconduct of Buddhist monks in this island today. While there may be a minuscule number of good priests practicing the noble principles of Buddhism, unfortunately the vast number of yellow robies are stinkingly corrupt to the core. What they preach are essentially aimed to protect their heinous way of life, mostly with political agendas, which is totally different to what Buddha preached needed to attain nibbana let alone Arhat status! One fine example is the widely believed fallacy spread by these corrupt monks that Buddha has preached ‘whatever the wrongdoing the priest does, people must respect the cheevaraya (yellow robe) unconditionally’ which in other words mean that the person wearing a yellow robe is licensed to do any bloody fallacious thing on earth and lay people should respect that person unconditionally. This is an utterly wrong interpretation of what Buddha actually preached about the way how to respect ‘sangha’ or good priests. If he did, then why should he ever create a ‘vinaya pitakaya’ (code of conduct for priests)??
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Jit / August 6, 2023
Contd…. Actually, he has clearly indicated in many preachings that corrupt priests should leave the priesthood in order to make sashana a better place. The abhorrent level of behaviour by Buddhist priests today has its origins to the time around 5 A.D when an Indian Brahmin turned monk named Buddhagosha arrived Anuradhapura to translate the ‘Thripitaka’ to Pali language that was written in local language (Hela Atua) at that time. Long story short, Buddhagosha connived with local priests such as Buddhadatta and Mahanama and was able to twist some of the original preachings of Gautama Buddha in order to give Buddhism a more Brahmin and Veda characters, the core of which was to increase the ‘worship’ (Vandana) mode than the ‘understanding’ (avabhodha) aspect of the religion. As a result, Buddhist ‘Prathipaththi Pooja’ (principles) got sidelined and ‘Āmisa pooja’ (revering rituals) became the status quo of Buddhism which are rampant in any temple in SL nowadays. Āmisa pooja is worshiping without questioning and that is exactly what has ruined true Buddhism in this country today.
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Jit / August 6, 2023
Contd…..Pathetically, people are shunned to question or criticize anyone wrapped in a yellow robe. In Kālama Sutta, Gautama Buddha had clearly preached to accept only what is aligned with wisdom – not just what was written in books or preached by anyone in a yellow robe. But Buddhagosha cult is more powerful in this tiny island. Otherwise, how come local Buddhists have come to believe blindly that all their sins can be washed off by worshipping at Kelaniya temple just once in their lifetime – the very place where the chief monk was prosecuted and hanged by the highest court in SL for conspiring and killing the head of state of SL – an all time record??
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Ajith / August 6, 2023
Since independence all the institutions in this island are now converted to Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalism. The army, navy, air force, police in all areas including North East are now with 95% Buddhist Sinhala. The former President Gota established a Sinhala only Monk group to study archeology in the North East only. I have never heard such an spefcific area wise archeology research in the country from the birth of this island. It is now if you see a PEEPAL TREE-BODHI SATVA TREE anywhere in the North East, then this research confirms that was a Sinhala Buddhist place. In fact, whether Sinhalese ever lived or not it is considered as a Sinhala Buddhist land and that land is replaced with the Sinhala Buddist Monk. Can any researchers give me that any part of North East ever been lived by Sinhalese majority?
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