28 March, 2024

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BBS Saffron Brigade And A Nation In Tears Forever

By Sharmini Serasinghe

Sharmini Serasinghe

‘Buddhist Sri Lanka’ perceived as the ‘sole protector’ of the Dhamma is where all beings irrespective of caste, creed, religion or race are supposed to live in peace, compassion and harmony. Then why is this tiny tear-drop shaped nation in the vast Indian Ocean destined forever to be in tears? Where did Buddhism go wrong for Lanka? Or should it be where was Buddhism made to go wrong for Lanka?

Never before in recent history has the populace of this comparatively ‘small’ country – Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim – been as ‘largely’ polarized as we see now. Physically we are so very near to one another but yet so far apart. For today we are a nation where not only are the Sinhalese and Tamils surveying each other with fear and suspicion, but the Sinhalese and Muslims as well. Whodunit!

With the embers of an ugly and unfortunate civil war still glowing, we are now beginning to feel the ominous signs of yet another episode of racial intolerance emerging, this time with the Buddhist flag being brandished against the ‘other’. Clearly there is another blood-bath on the horizon for Lanka.

In the absence of a strong political will to nip this malady in the bud, the ‘Guardians’ of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the Mahasangha, too, have taken to maintaining a stoic silence. It was only very recently and coincidentally in perfect timing with the Geneva debacle, that one of these ‘Guardians’ of Buddhism appeared to have been jolted into action and thus issued a nonsensical and incongruous statement reported in the Sunday Leader of 10th March 2013 under the caption “Asgiriya Chapter puts BBS on notice”.

This lame statement claims that they of the Asgiriya Chapter do not accept ‘some’ of the actions of the Bodu Bala Sena. The stress on the pronoun ‘some’ sticks out as a sore thumb. This could only imply that the extremist BBS Saffron Brigade not only enjoys the tacit approval and blessings of the reigning political leaders but the ‘Guardians’ of Buddhism in Lanka the Mahasangha as well, of all what the BBS stands for except ‘some’. This ‘some’ could mean anything or nothing.

If this is the interpretation of the Buddhist philosophy, practiced by the Mahasangha, then this ‘Buddhist’ country is better off without such hypocrites.

For they are then nothing but ‘Buddhist ornaments’; therefore a lame excuse for Buddhists let alone wear the mantle of the Mahasangha.

In this context all what our elected leaders including this ‘Mahasangha’ seem to be able to do is only pay mere lip-service to this ruckus. By this they seem to be implying to the Saffron Brigade “Do as you do, and don’t mind what I say”.

There are those blinded by misguided loyalty who take umbrage at the very suggestion that our ‘faultless’ elected political leaders and the oh-so-holy Mahasangha can never say or do wrong. In the minds of some of these individuals, those who accuse their holier-than-though leaders of fanning the flames of religious extremism must be either NGOs or paid by NGOs to sling mud. The truth always hurts, sometimes a lot!

They would have to be either extremely naive or endowed with limited gray-matter to believe that our political leaders in governance, ably supported by the ‘mute’ Mahasangha have ‘nothing to do’ with the gloom that is unfolding before our very eyes. After all what do they, the ruling politicians, care what becomes of the Muslims, as they don’t get their vote anyway!

What appears stark as daylight is that as long as they at the political top, including their pampered and willingly manipulated Mahasangha, are afforded the privilege of basking in the glory of self aggrandizement and all that entails the ‘good life’, that’s all they care about.

They don’t essentially give a damn or a hoot that Lanka may be entering the throes of yet another smouldering blood-bath that would ultimately leave our country in a pile of ash and rubble. After all what do they care, it’s only the common man out there who will suffer and get killed, not them. Déjà vu!

What they our elected political leaders appear to be saying but not saying is never mind the Muslims, they are getting too big for their boots anyway. So let them be rattled a bit and put in their place as long as we don’t appear to be doing it. Hence the Saffron Brigade marches forward to attend to the needful.

Then there are those languishing in ‘Camps for the Homeless’ in the North and East, torn apart from their families and places they once called home, taken over and occupied by the Army. What our elected political leaders seem to be implying to them through their sheer lack of will to resolve their issues is – never mind they voted for the Swan anyway, so let them suffer it out as those who vote for ‘others’ will be shown no mercy.

And as for the Sinhalese what our elected political leaders appear to be implying by denying them the democratic right to plan their families to suit their purse is, let them produce more, more and more so we will have more, more and more Sinhalabuddhist votes. Never mind if they are malnourished and uneducated they can still vote.

Let our elected political leaders and others not be bothered by such above-mentioned trivialities. For very soon there is an event of far greater importance that must be celebrated come hell or high water, the great ‘Victory Day’ in the month of May.

Never mind that thousands of the innocent perished and became refugees in the name of this ‘Victory Day’. They were after all a mere insignificant collateral cost because “We Won the War”. That appears to be what our elected political leaders are saying but not saying.

At a saner level might we ask does this ‘Victory Day’ need to be celebrated with such vulgar pomp and pageantry? Can it not be a day of reflection on all that ails the political system of Lanka? Do we need an annual reminder in such a crass and tasteless way of the mistakes of our own political forefathers? Should this not be rightfully a day of moaning instead of one to be celebrated? Do we have to make it so obvious to the world that we are today a nation marching backwards?

As a Buddhist might I ask our ruling political leaders: cannot, at least for one day on this day, some compassion and sensitivity be shown towards all those who gave life and limb to make this day possible? Didn’t we kill off our own and not an unwelcome foreign invader?

“Oh no!” I hear that ominous voice of our elected political leaders.

Yes they don’t see it that way and to hell with those who don’t see things their way. For this is an all important day that must be celebrated loudly and most visibly as possible and at any cost. For this is the day when The Emperor dons his ‘Victory Day’ cloak to cover his otherwise nakedness and impress the masses that there is no other such as he!

The vote to remain forever in power wins at the end of the day!

*Sharmini Serasinghe was Director Communications of the former Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) under Secretary Generals Jayantha Dhanapala and Dr. John Gooneratne. She counts over thirty years in journalism in both the print and electronic media.

 

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    Excellent article ! Well done

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      Sharmini Serasinghe ,what audacity to call the victory parade as Vulgar . Can you say the same for the Britsh who make it a grander ceremony for the soldiers who died in World war one and two .Have you had a chance to watch the ceremony in the UK ?. The whole country comes to a standstill in their memory . The entire Royal family participates in this .This is called gratitude. Do you call this vulgar as well? Who the hell are you to renounce the victory parade ? This is a country that remembers the soldiers who sacrificed their life to people like you who live becuse of them . What a waste of a good soldiers life for useless people like you .

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        You have a valid point. To some extent that could be right.But can we behave as the ones behaved in UK after their war victory, in a country -Srilanka- almsot over 70% of the people are easily manipulative for anything.

        You say “This is a country that remembers the soldiers who sacrificed their life to people like you who live becuse of them”

        Did you and the nation notice it in the aftermath of the war. SF was marginalised, every right thinking one would raise why? He was brought before the courts, he was imprisoned, while hundreds of other real criminals to stay scot free

        Why you guys seem tobe brainwashed ?

        Do we at all need the new problems creating by BBS and like minded movements ?

        Did you study the nature of that particular Hamuduruwo who leads the BBS ?

        While BBS is supported by GR and the thug minded white vans goons openly, how can you address these sentimental issues ?

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          Iam not talking about SF but responding to what this sharmini is writng .

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            sharmini is talking about the BBS Saffron Brigade.

            The Sinhala-Buddhist monks of the Bodu Balu Sena are nothing but Rowdies in robes.

            See in this video how the BBS leader and founder, the IRC Galagoda atthe Gnanasara Thero swearing in public.

            Is this Buddhism or Barbarism?

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oBWfodikpA&feature=youtu.be

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              BBS is not against Muslims as long as they do not “Islamize” the whole country. Fundamental Islamists want to make a different society where others can-not co-exist. Out of all violence in this world 68% is due to these Muslims fighting others or fighting their other sects. Nabil, you enjoy the freedom to crisis and Publish these Videos living among other Buddhists, but can a Buddhist carry even a Buddhist manuscript in Saudi Arabia? Muslims should appreciate the freedom and economic benefits that they enjoy in a Buddhist Country. Shamini must understand if a woman is allowed to write something like this if she was born to that religion. BBS is fighting for meaningful and legitimate things, not for those things that some people have accepted “blindly”. There is no reason to see the Sinhalese are getting marginalized one day. Can Sinhalese enjoy the same rights the Muslims enjoy now, if the Sinhalese are to become a minority? All Sinhala Pundits who have different ideas should look at other Muslim countries. In those, you need to be a Muslim to get a Govt. job. You get persecuted if you practice your own religion. Our ancestors worked hard and established a great civilization. As a result Muslims came there and we welcomed them. Now please do not try to eat the whole-pie (remember cheating law entrance exam ?) Shamini has shown her ignorance in making some comments. You should not be a Buddhist by conviction. Learn the value of it and make sure it is saved for your future generations. Some who work with a vision saved Lanka and its Buddhist values and now Shamini and Nabil have the freedom to write and move around without fear. If some of you fail to understand real dynamics and ground realities of Lanka, there can be consequences…..because at least 25% of Buddhists work with a vision. You’ll see this in the future. BBS has put forward their concerns. Try and answer those before you write about them. Answer not forgetting your heritage and back-ground, if you have one…..

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              See how a Sinhala-Buddhist monk from the BBS attacking an innocent Muslim law student in Colombo.

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guoFwbbDAUE&feature=player_embedded

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              Almay

              If you want to come out of your ignorance and get enlightened you should know some facts. Please listen to this video and you will surely understand things in the right way.

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HJyE-EpOIU&feature=share

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              Almay

              “[BBS is not against Muslims as long as they do not “Islamize” the whole country.]”

              The above statement is nothing but a big JOKE. How can the Muslims, a minority community (7% of the population) “Islamize” a HUGE majority unless they are actually kavum kana Modayas who can be easily fooled to convert by throwing a few Kavums.

              “[Fundamental Islamists want to make a different society where others can-not co-exist. Out of all violence in this world 68% is due to these Muslims fighting others or fighting their other sects. Nabil,]”

              This is pure RUBBISH. If you at least have some basic education, can you show some reliable link to show that 68% of the violence in this world is due to Muslims fighting others? Can you prove what you are saying? Do not invent statistics from thin air. You are a blatant lier.

              “[you enjoy the freedom to crisis and Publish these Videos living among other Buddhists, but can a Buddhist carry even a Buddhist manuscript in Saudi Arabia?]”

              This again is a stupid moronic statement. Saudi Arabia is 100% Muslim country and others should appreciate them for giving employment. Nearly one million Sri Lankan women are working in Saudi Arabia (90% Sinhalese according to foreign employment bureau). You should worship them for giving your daily bread instead of Buddha who only gave you the begging bowl to beg.

              “[Muslims should appreciate the freedom and economic benefits that they enjoy in a Buddhist Country.]”
              Sri Lanka is a Multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-lingual country right from the beginning of its history. Other than Veddhas, everybody else came from outside from time to time. All the four major religions practiced in Sri Lanka came from outside (imported). Just because the Buddhists became the majority, they started calling it a Buddhist country (law of the jungle, the stronger animal dominates). Not only Muslims but the Buddhists should also appreciate the freedom and economic benefits that they enjoying in a Multi-religious country like SL.

              “[Shamini must understand if a woman is allowed to write something like this if she was born to that religion.]”

              Another blind statement.
              Very knowledgeable and experienced people write articles to CT. Out of the many hundreds of articles on CT, Shamini gets the highest response because she is one of the very few erudite writers (or rather one of the best) we have at this period of time. She is VERY wise and bold to expose the truth and nothing but the truth that most people are scared to speak in public. She should be commended for coming up with such wonderful articles and deserves our appreciation.

              “[BBS is fighting for meaningful and legitimate things, not for those things that some people have accepted “blindly”.]”

              BBS is nothing but a group of rowdies in robes led by an IRC monk. It was created by none other than Gota Rajapakshe around 10 months ago to create a conflict in the country for their survival. The majority Buddhists have forgotten all other problems in the country and only worried about the Muslims. This way they can continue to rob the wealth of the country and I am sure some day they will take all these and run away to another country.

              “[There is no reason to see the Sinhalese are getting marginalized one day. Can Sinhalese enjoy the same rights the Muslims enjoy now, if the Sinhalese are to become a minority? All Sinhala Pundits who have different ideas should look at other Muslim countries. In those, you need to be a Muslim to get a Govt. job. You get persecuted if you practice your own religion.]”

              Only some idiotic imbeciles will think this way. How can a 92% population get marginalized and by whom? The Muslims are only 7% and how and when can they become a majority (above 92%). Do you think the Sinhala-Buddhists are impotent sexually dysfunctional group of people to become a minority?

              You are worst than a frog in the well. If you go to the Arab countries, you find multi-nationals employed there with all kinds of religions. Did any Arab country ask them to convert to Islam before getting employed there? Around 25 years ago the IGP (one of the top most government job) in Oman was a Sinhala-Buddhist. There are hundreds of Sinhala-Buddhists doing government jobs in UAE, Qatar, Oman, etc. Ask them if they are persecuted for practicing their religion in these countries.

              [Our ancestors worked hard and established a great civilization. As a result Muslims came there and we welcomed them. Now please do not try to eat the whole-pie (remember cheating law entrance exam ?) ]

              Not only your ancestors, the ancestors of Tamils and Muslims also contributed heavily to this country. It is the Sinhala-Buddhists who are eating the whole pie without sharing it with the minorities. Muslims do not cheat, it is only the Sinhala-Buddhists who cheat.

              “[Shamini has shown her ignorance in making some comments. You should not be a Buddhist by conviction. Learn the value of it and make sure it is saved for your future generations. ]”

              Buddhism was a good philosophy but unfortunately the Sinhalese have made it into a barbaric religion. What is practiced in SL in the name of Buddhism is actually Barbarism.

              “[Some who work with a vision saved Lanka and its Buddhist values and now Shamini and Nabil have the freedom to write and move around without fear. If some of you fail to understand real dynamics and ground realities of Lanka, there can be consequences…..because at least 25% of Buddhists work with a vision.] “

              I still could not stop laughing at this. What vision did you people ever had? When the British gave the country back to us SL was one of the best countries in Asia. Today it is one of the worst, poor, uncivilized, under developed, and begging countries in the world all because the so called VISION of the Sinhala-Buddhists.
              We are already seeing the consequences of not understanding the real dynamics and ground realities of Lanka by the Sinhala-Buddhists. The country went back words by a century due to the 30 years old war created by the foolishness of the Sinhala-Buddhist Modayas.

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              Hello Sicko,

              Please use another Pseudo name instead so that people can see who you are! A sick mind

              Nabil

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              Folks,

              This Nabil above with a dark blue logo is an imposter. He is not a Muslim but a Sinhala-Buddhist pretending as Nabil.

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        Can i Barrow this name of your’s.
        one day i can comment with Patriotic license plate.

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        Sarojini, Other countries celebrate ‘Victory’ over a common Enemy Country. We are celebrating a so-called ‘Victory’ over our own Citizens. Do we also celebrate a Victory Day over the JVP (a group of misguided youth) as Sirimavo called them in former Days? GOSL, Please see sense and do not keep on digging into a festering wound instead of Healing it!Is Sri Lanka enjoying Peace or the start of another WAR?

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          There is no such enemy as a” common enemy “. Enemies are enemies! wether JVP or LTTE they were brutal murderes who butcherd innocent civilians. Similiarly the World wars were fought against despotic lunatics like VP. You are right SL is now celebrating the peace the soldiers acheived, for all citizens.

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            Sarojini, did you read the whole of Sharmini’s article, before you jumped in to comment. You are just talking from the background of your own prejudices.
            My point was that the JVP and LTTE are/were misguided youth of our own country, created by successive incompetent Governments, not Foreign Powers trying to takeover our Country.

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            so wht we need right now is not BBS or JHU we sri lankans need peace and harmony in this country after 30 years of fear and war.
            do we need another black july, it took us backwards. we have so many issues in our country. we dont have any misunderstanding with the muslims who supported the sri lankan government and even the muslim countries supported sri lanka during the war. tell me who pilot the Kfir jets during the war, is it BBS, thousands of sri lankan sodiers were saved after pakistan sent arms, is it BBS.

            so you forgot everything the muslim contributions for the war. now wanna attack muslims and muslims worship places , their dress codes etc. hwt wrong with these ROW MONKS BBS.

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        Sarojini,

        Get your facts correct before you make foolish comments and make an idiot of yourself.

        As you say ” Britsh who make it a grander ceremony for the soldiers who died in World war one and two”.

        For your information both World Wars involved many large nations in all different parts of the world.

        Our soldiers fought in an internal war with a homegrown terrorist outfit!!!!!!!

        BIG DIFFERENCE!

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          Principle is the same .Borttom line is remembering the dead! i cannot understand why you cant figure that out it is not rocket science .

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            Sarojini, all right then remember the dead, not only the Soldiers killed in battle but all Sri Lankans killed in Battle. Why be racist?

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              Do you expect us to remember the butchers. Not even Balachandran my dear, we don’t trust the murdrers.

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        Victory parade for committing War crimes against humanity and Genocide against its own people???

        ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ is a short tale by Hans Christian Andersen about two weavers who promise an Emperor a new suit of clothes invisible to those unfit for their positions or incompetent. When the Emperor parades before his subjects in his new clothes, a child cries out, ‘But he isn’t wearing anything at all!’

        Mahinda Rajapakshe’s nakedness can’t be covered by victory parades, or by the fools who fall prey to his bankrupt Ideology.

        These Victory parades are only to fool the stupid idiotic morons in Sri Lanka and a handful of dirty racists like SAROJINI. Mahinda Rajapakshe and his cohorts can fool these Modayas by having some Moda-choon like victory parades but he cannot fool the world. The US, UN, EU and India are waiting to hang him for committing war crimes and genocide against the people of his own country.

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        Sarongini,

        The British are celebrating a victory over an external enemy. Whereas here what was quelled was a sophisticated internal rebellion and an attempt to divide the island. The Tamils were and yet are citizens of the country. It was not a war against the Tamils. It was a war to keep the country united. If it is perceived as a war won over the Tamils, we will never reconcile in this country. It was a war against the LTTE . The LTTE , though started to defend Tamil rights in Sri Lanka, ended up being a curse on the Tamils as well. The LTTE was defeated. The LTTE is gone, but the Tamils are here and are citizens of this country.

        What we need is a Remembrance Day, for all the lives lost , as a result of the various riots, the JVP insurrections and the Tamil militancy. It is not the victory that should be savoured, but a tragedy to be remembered.. It should be a day of Thanksgiving as well, for our deliverance from a long curse and much pain. It is also a day to remember what we did wrong and think of what we should do right. It is also a day all Sri Lankans should pledge that they will not permit or give cause for such tragedies to repeat ever again in our history.

        Dr.Rajasingham Narendran

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          We should only celebrate a victory against an external enemy ???? Why ?

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            Sarojini,

            You seem to be having a malfunctioning brain.

            You also very likely have been living away from Sri Lanka for a very long time, most probably in UK with you obvious adulation of the British. Or else you wouldn’t be making such idiotic comments on this thread.

            Please save yourself from further embarrassment and go bum suck your Suddhas without wasting space on this thread.

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              @ kattakarawal

              Are you a brain ( or brwan ) surgeon of a kind to make a ststement that Sarojini has a malfunctioning brain?. When one cannot come up with a valid argument to a point/points raised by someone, some people resort this type of vulgar comment.

              There is a saying that mentally retarded people tend to think that it is other people who suffer from such a sickness. By the same token, I guess you must visit a good brain surgeon and get your haed examined.

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            Sarojini,

            Why not also celebrate the two victories over the the JVP? We could have three victory days then!

            Dr. RN

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              Dr R N, my sentiments exactly. Celebrating the latest War Victory is Racist and not desingned to Promote reconciliation.

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            What the British commemorate is a rememberence Sunday where all the war dead in various parts of the world of various nationalities who fought in the British allied forces are remembered and revered. They fought wars against invaders of the empire. Not bomb their own citizens to smithereens to quell a rebellion of their own creation and failed racist politics.
            Here the university students who remembered their own dead were incarcerated.
            How can one ever hope for peace and reconciliation ?

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          Dr.Narasingham,

          There’s already a plenty of days to celebrate with us _ Public, Mercantile, Bank and Poya in addition to other festive days. Lankan Calendar is already dotted with enough of nasty holidays. Your suggestion of another additional day will perpetually will being SL economy to a stagnation, which will help promote BBS to implement some more days, like “Halal day”, “Geneva day”, “Human rights day”, “Mariya Kade” & so on. YOU ADDRESSED MS.SAROJINI AS “SARONGINI”, HOW COULD IT BE IF SHE NAME YOU “AMUDESINGHAM YONENDRAN”.

          CT will definitely react upon this comment, as they are always discarding posts against your comments. What’s the affinity?

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        no dont understand things wht going on in sri lanka. think first wht these BBS rowdies are doing. are u happy about it. are u happy about wht is happening in india. is that right

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        SAROJINI

        Your limited knowledge of the English language is obvious despite your adoration of the British.

        Better get your British to teach you better English before even thinking of reading an intellectually deep article of this kind.

        Or else you will never get the message writers like Sharmini are trying to convey.

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          Mahadanamutta should be appointed as our Guru to teach English to the nation …. absurd..

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        Sarojini,

        Isn’t Sharmini our mutual friend on facebook? Isn’t your real name Saroja?

        If you are, then I recall what an ass you were making of yourself on Facebook displaying your ignorance on a subject Sharmini had written regarding SinhalaBuddhist extremists.

        You seem to be in the habit of reading only some parts of articles and commenting on those parts only OR you read the entire article but can understand only some of it.

        I recognised your brand of ignorance and stupidity instantly.

        By the way are you a foreign arm of the BBS funding and supporting the BBS to bring shame on the Dhamma?

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          Wrong My name is not Saroja and I am not in face book or ever will be . You are a failed detective . !

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          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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        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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        Yes Mardi Gras is vulgar. So, if the British bark, you scratch your bottom? The whole of Sri Lankans can dance for months in grandeur, but on who’s budget, and vested on who’s interest?

        Of course, a pompous Royal family is welcome in Sri Lanka, they are now being groomed, even tracing back their linage to the Sakkas Dharmystically.

        While not being part of any campaign but hate mongering, does it suffice you by puffing in your muscles in an inert monkey parade that does not either embolden your service to the nation, neither your own pride on the honing-stone of the kitchen.

        Now you see,now you don’t. This is how you behave while idle, when you miss a crock’s prop to imbibe?

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        Stupido they the Brits killed others never their own like your mehara- tota Rajaporkistan sinhalabuddhist. 2million Indians lost their lives for the British Raj but the Indians are never invited and majority never got their pensions moron.Seen the recent Gurka regiment case? Gemba jini.

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    We are indeed marching backwards. After a long struggle and communal problems, we should be uniting, and denouncing the bigots, thugs, and instigators. They should be shamed and strongly condemned for preventing this nation from going forward. The government has become the master of blaming foreign sources for “interfering and preventing our progress”, but seem to be completely obvious to the fact that evil lurks within. Evil in the guise of Buddhist leaders who lead the mobs and thugs into mosques, businesses, and more recently into a private home. The inactions of the government will have repercussions, and it will have no one but themselves to blame for not nipping things in the bud. The world will once again know that to be a minority in this country puts you at the mercy of bullies, and an indifferent government.

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      Those cover their hair in a veil and believe a violent pedophile could be a [Edited out] live in a perpetual state of backwardness. Sri Lanka will go forward (eventually), thanks to the liberal nature of Buddhism. What is missing are a few economic variables. I suggest you focus on Saudi Arabia, where women cannot even drive.

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        Why bring your hatred for Saudi Arabia and Muslims into this? These are Sri Lankan Muslims we are discussing here. Evil is here when they insert their anti Islamic propaganda from stolen lands, and apartheid nation, or look upon bigots as their ideal. You don’t give a shekel for Sri Lanka – all you care about is causing trouble and setting one religion against the other. There are other religion with their share of extremism, Islam is not the only one much as you might try to imply otherwise.

        Here is an example:

        CBC News:

        “Thousands of people in Israel rallied against religious extremism on Tuesday, protesting against the way some ultra-Orthodox Jews treat girls and women.

        Protesters held signs reading, “Free Israel from religious coercion,” and “Stop Israel from becoming Iran.”

        Ultra-Orthodox extremists want to impose a number of restrictions, which include not allowing women to be interviewed on radio stations, not accepting pictures of women in newspapers or billboards, and demanding women sit at the back of the bus.

        Some also want women to walk separately on the opposite side of the road.

        Last week, a young Israeli woman caused a nationwide uproar when she refused a religious man’s order to move to the back of a bus.

        The protests were also spurred on, in part, by another incident last week, in which some ultra-Orthodox men in the town of Beit Shemesh harassed an eight-year old girl on her way to her religious Jewish girls school — spitting on her, calling her a “w****” and claiming she was dressed immodestly.

        Naama Margolese, a second-grader, is now afraid to walk to school, even if she is accompanied by her mother.”

        Then there was the case of orthodox Jews who pelted buses with eggs because they did not like “posters showing women” in buses.

        Tut, tut, seems women are treated like inferior citizens in stolen lands too.

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          I am saying that Sri Lanka will go farther than all the Muslim countries. Wait till your precious oil becomes useless; you will have to find a new god, other than Mr. Potatoe.

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            Lester

            Someone said, day dreaming is good for self. Please continue dreaming.

            Someone also said the frog in the well believes this is the entire world.

            Most of the Muslim countries are so developed and industralized, they do not need oil anymore. The Oil and Gas what they have is only a bonus. For example, Saudi Arabia is the second largest Wheat producer after USA. They have also invested their wealth in the world’s topmost organizations and industries.

            The God is always on their side where as Buddha has only given his begging bowl to Sri Lanka to continue begging the rich world countries forever. So, keep your dream to yourself but do not stop begging.

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              From where Lester gets his information from, that stolen land, they use the begging bowl too.
              Without the billions the US is compelled to keep giving, they will be poorer than their neighbors.

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              please note that this an Imposter and Not me!

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              @ Nabil,

              Muslim countries are developed and industrialized? What a joke! That is why they can’t get together and fight Israel?

              Gandhi also had just a begging bowl. But he kicked out the mighty British without firing a single shot. Not even Hitler with his non-stop bombing of London could make the British fall.

              Nonviolence is better than violence. Even though the Quran says its okay to do jihad on infidels, at the end of the day, violence is just a vicious circle.

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              @idiot Nabil

              First of all there are many Nabils in this world including me. Secondly, I never saw you when I commented here. I do not know who is the imposter here, you or me. I wanted to add an initial to my name after seeing you but now I am not going to do it. I will be posting as Nabil. The readers will decide who is the childish idiot, you or me.

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              @Lester

              “[Muslim countries are developed and industrialized? What a joke! That is why they can’t get together and fight Israel?]”

              So says a frog in the well.
              Idiot, Israel is only fighting against Palestine (just one Muslim country out of 25 Arab countries in the region), why should all the developed and industrialized Muslim countries go and fight with someone and get their country ruined? You thought the Arabs are similar to the certified Modayas in Sri Lanka known as kavum kana yodayas?
              They are mush much much clever than the Sinhala-Buddhist Modayas.


              [Gandhi also had just a begging bowl. But he kicked out the mighty British without firing a single shot. Not even Hitler with his non-stop bombing of London could make the British fall.]”

              What nonsense!
              Gandhi NEVER had a begging bowl. He never went from place to place begging. He only fought the British using Ahimsa. Do not compare the Sinhala-Buddhist Barbarians with Gandhi.

              “[Nonviolence is better than violence. Even though the Quran says its okay to do jihad on infidels, at the end of the day, violence is just a vicious circle.]”

              Tell this to your Boda Balu Sena Buddhist thugs. We will do jihad only if you provoke us to the extreme, when our tolerable limit is crossed.

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              At orange Nabil,

              Gandhi kicked the British out without firing a single shot. Your brothers in Palestine cannot kick the weakling Jew out, despite having bombs, rockets, and unlimited virgins. What do you have to say for yourself?

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            Yes, with your philosophy Sri Lanka will go down the drain further. Logic points out in that direction. Self check your Sri Lankan patriotic values and please expand your mind and faculties to encompass the rest of the world.

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            No, that is not one you are deflecting. You just equated the Sri Lankan Muslims to the conservative laws of Saudi and women not driving. Yet another lame attempt to attack Islam.

            Sri Lankan women DRIVE and are free to wear that they choose, and work where they wish.

            Stop the Islamaphobia and weak responses. It is obvious what your game is, Geert Wilders.

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              Sri Lanka just came out of a 30 year war. No country comes out of a war without being paralyzed. Saudi Arabia is a very good example of the Islamic inability to develop despite its very high GDP. Before the USA went to Saudi Arabia, it was a nation of illiterate bedouins roaming the desert on camels. No one could even identify it on the map. Things have not changed that much. The most famous Saudi in history is Osama-Bin Laden? His accomplishment: to fly a plane into the World Trade Center. Saudi Arabia does not produce intellectuals; what it does is promote jihad all over the world (with money from infidels!) and finance the building of mosques.

              Saudi Arabia is the most wealthy Islamic nation. If this is how a wealthy Islamic nation behaves, there is no need to comment on the poorer ones. As I have said many times on this forum, the only moderately progressive Muslim nation is Iran, and that is because of its pre-Islamic history. On the other hand, the Sunni Muslim attitude towars Shia Iran is well-known.

              Luckily, Sri Lanka has a 2000 year old history of progress and an equally old liberal tradition. This is a much better formula for progress than oil money and blind belief in hadiths. In general, Sri Lankans in the West are wealthy and highly eduated. Once the economic and political dynamics in Sri Lanka change, all these people will invest their money and talents in the island, and you will see a major difference.

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            Uhhh! That big will soil your vent my boy!

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          Does the ‘liberal nature of Buddhism’ permits the mushrooming number of taverns, casinos, brothels, etc. that promote vice and anti-social behaviour which destroys the core foundation of Buddhism. If a progressive Sri Lanka is expected to be built on Buddhist values how could in happen when the same values are not only being shelved but being destroyed. For that matter if such destruction is considered as ‘just a few economic variables’, let us pity Sri Lanka and the Buddhist people.

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            Nothing wrong with taverns and brothels. India was also sexually free before the Moghuls came. The Moghuls and the Victorians are the ones who brought these silly ideas about keeping women locked up in cages, to Sri Lanka and India.

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              ‘Nothing wrong with taverns and brothels’ you say. Is this the Buddhism you have understood. What a pity?

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              I am not a Buddhist. In any event, only the Abrahamic religions (Islam/Christianity) try to lock women up in cages. If we look at other cultures and religions, they are very open about sexuality. You can have a healthy, thriving society that is open about sexuality, for example Germany where people go for sunbathing in public parks.

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              Lester

              Do not lie through your teeth. After you got cornered your are pretending to be a non-Buddhist. You have already talked bad about Islam and Christanity. Do not expect us to believe that you as a Hindu. Looks like you will give up even your mother to save your face. Shame on you!

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              nothing wrong in taverns and brothels??? ‘brothels’??? nothing wrong with that? are you serious??? I am a woman, and if I was given a choice between staying locked up at home or selling myself at a brothel, then I’ll stay home! thank you very much!!! you have at least one significant woman in your life right? if not anyone else, at least a mother? what would you prefer for her in the name of freedom?

              And I see people condemning the Arab nations for imposing controls on the rights of their women, isn’t that exactly what is happening in our own country now? The Muslim women I know in our dear country wear the Abaya with pride and of their own free will. isn’t it a violation of their fundamental right? aren’t we then as guilty as those you seem to utterly despise? and as a woman, don’t you think that I and other women like me ( who in your eyes, are the ones who are ‘liberated’) should be the one’s concerned about the wearing of the Abaya by our Muslim sisters? after all it is ‘ not in line’ ( or so some people seem to think) with our sense of fashion, and it is ‘obviously’ a violation of their freedom of expression and a violation or ‘our’ freedom as well right?

              and it is possible for one to understand why ‘some’ men are so concerned about how much skin women show, but it eludes me why those noble one’s in saffron robes should lobby for the visibility of more skin… the halal issue was sorted, but how is women’s clothing a problem now? does our country not have more pressing issues?

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              A pugnacious born-again tadpole.

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        Lester:
        CT doesn’t edit out enough of your hate messages.
        As for the day that Sri Lanka reaches “power and glory” haven’t your handlers already declared that time?
        “Back to the rock from which you emerged” would be the kindest thing to tell someone like you!

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          Like I said, wait till oil becomes useless. You will see “Arab Springs” all over the Middle East. When the Westerners pack up and leave like they did in Libya, we will see the full “power and glory” of your religion.

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            Lester

            There should be a limit to your day dreams. While sending your women as slaves to the Muslim countries and begging the entire world to maintain your economy, you cannot dream so big because beggars cannot choose even their dreams.

            Statistics indicates 1.3 million Sri Lankan workers (House maids and Laborers), 90% of them Sinhalese in the Middle-East. You people are not only begging the whole world but also slaving in the Muslim countries.

            In Saudi Arabia, the most common destination, they call Sri Lanka as “the Country of Housemaids. The Kuwaitis have gone to the extent of saying that “the Sri Lankan women are born to serve us (Arabs) as nannies and maids.”

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              The women don’t go as slaves, they go willingly. Of course there is some mistreatment of some women, but that is a reflection of Islamic values more than anything else. Not only these women, but any woman is treated like cattle in the Middle East. The Arab royals keep concubines full of hundreds of women from all over the world, while arresting British tourists for kissing in public. This is your religion in action: a few insecure men, no doubt with small anatomy, who force their women to cover up, while the men themselves enjoy to no end with foreign women.

              Sri Lanka doesn’t beg from the entire world to maintain its economy. It is only the IMF, World Bank, and China.

              Kuwait is a joke. If not for the Americans, Kuwait would be ruled by Saddam today. Kuwait with all its oil money cannot defend itself in a war, at least Sri Lanka can. That shows how feminine most Arab men are. They are like small girls, which is why the USA and its Zionist backers control the Middle East like a puppet on a string.

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            In that event. Oil will be useful in sometimes to lubricate your physical mechanisms, especially the rusty cog wheel outlet between the crevice.

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            Ignoring my question is it? check your previous post

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          Its a pity indeed Aney Apppchchi :( that CT chooses to tolerate bigots!

          But then we need people from all walks of life don’t we, to show us how low humanity can sink, how foolish seemingly educated people can be and how quickly one acquires a thick hide.

          I came across a Sutta that is apt. It’s called Luminous- The mind is inherently luminous; the unwise person can’t even see that it is obscured by defilement. Pabhassara Sutta.

          There is another in Jainism-“Delusion is a sort of demonic force. People’s original mind is pure but it becomes perverted due to delusion and other karmas” Jainism. Kundakunda, Pancastikaya

          Some men who appear benign, and unassuming turn instantaneously into purveyors of extremist ideology,when they get behind a computer. They know very well that their hatred has no place among decent men and women;they have to prowl the internet to seek out like minded men who share their vitriol and hatred.
          Unfortunately they all seem to swarm and pollute CT! A pity indeed

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            Yes, it’s a pity that humans can swoop so low. Believing in moon gods, holy wars, and slavery.

            The Qur’an recognizes the basic inequality between master and slave and the rights of the former over the latter. The historian Bruschvig states that from a spiritual perspective, “the slave has the same value as the free man, and the same eternity is in store for his soul; in this earthly life, failing emancipation, there remains the fact of his inferior status, to which he must piously resign himself.”

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        Why we should focus on Saudi. Sri Lanka is our country. Muslims, tamils, burghers living in this country are also our brothers and sisters. We should focus on Sri Lanka as one nation and not on one nationality or religion. Go and read Lord Buddhas Dhamma. If Buddha was alive today these BBS morons will say they no more about buddhism tha Buddha.

        Sri Lankan Sinhala Buddhist

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          Sri Lanka is first and foremost for Sinhalese,Tamils, and Veddas, the ORIGINAL inhabitants of the country. Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus. Everyone else is welcome as a guest, but they should not ask too much. It is not only Sri Lanka that has this problem. In Germany also, the stupid Turks complain that they are discriminated against. Many of the younger ones are returning to Turkey now. Here is my advice: if you go to a job interview wearing religious ornaments, you are telling the employer that you put your RELIGION first.

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            You seem to be ignorant of or hiding the fact that ‘Yakkas and Nagas’ are the original inhabitants and Sinhalese are the descendants of Vijay who was sent on exile because of his violent behaviour. Perhaps, some Sinhalese (not all) behave violently like Vijaya as they still have the traces of Vijaya’s gene in their system.

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            Only Lester believes he is the original and everyone else is duplicate. What he forgets is that his DNA is Southern Indian.

            Lester can dream on.

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              Nabil’s racist fantasy is to group all Sinhalese and Tamils under the banner of dark-skinned South Indians, and have them bow at the feet of Caliph Rauf Hakeem. But Nabil forgets that not all Sinhalese are dark-skinned, neither do all of them possess South Indian DNA. DNA is a complex thing; the average Black in America, for example, is more “European” than Nabil. I suggest Nabil rejoin his brothers in the Saudi desert and tend to the goats, rather than expressing his committment to the invisible moon-god.

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        A dreamer in the Wilderness. It is small minded to compare Sri Lanka with Saudi or any other country in the world. Sri Lanka’s position with the rest of the world is unique. The variables are too long to list. The very liberal nature would be the destructive force.

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          Oil is a non-renewable resource. It will dry up, whether that is 100 years or 1000 years from now does not matter. So my “dream” of seeing the Arabian Oil Empire fall like a house of cards will definitely come true.

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            True. But these countries are not run by nincompoops like in Sri Lanka. Just in case you wish to know both the UAE and Bahrain have no oil. However they have become financial, aviation and other hubs unlike the hubs we have pipe dreams about.

            Note that the Arabs are managing their oil resources well, because they learn quickly and they know that this resources will run out.

            Did you know that these countries are already into renewable energy and have set investment targets and goals for projects. Unlike Sri Lankans who can only talk about their past glory and a history of 2500 years these countries are looking ahead.

            Lester it’s not the you don’t know. You are envious of the progress made by the rest of world and think that if you could demean them your status viz-a-viz with Arabs would improve.

            If you want a reality check get on a plane and check out what the UAE look like today.

            You sound like a 4th grader in primary School, awestruck with what he knows not willing to consider what is there out in the world!

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              The Arabs are managing their oil resources well? What a joke. The Westerners and other foreigners are the ones digging up the oil, using advanced technology developed by Westerners. The Arabs decide the price, usually well-above the world price, after banding together as a cartel. The Arabs don’t have to do any work, which is why the Arab royals are living the high life, engaging in every possible un-Islamic activity (drinking, women, etc.). You want to talk about nincompoop rulers, is that why Saddam Hussein was caught in a hole wearing only his underwear? The nincompoop Ghadaffi was dragged through the streets like a dead dog by his own people. Assad is next.

              UAE is another joke. Without oil, it will sink back into the desert, as will the rest of the Arab nations. It has plenty of oil, btw. Maybe if you completed 4th grade, you would know that.

              Sri Lanka will go very far. Islam will not be part of its progress, but that is a historical fact, not the fault of the Sinhalese.

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            In this day and age of super speed communication one has to come out of their fox hole and see the rest of the world. Currently 70% of the GDP is non oil revenue. Just inaugurated the world’s largest solar power plant. By 2020 the solar energy generation will exceed 10 folds once the rest of the projects kicks in. Sri Lanka will be left in the darkness with her devastating social and economic policies. If we were to quote economic stats your green eye will pop out and explode. Come and see for yourself and be a part of our success.

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              I am not going to respond to Lester ever again. He had demonstrated that he is a lackey of the government, a born racist and an apologist for all things evil.

              He thinks he can fool all of the people all of the time. Let him.

              Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. (GB)

              Enjoy yourself.

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              I remember reading a prestigious magazine ridiculing the ruler of UAE for expanding the Dubai Airport and said that he would not be able to generate the traffic even in a 100 years for the scale that he expected.

              He proved all the pundits wrong! Let dogs bark and the caravan move on!

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              If 70% of Arab GDP is non oil revenue, then I am a goat with two heads and five eyes.

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            Lester,

            Either you are pretending to know nothing or you are a total ignorant not knowing anything about the Arab countries. Why are you feeling sooo jealous about the Muslim countries? Once upon a time they said London, Paris and New York as the most developed cities in the world. Later they said London, Paris, New York and Tokyo. Today they say, Dubai, London, Paris, New York and Tokyo. Dubai is the most developed city in the world and they do not have any oil. How can a frog in the well understand all these? Sri Lanka cannot even dream of getting anywhere close to even a street in Dubai, even after another 1000 years Sri Lanka will be begging and slaving others. That is your fate, it is given to you by none other than Buddha himself. Buddha gave his Dhamma to the Far East countries and his begging bowl to Sri Lanka. You have no choice other than begging and your government is doing it very well for the last 40 years.

            Btw Lester, after sending all your women folk to the Arab countries as slaves, you sit in your room chewing bulath and talking bad about the countries that are helping you to have your daily rice. If not for the Arab countries, even begging the whole world will not be enough to feed you modayas.

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              At Orange Nabil,

              The only frogs in the well are your brothers in the Arab desert. As I said, when the oil dries up, they will be hopping non-stop. Oil is not sustainable in the long-run, so how will the Arab economies grow? The Arabs are the dumbest people on the planet. They can’t turn the desert into anything productive without their precious oil. They will go back to riding camels and selling their daughters in exchange for goats.

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        LESTER AND ALL THOSE WHO LOOK DOWN ON THE MUSLIM DRESS CODE AS PRIMITIVE, BARBARIC ETC.,
        YOUR WOMEN ARE FREE TO GO ABOUT NAKED OR SEMI NAKED AS LONG AS SOCIETY ACCEPTS IT. WHY DENY SAME FREEDOM FOR THE DECENT WOMEN
        WHO WANTS TO DRESS MODESTLY;

        “One of the first evidences of a real lady, is that she should be modest. By modesty we mean that she shall not say, do, nor wear anything that would cause her to appear gaudy, ill-bred, or unchaste. There should be nothing about her to attract unfavorable attention, nothing in her dress or manner that would give a man an excuse for vulgar comment. When we dress contrary to the rule of modesty we give excuse for unwholesome thoughts in the mind of those who look upon us, and every girl who oversteps these bounds makes herself liable to misunderstanding and insult, though she may be innocent of any such intention.”

        THIS IS WHAT ISLAM EXPECTS FROM THEIR WOMEN

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          Dear Ayman:

          Should women cover up, just because men cannot control their urges? Here is a simple question: shouldn’t the men also cover up, since women also have urges?

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            If an elephant got it’s impulses then that’s the disaster of Lester the CT’s Jester.

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              Nabil aka Duster,

              At least try to make the joke halfway sensible. Considering that your leader (Piss be upon him) was the greatest comedian of all time.

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        L:”Buddhism. What is missing are a few economic variables. :)
        Ass licking begging bowl and lazy bones invariably.

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    Oh……There is a fear in Ms.Sharmini Serasinghe writing, and frustration is buried in every sentence too. Sorry It is too late to address and cure the symptoms of long run religious superiority / Hatred in the rule of the pearl of Indian Ocean. It is time that Solution to the problem, that Sinhala Nation willingly divorce Tamils. We Tamils do not want to cross the Sinhala Nations “Mahavamsa and Mahasangha” proud and pride. People like Ms.Sharmini Serasinghe must have verbalize this long ago, I suppose the Author is not an Teen Ager just turned middle age lady, Has she ever wrote an article when J.R.Jeyawardna Change the constitution to reflect the Sinhalese superiority? Nor , Did she speak out when Chandriake Kumaratunga’s political maneuvered to abrogate the ISGA agreement ? Nor Did she spoke out during May 2009?, The answer is BIG NO. Thus it is a True Buddha Dharma that you convince your people to divorce Tamils from Union.

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    “Physically we are so very near to one another but yet so far apart”

    Physically we are so very near to one another but mentally people are repulsive, they emit bad vibes which keeps them apart.

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    Hi my dear lovable Sri Lankans. This z to all my friends who claims to be a true Sri Lankan & posts irrational articles on other religions…
    What do you expect out of this… just because a group of people commit crimes you cannot tag everyone to the same group…. it’s not only other religions, y dnt u guys think other religious ppl are our own siblings.. I’m hurt guys…. we all have friends from different religions..hw can you post something against your friends & face them the next day….
    Just think a minute. Pls.. hope you’ll understand!!!
    we should be united.. we are from one nation, we are one and we all represnt Sri Lanka as one..
    i love all the religious people in Sri Lanka regardless i know them or not its becasue WE ALL ARE ONE !!!

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      religion another emotion trailing a lost humour in flowers fangs.

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    “As a Buddhist might I ask our ruling political leaders: cannot, at least for one day on this day, some compassion and sensitivity be shown towards all those who gave life and limb to make this day possible? Didn’t we kill off our own and not an unwelcome foreign invader?”

    It was the evil of terrorism that was killed off, and not the bodies in which the evil resided. If you have a child that grew up to be a murderer, and completely beyond correction, and threatens your husband, what woud you do. How would you remove the evil from them?

    “If this is the interpretation of the Buddhist philosophy, practiced by the Mahasangha, then this ‘Buddhist’ country is better off without such hypocrites.

    For they are then nothing but ‘Buddhist ornaments’;”

    Sharmini …the quotations are from your essay.

    If, as you say, you are a Buddhist, then why so much venom pouring out of your heart. Do you want the job of Asgiriya Sanga Nayaka? If you were holding that job, would you have been able to outlaw BBS? Ask yourself to make a comparison, What peace did you bring to our country when you were holding a good job in the peace secretariat or whatever during the period of terrorism?

    You want Buddhists of BBS to mind their own business and presumably retreat into forest hermitages as good Buddhists, and stop playing politics. Then why are you not doing the same? Why are you not stop playing politics, and not indulge in venomous writing of this nature about others, and simply mind your business ……. just stay quiet.

    I have to say that both sides, BBS and you are of the same kind, may be working for the same objective of peace and quiet life at the end, yet in the interim period getting into conflicts with each other because of FEAR.

    A true Buddhist should not have fear, because it is just a state of mind about past experience, and nothing to do with the present or the future. Yet people suffer from fear, because they are human. It applies to everyone, to BBS, to us, as much as to you, because none of us are enligtened. Therefore it is no good you having a go at Buddhism or Buddhists in robes, because this conflict is nothing to do with Buddhists and Christians, Hindus or Muslims. It is a conflict between power crazy political animals, and average people of religious affiliations are getting dragged into the inferno for nothing. BBS are just another group of political animals in different attire, similar to the christian priests who were doing gun and explosive running for Prabhakaran during the period of terrorism.

    Do you know that when there is a conflict (or a verbal argument)if one party does not respond to the other party’s tantrums, then the conflict just dies down. Try it. It might help you to understand.

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      bonaparte went in a buggy cart, there he left a fart, down came the buggy cart. No offense intended, just humour.

      If we see some injustice, speak out, if not the least we could do is hate it in our hearts.

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        It’s ok maghribi….. I accept that some people have their brains near the bottom hole, and their grey matter can only harmonize with foul air. Yes it was funny and take it as a jest. Just Wallow in it, it’s your world!

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          Describing the world of BBS.

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      one does not need to be “enlightened” to not manufacture irrational fears like the BBS does. One of their main arguments is that the sinhalese race is in danger of dying out. the government’s own census stats show that this is a claim that could be made only by those hell-bent on creating conflict, not innocent little lambs who’re scared of the future or whatever it is you seem to be bleating about.

      Another fun fact: the BBS and JHU once spread a hilarious story about the Muslims at No Limit using “malic acid” to make sinhalese women infertile. Any man who has done biology can tell you that malic acid is found in pretty much all natural fruit. My point here is that one need not be “enlightened” or divorced from fear to move away from this ultra-nationalistic drivel: pick up a book, read, educate yourself, which, after all, is what Buddhism is about at the end of the day.

      And Shamini isnt a member of the clergy- she has all the right, both lawfully and morally, to engage in politics and political debate. Clergy do not. If you cannot understand why not, I again suggest you educate yourself on morality instead of lambasting people who’re simply pointing out the problems we have so the rest of us can understand.

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    Do you know that when there is a conflict (or a verbal argument)if one party does not respond to the other party’s tantrums, then the conflict just dies down. Try it. It might help you to understand

    I hope & pray that this may be the case, if not we all will turn back and ask why we didn’t voice our protest against what was happening

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      Didnt work too well back in the 80s, if i might point out… :(

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    A nation of Tears !!! Oh my god !!!!

    Scary ain’t it ??

    I don’t see that many people crying all over Sri Lanka. On the contrary people seem to be pretty relaxed after the war ended. Colombo night races, Casinos, Tamashas, Concerts galore it is in Colombo

    Maybe the lady lives sees something bleak that no one else sees.

    And this is all the fault of Sinhalese Buddhists ??

    Ever heard of the Zen proverb ” The sound of one hand clapping ??”

    One always needs two hands to clap.

    Why always focus on one side only ?
    A balanced view would be greatly appreciated.

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      American Mama;
      When you quote the glories of Sri Lanka resurgent as “Colombo night races, Casinos, Tamashas, Concerts galore” you provide a true indication of where your priorities lie and for whom that kind of “development” means anything – your bosses!
      Go back to the gas pumps in the USA. They need your services far more than we need your stupidities on CT!

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        Actually I was employed by a highly esteemed academic institution here !

        When a writer keeps publishing one sided articles which do not yield a balanced view of an issue, that writer soon becomes irrelevant and somewhat of a comedian.

        The writer maybe somewhat correct in pointing out that some form of sinahla buddhist extremism is arising in Sri Lanka but just criticizing the BBS etc without dealing with the underlying causes that led to the rise of these forces, which is in response to other opposing factors such as evangelical Christian fundamentalism and an unusual resurgence of Islamic initiatives and activities (such as halal, hijab, madrassas etc )that were not present on this scale in the island prior to this decade is what makes her articles pointless.

        The Jews tried to be peaceful in Nazi germany, and that led to the annihilation of Judaism there. So some areas of Buddhist teachings apply only to monks who renounce life and not to lay buddhists who must think of dangers to their survival. Hence ther e is some justification for Buddhist opposition.

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          American mama.

          “The writer maybe somewhat correct in pointing out that some form of sinahla buddhist extremism is arising in Sri Lanka but just criticizing the BBS etc without dealing with the underlying causes that led to the rise of these forces, which is in response to other opposing factors such as evangelical Christian fundamentalism and an unusual resurgence of Islamic initiatives and activities (such as halal, hijab, madrassas etc )that were not present on this scale in the island prior to this decade is what makes her articles pointless.”

          Well put mama. You have hit the nail on the head with regard to the problem with Sharmini’s writing. Whatever she writes she writes like a crusader championing a particular point of view on an issue rather than providing a nuanced analysis of the issue. You are absolutely right. Extremism and fundamentalism in what she calls the “other” should be also looked into when writing about the rise of Sinhala-Buddhism. I have made the same point in my comment below.

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          Api kohomada Danne Maame? :) Even Mervin Silva claims he has one! Kidding

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      This American slave won a US lottery visa and settled there decades ago. He knows nothing about SL. We should consider all what he is blabbering here as jokes, purly for entertainment.

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        Don’t waste your time kid. I am totally immune to GERMS :) !!!!

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      Maame

      there is an imposter who is not only a coward cos he doesn’t have the guts to say what he wants to say, but he sounds an idiot as well. forgive me cos I have no control over this idiot

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        @idiot Nabil

        Now who is the imposter here, you or me?

        Here you are bum sucking and boot licking an Anti-Muslim and asking for his forgiveness. You are definitely not a Muslim but a real imposter. I ask for forgiveness only from God and not from any American slave.

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          Hello Sicko :)

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            @idiot Nabil

            Have you taken your pills on time???

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              Hello Sicko!

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          One very angry GERM you are !!

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        No problem. I like guys who TALK DIRTY to me :)

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    Sharmini

    I agree with all your criticisms of the government, BBS and the Mahasangha. They share the major responsibility for the current situation which you delineate very well. However some criticism should be extended to the “other” too. Because the “other” has extremists too who are contributing to the brewing crisis. To argue the “other” doesn’t have political power is a cop out. One should look squarely in the face of the enemy of peace and harmony in the country wherever it may be manifesting. It is the same enemy no matter where it is coming from – namely fundamentalism. Whether it is Buddhist, Saiva-Tamil, Christian or Muslim – fundamentalism is fundamentalism. For the minorities, Sinhala-Buddhism is the “other.” The minorities too can be racist, bigoted and prejudiced in their attitudes toward each other and toward Sinhala-Buddhism. And leaders in all communities share the same penchant to exploit these biases to gain political power.

    In the pursuit of a multi-culutral, multi-ethnic State which is the only way out of this quagmire all communities must tone down their sub-nationalisms, soft-pedal their real or imagined grievances, jettison their fundamentalisms and work genuinely in forging a new Sri Lankan identity based on the equality of all communities. Let’s be good Sri Lankans first before indulging in our ethnocentric and religiocentric passions. We as a people should change first without playing the blame game all the time. We get the political and religious leaders that we deserve.

    All Sri Lankans, take it easy. Let’s chill out, the ominous clouds on the horizon will go away.

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    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
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    The pot of hatred is on the boil and any moment might spill over into violence. Already we hear of another shadow organisation called LAILA, Liberation Army of Independent Lanka. A letter has been addressed to muslim establishments asking them to shut down or face imminent attacks. Of course at the moment these are mere threats, but the law enforcement authorities need to take these seriously and get to the bottom of these.

    On the side lines we observe Ranawaka and the JHU stoking the fires. Ranawaka, has thought it opportune to launch his book ‘Al Jihad, Al Queda’ an analysis of how Muslim fundamentalism is impacting on the country. He has launched an attack on the muslim sytem of madarassah which is the equivalent of daham pasal and the pirivena system.

    So the question is what do these extremist want. If they want to completely dismember and eliminate the muslim community then there is no doubt that it will be resisted. It is evident ‘Halal’was just a ploy to subjugate the muslims and destroy their economic intersts and wealth. When that fails will they recourse to violence and physical attacks?

    The regime and the president who are primarily responsible have made a few statements but that is not enough. They must take action under the laws of the country against the rabble rousers and hate inciters. Otherwise we have another 83 is in the making.

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    This Sharmini appears to be a BORN AGAIN SinhaleseBuddhist.

    Tears are pouring down her eyes…. why the hell was she silent all these years…..

    Did she shed a tear for people killed throughout 30 years and write similar articles?

    Now she is obviously trying to be smart and i feel very sorry for her because she is laughing at her own religion and those spurring her on must be laughing at her…

    we await your next article.

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      It is just that the situation had not been that appalling in the past.

      Today is the era – safron robed psedo monks are trying to run amok with the name of buidling a civilised nation.

      The writer herself points it out BBS stand is not worth. There are other movements too – that bring nothing but catalize communal violence among the folks that have been living in the country for ages.

      I myself know that westerners never call lanken ethnic problems were based on religious differences of the country – they differenciated that the lankens have been facing an ethnic problem that needs to be resolved carefully.

      But todays people like BBS and the like movements with the approval of GR or other idiots are trying to create new problems – is not acceptable at all.

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      One must be able to criticize those who do wrong, irrespective of whether or not they belong to one’s own religion/race/caste etc. That is a mark of someone being objective. A quality our tribal-minded sri lankans lack, yourself included.

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      What is born-again in a Buddhist, say “Re-incarnated”. Where were you during the past 30 years to remind her to shed brook of tears for the going-to-die martyrs of the Tame-ills & Single-lease. Sad, we didn’t foresee to understand like Nosetradeanus. There’s an idea! Timewarp….

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    I saw this comment on this essay by another Sri Lankan. I thought it is good for this Serasingha’s education.

    In her ignorance, the writer does not seem to know that, besides Sinhala Buddhism, there is in the world, Tibetan Buddhism, Burmese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism Japanese Buddhism etc.etc.

    She does not seem to know that Sinhala Buddhism comes down from 2300 years, commencing with the Seehala Atthakathas ( Sinhala Commentaries). This is the philosophical base of Sinhala Biddhism.

    She does not know that it is this Sinhala Buddhism that Ven. Buddha Ghosa from India later translated into Pali at the Mahavihara in Anuradhapura. It is in search of this Sinhala Buddhism that Chineese Monk Fa Htsian came, all the way from China, centiries ago. It is the Sinhala Buddhist Monks and Nuns who took various aspects of Sinhala Buddhism to China and Tibet and also to the great centres of Buddhist learning in Nagarjuna Konda and even to Nalanda University.

    She does not know that it is these Sinhala Buddhist monks who committed the Buddhist Canon which was handed down by oral tradition, into writing at the Aluvihare Temple in 3rd century AD. It is the English interpretations from these Pali texts that she has picked up whatever she calls ‘Buddhism’ in her understanding that she thinks that Sinhala Buddhism should measure upto!

    It is this Sinhala Buddhist Civilzation that flourished for 1500 years which created the international trade, great hydro engineering system, art & architecture, Literature from which we Sinhala Buddhists draw our inspiration and national identity. This is the Sinhala Buddhism that inspired us to fight the Western powers succesfully by ourselves for 450 years which feat very few Asian nations could achieve. This is the Sinhala Buddhist tradition.

    She does not know that when Buddhism was on the wane in the 17th century due to constant western pressure, it is the result of the effort of a single Sinhala Buddhist Samanera who was instrumental in obtaining Upasampada from Thailand after several unsuccesful attempts which rejuvanted the Sihala Buddhism to its present status after 2600 years, right upto the Bodu Bala Sena of today.

    However not a single human being has been done todate or tortured in the name of Budhhism as done in the Crusades.

    It is this Sinhala Buddhism that fought a valiant battle against the Christaian Missionaries backed by the colonial Government in the 19th century that enabled the Sinhala Buddhism to survive to date, with 70% of them yet as its followers.

    This Sinhala Buddhism preserved the Tooth Relic of the Buddha as the symbol of authority of the Sinhala state, down the history of SINHALE through 1600 years whcih is now enshrined at the last seat of government of Sinhala Buddhism from which we derive our identity before the world today.

    All this is the result of the energy released by Sihala Buddhism.

    Incidentally, she does not know that Buddha never ‘BANNED’ as she claims he would, any disagreeing or opposing view. She is recommended to re-visit Kalama Sutta which many western educated ‘Buddhists’ are wont to throw at the present day Buddhists.

    Thus, the writer’s ignorance is tremendous. It is so big that she is emboldened to write this kind of crap.

    Gamini Gunawardane

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      C. Wijeyawickrema,

      Your reply to Sharmini Serasinghe is absolutely hilarious. First of all you seem to be the most ignorant.

      *****In her ignorance, the writer does not seem to know that, besides Sinhala Buddhism, there is in the world, Tibetan Buddhism, Burmese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism Japanese Buddhism etc.etc.*****

      This is pure ignorance. If you go to any of these countries and speak to the Buddhists in these countries, they NEVER EVER have any such labels for Buddhism. In Tibet they follow a Buddhism known as Lamaism (a sect of Mahayana Buddhism). In China they follow a Buddhism known as Zen (another sect of Mahayana Buddhism). In Burma and Thailand they follow the Theravada Buddhism.

      For example, in Sri Lanka the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters are from the Siyam Nikaya (Thailand) established in the upcountry (Kandy) during the 18th century to ordain the novices from people of the Govigama caste. Amarapura Nikaya (from Burma) was established in the early 19th century by the people of lower castes who were unhappy with the above practice. The Ramanna Nikaya is a breakaway group from the Amarapura Nikaya, established in the late 19th century, as a result of disputes over some points in the doctrine.

      SinhalaBuddhism is something that was invented in Sri Lanka in the 19th century by Anagarika Dharmapala. It is not pure Theravada Buddhism but a sect where the Mahavamsa myth is also included.

      *****She does not seem to know that Sinhala Buddhism comes down from 2300 years, commencing with the Seehala Atthakathas ( Sinhala Commentaries). This is the philosophical base of Sinhala Biddhism.*****

      Again this is nothing but bull crap. During the early historic period, the Sri Lankan Buddhists were not only Sinhalese but also Tamils.
      Let me tell you about this mysterious Seehala Atthakathas. There is a commentary to Mahavamsa written in Pali by an unknown Buddhist monk in the 13th century AD known as the ‘Tika’ or Vansatthappakasini to explain/interpret the verses of the Mahavamsa. It is none other than the Tika that talks about a mysterious “Sihala atthakatha” (Vamsa text known as original source) that has disappeared just after the Mahavamsa was written, the main reason for calling the Pali chronicle of the Mahavihara as the chronicle of the Sinhalese. (What is believed to be “Sihala Attakatha” is nothing but the Indian Epics and Puranas written in Sanskrit).

      *****She does not know that it is this Sinhala Buddhism that Ven. Buddha Ghosa from India later translated into Pali at the Mahavihara in Anuradhapura. It is in search of this Sinhala Buddhism that Chineese Monk Fa Htsian came, all the way from China, centiries ago. It is the Sinhala Buddhist Monks and Nuns who took various aspects of Sinhala Buddhism to China and Tibet and also to the great centres of Buddhist learning in Nagarjuna Konda and even to Nalanda University.*****

      What a load of rubbish! Looks like this fellow is inventing things from thin air.

      Buddhaghosha was a Tamil Buddhist monk born in the Cola kingdom and lived in the 5th Century AD. He made a remarkable contribution to Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He stayed and studied Buddhist precepts at Mahavihara in Anuradhapura. The Visuddhimagga was the first work of Buddhaghosha which wrote in Pali while he was in Sri Lanka. Buddhaghosha never knew or mentioned anything called Sinhala Buddhism. The Chineese Monk Fa Htsian came in search of Buddhism (NOT Sinhala Buddhism).

      This is the very first time I am hearing about Sinhala Buddhist Monks and Nuns taking various aspects of Sinhala Buddhism to China and Tibet (both Mahayana Buddhists) and also to the great centers of Buddhist learning in Nagarjuna Konda (again a Mahayana Buddhist area in South India) and even to Nalanda University. Is there any written academic evidence to prove this unbelievable uttarence?

      *****She does not know that it is these Sinhala Buddhist monks who committed the Buddhist Canon which was handed down by oral tradition, into writing at the Aluvihare Temple in 3rd century AD. It is the English interpretations from these Pali texts that she has picked up whatever she calls ‘Buddhism’ in her understanding that she thinks that Sinhala Buddhism should measure upto!*****

      Buddhist Canon (Tripitika) was written in Pali. It was a contribution from both Sinhala and Tamil Buddhist monks. At that time there was NOTHING called Sinhala Buddhist.

      *****It is this Sinhala Buddhist Civilzation that flourished for 1500 years which created the international trade, great hydro engineering system, art & architecture, Literature from which we Sinhala Buddhists draw our inspiration and national identity. This is the Sinhala Buddhism that inspired us to fight the Western powers succesfully by ourselves for 450 years which feat very few Asian nations could achieve. This is the Sinhala Buddhist tradition.*****

      Buddhism was introduced NOT just to the Sinhalese but to all Sri Lankans. During the period when Buddhism was introduced there were many different tribes/races in Sri Lanka and Sinhala was just one of them. Can you show me at least one place in our history books/Chronicles the Dipavamsa (5th century A.D), the Mahavamsa (6th century A.D), or the Culavamsa (12th century A.D) where Sinhala Buddhism or Sinhala Buddhist is mentioned? Please let us know in which chapter/verse it is mentioned if you can find at least one.

      *****This Sinhala Buddhism preserved the Tooth Relic of the Buddha as the symbol of authority of the Sinhala state, down the history of SINHALE through 1600 years whcih is now enshrined at the last seat of government of Sinhala Buddhism from which we derive our identity before the world today.*****

      The early Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka seems to know nothing about this tooth, at least as a relic of the Buddha. The twenty- seventh section of the sixth chapter of the sixteenth book of the Digha Nikaya, after describing the cremation of the Buddha, enumerates the recipients of the eight measures into which the Brahman Drona divided the remains for distribution among eight rival claimants. No mention is made of the Tooth, nor does the king of Kalinga, the first owner of the Tooth, appear among the eight claimants.

      However, from Kalinga the so called Buddha’s ‘Tooth’ was brought to Ceylon by a Brahman woman in the ninth year of the reign of Sirimeghavanna, that is, in the latter part of the fouth century A.D. The Mahavamsa has only a brief reference to the event and refers to the Dathavamsa for details. Under the reign of Bhuvaneka Bahu I (c.1280)the Pandyans invading Ceylon captured the Tooth-relic in Yapahuva and took it away to India. The next king, Parakrama Bahu III, recovered it by laying himself out to please the Pandyan king. In 1560 the Portuguese claimed to have captured the Tooth and to have taken it to Goa. Today, what is believed as the Buddha’s ‘Tooth’ is only an imitation.

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        As another commentator remarked a few days ago, I think it is time that Buddhism is liberated from the Sinhalese. I am a Buddhist first, a Sri Lankan second, and a Sinhalese third. Buddhism can only survive when Buddhist values are observed. If you do not know to live by such values you are not a Buddhist however much you call yourself one.

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          Wickramasiri

          You are absolutely correct.

          Peace Dove

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            Love you Peace Dove. But Wickramasiri’s Comment – “I am a Buddhist first, a Sri Lankan second, and a Sinhalese third.” is creating divisions, where none should exist. The Buddha’s, (and I believe all Religious Leaders’) advice to all humans, was to consider themselves as Beings, with Love to all and no attachment to “I, Me, or Mine”

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          Wickram,

          I am Buddhist, And I am Sinhalese too.

          I am Proud to say that I AM A BUDDHIST SINHALESE,

          NOT SINHALA BUDDHIST.

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            And Tejas to be called Julampitiye Amaraya. Muscleman?

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          If Buddhism be liberated from the Nikayas, the Monkhood should be abolished. Nowadays, a layman can teach comparative Buddhism better than the uncultivated monks.

          Many unscrupulous people creep into this venerable Samgha toga and devour the best of free education, scholarships, university degrees, foreign travels, food & beverages and desecrate the social harmony indulging in communism, nazism & nepotism, by the virtues of being pampered by the state for it’s own ulterior motives; all but since the earlier upheavals of a conscious Buddhist Marga remained frayed.

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        Dear Silva,
        I am ever so grateful for your timely intervention and clarifications. It is sad that today Buddhism has been hijacked by people like CW who makes such absolute racist claims making a mockery of the entire philosophy.
        Would you be kind enough to enumerate the references for your detail information?

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        Dear Mr. Silva I think you have enlightened lots of people on history, thank you.

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          Now everybody who obey should have halos behind their heads.

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      Mr C W,
      SO MANY BUDDHISMS PREACHED BY MANY BUDDHAS.
      How Hilarious and Stupid Mutt YOU ARE?

      “Tibetan Buddhism, Burmese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism Japanese Buddhism”

      Do these Buddhisms have Lisence Number Plates.
      looks like exporting items.
      because I want to track them, to have some understanding.

      All of Them Are starting with Buddahang Saranang Gachchaami.

      Not Sinhala buddhang saranang gachchami.

      My Learned teachers, Venerable Divulapitiaye Wimalathana thero and Venerable Daramitipola Rathansaara Theros Did not Preached that there are so many Buddhisms in the world like Reformists Sects in Christianity and Islam.

      But only some divided sects after the Lord BUDDHA’S PARINIRVANA.
      so You Have To Enlighten Your Self And Learn Some more about Buddhism.
      Ms Sharmini Serasinghe says;

      “Where did Buddhism go wrong for Lanka? Or should it be where was Buddhism made to go wrong for Lanka”?.

      There is nothing wrong in Buddhism In Sri Lanka.
      there are genuine followers of buddhism in sri lanka and all over the world.

      Because It is SACRED And THE TRUTH Of The UNIVERSE,
      AND THAT TRUTH NEVER COULD BE DESTROYED.

      Only the So called Followers Of Buddhism has gone, wrong way in Sri lanka.

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        Sakyamuni’s Buddhism has nothing to with the Light Buddha, Laughing Buddah or Brahmacharya’s doctrines. The sage of Kipl is the only source for a socialist lifestyle, not a cosmic trancedance.

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      Ccccccccccc Wijeyawickrema;

      So your name is Gamini Gunawardane,
      OR HE WROTE THIS REPLY FOR YOU.

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      C. Wijeyawickrema,

      Have you seen the so called Tooth relic of Buddha at Dalada, a huge one, is it human??? Have you seen the footprint of Buddha at Sri Pada, a huge one, is it human???

      It is so easy to fool you gullible. First you found a (non-human) tooth and said it is a tooth relic, then you also found a footprint bigger than the size of an Elephant.

      When will you gullible Modayas realize that Buddha was also a HUMAN just like you??? If you gullible believe that Buddha was human, then how come a human has such huge (animal) tooth and such huge footprint???

      Only fools such as Sinhala-Buddhists can be easily fooled by showing any creatures body parts and say it belong to Buddha.

      Dental experts have raised doubts over the authenticity of a purported Buddha`s tooth. There is absolutely no possibility that it is a human tooth, said a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne`s school of dental science, was quoted as saying by The Sunday Times.

      It further said, human teeth should be rounded with a short crown and a comparatively longer root, but the picture clearly shows a long crown and a shorter root, it probably came from a cow or water buffalo.

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        Hello Siicko!

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      C. Wijeyawickrema,

      You are talking about early history in today’s context. Today the Buddhists in Sri Lanka are only Sinhalese but this was not the case then. During the early historic period even Tamils were Buddhists. It was only between the 10th to 12th centuries AD, after the Chola invasion, the Tamils who followed Buddhism either got converted into Hindus or assimilated with the Sinhalese. Please do not confuse today’s situation with the past and remember tomorrow can also be different. The Tamil Dhamma Buddhist Association of Jaffna is active again and the Tamil Dhamma School is functioning again. Who knows, in the future there can be a Tamil Buddhist Maha sagha in Jaffna and another Tamil Nikaya to ordain the Tamil Buddhist monks.

      Remember, there are already Tamil speaking Hindus, Christians, and Muslims in Sri Lanka. Since Tamil speaking Buddhists were living in the past, it is once again possible in the future.

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        After the close of the Sangam era, from about 300 to about 600 CE, there is an almost total lack of information regarding occurrences in the Tamil land. Some time about 300 CE, the whole region was upset by the appearance of the Kalabhras. These people are described in later literature as ‘evil rulers’ who overthrew the established Tamil kings and got a strangle hold of the country.[34] Information about their origin and details about their reign is scarce. They did not leave many artefacts or monuments. The only source of information on them is the scattered mentions in Buddhist and Jain literature.[35]

        Historians speculate that these people followed Buddhist or Jain faiths and were antagonistic towards the Hindu religions (viz. the Astika schools) adhered by the majority of inhabitants of the Tamil region during the early centuries CE.[36] As a result Hindu scholars and authors who followed their decline in the 7th and 8th century may have expunged any mention of them in their texts and generally tended to paint their rule in a negative light. It is perhaps due to this reason, the period of their rule is known as a ‘Dark Age’—an interregnum. Some of the ruling families migrated northwards and found enclaves for themselves away from the Kalabhras.[37] Jainism and Buddhism, took deep roots in the society, giving birth to a large body of ethical poetry.

        Writing became very widespread and vatteluttu evolved from the Tamil-Brahmi became a mature script for writing Tamil.[38] While several anthologies were compiled by collecting bardic poems of earlier centuries, some of the epic poems such as the Cilappatikaram and didactic works such as the Tirukkural were also written during this period.[39] The patronage of the Jain and Buddhist scholars by the Kalabhra kings influenced the nature of the literature of the period, and most of the works that can be attributed to this period were written by the Jain and Buddhist authors. Kalabhras were displaced around the 7th century by the revival of Pallava and Pandya power.

        Even with the exit of the Kalabhras, the Jain and Buddhist influence still remained in Tamil Nadu. The early Pandya and the Pallava kings were followers of these faiths. The Hindu reaction to this apparent decline of their religion was growing and reached its peak during the later part of the 7th century.

        Note:

        While the Mahavamsa claims that Buddhaghosa was born in northern India near Bodh Gaya, the epilogues to his commentaries make reference to only one location in India as being a place of at least temporary residence: Kanci in southern India.

        Some scholars thus conclude (among them Oskar von Hinüber and A. P. Buddhadatta) that Buddhaghosa was actually born in southern India, and was relocated in later biographies to give him closer ties to the region of the Buddha.

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          Dear Mohamed Ali, I am glad that had read the history of South India. The period of Kalabrars lasted only 300 years. Thereafter, the Pandyas and Pallavas (if I think is correct) defeated the Kalabrars. The soldiers of these Kalabrars mingled with the agriculturalists and formed new societies. Jainism and Buddhism were promoted during this period. During this period there was a Sinhalese poet who was engaged in Buddhist works.

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    I wonder whether Bodu Bala Sena know the philosophy behind the Buddhist flag with Asoka Chakara. There is a Maha Sangha and the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress which are looking after the interests of Buddhism. Even Emperor Asoka realized the cruel conduct of an army in the Kalinga war. It is time that BBS should realize that after the Kalinga War, Emperor Asoka took a stance of non-violence known as Ahimsa in accordance with Buddhist principles. Here the BBS appears to continue the victory over over the remaining helpless communities. One ponders whether BBS is a representation of yellow saffron terrorism, and whether the BBS has silenced the voice of the Maha Sangha and the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress. In the premises it won’t be a surprise if BBS may wage a modernized Kalinga war against the other religious communities, which is not a healthy sign for the unity of the country. It is said that MR and his siblings failed to watch countries like Switzerland, Canada, Singapore, etc where ruling politicians accommodate all races without any discrimination and never promote hate propaganda. Those political leaders have formulated sound economic policies for the development of the country. But in Sri Lanka, rulers have completely ignored the burning issues of ethnic communities because of relying on military type of rule but also of the malignant economic policy adapted by the ruling politicians, they are compelled to deviate the attention of the people towards racism in order to secure their power and wealth, by creating such BBS and fanning racialism. If this trend continues while leaning towards China and Iran, the country is certain to get divided and the march of the Indian Army becomes inevitable with the indirect blessings of the democratic countries.

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    Sharmini has started a dialogue on racial,and religious amity.There was a time in early 2000 when the Government sponsored national programmes in schools all over the island the objective of which was to celebrate ethnic,religiuos and cultural diversity in Sri Lanka.Residential student camps consisiting of students from diverse ethnic, religious groups were held to get to know the “OTHER”s cultural and religious practises and rituals.This was sponsored by the National Integration programme unit which came under the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs.Continuation of such programmes would not have been able to muster support for rogue BBS instead would have by now integrated various communities under a united Sri Lanka.
    Sharmini’s articles translated into Sinhala appeared in the “RAVAYA”news paper for the benefit of the Sinhala reader.
    There appears to be an anti Sharmini and pro Sharmini dialogue continuing.The insightful Buddhists accept the truth.

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    In contrast to the present article, the writer’s recent essay on the good times in Jaffna offered cause for hope. I wonder where her true sentiments lie…

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      Truth, Nothing But the Truth,
      must be reviled.

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    I put it clearly, plainly and openly to every Sri Lankan – How come within such a sort period BBS became a potent force? Use your common sense and good brain to feel that who is going to be the good and biggest beneficiary of these bad actions of BBS and its associates Sinhale Ravya, JHU and whatever. Its not a rocket science, even a kid could understand it.

    Now the leaders and the government are pushed to the wall internationally and locally. War victory feel good factor and all the other magics up their sleeves to stay in power are fading away due to their bad governance and failure to make people’s life better.

    Instead of doing the good thing, there by earning the trust and good will of the people to stay in power to enjoy the fruits of it. Now they lost every thing, they want to stay in power by any means – good or bad, hook or nook.

    By being not showing fairness to the minorities they lost their support and good will. Its always in any multiracial country in an election the party which gets the highest of minority votes gets to power for the majority votes splits into two. Hence, they know by any means they need the majority, they lost every thing with the minorities and they wouldn’t support them at all.

    By patronizing them by the President and the defense secretary its very clear they want these people to make sure that they get the majority for them. Further, they want these lot to keep creating controversies in order to divert and distract the peoples’ attention from the real issues like the unbearable and crushing cost of living etc . In other words they are fishing in the troubled waters, in order to ensure that they stay in power. So my fellow country men please don’t fall to these tricks of them and create unwanted trouble to every one for peace is very vital for every one’s good life and happiness.

    God save us from these evils and bless Sri Lanka and it’s people!!

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      BBS became a potent force within 10 months because the country’s defense secretary created it. In the Rajapakshe family, Gota is the worst Sinhala-Buddhist racist. He hates the minorities (especially Muslims).

      There is evidence to prove that Gota is behind the formation of BBS. If you very carefully watch this video in which the BBS leader and founder Ven. Galagodatthe Gnanasara Thero swearing at the policemen, he also says that we are returning after a meeting with Gota.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oBWfodikpA&feature=youtu.be

      Now it is fully exposed, everybody knows that it is Gota’s BBS. Tisaranee Gunasekara has very beautifully elaborated this under the title “Gota and his bodu bala sena”.

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    A tear drop Island in tears. The authors passion for justice and fairness to humanity is a rare quality and all peace loving people should appreciate and support this cause. However, will this beautiful message reach the ‘Sinhala Only’ masses. Do the patriots of Sri Lanka have a mechanism by which they can educate the process of the seeds of hatred being sown by the dark forces. It starts with the attack on honour and property of a community and then the vigilante justice takes over with the blessings of the elected officials. This is where the country is right now. As a result the next stage is the escalation of bitterness, loss of trust and eventually this leads to a point where either one fights back or perish. Perhaps we should look at the current crisis to refresh the state of the world right now if we have not learnt anything from our history. The fate of Buddhism is at the cross roads. It’s future survival depends solely on it’s believers. Will a tradition, philosophy lasted for 2600 years lose it’s lustre for ever?

    O mankind! Lo! We have created you from male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware. (The Noble Quran 49:13)

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      Maghribi

      “Will a tradition, philosophy lasted for 2600 years lose it’s lustre for ever?”

      A philosophy which has out lived its doomsayers will last forever. Even the Sinhala/Buddhist can’t destroy however much they try.

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        The trend setters may disagree with you.

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    I Agree with this writer.

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      Me too. Whole heartedly. In fact al of her previous writings as well, since the matters discussed brings out a fresh look, or a new dimension not previously thought of, and that is what holds the most interest. Keep ’em coming Sharmini.

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    Sharmini’s article as well as the comments from those who are upset by the role of the BBS in the Muslim issue show what a hornet’s nest has been raised. The gradual incursion of Sharia laws have been recently seen by many as a growing problem in this island where for generations, except for the 1915 riots, the Muslims had lived amicably without ruffling the feathers of the majority Sinhala Buddhist community. It seems that the GoSL and Buddhists are being blamed entirely without recognizing that there are 2 sides to any quarrel.

    It would be good to remember that we are in democracy wherein problems of diversity are bound to periodically emerge. It is better that these problems be openly discussed and debated rather than they be allowed to grow with resentment being shoved under the rug and bitterness grows, as it happened with the killing of soldiers sent to do their duty in the Jaffna peninsula, exploding into the events of July 1983. To that extent, nipping something in the bud is better than allowing it to grow and become a worse problem for all concerned down the road. For this, vision and a close ear to the ground are necessary.

    The Sharia has brought Muslim differences of garb into focus in a way that was never before in this country. I grew up with Muslim friends in schools where Muslim children did not sport any different headgear to the rest of us. It made all the difference in driving home the commonalities rather than emphasizing differences. These similarities worked towards nullifying social class differences as well.
    Halal was practiced even then but without the open need for advertising certification. The impact of Islam as a religion that now focuses on differences in contrast to how Muslims shared the island’s commerce in earlier times, is distressing when viewed within the global impact of Islamisation.

    My question is:
    Why are people upset when the Sinhala Buddhists express their concerns, while any other ethno-religious sector is encouraged to do so and are received with compassion?

    The Sangha seems to have riled Sharmini for their not having totally rejected the BBS. I for one am glad that the BBS brought attention to the problem early enough to resolve it, hopefully without further stoking from wherever the stoking seems to be coming from.

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      Sharmini did not attack Buddhism. She is against a virulent form of Buddhism called ‘SinhalaBuddhism’. MaheshL – you missed the point completely!

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        Correct. BBS behaves like fanatics. Why can’t they realize that everyone has a right to live in this country.

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      mahesL

      “Why are people upset when the Sinhala Buddhists express their concerns,”

      Sinhala/Buddhism has been and is a nasty, destructive, parochial, stupid political force. They upset people, not only they put fear on people but also they become fear itself.

      ” BBS brought attention to the problem early enough to resolve it,”

      What was the problem?

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      Shariah is a Divine injunction applicable to the Muslims in their day to day life. This is built in and no practicing Muslim will ever discard it no matter what the consequences are. Muslims believe that only The Creator can explain His creation; how life on earth should be lived according to His Will. The most striking feature in Shariah is that all Muslims abide by the ‘law of the land’. Those who apply the Shariah in their lives socially and economically enjoy the fruits of this life and hopefully they will receive the reward of eternal salvation. Increasing the prosperity of the Muslims in the world has become so visible; jealousy has crept in. Jealousy is cancerous and can eat up human values and blinds rational thinking. Shariah complies with most of the Universal laws. The application of Shariah is only in Islamic countries collectively and in the non Islamic countries the Muslims apply on an individual basis thus abiding by the local laws.

      I am sure all right thinking Muslims have no problem with BBS or any other organisation bringing in their concerns. However, there is a methodology. The approach should have been through legal means. Is the Halaal certification legal? Is the Muslim dress code violate the the local laws? The approach; unfortunately is vigilante style. This is a dangerous trend. Is there a legal process or is that too dead. If it is so then the problem is much more serious than it seems.

      The world is watching silently. Lets remember still waters run deep.

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    I think staying inside the houses and locking ourselves inside is sending a wrong single to these racist animals, we have seen that majority of the sinhalese community does not approve this by reading their comments and articles, but we have to stand up for or rights since it does not seem that the government is going to take any tangible measures to stop this or our politician are going to do neither (we must ask them to go to paliament with habaya, and to ask them to go to their constituencies with burka (face cover).

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    Riza… I did not say that Sharmini attacked Buddhism anywhere in my comment. What she is angry about is that the Mahasangha rejected only SOME aspects of the BBS actions, and not ALL of their actions.
    My point is that a group like the BBS can – and it is likely that the Mahasangha also recognized this – if they act within the tenets of Buddhism and civilized behavior, serve good purpose.
    Buddhists (and there are no Tamil or Muslim Buddhists – there are Sinhala Buddhists in Sri Lanka, so why object to the term Sinhala Buddhists?) have concerns that tend to get shoved under the rug until frustrations explode in unhealthy ways just as they did in 1915 and in 1983. We have to find ways to prevent such ferment and nip things in the bud through talk and debate, since suppression can only lead to anger being vented in less acceptable ways.

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      Wrong, there ARE a few Tamil Buddhists in either the North-East or the border villages close to Anuradhapura, a few miles south (i think) of Vavuniya. And by associating a religion with an ethnic group, you pave the way for ultra-nationalism: something that’s already caused one war. That is “whats wrong”.

      Maybe instead of objecting to the article, you should follow your own advice and try and talk the BBS into “civilized behavior” and “talk and debate”. Because if not, this whole “Buddhism will be destroyed” thing will end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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      My understanding is that Sinhala is a race and Buddhism is a Philosophy. so what’s the problem of one being Sinhala by race and Buddhist by faith. Thus refer themselves as Sinhala Buddhist. Just curious.

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    To “kp” – I am sure there must be a few Tamil and/or Tamil-speaking Buddhists in the Northern and Eastern Provinces as well as in the border villages, but this group would be near negligible in comparison to the Buddhist Sinhalas.
    Why do you consider the association of Sinhala ethnicity to the Buddhist religion to be “ultra-nationalistic”??
    The association of Buddhism with the Sinhalas in this island is a Truth that cannot be denied.
    Likewise the association of Tamils with Hinduism, conversions to Christianity in both groups notwithstanding.

    I do not contribute to the idea that “Buddhism will be destroyed”… Buddhism in Sri Lanka has survived the onslaught of many incursions both from the North and from the West that have taken place over the millenia, and will continue to survive on account of its appeal to the rational intellect.

    This does not mean that when efforts to dislodge Buddhism from its historic and globally accepted position in Sri Lanka are recognized, they should be allowed to go without comment.
    My question as to why such comment or protest is tolerated from every other group except the Sinhala Buddhists has still not been answered.

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    To “kp” – I am sure there must be a few Tamil and/or Tamil-speaking Buddhists in the Northern and Eastern Provinces as well as in the border villages, but this group would be near negligible in comparison to the Buddhist Sinhalas.
    I should add that the term “border villages” was a construct during the war, and is no longer valid.
    Why do you consider the association of Sinhala ethnicity to the Buddhist religion to be “ultra-nationalistic”??
    The association of Buddhism with the Sinhalas in this island is a Truth that cannot be denied.
    Likewise the association of Tamils with Hinduism, conversions to Christianity in both groups notwithstanding.

    I do not contribute to the idea that “Buddhism will be destroyed”… Buddhism in Sri Lanka has survived the onslaught of many incursions both from the North and from the West that have taken place over the millenia, and will continue to survive on account of its appeal to the rational intellect.

    This does not mean that when efforts to dislodge Buddhism from its historic and globally accepted position in Sri Lanka are recognized, they should be allowed to go without comment.
    My question as to why such comment or protest is tolerated from every other group except the Sinhala Buddhists has still not been answered.

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    Sarojini, Gratitude? My foot! You know how gratitude was shown to the memory of Hasalaka Veeraya and so many others? Thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives just to make Karuna Amman a Minister and that criminal KP a pet of the Government and to put this country in utter chaos!

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    Now is the day and now is the hour
    See the front of battler lower
    See approach haughty Gota’s power
    Chains and slavery!

    Who will be a traitor knave?
    Who will fill a cowards grave?
    Who’s so base as be a slave?
    Let him turn and flee!

    Lay the arrogant marauders low
    Tyrants fall in every foe
    Liberty is in every blow
    Let us doe or die!

    (With apologies to Robert Burns)

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    Congratulations Sharmini. As a Buddhist Sinhalese, I agree with your sentiments.

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    Sharmini — the Christians promoting separatism and liberalism are supporting you, the Muslims wanting to Islamize Sri Lanka too and I dare say the LTTE must be to…

    So you have found yourself a great fanclub of people all cheering you as you laugh at your own race and religion.

    What have you to say for yourself … i daresay it wont be any different to the Jehans, the TG’s, S Deshapriyas, Sunila M et al… this is the league that you now join.

    We are very very happy for you.

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      Shiva,

      “the Christians promoting separatism and liberalism are supporting you, the Muslims wanting to Islamize Sri Lanka too and I dare say the LTTE must be to…”

      You appear to be suffering from the syndrome called ‘koheda yanne malle pol’

      This type of article is not meant for nit brains like you, because you have obviously failed to grasp the message in it.

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        This is what you people will always say to a straight forward comment that hurts the brigade, that is behind this woman.

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        O kawdung brain, where’s your passapatte Golayo (kolahalayo)?

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      That is the league operating from Colombo on CT. How can one expect anything other than this level of hatred towards Buddhism from this NGO funded clan. They are on a mission .

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      Please write instead of posting links – CT

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        Yes, the Buddhists in Sri Lanka are getting a raw deal
        Posted on March 3rd, 2013
        Ernest Perera
        Hold on a second before everyone joins the Buddhist bashing which has become quite a Colombo-topic for the majority populace that prevails and that majority are not Buddhists. This is the only country in the world that a country that has over 70% Buddhists would have less than 14% Buddhists in its capital. Now that is something to really be amused at. So should we be surprised when all the media – print, electronic or even word of mouth that generates from Colombo should be anything but anti-Buddhist? I thought so too.

        Lets get these truths out in the open. Take the Island Newspaper. Its ownership may be Buddhist, but take a sample of a weeks newspaper to see how many anti-Buddhist columns the editor produces and he thinks giving a monthly supplementary column for Poya day would balance the daily negative vituperative that comes from the likes of Jehan P, Maureen S and regular contributors who have not a single word of nicety to say about Buddhists at any point and they get full publicity to brainwash readers. The editor does not entertain rights of replies either. Then we come to the Daily Mirror – here you have the regular columnists Pakiasothy, Pinto, Shanie, Tissaranee who never rests but to attack the Sri Lankan state and whitewashing the LTTE and their voices is what ends up being quoted by every foreign embassy and media agency. Then we have the likes of Sri Lanka’s own public officials – GLP’s, Rajiva W, Dayan J’s all personally inclined towards devolution, separation and all these Western-backed notions which have really no appeal or use to Sri Lanka. But by virtue of their positions we can but shiver at what they actually discuss or convey as those messages from the Head of State. Can a nation trust a man who went round the world praising the 2002 cease fire agreement which almost handed over parts of the country to the LTTE terrorists? God knows what he is capable of doing?

        Christians and Catholics of Sri Lanka may have been non-Christians prior to 1500 and eventually converted but speaking on behalf of the people I can definitely say that we go to Church not with the intention of handing over the country to another nation or bashing Buddhists as some of us are currently doing. All I can say is that these people are not fit to be called Sri Lankans pretending to be high and mighty they are all probably being paid or given other such remuneration for the manner they are gathering in groups to ridicule the Buddhists.

        May I remind all of them that it was these Buddhists who fought the colonials, it was these Buddhists that fought the LTTE sacrificing their life and limb and it is these Buddhists who are seeing the likelihood of their nation loosing its Buddhist identity and that is why these Buddhists are alert. I do not find anything wrong with that. So all these folk making judgements from their confines in Colombo need to first ask exactly what they contributed before passing judgements.

        As for all these hues and cries over media freedom. All I can say is that if one just peeps at a fanatical Christian website doing the rounds these days and read the scores of Buddhist bashing articles that are a regular feature one can say there is ample freedom of media in Sri Lanka. Even a MP referred to Buddhists as Taliban so what more do we need to say, there’s another lady, Buddhist she says who is thinking she is the only true Buddhist is Sri Lanka and calling all sorts of names for Buddhists and there are cheers and bouquets for her from all quarters. Then there’s a RM Senanayake whose another die-hard Christian and he too has nothing nice to say about Buddhists either and is all the while churning out reasons for separation of Sri Lanka. I almost forgot, there’s another who worked for the former President. He too is given a column in the Daily Mirror and now he too joins that mudslinging clan.

        I can understand perfectly what the Buddhists are saying and they are not targeting any ethnic group and they never did – it was all the work of the Christian dominated media that made out to the world that Buddhists were horrible people. I can say that these were all lies that were churned to suit the agenda.

        A few days back I wrote on the halal and without dealing with the issue the Muslims have conveniently found escape in projecting an anti-Muslim notion using their paid stooges, the same people that promoted the anti-Tamil campaign to go tell the world that the Buddhists are after the Muslims. This is insane.

        All we need to understand is the logic that if Muslims ate without halal labels/certificates and therefore there is no reason for new labels/certificates on the same food. If the ACJU think anything is haram they can ask the people not to eat the stuff. ACJU has not been able to stop Muslims from taking liquor, drugs or cigarettes so what is this fuss. But the real agenda that the Buddhists have seen through is that the halal notion means that the entire food chain must be touched by a Muslim to become halal – it is impossible to only employ Muslims in the food chain therefore it is a farce but with the steady flow of mosques, loudspeakers and animal slaughter which is against Buddhists and Hindus… the Buddhists rightly fear a situation like what happened to Maldives. When I read about the actual history even I wonder what may happen to the Hindus, Christians and Catholics in such an eventuality….. so I am definitely with the Buddhists in wanting to secure Sri Lanka because Sri Lanka is far safer in the hands of a compassionate religion like Buddhism than the Abrahamic religions. Whatever they say they do not have a proud past to be going preaching to any other religion and that is telling the truth frankly.

        So this entire drama of Buddhists attacking the other ethnic groups is all a sham. Thankfully the Buddhists are realizing because they have come to understand that even the politicians are falling prey to the non-Buddhists who are steering the country away from its sovereign status. Now the Buddhists are reminding their politicians how they came to power and it is not because Jehan P, Paki, Sharmini, the Colombo Muslims, the TNA, Dayan J, Harim P voted for them – it was the rural Buddhist votes and the politicians need a good shaking to remind them of this fact…. Because they are showing no gratitude for the people that voted them into power. Now the Buddhists are realizing the ground realities and thankfully they will finally set the country in order.

        I do not take those who are paid to write or say what they do seriously because there is nothing original or genuine coming from them when they speak about national topics …. They are only told what to say or what to write. We do not need to take them seriously.

        How can there be no freedom because every website, every newspaper, every elite in Colombo are all bashing the Buddhists and that is really unfair and unethical and it is downright too low and I for one feel ashamed of what these people are doing.

        4

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          Banda,

          Are you a genuine Buddhist?

          I doubt it very much, because you don’t comment like one.

          In fact your comments and you tone contradict the very essence of the Dhamma.

          Peace Dove

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          Yamang bando vesak balanna
          Ganing bara bage adinna
          Paara dige helivelle
          Maha paare sinaha rale
          Yamang bando vesak balanna…

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    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/

    Please write instead of posting web links – CT

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