In Sri Lanka last September, a Sinhalese mob led by some 100 Buddhist monks demolished a Muslim shrine in the ancient city of Anuradhapura. As the crowd waved Buddhist colors, gold and red, a monk set a green Muslim flag on fire. The monks claimed that the shrine was on land that had been given to the Sinhalese 2,000 years ago — an allusion to their proprietary right over the entire island nation, as inscribed in ancient religious texts.
The Anuradhapura attack was not the only recent incident of Buddhists behaving badly in Sri Lanka. In April, monks led nearly 2,000 Sinhalese Buddhists in a march against a mosque in Dambulla, a holy city where Sinhalese kings are believed to have taken refuge from southern Indian invaders in a vast network of caves almost two millennia ago. The highly charged — but largely symbolic — attack marked a “historic day,” a monk who led the assault told the crowd, “a victory for those who love the [Sinhala] race, have Sinhala blood, and are Buddhists.”
Such chauvinism is at odds with Western preconceptions of Buddhism — a religion that emphasizes nonviolence and nonattachment — but is in keeping with Sri Lanka’s religious history. Militant Buddhism there has its roots in an ancient narrative called the Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle), which was composed by monks in the sixth century. According to the Mahavamsa, the Buddha foresaw the demise of Buddhism in India but saw a bright future for it in Sri Lanka. “In Lanka, O Lord of Gods, shall my religion be established and flourish,” he said. The Sinhalese take this as a sign that they are the Buddha’s chosen people, commanded to “preserve and protect” Buddhism in its most pristine form. According to myth, a young Sinhalese prince in the second century BC armed himself with a spear tipped with a relic of the Buddha and led a column of 500 monks to vanquish Tamil invaders. In addition to defending his kingdom from mortal peril, the prince’s victory legitimized religious violence as a means for national survival.
Militant Buddhism was a driving force behind the 25-year war between the majority Sinhalese (74 percent of the population) and the minority Tamils (18 percent), who were fighting for an independent state in the island’s north and east. (Muslims, who make up six percent of Sri Lanka’s population, were often caught in the middle.) During the war, monks repeatedly undercut efforts to work out a peace agreement.
The sangha, as the clergy is collectively referred to in Theravada Buddhism, has historically exercised political power from behind the scenes, embodying a broad form of religious nationalism. But in the later years of the war, it became more overtly politicized. In 2004, the hard-line National Heritage Party (known as the JHU) elected seven of its members to Parliament; all were monks, and the party ran on a platform calling for a return to Buddhist morality in public life. Soon after being seated, the JHU staged an intramural brawl on the floor of Parliament.
The JHU also worked to scuttle a March 2002 Norwegian-brokered peace settlement that called for limited Tamil autonomy. Monks declared that Sri Lanka had always been a Sinhalese kingdom, that autonomy violated the near-mystical idea of a unitary state, and that there was no option other than a military one. Peace negotiations simply made the Tamil Tigers stronger, as one of the party’s more outspoken clerics, Athuraliye Rathana, whom the Sri Lankan media dubbed the War Monk, argued. “If they give up their weapons, then we can talk,” he said. “If not, then we will control them by whatever means necessary. We should fight now and talk later.” In the spring of 2006, monks attacked an ecumenical group of peace marchers and led a long sit-in against a cease-fire agreement that soon came apart, leading to another round of fighting.
As the bloodshed wore on, much of the Buddhist clergy gave its blessing to a final offensive on the separatist Tamil Tigers. In May of 2009, the Sri Lankan military emerged from that battle triumphant. But its brutal offensive against the Tigers has made President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government the target of broad international condemnation. Reliable estimates of civilian deaths range as high as 40,000, and Britain’s Channel Four has documented summary executions of Tamil Tiger prisoners in its program “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields.” Although human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Council, have called for an investigation into humanitarian abuses and possible war crimes, the Rajapaksa government has resisted. The monks have backed this obstinacy, saying that such demands attack what Sinhalese refer to as the Buddhist “motherland.”
Since the war ended, Buddhist clerics have been at the forefront of promoting punitive triumphalism. The Sinhalese majority widely views its victory over the Tamils as a ratification of its scripturally ordained dominion, with other groups occupying a subordinate position. Accordingly, steps toward reconciliation have been faltering. Government efforts to resettle the nearly 300,000 Tamils displaced by the fighting, now mostly accomplished, were slow and chaotic, leaving resentment. The military has established large cantonments in Tamil areas, treating civilians with a heavy hand. According to the International Crisis Group, “When challenged by public protest, the military has shown itself willing to physically attack demonstrators and is credibly accused of involvement in enforced disappearances and other extrajudicial punishments.” Although the rehabilitation of former Tiger cadres — as many as 11,000 individuals — has largely proceeded according to schedule, there have been accusations of mistreatment of prisoners while in custody and harassment of them after their release.
Defense Minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President’s brother, recently said that the north and east were not exclusively Tamil areas, hinting that the government might resume Sinhalese land colonization programs, which were a major point of friction in the run-up to the war. Meanwhile, Tamils have complained that the military has allowed Buddhist temples to be erected where Hindu temples had been destroyed in the fighting, or near traditional Hindu shrines. There are also accusations that monks have taken advantage of the postwar confusion to seize Tamil land, especially in areas adjacent to new military bases. Last year, the ICG warned of a “recipe for renewed conflict” and said that reconciliation “seems harder than ever.”
Another sign of militant Buddhism’s enduring power is the government’s refusal to confront the human rights abuses committed in the war’s final push. President Rajapaksa, who went to Kandy, the cultural capital, immediately after the 2009 victory to genuflect to the country’s top Buddhist clerics, has rejected a UN Human Rights Council resolution, passed in March, that called for an inquiry into humanitarian abuses and possible war crimes. Only recently did the Rajapaksa government concede that there were any civilian casualties at all. In fact, as the UNHRC voted on the March resolution, hundreds of Buddhist monks led a prayer vigil in Colombo against it. Hundreds more led protests when it passed. The Los Angeles Times quoted one demonstrator as saying, “Evil forces both local and international have joined hands to deprive Sri Lanka of the present environment of peace and take this blessed island back to an era of darkness.”
Some see an irony in Buddhist monks aligning themselves so closely with a government that resists accountability for humanitarian abuses. But the greater irony is that, in protecting and preserving their particular form of Buddhism, the Sinhalese seem to have injured it gravely. The sangha’s preoccupation with politics has come at the cost of spiritual focus. Most monks in Sri Lanka no longer meditate, which is supposed to be Buddhism’s core. Some Western Buddhists have gone on missionary trips to Sri Lanka to revive meditational practice. But success has been fleeting.
There has also been a breakdown in monastic discipline. Last February, a monk was sentenced to death for murder — the first monk so sentenced since Talduwe Somarama killed Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in 1959 after he reneged on the full implementation of a Buddhist nationalist agenda. Over the last decade, there have been nearly 100 cases in which Buddhist monks have been charged with sexual abuse of minors, and many instances of monks, particularly young ones, being cited for public intoxication and hooliganism. The fundamentalist idea that Buddhism is a unique national possession has encouraged a sense of moral superiority, which makes it hard for many Sinhalese to accept how bruised their Buddhism has become. As one prominent lay Buddhist painfully (and discreetly) explained to me more than twenty years ago, “Buddhism is hollow now in Sri Lanka. We are only going through the motions.” Today, those motions are growing ever more disturbing.
Sri Lanka’s toxic identity politics are not altogether unique, especially in other Theravada Buddhist nations. Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar, for example, provided a similar rallying point against British colonialism. But the conflation of “the land, the race, and the faith” among the majority there, along with a view that this majority is the steward of its own uniquely pure form of Buddhism, has been a great source of political and cultural disharmony with the country’s many non-Buddhist minority groups, most recently the Rohingya Muslims. Although Buddhism might eschew violence on a doctrinal level, it is not immune from nationalist myths that see a place for it.
Courtesy http://www.foreignaffairs.com
GAMINI / August 3, 2012
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Desilva / August 3, 2012
THE BUDDHIST MONKS SHOULD CONFINE THEMSELVES TO THEIR MONASTERIES AND TEMPLES AND MEDITATE AND PREACH THE TEACHINGS OF LORD BUDDHA, INSTEAD OF TAKING TO THE STREETS WITH ARMS AND TRYING TO RUN THE COUNTRY BY GETTING INTO THE PARLIAMENT. THEY SHOULD GO INTO VILLAGES AND BEG FOR FOOD FOR THEIR DAILY NEEDS, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THEIR FOOD TO BE BROUGHT TO THEM. GIVE GOOD ADVICE TO THE LEADERS TO BRING THE COUNTRY TO GOOD GOVERNANCE, ADVICE ON HOW TO ERADICATE, THUGGERY, DRUG DEALING, MURDERS, ROBBERY, RAPE ETC ETC. THEN ONLY OUR ISLAND WILL SEE SOME FORM OF LIGHT AND SUNSHINE. OTHERWISE, WE AND ALL OUR CHILDREN WILL SUFFER ETERNALLY.
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Panda / August 3, 2012
Any clergy, from any religion, who incites, acts like common thugs, or who leads in attacks against any Holy place, belonging to any other religion, has to be held accountable and punished according to the law.
It is utterly disgusting to see rogue monks, who are supposed to adhere to peace and harmony, act like racist thugs leading mobs that show hatred towards others.
The problems in Sri Lanka is, the President, his dear brothers, and leaders of this government have been notably silent about these ugly incidents, and have not held these rabble rousers accountable, nor have our leadership shown outrage or anger about these disturbing attacks. This is a multi cultural, multi religious, country, and the majority have to show compassion and tolerance towards other minority religions.
No religion is superior to others, and we have to live that way.
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Thalaivar / August 3, 2012
Panda:
What should happen to the Popes who instigated NUMEROURS Crusade wars ?
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Panda / August 4, 2012
I don’t know where you are going with this, but since you have gone back in time, a disgustingly horrible time, in history, all I can say is, those popes should have been held responsible, and faced the death penalty (or worse) for the genocide of thousands of innocent people. It was a shameful period in world history.
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Blind man / August 3, 2012
Blind man said:
every generation faces the unique task of renewing and re-creating a suitable moral responses to the dilemmas of that age. This is not done by blindly following tradition but by innovating using the universal fundamentals that lie within all traditions, all cultures of the world.
when rajarata lay in ruins after the kalinga magha invasion the buddhists faced this challenge – the challenge of letting go of the old and facing a changing world with new eyes, new energy. They failed. Sinhala Buddhists could not leave rajarata in their minds – though they left it physically. They got stuck without knowing that the day will come when they would be unfit to govern themselves and would hand their country over to the white man.
Now with a standing armed force they have mastered the art of violence. Other things will follow in due course. Buddha comes slowly.
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DAS / August 3, 2012
This is a matter for the Maha Sangha to deal with firmly according to the tenets taught by the Buddha. They should be give official/state support.
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Native Vedda / August 3, 2012
Blind man says:
“They got stuck without knowing that the day will come when they would be unfit to govern themselves and would hand their country over to the white man.”
Next time around it would be the Hindian’s turn to rule the country from New Delhi controlled by corporate India.
When it happen’s the Sinhala/Buddhists would be begging for devolution of power.
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Rama / August 3, 2012
what’s maha sangha. it’s a load of crap. maha sangha should be dissolved and malwatte and asgiria should be given time to play with their balls. all sinhala barbaric and primitive buddshit monks should be rounded up and put in gas chambers.
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Native Vedda / August 6, 2012
Rama:
Did you have my people in your mind when you wrote “primitive” ?
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Sarath / August 3, 2012
Tooooo late toooooo little
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Blind man / August 3, 2012
William Sir
Buddhism in Sri Lanka originally turned aggressive when faced with the terrorism of the Portugese and the treachery of the missionaries who sought to end buddhism here. Read the missionary encounter by elizabeth harris.
India faced the same monotheistic aggression from Islam but the religion of india stood firm as rulers like Akbar affirmed tolerance.
Thais were not colonized. Burmans have retained a strong meditation tradition as their sasana is much younger than ours. Lanka had been a buddhist land for ab 1500 years before forest monks from Polonnaruva took the teachings there. around this time we also lost the Buddhist nuns – a tremendous loss.
All in all from the break up of the irrigation civilization (1215) we have been lost. So you must have a lot of compassion and understanding for us. Most of all we have to save buddhism from the buddhists of sri lanka. The longer they hold onto a fixed identity the more they will be committed to the path of violence.
and violence can only be countered by non violence – and by big countries setting a standard for small ones ….
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Chandra / August 3, 2012
I can well imagine Lanka [Edited out]/Sinhale web editors and commentators hyper-ventilating on this article.
No doubt we will see the usual and quite monotonous cries of white western christian biased agendas/conspiracies against the Sri Lankan majority (blah blah…)Author paid by LTTE and the usual cries
Perhaps, they ought to pin-point which part of this article is not true given well publicised recent events.
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DesmondD / August 3, 2012
I changed my religion from Buddhism to Christianity, simply because of the unacceptable behavior of Buddhists mainly from Sri Lanka and Burma.
I feel shame to be a Buddhist in this point of time where these BUDDHIST MONKS are killing poor civilians while Lord Buddha has preached to practice peace and compassion.
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Navin Weeraratne / August 3, 2012
Desmond, both the Buddha and Jesus taught the importance of compassion, and detachment. The history of neither religious movement truly represent these teachings, though if anything, Christianity has a much more bloody history than Buddhism. The 30 year war, Christian Crusades, the KKK, George W Bush’s war on ‘terrorism’ etc?
Christian or Buddhist or Muslim, they key is to concentrate on the teachings of the original teacher, not define the religion by what people who claim to be of that religion do. Any mass movement will represent a watering down of intelligence to a one-size-fits all. That is what religion is, and we see similar watering down of other principles such as democracy and human rights in the mainstream.
Leave it to God to decide if you were a Christian or a Buddhist, chances are to God, a good Buddhist is a Good Christian, and a Good Muslim. Anyone can call themselves a Buddhist or a Christian, but very few can truly call themselves a Buddhist who the Buddha would call a true follower of himself, or call themselves a Christian who Jesus would say is a true follower of him. Note the story of the rich man in the Gospels.
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Desperatehearts / August 7, 2012
here I think you are wrong. Buddhism is a phylosophy though it is recongnized and accepted as a religion. Chrsitianity, Jewish and Islam are god connection religions. There is no god defined under Buddhism. So asking leave it to God to decide if you were Christian or Budhist is not clear.
Trying to be a good and kind human being is much easier than a believer of a religion. As a whole, all religions – regardless of what- they all give a better guidance to become good kind of human beings.
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gamini / August 4, 2012
Desmond, just for clarification. How come you found solace or reason in Christianity after being a Buddhist? You say you were just driven off due to the behaviour of Buddhists and not due to any conviction of finding the truth. Buddhism is not owned by any, not even the robed kind. It is a Philosophy for any to practise. Just because some fanatics have self appointed themselves as custodians, the interpretation is completely distorted to suit their needs. In order to understand one’s self, if one has some level of intuition it will help more than any Religion in force today.
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NAK / August 4, 2012
Desmond, your comments tells alot about the buddhism you know and what kind of a buddhist you must have been. See,not much different from the one’s you blame for bad behavior
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SERUVILA SENARATH / August 4, 2012
DESMOND,;I changed my religion from Buddhism to Christianity, simply
SO, YOU SIMPLY REMOVE THE NAME BOARD BUDDHISM TO HANGING THE BOARD CHRISTIANITY.
VERY GOOD.
PLEASE DESTROY THAT BUDDHISM NAME BOARD.
AFTER FEW MONTHS OR YEARS ,LOOKING AROUND YOU AND AGAIN YOU MAY CHANGE THE NAME BOARD TO ISLAM AND BE A MUSLIM.
HOW BRAINY YOU ARE?
BUDDHISM IS NOT FOR FOOLS LIKE YOU.
BUDDHISM IS NOT FOR THE THUGS, SOME ,WHO WEAR ROBES EITHER.
DESMOND,
DO NOT LIE TO US. WE ARE NOT FOOLS TO BELIEVE YOU.
YOU WERE NOT A BUDDHIST.
FIRST of all you have to understand that Buddhism is not a religion. IT IS A GRATE Philosophy PREACHED BY A GREAT TEACHER.
LOT OF LEARNED MEN AND WOMEN FROM WESTERN WORLD ARE LEARNING BUDDHISM WITHOUT ANY PROPAGANDA /OR CONVERSION.
EVAN LORD BUDDHA DID NOT AGREE TO PREACH BUDDHIST TEACHING FIRST, AS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.
IF YOU ARE CHRISTIAN,YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS.
WE TRUE BUDDHIST SYMPATHIES WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE, MAY TRIPLE GEM SAFEGUARD YOU AND ALL LIVING BEINGS FROM ANY EVIL.
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raymond / August 3, 2012
Saffron-robed THUGS/RAPISTS … kapangla, bepangla, jollykarapangla???
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Merril / August 3, 2012
I am sure they are going to blame someone else for this, may be some kind of action or Americans!
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Navin Weeraratne / August 3, 2012
Religion is nothing but another form of politics. Take the history of any religion, and there is no noticeable difference in the violent and inhumane acts all religions have justified in the name of their Gods or sustainability.
This is not to say that at the root of all religion is nonsense or hidden agendas. The Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, Moses, they all seem to have had a genuine intention of helping society function in peace and freedom.
So the issue at hand is not what the religion teaches, rather what the religion is. All religions are made up of masses of human beings. As a result, all religions are vulnerable to human ignorance and flaws.
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sirisena / August 3, 2012
In the name of buddhist religion so much of lies have been spread by these middle men and women who gets a platform to brain wash the certain aged men and women in srilanka and abroad. These do gooders knows the vulnerability of these humans saying buddhism is the only religion which is here to safe guard the world. Lord buddha would never have imagined the religion had been twisted and practiced in the modern world to suit the so called meditators and the brain washed followers.
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sirisena / August 3, 2012
The religion has taken to a different turn similar to brain washing alkaieda. Brain washing brainless men and women who has nothing better to do so they spend their precious time believing the fictions.
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Native Vedda / August 4, 2012
sirisena says:
“Brain washing brainless men and women who has nothing better to do so they spend their precious time believing the fictions.”
How could one wash brain if the men and women are brainless?
I am confused. Please help me.
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whywhy / August 4, 2012
It’s easy NV.Washing started and found no brain inside!The wash was for the brain but when no brain spotted,brainless declared and a low fee charged!It’s all robotic.
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NAK / August 4, 2012
Lord Biddha never denied the right to self defence while preaching ahimsa.Buddhists here are not to conquering new lands to convert their people to buddhism,they are only fighting to pretect what is theirs from the vultures and the wolves.So it is no wonder vutures and wolves cry foul.
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kaush / August 4, 2012
sri lankan buddhisam is not just a religion its the foundation of our unique civilization and the culture. that is why a nationalistic element is associated with it, because elimination of it means the elimination of our unique identity. therefore it is quite wrong to look at it just buddhist philosophical point ow view. For example if monks in the history were only concerned in personal liberation and not tried to safeguard our heritage, theravada buddhisam as well as sinhala civilization would have extinct by now.
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Native Vedda / August 4, 2012
kaush :
“For example if monks in the history were only concerned in personal liberation and not tried to safeguard our heritage, theravada buddhisam as well as sinhala civilization would have extinct by now.”
The country would have been better off without the Theravada Sinhala/Buddhism. People would have been enlightened and liberated a condition necessary to build an egalitarian society.
The so called Sinhala civilisation is a curse and not a blessing. Could you kindly define what you consider as your heritage and Sinhala civilisation. Do you think your heritage and Sinhala civilisation have contributed immensely to improve the life of people world over and enhance their wisdom?
I rather live without Sinhala/Buddhist idea of heritage and civilisation which I think make many a people cringe.
So what is your idea of heritage and Sinhala civilisation, a Sinhala/Buddhist ghetto? What has your Sinhala/Buddhist ghettoisation of the island contributed to the world? It is a paradise for arms dealers and phedophiles, a country of death, misery, child abuse, violence,…………..
Buddha’s teaching is universal, he was not your relative nor your friend. You don’t own him or his teaching. In fact Sinhala/Buddhism is a disgrace and a disservice to Buddha’s teaching.
My immediate concern is how best to rest Buddha’s teaching from Sinhala/Buddhist. I need support.
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whywhy / August 6, 2012
Native,the Buddhists/Sinhalese are where they are today,only thanks to outside influence.Modern Srilanka is toiling to become
the “miracle paradise” of asia,not through practising Buddhism or by upholding its heritage,culture and civilisation but by borrowing bits and pieces mainly from the west and India.Sinhala and Buddhism is increasingly becoming power tools.Sometime back it was emergency power,but nowadays it’s cheap commodity.These are the two things the majority has been misled to believe,one day will bring prosperity.Srilanka is a country of lost identity.
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Senguttuvan / August 4, 2012
Most decent Buddhists in the country are convinced the greatest damage
to the Buddhist religion and cause was inflicted since Mahinda Rajapakse took over. That certainly is not good for a leader who pretends he is the protector and custodian of the majority religion in the country. That seems to be view of the Malwatta Prelate as well – judging by his recent pronouncements.
Senguttuvan
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / August 4, 2012
MacGovern’s analysis is fairly accurate but his intentions do not seem sincere. He seems to another apologist for Western meddling in the affairs of independent states.
If he and his ilk were sincere, then the fate that befell Sri Lanka under the Portuguese and Dutch, lastly the British would never have been.
One can never trust these foreigners despite his accurate analysis and good articulation of what ails the “Buddhist culture” in Sri Lanka.
Readers and writers would do better to focus on the author and his words rather than sqaubble among themselves on semantics and points of view of readers…
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gamini / August 5, 2012
It has been a common trait of the Sinhalese, when they get exposed of duplicity they practise, they blame the West. After self governing for almost sixty four years, the Sinhalese still blame the West for the short comings committed by the Sinhalee themselves. I believed idiocy and naivette had limits.
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Deseratehearts / August 7, 2012
I would say – most match would be not idiocy – lack knowledge and being unable to think broadly. Ours is a nation, when going through the comments passed to this and other threads, most of those are narrrow minded.
How can one blame on Buddhism, just because some or increasing number of so called buddhist believers have been violent and even supporters to those perpetrators.
See the open practice of the head of the state – he is popular among the nation as the strong buddhist – but has he proved his governance has been in compliance with buddhism during the last 5-7 years. He sponsors all kind of illegal activities with the approval of his supporters. Have we seen any single lawful investigation that ended up to satisfy the nation. What is with Juliampitiya Amare´s case ? that is seen to be swept under the carpet today, what is with Drug dealer /most known rapist/ but a law maker in his cabinent just because of him being MRs close connected – he is set to be free from all murderous allegations…
Are all these behaviours in compliance with buddhistic priciples ?
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Hangama buddah moda huttah / August 4, 2012
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sirisena / August 4, 2012
In lord buddha’s sermons did he ever ask the lay people to follow the path of religous intolerance or is it something crept in recently when the lay people took over dhamma preachings in temples, halls, and houses. Due to religious intolerance some Buddhist priests and lay people went on the rampage and destroyed a mosque and also insighting hatredness towards Christianity and Hindu religion in Srilanka.Does Theravada Buddhism has a trait of intolerance of other religions?
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sirisena / August 4, 2012
One does not realise that so much of brain washing going on in the name of dhamma teachings. these unloved lonely people go and listen to these preachings forever forgetting their family duties .This is called theravada with a twist.
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Thalaivar / August 5, 2012
First McGowan Shoulkd explain, Why Catholosm, OTher protestant sections such as Anglican Church, American Church, Unite church and there are thousands of Christian Denominations.
IT is very much the same Buddhism that Sri Lankans,Burmese, Thais all follow. But, there is some Specific cultural component is also there.
What does Exactly, McGowan wants to know ?
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American Lanka Lover / August 6, 2012
On this religion issue I must say the folks who I usually disagree with (the Tamil nationalists) have the better of the argument. While Buddhists in most every other country are among the least offensive/troublesome of any religious people, Lankan Buddhism is xenophobic and intolerant in so many cases.
Had the LTTE ONLY targeted Buddhist extremists and sacred sites (eg The Bodhi tree in Anuradhpura and the tooth temple in Kandy), I would have defended their actions as morally justified. Sadly, they indiscriminately killed BOTH those trying to forcibly impose Buddhism throughout the land and innocents alike so their crimes cannot be forgiven or justified. VP’s meglomania and narcissism caused him to stray from the path of legitimate struggle against oppression, a tragic mistake for which all Tamils in Lanka will continue to pay a heavy price.
The jury is still out on whether the Rajapakses have the wisdom and vision to move Lanka towards a more secular future.
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Sabar / August 6, 2012
In Obeysekerapura, Muslims started to pray at an academy building during Ramadan. Last year also they prayed, mainly ladies. This time, there was a big protest from the Sinhalese neighbours. After the intervention of authorities, Muslims were allowed to pray during the month of Ramadan only. However, the disappointed neighbours have started to disturb the prayers through chanting something through loudspeakers.
Muslims should not take the patience of Sinhalese as granted. At the same time, Sinhalese also should learn to honour the constitution of the country.
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whywhy / August 6, 2012
Sabar,do you want to elaborate on “muslims should not take the patience
of sinhalese for granted”.I feel these lines don’t go with your main point of the comment!Do you feel like this prayer arrangement has long been a nuisance to sinhala neighbours?
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Sabar / August 7, 2012
The phrase ‘At the same time’ calls for a balanced coexistence without confrontation. The Muslims could have made some prearrangement not to attract the attention of Sinhalese.
Building a new mosque is a dream of every Muslim whereas demolishing it is fast becoming the ultimate goal of every Sinhala Buddhist! By the way, have they lately found a shortcut to Nirvana?
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sirisena / August 6, 2012
Bomb scare in the court of law .Where ? In the country called wonder of Asia. Why? to cover up a police case and a fraud case I believe. Since when this wonder of Asia had taken the name of wonderless Asia.This country once was with 92% literates and they ruled the country well. Now the country is ruled by illiterates and thugs.
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sirisena / August 6, 2012
THE ABOVE PICTURE SAYS IT ALL. SO DISGRACEFUL TO SEE HOW THE SO CALLED THERAVADA BUDDHIST PRIESTS BEHAVING IN PUBLIC. IS THIS BUDDHISM?????? THIS IS SO SURREAL.
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sirisena / August 6, 2012
Now the war is over but the country has been taken over by the illiterates and the illiterate rulers? there is no punishment for any wrong doings whether it was commited by laymen or the theravada buddhist priests in the country of wonder.
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