By Sarath Dissanayake –

Sarath Dissanayake

Sangha Convention at Odds with Chief Prelates

Hot on the heels of the historic 2300-mile, 110-day journey of peace accomplished by a group of monks in Washington DC on 12th February 2026, it is heartening to learn of yet another strikingly different Sangha Convention (Buddhist monks and lay community) being hosted by the All Ceylon Buddhist Conference (ACBC) at its headquarters in Colombo on the 20th February. This bizarre – hitherto little-known, sangha convention in Colombo, comes barely a week after the Buddhist monks’ silent peaceful walk in America, hailed by many as the most impactful peace walk ever to be held in any part of the world. What’s at stake for the sangha convention (Buddhist monks and lay community) is that neither of the Chief Prelates of the two main Buddhist Fraternities or Sects (Siam Sect’s Asgiriya Chapter and Amarapura Sect) out of Sri Lanka’s three Buddhist fraternities, have confirmed their participation at the convention up to now (18th), let alone on its deafening silence on the number of monks expected for the convention slated for 20th.

Parallels Between Monks’ Walk in America and Sangha Convention in Colombo

If one were to draw parallels between the two events, of course the prime movers of both, are none other than Buddhist monks belonging to Therawada Buddhist Sect, albeit, meant for two distinctly contrasting objectives; namely, the former was a silent peaceful walk by a group of 19 monks for the cause of peace, whilst, the latter event is supposedly to bring to bare the alleged injustices faced by Buddhist monks, the Buddha Sasana (Doctrine of Buddhism), and the country as a whole, at the hands of powers that be, and press the authorities to desist from such awkward actions based on mere political witch-hunt. It is reported in the media that monks from all Buddhist sects are expected to converge on Colombo on 20th February, in what is believed to be a gathering of 5000 monks. These monks, who called themselves the “guardians” of the predominantly Buddhist nation of Sri Lanka, in all but name, comprised nearly 35,000 Buddhist monks, out of 22 million total inhabitants of the island.   

Proponents and Opponents of Sangha Conference

Alas, two contrasting points of views have been expressed by two leading monks of stature at the scheduled sangha convention. Speaking to the media on 16th February, a convenor of the sangha conference, Ven. Dambara Amila Thero announced that monks from all Buddhist chapters have been summoned to Colombo on 20 February to protest against the government’s clamping down on Buddhist priests, and its unlawful actions against Buddha Sasana, with no iota of respect and due decorum for the noble monks. Speaking further, the monk said their protest is meant as a direct warning to the government and added, “there have been various governments in the past, and shortcomings can be found in every administration. As the Buddha preached, there is no one without flaws. However, never in the history of Sri Lanka has there been a government – elected on the votes of people, that has targeted and launched such systematic attacks against the entire Buddha Sasana as the incumbent government. Alas, the proposed sangha convention has suffered a major setback lately, with two of Sri Lanka’s main Buddhist sects, reported to have announced on 16th that their monks would not attend the forthcoming Buddhist convention, citing non receipt of formal invitations, albeit noting that their monks may attend the meeting on individual basis.

Prelate Strikes a Balance with His Non-committal Stance 

Contrary to expectations, the Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thero attending a felicitation ceremony in his honor at the Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya in Badulla on the 16th instant, said that Buddhist monks should respond with equanimity to allegations directed at them by certain quarters, be it may, maha sangha in general, or individual monks in particular. Commenting further, Thero opined that rather than reacting with agitation, it would be apt to remain silent, so that the truth would eventually prevail in the end. Venerable Anunayake Thero was also of the view that a large segment of the population in the country continues to cherish and respect the Buddha Sasana, and that the faith within them will never fade. Elaborating further, Thero said notwithstanding the current status quo, people yet have high regard and respect toward Buddhist monks, in appreciation of their meritorious deeds and services to the country and society at large. Commenting on the situation in the country, Thero said despite all the good and respect, certain monks still come under criticism for no fault of theirs. Ven Anunayake Thero further remarked, “It is my personal view that rather than becoming agitated over such matters, it is wiser for the maha sangha to respond with equanimity and that “remaining silent is the most sensible course of action”. Thero also emphasized that nearly 90 percent of the country’s population is Buddhist, and their respect and reverence for the Buddha Sasana remain strong and that the bonds between the monks and lay community continue to nurture in good spirit for the well-being of monks, people and the country as a whole.

Sangha Convention Raises More Questions than Answers

It’s learnt that the sangha convention which was supposed to be a gathering of 8,000 monks, has now been downsized to around 1,000 monks. This seemed to indicate a decline of the monks’ support for the convention, raising more questions than answers. Coincidently, this setback in numbers, alludes to monks’s half-hearted stance and their dwindling support for the convention, in the wake of the Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, Most Venerable Narampanawa Theros’ recent remarks to the effect that monks’ silence would be the most sensible course of action at a time of crises. His remarks pertains to the conduct of a few monks at the centre of allegations of misconduct, as being harmful and damaging to the reputation and respect for the Buddha Sasana in its entirety. A pertinent question to ponder is whether the upcoming sangha convention on 20th, in fact had the blessings of the chief prelates of Sri Lanka’s 3 Buddhist Sects and, if not, on what basis the monks had the audacity to call for a sangha convention, sans the approval of chief prelates in the first place. As a matter of fact, it may be of interest to the public to know as to who would be the chief convenor of the sangha convention on 20th, and, the order of precedence to be followed in respect of monks gracing the convention. and the list of speakers of the event. Unless there’s clarity on such main crux of elements, needless to say that the monks would feel reluctant to attend a sangha congregation, at the risk of alienating monks of stature and seniority in the hierarchical setup of prelates, perhaps earning ire and wrath from those holding authority and delegation of powers.

Monks’ Past Misdeeds Raise Legitimacy of Sangha Convention

The monks’ sudden outburst against the authorities is palpable, and understandable to say the least, especially at a time their so-called political masters seemed completely out of tune. In sheer desperation, the monks appeared to be trying a last ditch attempt to save those political diehards from the inevitable destiny. Judging by what these monks had been up to for almost 15 years up until the defeat of their political loyalists, the monks seemed somewhat perplexed and frustrated lately, in coming to terms with the status quo and ground realities. So much so, the monks are seldom heard by the current administration, and, even more so, they are not being able to hoodwink the current leaders into believing their false gimmicks and modus-operandi. It is also recalled, few of these monks at the behest of the then rulers, had unfettered access to highest echelons of power and enjoyed unlimited freedom to do whatever they please, thereby threatening anybody in their way, thus acting contrary to their whims and fancies. Going forward, some of these monks of the likes of Ven Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero and Ven Galaboda Gnanissara Thero enjoyed full immunity to go about doing things the way they wished, even harassing those, who they felt being unhelpful and not obliging. It is my recollection, Ven Ananda Thero who commanded the Government Nurses Trade Union as its life-time President, in fact had the audacity to call for a general strike of the government nurses at state hospitals for several weeks in early late 1990s, causing immense hardships and untold sufferings to innocent patients and those needing medical treatments from government hospitals, on the pretext of addressing the nurses long standing genuine grievances. Ven Ananda Thero should have been held responsible for the unfortunate deaths of few patients at the time, due to strike action instigated by him on political grounds. Similarly, Ven Galaboda Gnanissara Thero acted as a law-unto-himself in mid 2015s, inciting racial and communal hatred against our Muslim brethren in certain parts of the country at the risk of creating political instability, mayhem and chaos among peace-loving communities living side by side with one another in amity and diversity. In short, the conduct and track-record of these monks have been appalling and sickening, to say the least.

Concept of “Wholesome and Sacrosanct” Role of Buddhist Monks

Some opportunistic monks have been at the receiving end for their immoral conduct and abhorrent deeds, which is why certain Buddhist monks are often being blamed for their narrow-minded and selfish conduct, often at the whims and fancies of die-hard politicians. As a consequence, certain monks are openly labelled and ridiculed as being loyal to a particular familial clan of politicians of the likes of certain old-fashioned by-gone era dynastic ruling class families, as opposed to “Buddha clan”, representing spiritually-wholesome enlightened monks, who would never switch allegiance of monkhood, for the sake of mere positions, influence of power, lust or possessions for that matter. But with the passage of time, certain monks’ unwholesome acts and unethical behaviour have been called into question by people. Such immoral conduct and practices have led to the erosion of Buddha Sasana and respect for monkhood, thus exposing lavish lifestyles and cravings of certain monks at the risk of compromising their monkhood, respect and purity. Above all, there are those erudite monks who are well respected and revered for their simplicity, nobility, spirituality and morality, who would not betray their wholesome spirits and unwavering loyalty to monkhood. Unlike them, it’s a pity that few of our monks have made themselves a mockery and laughing stock in the eyes of the laypeople with their ignoble, shameful and ill-gotten mindset and deeds, who often being ridiculed for singing hozannas of praise for their political masters, loyalists of certain political idols. Such kind of pseudo- monastics in robes are commonplace today, unbecoming of their monkhood, at the risk of jeopardizing the goodwill of laypeople and bringing Buddha Sasana and the noble monkhood into disrepute in its entirety.

Buddhist Doctrine Advocates Monks to Remain above Politics    

In terms of Buddha’s timeless message, which resonates well and truly among monks, the Doctrine of Dhamma is essentially meant to spread the essence of Buddhist teachings among followers, in order to rid themselves of greed, cravings and clinging to worldly things and material possessions. Though the monks’ (who have taken up cudgels against the authorities in power) so-called grievances and harassment claims against the incumbent government may be genuine and real, their protest action stands hollow, contrary to the principles of the Buddhist Doctrine of Dhamma. According to Buddhist teachings, monks are advised to remain above politics and refrain from getting involved in state / government affairs, and are essentially forbidden from joining protest campaigns in violation of state’s laws and religious dictums, often leading to the detriment of peace, harmony and compassion. Suffice it to note, the monks campaigning against government have been seen voicing their anger and frustration against authorities in power, acting as if they are a law-unto-themselves, in what could be termed as, in violation of basic tenets of Buddhism and practices / principles such as ahimsa (non violence) and metta (amity). In this regard, Buddhist monks’ adherence to unethical and illegal acts cannot be condoned whatsoever. Instead they should always be mindful of conducting themselves in conformity with the Doctrine of Dhamma which cannot be overstated, requiring their complete adherence to Buddhist principles of non interference and non-violence at all times, while desisting from acting against a legitimate government elected by people, as amply embodied and described in the Vinaya Pitaka, which is codified in the monastic rulebook within the Tripitaka (Pali Canon) and in the Patimokkha (list of stansas recited regularly by monks)

Buddha’s Timeless Message of Dhamma and Universal Ultimate Truth

Talking of the essence of the Dhamma, it is worth recalling the three cannons of Buddhism or core teachings of the Dhamma, spoken by the Buddha which were compiled shortly after his passings (Parinirvana), known in the Theravada Tradition as “Thripitaka” or “Three Baskets”. These three cannons / baskets, are comprised of Vinaya Pitaka (Basket of Discipline), Sutta Pitaka (Basket of Discourses) and Abhidhamma Pitaka (Basket of Higher Doctrine/Philosophy) which go hand in hand in Buddhist Doctrine. In particular, Vinaya Pitaka is the disciplinary code for self-training laid down by the Buddha for monks and nuns to observe. Vinaya plays a pivotal role among the monastics, thus ensuring monks of the essence of preserving the sanctity of monkhood and their code of conduct in discipline, as a way of life – full of purity and spirituality.

It is noteworthy, three cannons / Thripitaka serve as the sacred pinnacle for spiritual practice and enlightenment, viz-a-viz Buddhist Monks’ code of conduct, inter-alia, meant to guide them on the key aspects of day-today affairs of monkhood and actions, including, speech, thoughts and deeds. According to Buddhist teachings, the doctrine of the “cause and effect” (patichchasamuppadaya” gives rise to karmic nature of living beings, in terms of how karma results in, transforms itself into, birth, life and death of all living beings, leading to bhavaya (samsara) – a vicious cycle of rebirth, sufferings and death, which is unique to all sentient beings. The bhavaya, culminating in the rebirth and death of all beings, based on one’s life-long deeds (karma), nama – rupa, often referred to as interdependent and inseparable combination of mentality (nama) and materiality (rupa), represents the constituent parts of a living being. In essence, the sensory organs and 5 aggregates of a living being, work in tandem with (in conjunction with and simultaneously) one’s mental perceptions and sensations, thus impacting and forming the central pillars of a living being’s (individual’s) daily routine of life, which is part and parcel of one’s karmic acts and deeds. Intrinsically, a living being’s sensory organs, sensations and thought process essentially lead to Dukka or sufferings, eventually transforming itself into a vicious cycle of karmic samsara, permeating seamlessly over a living being’s entirety of life, based on merits (Kusal) and sins (Akusal), which is aptly illustrated in the Doctrine of Dhamma.

Key Takeaways

1) The proposed Sangha Convention lacks credibility in the eyes of the general public, hindering its stated scope and purpose.

2) Prelates of 2 Buddhist Sects neither have been invited nor being consulted on the sangha convention, which is self-defeating and counter productive, to say the least.

3) Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, expressed his views on the conduct of monks raising more questions than answers

4) Certain monks involved in the sangha convention face serious allegations of misconduct and immoral behavior, calling into question the legitimacy of the convention

5) Though sangha convention had initially anticipated around 5,000 monks, but could not muster enough support, thus down-sizing the gathering for about 1000 monks, supposedly due to lack of interest or support from monks, casting doubts about its stated scope, purpose and objectives.

6) Monks are supposed to conduct themselves strictly in adherence to monkhood and principles of ahimsa and metta. As such, monks should not deviate themselves from the path of monkhood as spiritual and noble monks worthy of being Buddha’s disciples

7) Buddha himself has advised monks against doing politics while in robes and denounced instigating any activity that may hinder the spiritual role of monks. That said, any action  in contravention of the code of conduct, stated objectives and purpose are unwholesome and go against the Doctrine of Dhamma, which the monks are duty bound to protect, adhere to and follow through at all times as monks dedicated and committed to serve as Buddha’s disciples, in keeping with day-today monastic life and sanctity of monks

8) Any fallouts from the sangha convention could have serious consequences, undermining the legitimacy of Buddha Sasana, Doctrine of Dhamma and members of Sangha – putting their integrity and reputation at stake, and, in the worse case scenario, resulting in serious splits and divisions among monks of faith.

9) If by chance, any misunderstandings, divisions, splits or conflict of interests come to fore, it is inevitable that setbacks and implications could befall the Buddha Sasana and members of the maha sangha, jeopardising the goodwill, harmony and long-cherished principles of peace, harmony and loving kindness, amidst sharing and caring spirits of all followers, at the risk of causing mistrust, hatred and enmity among Buddhist monks and members of the Buddhist community at large.

10. Maha sangha is always respected and treated as supreme, placing them above all others in the society. It is therefore the supreme and sacred duty of monks to reach out to the authorities in power and keep them duly informed of any grievances affecting their members then and there, being the foremost duty of monks, so as to resolving any issues of mistrust and concern between the maha sangha and the government in power, viz-a-viz people, in a matter of urgency at all times. It is only after such avenues are exhausted and any perceived grievances cannot be resolved through dialogue and close consultations between monks and the authorities in power, that the monks should resort to any other possible avenues for action at their disposal (such as administrative action at higher level)  outside the given boundaries, as deemed appropriate, which is what the Buddha has espoused for the members of the maha sangha in the Buddhist Doctrine of Dhamma.

11) Should the monks had resorted to the said course of action and had failed in their efforts to resolve the perceived dispute and grievances in the end, resulting in a stalemate with no plausible avenues at their disposal for any course correction, the monks as a last resort could resort to extra-ordinary measures to have their matters resolved through other means (calling for a sangha convention) as appropriate. The above course of action sounds sensible, given that the current government is well disposed, and has shown utmost sincerity, commitment and willingness to discuss any burning issue affecting any section of the public in an open and transparent manner.

12) Let’s hope saner counsel prevails, amidst goodwill and wellbeing between members of the maha sangha and authorities in power continue to flourish in good-stead and harmony for the betterment of all

“Dhamma is about to demount the pole and demount the flag” –  A monk should not align with political factions or nationalistic symbols  – Dhammapada

*The writer is a retired Ambassador and Foreign Ministry Spokesman. He can be reached at schandrad@hotmail.com