By Lakshman Dissanayake and Bernard Fernando –
Background
A General election, if held under the current system in Sri Lanka without rectifying its covert critical system errors, will undoubtedly result in a Parliament that is not different from the current one. Therefore, these suggested necessary ‘system changes’ must be legalized before any election to ensure that we have a competent, trustworthy Parliament that can lead us to recover from the current political, economic and cultural crisis.
The First-Past-the-Post (FPP) System democracy is a thing of the past, primarily because many votes cast for the losing candidates are discarded, thereby distorting
the final electoral representation. The Proportional Representation (PR) system is more democratic because almost all valid votes contribute to the election result.
Sri Lanka currently has a PR system but its the primary objective of fair allocation of seats through equal value to valid votes has been distorted by the application of manipulative devices such as 22 Bonus seats, a minimum 5% District vote requirement and predetermined ‘District –wise’ allocation of seats leading to inaccuracies in the allocation of 196 seats. Besides, its value has been badly impaired by Preference vote (manape – ‘මනාපේ’) and the Mixed Member Voting (MMV) systems.
The cheeky ‘manape’ (මනාපේ) system
The original PR system (1978) had the ‘District Party candidate list in merit order’ as an integral adjunct. In 1981, it was replaced by the infamous ‘Preference Voting’ system (මනාපේ), a unique modification that erodes the value of the PR system. Further, the addition of the MMV system, which partially calculates a formula-based introduction of the FPP, also failed the ‘Litmus test ‘in the local government elections in 2018.
The ‘manape’ (මනාපේ) system should be scrapped because;
1. The current ‘manape’ (මනාපේ) system allows the parachuting of candidates(Henchmen with ill-gotten money) to a District, based on the preferences of the ‘power hungry’ political party leaders to fatten their Vote Bank.
2. It enables the party leaders to surreptitiously install and promote their own political and economic agendas that will benefit them contrary to the People’s wishes.
3. Honest, forthright and competent candidates lacking financial might and those not loyal to the leader are likely to be excluded at this stage, making a mockery of internal party ‘Democracy.’
4. The ‘manape’ (මනාපේ) system also pushes the voters to be individual-centric for personal benefit without first heeding the policy manifestos of the contesting parties.
5. It also promotes ‘party allegiance’ more than ‘voter allegiance’ among the elected politicians who raise their hands within the Parliament for their survival and to safeguard their candidacy in a future election instead of conforming to their manifestos or the public interest. This psyche is entrenched in the current political behaviour in the Country.
6. It has also created internal rivalry among the same party candidates, leading to many corrupt activities and violent election campaigns, contributing to environmental degradation and violence.
7. The laborious counting of preference votes has resulted in re-count challenges, enormous expenditure and wastage of time and resources of the Elections Dept
8. It has contributed to undue delays in the release of Final results.
The National list – not truly national
The appointment of defeated, non-elected and non-listed persons through the National list downgrades Democracy as it provides a backdoor to enter through corrupt deals for political expediency. Therefore, such provisions should be scrapped too, and the system should be changed to allow only relevant ‘Experts’ to be listed in the Party National list before the election and not to be changed after registration along with other nomination lists. Party National lists should be prepared transparently per unique criteria laid down by the National Election Commission (NEC) in the Constitution, which needs to be amended accordingly to prevent sneaky changes post-election. NEC should be empowered and made accountable to implement the amended constitution’s provisions and spirit of the amended form. Please note the extreme example of a non-elected but appointed member of parliament (MP) becoming an Executive ‘Parliamentary’ President through a ‘covert’ method diluting the democratic power within the Parliament recently. This was an unprecedented loophole, installed within the constitution by the politicians themselves through the so-called 2/3rd majority.
The Bonus seats, 5% minimum vote requirement, and computation of ‘others’ – for whom?
In the present Parliament, the provision for 22 Bonus Seats (10%) has proved undemocratic. It has allowed the winner to gain 17 bonus seats unsupported by votes and muster a dictatorial 2/3 voting majority in the Parliament.
The provision for predetermined seats on a District basis has also deprived a major Party of winning their rightful number of seats in proportion to their aggregate National vote.
Similarly, the District-wise minimum 5% vote requirement has deprived another Major Party of winning their rightful number of seats, as those votes are discarded.
The inclusion of votes under the category ‘Others’ ( Not entitled to seats) for the computation of 196 seats, too, has affected the accuracy of clean proportion and logic. Thus, external devices have distorted the real PR system and weakened the proportionally elected candidates in carrying out their duties. We need to ensure the accuracy of seat computation by maintaining equality of vote and protecting the values of a fair and clean Proportional Representation System.
Towards such end, the following demerits have to be removed
1. In the present Parliament, the provision for 22 Bonus Seats (10%) has proved undemocratic as it has allowed the winner to gain 18 bonus seats unsupported by votes and muster a dictatorial 2/3 voting majority in the Parliament.
2. The provision for predetermined seats on a District basis has deprived a major Party of winning their rightful number of seats in proportion to their aggregate National vote.
3. The district-wise minimum 5% vote requirement has deprived another Major Party of winning their rightful number of seats. This disregard for a substantial number of valid votes in the aggregate boosts chances for the winning candidates who also cunningly use Independent decoy groups to weaken their opponents and strengthen their position.
4. The inclusion of votes under the category ‘Others’ ( Not entitled to seats) for the computation of 196 seats, too, has affected the accuracy of clean proportionate logic.
Those mentioned above, external devices have distorted the real PR system and weakened the proportionally elected candidates in carrying out their manifesto duties.
Vetting the candidates – like for any publicly responsible job
Currently, there is no appropriate ‘vetting’ system for candidates. Even the existing requirement for the Declaration of assets is not adequately implemented and is almost defunct, with the propagating underhand provisions for ‘offshore’ deals avoiding the radar.
Those mentioned above, external devices have distorted the real PR system and weakened the proportionally elected candidates in carrying out their manifesto duties.
Vetting the candidates – like for any publicly responsible job
Currently, there is no appropriate ‘vetting’ system for candidates. Even the existing requirement for the Declaration of assets is not adequately implemented and is almost defunct, with the propagating underhand provisions for ‘offshore’ deals avoiding the radar.
The vetting process should be designed and legalized to select candidates with the qualities necessary to be good parliamentarians. As a result of not having a solid vetting system, the simple and innocent voters have inadvertently elected sentenced murderers, drug lords, illegal sand miners, fraudsters, bribe takers, village thugs, and communalists, including vandalizers of the sacred Parliament under the protection of party leaders favourites ‘umbrella’… Even famous actors/actresses and sportsmen are being used to increase votes. All such MPs cannot be expected to favour any ‘system’ changes to the electoral system that has been the pillar of their success over the years.
What we need
Our system must promote ‘Country/voter allegiance’ more than ‘party allegiance’ among elected politicians to the Parliament. These fundamental system changes will make the MPs more concerned about the Country and the ‘voter’ unhappiness rather than ‘party leader’ unhappiness. Then, the elected candidates will be more inclined to resolve people’s real issues and difficulties. This will make MPs more accountable to the voters. This also promotes consensual governance, not as aggressive or contentious as we see now.
What other electoral system changes will achieve the above objectives/goals?
1. Make election manifestos legally binding subject to an appropriate ‘Force Majeure clause to allow for Acts of God such as Pandemics and unanticipated major Disasters such as Tsunami. The Parties and the MPs did what they wished for their benefit and aggrandizement. Most of the time, what was said in manifestos became history after capturing power. As a result, they have become fantasy documents of promises and ineffective plans for the future.
2. As aforesaid, repeal of the infamous ‘Preference (මනාපේ) Voting mechanism’ will allow the selection and election of suitable candidates with a strong track record’ and credentials to occupy the allocated seats. This will minimize or eradicate candidate bias introduced by the ‘preferential vote’ system, where the party leader selects the candidates, applying ad hoc, personal criteria sans any public participation or knowledge.
3. Abolish the ‘cross-over’ provision for MPs, as this has been the root cause of many corrupt political deals involving ‘buying’ or ‘selling’ the sovereign vote. As they have ‘betrayed’ the confidence placed on them by the voter, upon conviction, the ‘system’ should automatically evict such members from the Parliament and promote a by-lection held in their representing districts. This will indeed establish an ethical & consensual political culture sans corrupt deals.
4. Application of ‘meritocracy’ in selecting Ministers to ensure they understood their subject area well. We have witnessed how a ‘peniya’ became a death trap for us during COVID.
5. We need to re-establish a mechanism to install the voters’ “Right to Recall” elected politicians for specific reasons within a legal framework.
6. Revise the candidate selection process to ensure women and youth representation within the Parliament by making it mandatory to include 20% each of women -and youth (<35 yrs.) in the party nominee lists.
7. Abolish the ‘mixed-member voting’ (MMV) system. The ‘Mixed Voting’ System has painfully adopted ad hoc ratios to satisfy only FPP and PR proponents, culminating in delays, ‘over-hang’ problems and an uncontrolled increase in the number of members to approximately 9000 in the local government.
8. Make the party election manifesto a legally binding document to become the primary determinant for a wise voter decision.
9. Fix a ‘maximum expenditure limit’ for party campaign financing to ensure a ‘level playing field’ and create an opportunity for eligible applicants sans financial strength.
10. National Election Commission (NEC) must mandate standardized minimum eligibility criteria and a structured interview system to ensure nominations of genuine, ‘country-first’ political candidates based on merit. The political parties should be regarded as registered corporate bodies with constitutions incorporating necessary provisions.
11. Revert to the permanent secretary system that prevailed before the mid-1960s to have an independent civil administration and ensure the continuity of policy implementation. India provides a success story of a robust civil administration run by “technocrats”, justifying a politically independent civil administration system.
The advantages of the above recommendations
1. It will ensure primary ‘Equality of vote’ and make the electoral process rational, fairer, simple, cost–effective and productive.
2. The election of ‘Country first’ politicians’ as People’s Representatives achieves the secondary objective of an Election.
3. Elected representatives will be more accountable to the voters
4. The electoral process will become more meaningful and non-violent.
5. Expenditure, Time and Energy spent by Elections Dept. will decrease drastically.
6. Election results can be announced before Midnight.
7. The whole Election exercise will be peaceful and environmentally friendly.
8. 5.0 Minimum Eligibility Criteria of candidates
What qualities should we have in a parliamentarian?
This need to be answered first before imposing eligibility criteria. What is essential is that the minimum eligibility criteria of an election candidate should not erode into the democratic principle. There are no qualifications to assess honesty, empathy, respectfulness to others, understanding and working democratically, punctuality, ability to read, understand and respond in at least one national language, and no nepotism tendencies. Still, being helpful without favouriting, tolerance for other opinions, seeking and honour advice when necessary and happily vacating when people say to do so. Most important is to have a proven track record displaying the above qualities. Developing these eligibility criteria needs to balance against the erosion of democratic principles and hence requires more comprehensive consultation led by the NEC.
davidthegood / December 13, 2022
LD and BF, System change looking for qualities in parliamentarians is a joker’s dream at present. 54 cheaters are already on foreign passports including the game lady. Majority are robbers and citizens called valid voters have been made paupers. Honesty, democracy, accountability are akin to soap bubbles.
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Raj-UK / December 13, 2022
JR messed up the country with an irrelevant & unaffordable Presidential system. Furthermore, he initiated proportional voting, ineffective Provincial councils, a bureaucratic system with generous perks & privileges which only escalated corruption. SWRD ‘let the dogs in’ to Parliament initially & now we have thugs, murderers & the village idiot representing the people.
UK has the ‘West Minister’ system where the buck stops with the PM, & any Minister or even the PM, who fails to deliver, is forced to stepdown. Ordinary MPs have no special privileges, no official vehicles or bodyguards. Even Ministers & PM have to hand in their official vehicles, nor state paid bodyguards after leaving office (Disgraced Minister Hancock has been seen travelling on the underground & even has to take part in reality shows to make ends meet) Election spending is capped & all political donors have to be disclosed, as well as, the wealth of politicians. No special pensions, only the state pension as available to any citizen & the contributory pension fund (similar to EPF/ETF) upon retirement. Can SL ever be such a country?
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Nathan / December 13, 2022
“The Proportional Representation (PR) system is more democratic because almost all valid votes contribute to the election result.”
How valid / sound/ real / true is the above statement. If the statement is true and valid, why even have electorates, when every political party can ‘ask’ for votes nationally, and count their representation, without much ado.
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old codger / December 15, 2022
Many of the proposals are impractical or badly thought out. As for holding a by-election in case of a crossover, what if the guy wins the by-election, as has happened many times?
We must admit that the people themselves, through their utter stupidity and gullibility, are to blame for electing crooks and con artists as their representatives.
It will take a generation or two to eradicate the influence of self-interested clergy on both politicians and voters. Çhildren must be taught real history, not a mishmash of religious tripe and ethnic hatred. Until this is accomplished, voters must be given a number of votes (1 -5) which depends on their performance in an OL type test for intelligence, general knowledge, economics, etc.
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Mahila / December 16, 2022
OC,
“Children must be taught real history, not a mishmash of religious tripe and ethnic hatred”
How could that happen by any chance??
History was obliterated and ordered to be not recorded from April 1971 until further notice, to safeguard the honour and integrity of the Radala Clan rulers that nothing wrong happened!!??
Doesn’t matter, please get some “manufactured Truth”
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Mahila / December 16, 2022
OC,
That’s a very difficult Task!!
Why not get people off Universal Suffrage (US) Limited Educated Suffrage (LES)
That should work for 2 terms and also get uneducated refracts off the back!!!
Then next 10years train these guys to understand politics, policies, Budgets, Deficits and Surpluses manifesto and related matters to come up to speed, to carry out the Task under US in 2035!!
Become non-corrupt and wean away from ¼ Bottle Arrack, Chicken Biryani and SL Rupees 15,000 in currency!!?? Voters first get paid by the Proposed Lawmakers and then in turn the Lawmakers become Masters and get paid multiples!! Return SANTHOSAM
THAT WOULD BRING SL TO 105 YEARS, TO THE DATE Universal Suffrage (US) WAS ADORNED ON SL CIITZENS MISTAKENELY, by the founding fathers, THE PAST ELITE!!!??
Could see the grimace on Sir Ponnambalam’s face on the picture adorned in Ramanathan Hall! Peradeniya!!??
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Simon / December 14, 2022
I would like to add one more important and a “MUST” to that listed in the article. It is none other than to STOP all entitlements, such as “Salary”, and “Allowances” ( a fee for each attendance, telephone, transport, pension, support staff, provision of houses, vehicle permits, etc.. etc….) and DECLARE it is an “HONORARY SERVICE”. This will definitely PREVENT and DISCOURAGE all those “CROOKS” being nominated by the political parties and the voters will be presented with a list of HONORABLE candidates to vote for. If necessary, a “Living Allowance” (that is not entitled to a pension, etc) can be paid. A provision of suitable “Transportation” arrangement from a “Pool” could be provided.
Another: A “Declaration” of “ASSETS” must be filed with the Nomination Paper and if not attached the EC must have the “Legal Right” to reject all such nominations. That “Declaration” must be made public and available to any citizen to scrutinize its authenticity of it. If challenged and found FAULS that individual must be REMOVED from Parliament even after his/her election by the Speaker.
No elected MP must be allowed to do “BUSINESS” or a “PARTY” to a business that has any connection with the STATE. If found guilty, he/she must be REMOVED and PROSECUTED.
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Sinhala_Man / December 15, 2022
I agree, Simon, that the country is in the mood for that right now!
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What a lot of rogues we have ended up with!
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However, if we go all the way with your suggestions, only the rich will have a voice in Parliament. And the rich who claim impeccable backgrounds can be the worst of all. Behold, Ranil. A local WhatsApp Group message indicates that the guy is to visit my neighbouring city of Badulla today.
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For now, that wouldn’t matter, since you and I both strongly support the NPP, where there appears to be strict discipline, and also democracy and fair-play. That is to be seen in the appointment of Dr Harini Amarasuriya from the National List.
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[Edited out]
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shankar / December 14, 2022
I agree with the author that reforms are needed for our electoral system.Oterwise we will only get perfumed shit.Also the fish head starts to rot first and the culture of the leader permeates downwards.Thre has to be strict corruption laws like in singapore too as our parliamentarians onece they are elected start to build a new first thing in their parliamentary role.It would be also necessary to have a minimum educational qualifications for the candidates.Passes the ord levels and adv levels for example,unless representeng sri lanka like arjuna or excelling in arts like ranjan ramanayaka or excelling in armed forces such as fonseka.Whe even peons and drivers are having ord levels and adv levels why should we not have it for outr members of parliament and also for our public service.All those who don’t have this should be kicked out so that young and brght people with a fressh outlook can enter politics and the public service .
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shankar / December 14, 2022
corruption is the most important factor in all this.If we have corrupt people representing us we are finished.look at this website.see we are 102nd.
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2021/
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shankar / December 15, 2022
I agree with the author about the proportional voting system is better than te first past the post.That way every vote counts whereas we make it easy for politicians when we have the first past the post mixed with proportional representation.Also i agree wit the author that national list and bonus seats don’t reflect the voting and should be abolished.Also cut off of 5 % should be abolished.All in all a very good articl and all the reforms in it should be adopted.
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shankar / December 15, 2022
I would like people to look at this website.It shows the countries rankings in governance.Now why can’t we copy singapore which is a hop step and jump away from us and improve from 82nd to 5 th place.https://chandlergovernmentindex.com/country-profiles/
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davidthegood / December 15, 2022
shankar, Agree that system change requires the elimination of corrupt people representing us. Leaders are corrupt and the system will not change by continuing with them. Our brains are confused as to why so called buddhist monks do not help these leaders. Siddharta Gautama gave a clear call of nirvana which has no rebirth even though he was a hindu which religion says there is rebirth and multiple gods. The Buddha preached exactly what Jesus himself said that we do not have another physical life on earth and that karma due to robbing will have consequences. Why is it so difficult for these leaders to understand and become honest. The next expected Buddha is a new person while Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and so are we.
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shankar / December 16, 2022
david
“Siddharta Gautama gave a clear call of nirvana which has no rebirth”
beg to differ. Nirvana is the ultimate goal of the buddhist path.It is the salvation of us by release from worldly suffering and rebirths. we can achieve nirvana by extinguishing the 3 poisons in us 1.greed,sensual attachment 2.hate, aversion 3.ignorance,desire and attachment to the world or worldly matters. These three poisons lead to cravings.
Samsara in bhuddhism is the repeated cycle of births and deaths. This cycle is dhukka,unsatisfactory and painful.
There are 2 types of nirvana. 1. Nirvana with a remainder-This type we can attain and maintain during our life. 2.Final or without a remainder nirvana-which we achieve on death ,a death which is not followed by rebirth .
rebirth takes place in one of the 6 domains of samsara. 1.gods 2.demi-gods.3.human 4.animal.5.ghost.6.hell
karma will determine which one of the 6 we fall into one day.Good karma will give us the good ones and bad karmas will land us into the bad ones.Even if we become human again the good karma will give us a birth of less suffering than the bad ones but however good it is it will have suffering for us.
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Mahila / December 16, 2022
Shankar, what nonsense of following Singapore?? Dirty country, we have said many times and claimed so many times, that the CBSL Looter is hiding in Singapore, with no avail!! What type of Jokers are they?? You are making “Maru Sira Laugh!!?? No good! Is it??”
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shankar / December 18, 2022
mahila
we can’t judge singapore by one incident.It was upto us to see that his singapore citizenship was cancelled before we gave him a top job like central bank governor.
singapore is ranked 3rd in lack of corruption.So why should we not folow it when we are 102 rank.Also singapore is leading the world in governance while we are 82nd.So whu should we not copy everything they do inculding their constitution.
I selected singapore because it is so closeby and just running up and down from there to here we can copy everything easily.Also the internet gives a lot of information for desk research but field research is also importannt so a country closeby will be economical for us to copy.However switzerland is also a nice country to model orselves on and become the switlerland of asia,or even NZ is a fine country to copy.Another one that leds in many aspects is finland.Thre are plenty of superbly governed countries to copy but i believe our politicians will not want to do that because they benefit hugely from a badly governed country whreas if it becomes well governed like the ones i mentioned i will be the people who benefit,not them.
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shankar / December 18, 2022
cont
Lord Bhuddha’s second sermon is considered the discourse on the not-self characteristic.At isipatana he addessed the monks and said our form (body)is not self.If form was the self it will not end up in disease.We can’t say to our body let this body be thus or not be thus.So in this particular sutta(words of Lord bhuddha) he seems to define our sense of self as that over which we feel we have control over.
same way he said all five aspects of a human being which are called skandhas 1.form.2.sensations or feelings. 3.perceptions 4.mental activity 5.consciousness , there is not-self. So you can see from this his exact words the soul is not mentioned.
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shankar / December 18, 2022
cont
Thre are plenty of superbly governed countries to copy but i believe our politicians will not want to do that because they benefit hugely from a badly governed country whreas if it becomes well governed like the ones i mentioned i will be the people who benefit,not them.
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old codger / December 18, 2022
Shankar,
Singapore is well governed. But it is hardly a fully-fledged democracy, is it?
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davidthegood / December 16, 2022
shankar, Thank you for that long account of samsara . I had not heard of 2 types of nirvana either. In the 6 domains of samsara, I know that any going to the hell created for the evil devil , they will never come out of it. There is only one truth and judgment for all humans, whichever religious path we follow. I understand that salvation is not simple release from greed, hate and suffering, but it is not going to eternal hell for karma but going to an eternity with creator forgiving us with love and good purpose of Jesus who took on our karma, to be part of his kingdom family, made in his image, carrying his spirit. Created animals were not given his spirit and death is their end. We dont feed them to get merit, as we have a resurrection but not a rebirth here again that which you too call final nirvana not followed by rebirth. Thank you once again as I learned some of your religious beliefs.
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SJ / December 17, 2022
“Samsara in bhuddhism is the repeated cycle of births and deaths.”
This contradicts the basic Buddhist concept of anaththa (no soul).
It got polluted by Brahminic Hinduism somehow.
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shankar / December 18, 2022
sj
good point which creates confusion for those who are not bhuddhist scholars..Lord bhuddha gave 3 characterisics of our existence.1.anatta-not- self 2.anicca-impermanence,inconstancy 3.dukkha-dissatisfaction
This can be seen in Dhammapada(verses 277-279)
[“All conditioned things are impermanent” — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.
“All conditioned things are unsatisfactory” — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.
“All things are not-self” — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.]
Lord Bhuddha’s second sermon is considered the discourse on the not-self characteristic.At isipatana he addessed the monks and said our form (body)is not self.If form was the self it will not end up in disease.We can’t say to our body let this body be thus or not be thus.So in this particular sutta(words of Lord bhuddha) he seems to define our sense of self as that over which we feel we have control over.
same way he said all five aspects of a human being which are called skandhas 1.form.2.sensations or feelings. 3.perceptions 4.mental activity 5.consciousness , there is not-self. So you can see from this his exact words the soul is not mentioned.
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shankar / December 18, 2022
cont
cont
Lord Bhuddha’s second sermon is considered the discourse on the not-self characteristic.At isipatana he addessed the monks and said our form (body)is not self.If form was the self it will not end up in disease.We can’t say to our body let this body be thus or not be thus.So in this particular sutta(words of Lord bhuddha) he seems to define our sense of self as that over which we feel we have control over.
same way he said all five aspects of a human being which are called skandhas 1.form.2.sensations or feelings. 3.perceptions 4.mental activity 5.consciousness , there is not-self. So you can see from this his exact words the soul is not mentioned.
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old codger / December 18, 2022
SJ,
“This contradicts the basic Buddhist concept of anaththa (no soul).”
In religion, as in politics, everything is open to interpretation. Christianity used to tie itself up in knots trying to explain what happens to the souls of babies who die prematurely. I believe the Quran or one of its Hadiths says that the sun sets into a dark pool at the one corner of the Earth, which of course has to be flat.
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SJ / December 16, 2022
“System Changes Are Critical For Our General Election Process To Produce A Genuinely Democratic, Accountable, Visionary Governance”
So it could be wise not to hold General Elections until there is a System Change.
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shankar / December 16, 2022
chicken or the egg first ? If we don’t have the chicken we will not have an egg.If we don’t have a egg we will not have a chicken. best is maybe throw the eggs on the politicians like what happened to king charles.Rotten eggs are even better.
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SJ / December 17, 2022
Now they can produce both chicken and egg by genetic tampering.
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Nathan / December 16, 2022
This is what I do when I have nothing else to do.
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Why would there be any doubt that ‘the present system’ – that which has brought us to this level of chaos (read bankruptcy) – has to be removed.
What am I referring to. I am referring to the system in which the very same group enter and ransack the country’s House of its honour and purpose.
We have been complaining about it, every time. And every time a new promise is given and the same old tricks continue.
Thanks to Mahinda Rajapaksa. He made our complains obvious.
Then came the trickster, – Mathri.
Now, with Ranil, we are back at where we started.
(Don’t ask me why I omitted Gota. I want to forget that we had him!)
The current pack of wolves – who live and hunt together – cannot change the game.
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davidthegood / December 17, 2022
So the final conclusion is that if we have this same leaders, no matter what promises they deceive the voters with, there will never be any system change and the citizens will be beggars and the leaders will be robbers. In that context, many have turned to the parties who appear honest in their actions.
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