By Sharmini Serasinghe –
Sharmini Serasinghe
No leader of a multi religious society, can afford the luxury of being seen practicing his religion, in the full glare of the public!
The President of this country is a representative of all its people; Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Therefore, such a President cannot be seen favoring one faith, even though it is his own. If he must, then he ought to pay equal obeisance to other religions as well. After all, he is the leader of all of us, not just the Buddhists of Sri Lanka.
Hence, it is with deep despair, that I as a Buddhist noted, you President Maithripala Sirisena, paying homage to a Bo tree, even though it is venerated by a majority of the Buddhist populace of this country.
Furthermore, by paying homage to a Bo tree, you Mr. President are also openly violating the teachings of the Buddha, who denounced the worship of objects!
Many would argue that such, are harmless cultural practices. But, nevertheless, such practices are associated with Buddhism, and the leader of this multi religious nation, cannot afford to be associated with one set of cultural/religious practices and not the other.
There are many of us who regard our respective faiths as a very private matter, and to exhibit it in public is in poor taste. Unfortunately this ‘culture’ will not take root in a country like ours, as long as our elected leaders such as you Mr. President don’t give leadership to it.
Furthermore, by publicly paying obeisance to a Bo tree; a symbol of Buddhism, you Mr. President are rubbing salt into raw wounds of the minorities, caused by the maniacal Bodu Bala Sena (BBS).
It is yet not too late, for you Mr. President Sirisena to take a cue from former Presidents JR Jayewardene, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and your Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe, and keep religion where it belongs, and governance of the country, as further away from it as possible.
Those of us who voted you in, would much rather see you spend your time fruitfully; putting the country back on track, instead of worshipping trees.
*Sharmini Serasinghe was Director Communications of the former Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) under Secretary Generals Dr. John Gooneratne and Jayantha Dhanapala. She counts over thirty years in journalism, both print and electronic media.
Palayang Yako / January 28, 2015
This woman parades her “credentials” at every opportunity and they read, “*Sharmini Serasinghe was Director Communications of the former Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) under Secretary Generals Dr. John Gooneratne and Jayantha Dhanapala. She counts over thirty years in journalism, both print and electronic media.”
Well she should stop raising all kinds of irrelevancies when there are more important things to do. After all, even one of her bosses, Jayantha Dhanapala, seems to have turned over a new leaf, serving the new President after being a member of the Board of Directors of Dialog that blocked CT. Maybe, she should stop uttering “holier than thou” irrelevancies and say something of practical use for a change. This woman is full of her own importance and has always had damned little to offer in the fight against the cruel and crooked regime that we have just got rid of.
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Dodo / January 28, 2015
Sharmini is right on in what she says and her point is most relevent given the abuse of Buddhism by successive corrupt politicians in this land of Sinhala Modayas.
Buddhism was militarized and Lankan Buddhism became an object of ridicule internationally. The political abuse of Buddhism should stop. Sri Lanka is a mult-religious society and Sharmini is right to say that the President should keep his religious PRIVATE.
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Rashantha / January 28, 2015
The article was probably written to get attention rather than be judged for its intellectual merit. People of the country know who they voted for. Unfortunately he is the President so he is newsworthy. This means, wherever he goes, the media will follow. What makes Ms. Seresinhe think that he was not at the Jay Sri Maha Bidhi on a private visit? As I said, he is newsworthy, unlike Ms. Seresinhe. If there was even a whiff of his visit, the media would have been activated. The Budha did not tell his followers to kiss a tree but did extol the virtues of gratitude and if Buddhists wish to kiss the sacred tree – it is sacred to the Buddhists because it is a sapling of the original tree in Buddhagaya – they may do so. It is a personal wish. Who is Ms. Seresinhe to stand in judgement of an act that millions of Buddhists indulge in? As for ritual, all religions indulge in it. The Muslims walk round the Kabala, the Catholics kiss the ring of the Pope, the Jews break bread on Fridays, etc. etc. here is a lady telling Mr. Sirisena, how to lead his life. Since he is the head of this nation, he must not visit the temple so that his subjects could see him but must observe his religious practices in secret as we live in a multi-religious country. The Queen of Englad goes to Church before she attends the opening of Pariament., so she should not do that because it would upset the citizens of the UK? The Japnese Royal Couple should not pray at their Shinto Temple where the public can also watch and participate? My head is still shaking in disbelief …………
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Srinath / January 28, 2015
Rashantha
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt”!
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Justice & Fairplay / January 29, 2015
Have a look friends, how much emotional outpourings are brought out when discussion takes place on religious matters. None of them will exactly endear any one of us to the other. They will instead distance us, possibly with distaste and dislike towards the other.
That is the destructive power of religion the world over, as practiced by the extremists. It is not at all what any of the originators – including the Buddha- preached.
This is why I believe religion should be made a private affair and not brought to one’s work place or schools or be made a part of one’s work commencement ethic (as practiced by politicians), in a society where we now strive to heal than to renew old wounds.
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Javi. / January 29, 2015
” it is sacred to the Buddhists because it is a sapling of the original tree in Buddhagaya – they may do so.”
Kenzo Tange the Japanese/American did the landscape and his students are still alive- Its called Post Metabolism.
There is no original tree any more and they have neither found Devi.
heard of grafting craft that is what we see. We have peed on it back in the 80’s to see what would happen but – Nothing happened not even the feeling of a slight current.
The Japanese now say Buddha was at Taxila Pakistan.
Most commentators have not travelled or seen with their mind because it is part of the culture follow the monk and obey parents if they black is white because they themselves dont speak to their children but make animal sounds unlike the Europeans.
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Carl Perera / January 28, 2015
Palayang Yako,
Going by your comment, you seem to be harbouring a personal grudge against this
writer.
If you have a back-bone, why don’t you repeat this crude comment under your own name?
However, your pseudonym matches your mindset.
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Javi. / January 28, 2015
“”This woman is full of her own importance and has always had damned little to offer in the fight against the cruel and crooked regime that we have just got rid of. “”
O yes the your own Tam`ill` upstarts from the gutter ¬hole in one¬ toddy tapper filth must be relatives No??
your jealousy is showing sangam ambulance runner try dayan cupid.
….Palayang Yakooo….
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Hinnibanda / January 28, 2015
Palayang Yako@,
you are spot on. Better could not be formulated.
as if we dont have anything better to discuss on this valuble forum to create new form of divisions could only lead us further backward.
Right at the moment alone the fact – to clear the mess deliberately left behind by former Prez et al is a mammooth task I would say. They have to do anything towards betterment not harming anyone of the 57lacks that nevertheless supported MR for their own reasons.
Besides, MS is no fanatic. I still remember at the time Astro men made their predictions about the victory of MR – MS was in the view that he has no faith in Astrologers.
Even yesterday he added as a very small level person who now became the Prez of the nation – is very proud of being able to appoint good ones to good areas.
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bo / January 29, 2015
Huh, Number One Colombian who lives in a foreign domain! Worshipping a Bo tree sends a wrong message and inappropriate? How does this ex PR woman exist without seeing the wider picture? Paying respect to venerated trees takes many forms in different countries and cultures. Ever heard of Sath Sathiya and how Lord Buddha paid homage to the tree that sheltered him during his final months of meditation? Do you know anything about how trees are venerated in India and how millions of Sri Lankans venerate Bo or Banyan or Na trees? Forget the East, look towards your west. What about all the eco programs, save our forests, launched by western governments, south america, China or anywhere else in the world? If you are a PR person, you just lost your credentials. No one would employ you for upsetting the rest of the world.Please don’t spread crap just because CT allows you a window of opportunity.
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Babangida Suriyapperuma / January 29, 2015
This lady’s fine writing seem to be outreaching the highest numbers of CT commentators but I really dont think that new Prez’s religious events held before Srimahabodhiya-the most sacred place for buddhists – can send a wrong message across the nation.
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Abiola / February 2, 2015
But, I could see it has reached Nigeria.
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Javi. / February 3, 2015
Babangida Suriyapperuma ,
LKY is waiting for your procession at the cul du sac
with his masterpieces of knuckle dusters.
He knows Hindian Gautama more than you rusty moron
Skin heads pedophiles because he comes from `Weretiger` Han Chino.
Longman Shoaling – dont pay you go ding ding dung dung Ebola.
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Ellakollage Appachchi / January 28, 2015
On a lighter note I was listening to this yarn at a dinner last week.
A Buddhist gentleman was travelling to Colombo on a bus. Then a Muslim gentleman got in the bus and sat next to him. Both were oversize and they were squashed in their seat.
As the bus left Matara heading to Colombo the Biddhist got up to pay his homage to Bo trees whenever the bus passed a Bo tree.
The Muslim asked why as it was annoying because the movement was making it uncomfortable for both the well fed gentlemen. The Buddhist politely explained how Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment sitting at a Bo Tree.
The Muslim said you are lucky it was a Bo tree. If it was a coconut tree you would have to stand all the way to Colombo.
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Seelawathi / January 28, 2015
Yes, this sounds a joke, but is this not common any other country where varied religious believers are there. The known truth is majority of the lankens are buddhists. As it is for me while living in EU, I have to respect the way the christians behave being alert to their religous rituals. Even Yehova sekte harassed us in our student hostel – going back to my student age to tell you the truth. Those missionary people coming from the States and varied parts of the Europe waited so long until we returned home from lecture rooms. So that is common to any country where a relgion is being held as majoratarian belief. Let s forget about the religons, where minorities are there, we have to see it somewhat patiently towards the majority. Be it in a team, society, country is the same. All these we can practise go through each of religion, because no religion misguide anyone – only wrong way of practices of them though do so. In my childhood, 4 decades ago, buddhist monks were not so aggressive as they are today. Today, they are given such powers to misguide the nation without any respect. Meaning we the real buddhistswould never respect BBS or any radical movement built against anyone. We are all srilankens, be us buddhists, cathelics, muslims or any others that worship sun and moon should learn respect each other basta.
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CT Monitor / January 28, 2015
Seelawathi, please tell me, how is your comment relevant to this article?
To me it seems a ‘koheda yanne malle pol’ comment, therefore totally irrelevant.
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Seelawathi / January 28, 2015
sorry, that was relevance to the current discussion.
Cheers,
Seelawathi
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CT Monitor / January 28, 2015
Seelawathi, if you think your comment is relevant to this discussion, then you obviously have misunderstood the discussion.
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Seelawathi / January 29, 2015
No man, that was posted while travelling. I wanted to post it to other platform
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Javi. / January 29, 2015
Seelawathi Sobita needs a crown of thorns from Aleman.
Do you see any woman in that picture??
I suppose you are thrilled with Macho culture where almost 600k sihala buddhist are mere sex slaves in the medieval middle east. Hindia and pakistan baned their women going there as maids – they mugal culture knows the middle east better than you- 550 years of mughal rule north india concurrently to european. You dont have their DNA.
Dont you have any shame that your women multitaskers are in holes like that for- beggars with a cold head to have power that makes this and more happen- where is the family life??
Your clothes are borrowed attire like dance music etc.
Do you still want to retain Sinhala/Buddhist origin myth based on bestiality, parricide and incestuous relation?
Dont answer me but have no fear to reflect the wealth you are losing- there is no romance but fi*g that is all these skin heads see and they are one with the politicos.
You and every woman and child have to put the men right take the driving seat for peace in the 21st centunary or you never come off this cycle of vietnam vietnam.
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MirakRajBanda / January 28, 2015
Nowhere Lord Buddha worshiped or encouraged people to worship objects or idols but very unfortunately he himself being worshiped today.
Even Bo trees are not spared. No wonder why Buddhism is worlds’s fastest shrinking religion. Gnanasara and Wirathu are another reason. I feel sorry for the once peaceful religion!!!
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Rashantha / January 28, 2015
On the contrary, Buddhsim is fast spreading in the West. By the way, it is not a religion per se but a way of life. That is the appeal.Buddhism appeals to people who have been brought up with dogma . no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism and iits true value is in its selflessness. The BBS does not represent Buddhism, though they are Buddhists. Similarly, do you believe that ISIS represents all Muslims? You are obviously a Muslim, so I think you will understand my point.
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Javi. / January 29, 2015
“On the contrary, Buddhsim is fast spreading in the West.”
Neither Mahayana nor Hinayana is spreading at the moment in the west for your info. There is the classic christian /muslim war on so there no appetite for any form of religion. With the Lama retiring a commoner yet to be heard heads – the chinese are smart scamps and know where the bacon lies.
Like the pews are empty the folk demand that there is no religious obligation attached to any form of mediation they attend for peace of mind. You still get the hippy type traveling when misfortune strikes and finding succor and psychotherapy at monasteries. Religion can be expensive in the west.
We know where we live and don’t need cold heads to tell us that the sun goes round the earth.
Your `werewolf mahawamse` stinks of fox going back into the hole it comes from as in picture (cold blooded masochist them all while Fox hunting is infectious here still.
Your clothes are borrowed attire like dance music etc.
Do you still want to retain Sinhala/Buddhist origin myth based on bestiality, parricide and incestuous relation?
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Snowden Edward Asange / January 30, 2015
may be no wars have been fought…how about the towering inferno at Aluthgama? wasn’t it incited by a BUDDHIST MONK whose notorious slogan ” ABA SARANAI” comes to mind? now dont give me the oh he is not a Buddhist rant…
Wonder why NOT ONE person has gone to the police and bribary commission to report Gandassara of the BBS.. He incited violence which led to destroying of properties, killing innocent people and he was traveling in luxury vehicles which were NOT his own and the fuel which was pumped was NOT paid by him, he was given Police escort spending PUBLIC money …… Has the vehicles already been taken away? why would GOATa provide him with Super Luxury vehicles and Police Escort? doesnt it prove that GOATa was the one who was breeding these goons?
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Javi. / January 29, 2015
Rash_nopath,
he(one above) is not a Muslim – poor judgement/assumption.
Read not to contradict nor confute nor to believe or take for granted but to weigh and consider-FB
Your Big Brother; Graft and Rape infected Hindia:
In his nearly 40-minute speech on avenues for Indo-U.S. partnership, Mr. Obama spoke about religious freedom and gender equality. “In all countries, upholding this freedom is the responsibility of the government and each person. Religion has been used to tap into the dark side of man.”
“I was impressed to see all the women in the Indian armed forces during the Republic Day parade,” he said. (little does he know how many of those pretty women commit suicide while most of those men have pretty women too.)
Mr. Obama’s speech came at the end of his three-day visit to India, after which he left for Saudi Arabia on a condolence visit following the death of King Abdullah last week.
Addressing criticism over the visit to the Kingdom, for which he had to cut short a planned tour of the Taj Mahal, Mr. Obama told CNN: “Sometimes, we have to balance our need to speak [to the Saudis] about human rights issues with immediate concerns that we have in terms of countering terrorism or dealing with regional stability.”
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MANO / January 28, 2015
Sharimini for a nation which claims to separate state from church, why does US currency say “In God we Trust” ?
Why do all Americans say “under god” in the pledge that was instituted in 1952? Because this nation is a Christian nation.
Why do US Presidents swear on the Bible when taking oaths and not on a copy of the Constitution or a Quran ?
This is the most foolish article you wrote.
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aSLMuslim / January 28, 2015
Mano, you seem to have too high an opinion of the US. Get back down to reality Mano!
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Mahadana Muththa (Jnr) / January 28, 2015
Mano,
Why are you citing the US as an example here?
Do you think we should emulate the Americans and how they do and don’t do things?
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Dhammika / January 28, 2015
I fully endorse what Mano says. When powerful countries like the US give prominence to religion its O K but not when it is done in our country. I think this lady is running short of material to write about. Please concentrate on writing on important matters and don’t indulge in silly trivialities.
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Javi. / January 29, 2015
Gass Gembo – Gaame yata magic (magic to the greedy)
The US is talking crap ask any canadian white.
50% are obese so god is being promoted but he cannot make them go away from junk food.
They are running a crusade to sell their largest export items – the killing machine.
Unlike EU and UK in particular all USAID is defence related – as pronounced by Bush during Tsunami. they have 732 bases round the world to care for their interest at 50k personnel. The first defence shield for southern europe is at Cardiz Spain we know better because we travel on own that sit and cluck in the west.
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LMDL / February 2, 2015
So, how do you indulge in the frivolities of Florance?
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Expatriate / January 28, 2015
Sharmini should know that according to Hinduism, God is everywhere. That’s why they greet each other with palms held together. Following this view, Hinduism allows devotees to pray to or worship any object–stone, tree or whatever. It also does not compel anyone to worship or pray.
Hence, the new President, as the head of a multi-racial, multi religious country, may be excused for praying to/at a Bo tree. After all, God is everywhere according to the Hindus.
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Peace Dove / January 28, 2015
Expatriate, you seem to have got it all wrong regarding the significance of keeping the palms together. It has nothing to do with God.
In Sri Lanka, keeping the palms together at breast level is a greeting- Ayubowan.
While keeping the palms together at head level, is worship.
Perhaps this is the reason Lankan Muslims refuse to greet people in the traditional way. Perhaps they don’t understand the difference between the two.
And nobody seems to be bothered enough to inform them of this difference either.
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aSLMuslim / January 28, 2015
As a member of a minority, I would like to say that I have no issue with MS, MR or any one else worshipping a tree or anything else, as long as non of these idiots we elect as leaders dont create, encourage and set their bitches (in the guise of the Gnanasara pack) out to hound the minority and their religious freedoms. Do what ever the hell you want to do and leave us alone to do the same as long as it is legal. So long as its legal to worship a tree, go for your life! Now then, when are these bitches going to be rounded up and neutered? Some balls need to roll!
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MANO / January 28, 2015
That I agree with; and also as long as Jihadis do not attack other faiths and force people to wear full black like they do in Saudi Arabia without having a clue. It is a predominantly Buddhist(well not really practicing buddhists but culture and history wise it is) nation. If a person wants to worship even a Shiva Lingam it is their prerogative. Let us make sure no radicals from any religion pollute the earth. Look at those ISIS goons and Al Qaeda goons beheading people. Neither India nor Sri lanka should create conditions that will be an excuse for those savages. BBS are thugs no doubt.
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Mahadana Muththa (Jnr) / January 28, 2015
Sharmini my child,
With this article, yet again you have cast pearls before swine!
The majority of those commenting here have missed your point, as the always do. And many newcomers to CT don’t even seem to be aware, of your previous articles in this forum.
I hope those commenting here in the future realise, that it’s “better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt”!
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sama / January 28, 2015
You may be right. But I believe I really don think the way MS behaves would grab the attention of any kind of radical formers. His is so simple telling the world directly that he is an another public servant only but he and the politicians should behave exemplary in order soceity to get the message across. Unfortunatley the damage had been made by previous leader – being unable to see the gravity of the problems on long run has eroded the nation that deep – today people are still scared still and prejudge things not realizing the societal change from the 9th of Jan.
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Agnos / January 28, 2015
While strictly speaking all democracies should be secular, leaving religion as a private matter for individuals, the reality is different, even in the West.
In countries like Sri Lanka, I don’t think minorities would mind public displays of religiosity by politicians belonging to the majority community as long as those politicians are fair and just in the things that actually matter to the people.
As an era of madness and violent excess is just giving way to a semblance of order, and many far more important and pressing issues are on the plate, the public should not become overly critical of minor issues like religiosity.
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Dingiri B / January 28, 2015
@ Agnos,
I don’t think either you or I are in a position to decide if the minorities mind or not how politicians, especially its Leader, displays his religiosity.
If he was fair and just, he would be sensitive enough to realise that by publicly venerating the Bo tree, he’s acting like the Leader of the Sinhala Buddhists only, and not the rest.
I believe, that’s the point, the writer is attempting to get across.
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Agnos / January 29, 2015
Dingiri,
Thanks for your comments. I agree with your (and the author’s) point, but I see secular values as a long term vision and goal, and a societal transformation like that will take a long time. In the near term, that is not the most pressing issue.
There will be a general election in April, and it may also be a matter of pragmatism that the president, who had only a thin margin of victory, should appeal to the largest constituency. It is far more important to get the better group of people elected in the parliamentary elections for the current UNP-Sirisena-CBK alliance to implement its manifesto.
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Arjun / January 28, 2015
If the new President of Sri Lanka has the same level of intelligence as some of the nit-brains commenting here, I have no hope for the future of this country.
I totally agree with the writer.
As the Head of State of a multi religious country, he should not be seen performing these ‘rituals’ in public.
With the exception of Premadasa, Rajapaksa and now Sirisena, I don’t ever recall any of our other Leaders playing to the gallery like this.
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Plato. / January 28, 2015
Sharmini.
Pl.see article [9] of Chapter 11[2] under the caption Buddhism. Buddhism,has been given the Foremost place in a Multi-Religious society.This may appear to be of Philistine sentimental value or could be argued in a school debate as semantics.But,the detractors will have the last refuge in the Mahavamsa!Buddhism and the STATE are irrevocably tied up.It may be easier for me and you to win the Mixed Doubles Wimbledon Championship rather than change this!
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patriot / January 28, 2015
Sharmini’s article is great till the second last paragraph;
“It is yet not too late, for you Mr. President Sirisena to take a cue from former Presidents JR Jayewardene, Chandrika Kumaratunga, and your Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe, and keep religion where it belongs, and governance of the country, as further away from it as possible.”
Yes he can take a cue from JR and Chandrika but not from Ranil. Didn’t you see Ranil and Mithri together at Kelaniya nad the head priest there keeping the Karaduwa or whatever on their heads. Ranil is always seen at Gangaramaya getting advice from Galaboda Gnaneessara the immoral Buddhist priest who was a bootlicker of MR.
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Truth / January 28, 2015
Sharmini,
I am not a Buddhist, but I respect the cultural traditions of Buddhism, as practiced in Sri Lanka. There is no one set of rules for the practice of any religion.
As the Pope mentioned after the publication of Cartoons depicting prophet Mohamed, no one has the right to make fun of religious leaders or the way religion is practiced by different people.
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Analyst / January 28, 2015
Truth,
From what I understand, this article is not about how religion or Buddhism is practiced, but about why a Head of State shouldn’t do it in public.
He can worship anything he wants in private, but in public, it’s a definite NO.
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Javi. / January 28, 2015
He and all his predecessors should have first stopped Madonna Pop Artist the Video- that is exactly how the Vatican behaves.
Like a virgin etc which highlighted that she is before everyone in the field of thought in emancipation of woman under mans jack boot.
Pope my foot they are freaks of civilisation- celibacy and pedophiles plus it gooes woman and wine.
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Murali / January 28, 2015
What about Srilankan constituion it self says that Bhudism shall be given foremost place. Srilank is a se ular state.
“We all are eaual but I am better than others”
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Norman / January 28, 2015
What happened to all those fine, refined and intelligent people who used to comment on CT threads in the past?
I wanted to puke after reading some of the most idiotic comments made by several of them on this thread, hiding behind ridiculous pseudonyms. More so at the appalling language and allegation against this lady writer.
This writer’s articles are beyond the comprehension of the average reader, so those who fall into this category are best off taking Abraham Lincoln’s advice- “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
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Javi. / January 31, 2015
Oscar Oscar kohede Car Lamborghini- Badagini,
Oscar Wilde,-
“I give the truths of to-morrow.”
“I prefer the mistakes of to-day,” she answered.
salon
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Gerard / January 28, 2015
Thank you Sharmini for this article and being one of few voices who come forward to educate the people about various subjects such as good governance.
Reading thru the comments, it is sad to note that education is badly needed, and your contributions here will benefit some.
The keyword as I see here is responsibility and that is reflected by one’s conduct.
For the record: Sharmini Serasinghe has been an active writer for a very long time and written well balanced articles. Some of you may want to dig the archives and see.
To understand responsibility is to know the repercussions and consequences of one’s own actions. This theory applies to anyone, be it a homeless or a head of state. Children look to their parents and groom themselves accordingly. In a work place all subordinates will copy the conduct of their superiors. This is a fact. So it is obvious that, to discipline a country its leaders set moral examples out of themselves. If Sri Lanka is to be called secular, then it must be reflected via its people. In the past 30 years we saw how some of our politicians have gone from decent to rowdies. In such an environment how can we expect a people who need guidance to learn anything other than rowdiness? We know majority of our Sri Lankan people lack the knowledge to understand what is going around their environment. Especially, when it comes to understanding politics.
While religion can only give a temporary consolation in terms of mental satisfaction, it is best left as a personal preference. Public display of veneration by anyone is just mere showcase. It is worse when a head of state does it. The fact remains here, that if the president wanted he could have had his security detail stop all forms of media being there to avoid any pictures taken. Doesn’t seem so. It is obvious there is hidden message. These are not medieval times. The world is watching and there are interested parties who want to point fingers at us at the slightest mistake. We cannot say “who cares”. Another famous phrase our people like to play fast and lose to run off of responsibility.
So has the president conducted himself responsibly here? Do we see leaders of developed countries practice such things as this? Once one becomes a leader, be it a nation or an organization, the job is a round the clock task. There is no room for error which cannot be tolerated. There can’t be “take it easy tomorrow is there” attitude. The writer as part and parcel of a responsible citizen has come forward to highlight an inadequacy that can be detrimental to the reputation of the country and its people. There is no need to be huffy and puffy about this article. Nobody is perfect, neither is the president. But he does have advisers that he can consult when taking part in events, public or otherwise. And if those advisers fail their job, they need to be changed.
If Sri Lanka is to go forward as a developing country, not only the president, even the people better be educated and intelligent in par with the rest of the world. Else everyone can go back to the old days and take long rest until the next election, wake up and start slinging mud at their opponents. Technology is at your fingertips today, get some education.
This could well be the last chance Sri Lanka will get to come out of a dire situation. It is best we take that chance to discuss without prejudice, so that our future generations will have a harmonious environment to live in.
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Off the Cuff / January 28, 2015
Dear Gerard,
Sharmini is writing to the gallery and the gallery is cheering her on! She loves the adulation of the idiots.
You say “So has the president conducted himself responsibly here? Do we see leaders of developed countries practice such things as this?”
Looking up and spitting is what Sharmini does and you in your idiocy having come to her defense is asking foolish questions. Why did you not do a little bit of research before asking questions of this nature?
Do you really think Religion takes a backseat in the Western world? In most so called developed countries in the West Religion is at the forefront in many instances.
UK – here is an exchange between the head of the church and the head of the state in a very public state function.
Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?
Queen: All this I promise to do.
Then the Queen, arising out of her chair, supported by peers and with the Sword of State being carried before her, goes to the altar to make her solemn oath in the sight of all the people to observe the promises by laying her right hand upon the Holy Gospel in the great Bible (which was before carried in the procession and is now brought from the altar by the Archbishop, and tendered to her as she kneels upon the steps), saying:
Queen: The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.
Then the Queen kisses the Bible and signs the Oath
Is this done in private? No it is very Public indeed.
USA
The President takes oaths and it’s televised to the whole world. You are as Myopic as Sharmini if you did not see the hand on the Bible.
That was just a small sample, do a bit of research on your own.
Sharmni writes these idiotic articles but will not take responsibility for what she has written by defending them. That is left to the gallery who cannot either think for themselves or have an axe to grind with Buddhists.
Maithree has the freedom to profess his religion either in private or in public just like you and me. Don’t be idiotic enough to interfere with that right.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Dr.Goebells / January 29, 2015
Off The Cuff
Happy there are people like you to expose these charlatans for what they are .
Keep up the good work .
/
Burning Issue / January 29, 2015
OTC,
“Sharmini is writing to the gallery and the gallery is cheering her on! She loves the adulation of the idiots.”
You may class me and many other intellectuals as idiots too! I am a fan of Sharmini; you know that eventually, the Sinhala public will see the light and move towards a secular society.
Please stop quoting UK pageantry as basis to justify Sinhala Buddhist hegemony. I and others have shown you umpteen times that, UK has no written constitution and the Constitutional Monarchy has no executive powers. Religious equality and race relations are governed by parliamentary statues; I have shown you before that in UK the Parliament is supreme.
Sri Lanka is put together as one country by the British and gave independence under a Secular constitution that the Sinhala Buddhists rather unceremoniously without consultations bastardised it with their own agenda. This is completely preposterous and unreasonable. You cannot build a nation with the sate of Sinhala Buddhist chronic insecurity that people like you want perpetuate. The time has come for you to stand up and be counted. Do you want a Sri Lanka that is home to all Sri Lankans or do you want a Sri Lanka that is hierarchically defined with Sinhala Buddhists at the helm?
/
Off the Cuff / January 30, 2015
Dear Burning Issue,
Thank you for your response. You have gone far afield but I will try to respond to all.
I note that you did not challenge me with the USA’s Public display of Religion in swearing in the President. It is a fact that the US President elect takes the oath of office with a raised right hand while the other hand holds a Bible.
The USA is Multi Ethnic.
It is Multi Religious
It is Multi cultural.
Tamils of all description live there despite the US President taking Oaths with the Bible in his Hand.
If Sharmini wrote what she wrote without adequate research then Sharmini is writing to the Gallery. If those who cheer her on is doing so without adequate research then they are idiots.
You may have noticed the phrase, “In God we Trust” in the MOST important document of that Multi Cultural, Multi Ethnic, Multi Religious USA. It is there in every coin and every currency note of the USA. I don’t hear any Tamil complaining, do you?
Now lets discuss the UK example.
I know that the UK has no written Constitution. That does not mean it has the freedom of the Ass.
The UK constitution
The UK does not have a single core constitutional document and is therefore sometimes referred to as not having a written constitution. However, the UK’s constitution is made up of some written documents, such as statute law, court judgments and European legislation, but has also developed from case law, common law, historical documents and custom. Therefore, it has more accurately been described as ‘partly written and wholly uncodified’. Unwritten conventions deriving from understandings and customs are considered to be binding, despite not being enshrined within statute or supported by law.
Features of the UK constitution
A historic feature of the UK constitution is the Royal Prerogative. These powers are formally exercised by the monarch acting alone, but in reality are exercised by government ministers. It gives the Crown many powers including the power to declare war, make treaties, deploy armed forces, appoint and dismiss ministers and dissolve parliament. In reality, the existence of the Royal Prerogative within the UK constitution means that the Government can exercise its powers without recourse to Parliament.
(http://www.findlaw.co.uk/law/government/constitutional_law/reform/500463.html)
It is this powerful Monarch whose Public Display of his/her religion that I brought to your notice. He may remain passive and ceremonial but his Powers have not been rescinded and is still used by the Prime Minister or any other Minister to by pass Parliament and it has been used to even subvert decisions of the Supreme Court of the UK without either consulting or being responsible to Parliament. This is not possible in Sri Lanka.
You say “in UK the Parliament is supreme”
You are wrong. The Royal Prerogative is Supreme. Read the above with care.
But this is not about the UK Constitution (on which I can write much more), this is about the PUBLIC display of religion by Govt. That is Sharmini’s bone of contention and that of her idiotic following.
The Oath of Allegiance and the Official Oath, are set out in the Promissory Oaths Act 1868
The Oath of Allegiance is in the following form:
I, (name), do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.
The Official Oath is in the following form:
I, (name), do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the office of (office). So help me God.
Please note that God gets pride of place in both cases.
And Sharmini is crying about Mathripala paying homage to a Bo tree.
But has she defended what she has written?
The Answer of course is No.
She has left that to her unthinking followers.
Norway
King
I promise and swear that I will govern the Kingdom of Norway in accordance with its Constitution and Laws; so help me God, the Almighty and Omniscient. (article 9 of the Constitution of Norway)
Netherlands
King
I swear (affirm) to the peoples of the Kingdom that I will always observe and uphold the Statute for the Kingdom and the Constitution. I swear (affirm) that I will defend and preserve, with all My power, the independence and territory of the Kingdom; that I will protect the freedom and the rights of all Dutchmen and all residents, and will employ for the maintenance and promotion of the welfare, all the means which the laws place at My disposal, as a good and true King should do.
So help me, God Almighty! (Article 32 of the Constitution )
Ministers, state secretaries and members of Parliament
I swear (or declare) that in order to be appointed minister / state secretary / member of the States General, I have not promised or given, directly or indirectly, any gifts or presents to any person under whatsoever name or pretext. I swear (or declare and affirm) that in order to do or refrain from doing anything whatsoever in this office, I have not accepted and will not accept, directly or indirectly, any promises or presents from anyone whomsoever. I swear (or affirm) allegiance to the King, to the Statute for the Kingdom and to the Constitution. I swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully perform all the duties which the office lays upon me.
So help me, God Almighty!
Civil servants
I swear (or affirm) allegiance to the King and that I will respect the Constitution and all other laws of our country; I swear (or declare) that in relation to my appointment, I have not provided, directly or indirectly, any false information whatsoever; I swear (or declare) that in relation to my appointment, I have not given or promised and will not give or promise anything to any person whatsoever; I swear (or declare) that in relation to my appointment, I have not accepted or promised and will not accept or promise any gifts or presents whatsoever; I swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully perform all the duties which the office lays upon me and that I keep secret everything which, in relation to my office, is told me confidentially or in which I should see the confidential character, to others than whom I obliged to inform by virtue of my office; I swear (or affirm) that I will behave as a good civil servant should do, that I will be careful, honest and reliable and that I will do nothing that harms the prestige of the office.
So help me God Almighty!
In All these cases God Almighty takes pride of place within the Constitution.
Do Tamils who live there find that a problem?
Is Sharmini trying to tell us that in ALL these countries the OATH is taken in PRIVATE?
That Burning Issue is why she is an idiot to write to the Gallery.
That is also why I say those who follow her and adulate these type of unresearched Rabble Rousing articles are also idiots.
You say “Please stop quoting UK pageantry as basis to justify Sinhala Buddhist hegemony.”
I have not justified anything.
PAGEANTRY that you refer to is a Public Display of the Christian Religion in the Affairs of the UK Govt. Sharmini is shooting her head off because the SL President practiced his religion in Public.
There is a world of a difference between the two.
The UK case is of the UK Govt (Sovereign, PM, Judiciary downwards) showcasing the Govts involvement with the Christian Religion in front of the whole World.
Everybody who is anybody in govt is represented.
Foreign Heads of State are represented.
On the other hand Maithree is practicing his religion. Do we see the WHOLE govt represented let alone Foreign Heads of State?
If Sharmini chooses to criticise Maithree while IGNORING what goes on in the USA, UK, Norway, Netherlands and a host of other countries She definitely is an idiot and is writing to the Gallery.
Anyone who finds this type of writing to be of a high caliber is deficient in thinking power.
You say “Sri Lanka is put together as one country by the British and gave independence under a Secular constitution “
Sri Lanka was one country under Parakramabahu VI in 1450 long before the British set foot on Lanka. It was before the arrival of the Portuguese. The Dutch came later followed by the British.
The Sinhala Kingdom of Kandy came under British Rule under a Treaty in which the British Guaranteed the protection of Buddhism. They became the custodian of the much venerated Tooth Relic of the Buddha which was considered the icon of Royal Power.
Just because the British reneged on that undertaking it did not become invalid.
Sri Lanka has never been a Secular State. The Tamil Kingdom in Jaffna was not Secular. The Kingdoms of the South were not secular. Rule under the Portuguese was not secular. Rule under the Dutch was not secular and Rule under the British was not secular.
Thus the British tried to fit a square peg in a round hole. They tried to impose a thinking that even they did not respect when they ruled over Lanka (even today the UK is not secular). Thus that was bound to burst at the seems and burst it did.
It is good if Lanka becomes Secular but that won’t happen in the near future and articles such as what Sharmini has written will push that event towards oblivion.
It is good if the developed world becomes secular but past close ties between church and govt is not easily dispersed. It has not happened in the Super power USA and it has not happened in the Mother of Parliaments the UK.
You have made quite an accusation by stating “You cannot build a nation with the sate of Sinhala Buddhist chronic insecurity that people like you want perpetuate. The time has come for you to stand up and be counted. Do you want a Sri Lanka that is home to all Sri Lankans or do you want a Sri Lanka that is hierarchically defined with Sinhala Buddhists at the helm? “
As a country and given the demographics Sri Lanka will have a Sinhalese majority even into the Future (today at 75%). If we consider only Religion then Lanka will have a Buddhist majority (today at 70%). Unless there is a genocide of the Sinhalese or the Buddhists it will remain so into the Future.
The mistake is to be confrontational instead of consensual. It is a mistake to claim more than a fair share of Lanka’s resources as that will immediately trigger an adverse response.
I support power devolution but oppose the 40% claim to Lanka’s resources by about 5% of the population. There is clear proof that the whole Eastern Seaboard was under the Kandyan Sinhala Kingdom before the British arrived. Thus the claim to the East by those who claim it is fraudulent.
This claim is made by about 5% of the population (who are Tamil), when more than half the Tamil population lives OUTSIDE the area claimed. Almost the entirety of the Indian Tamil population lives amongst the Sinhalese.
When the British arrived 85% of Lanka was a forest.
Hence other than the Veddhas that area had no human habitation.
The Lanka Tamil population in 1811 was about 345,000. Thus the Tamil population during the Tamil Kingdom days would be around 150,000 – 200,000.
You can get more details from this post I addressed to Dr Romesh Senewiratne-Alagaratnam at this link
(https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/with-maithri-ranil-mangala-real-change-should-occur-for-tamils-too/comment-page-1/#comment-1756132)
Sri Lanka has a land area of 65,000 km2 and a coastline of 1,562 km (probably more than 2,000 km if the coastlines of lagoons, bays, and inlets are added). The coast-line itself consists of a wide range of geomorphological features such as head-lands, bays, lagoons, peninsulas, spits, bars, and islets. It encompasses a variety of tropical habitats including wetlands (about 120,000 ha); lagoons and estuaries (45 estuaries and 40 lagoons totaling about 42,000 ha); mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds (the total extent of mangrove coverage is between 6,000 and 10,000 ha); coral reefs (about 50 linear km of major reefs); and coastal sand dunes, barrier beaches, and spits (sand dunes occur along about 312 km of the coastline). (http://www.crc.uri.edu/download/SLKemICM.pdf)
It is physically impossible for this small population to inhabit this vast area let alone defend a porous boundary of nearly 2000 km against a population 8 times their size while growing food to eat.
Thus you need to re evaluate this 40% claim and arrive at a reasonably fair claim in order to even negotiate with the rest.
At the moment the intransigence of those who make this greedy claim stands in the way of Nation building that you envisage.
Hope Sanity will prevail.
I am ready to stand and be counted, are you?
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Burning Issue / January 30, 2015
OTC,
Sadly you have not changed at all!
First and foremost, you need to comprehend that the Tamils living in the US and in the UK are not comparable to the Tamils who live within the North and East of Sri Lanka. You need to really get this fact in your head! As I said in no uncertain terms that, the Sri Lanka was put together by the British! I know that people like you want to create a Sinhala Buddhist state involving all parts of the nations, but you will not succeed. The Tamils living in foreign countries is the same as the Sinhala living abroad! Your insidious attempts to portray that the Sri Lankan Tamils are invaders is completely preposterous and disingenuous. You really need to grow up and accept that Sri Lanka is a country that comprises of diverse peoples with clear demarcation of their origin. If you want to keep Sri Lanka as one country, you need to respect this reality and find a way to galvanise the peoples.
I have read through your lengthy post; I find nothing important that I need to defend! I have tried to enlighten you about the Royal Prerogative in the UK; you are playing ignorant because it suits your defence of indefensible, the Sinhala Buddhist Hegemony in Sri Lanka! I asked you before as to when exactly last time the British Monarch exercised the provisions on the Royal Prerogative. You cannot answer.
The British Prime minister is the elected leader of the nation; he/she can act in certain circumstances by-passing the parliament using provisions of the Royal Prerogatives. The Monarch no longer can. For example, Tony Blair could have taken Britain to war with Iraq without parliamentary approval using the Royal Prerogative. He did not; he placed the issue in front of the Parliament and obtained consensus.
“In God We Trust” is a slogan written into the US constitution. It also says that “All Men Are Created Equal” There is no distinction as to which religion; thus, making it a secular constitution. You may say, that it is not secular because it makes reference to “God”. This is debatable, but in practice, the law applies equally to all. There is no preference to a particular religion like what we see in Sri Lanka often perverting justice! The US president elect swears on a bible of their choice is because they are Christian. For example, if Romley had been elected, he would have chosen to swear on the Bible of the Mormons! I am sure if Hindu is elected as President of the US, he/she will swear on Bhawatgeta!
/
Navin / January 30, 2015
As with half baked food, the half baked human also ends up in the garbage.
Why waste time trying to educate OTC, a sample of this species?
/
Off the Cuff / January 31, 2015
Dear Burning Issue,
You say “The US president elect swears on a bible of their choice is because they are Christian. For example, if Romley had been elected, he would have chosen to swear on the Bible of the Mormons! I am sure if Hindu is elected as President of the US, he/she will swear on Bhawatgeta!”
That is Exactly my point.
Finally you have unwittingly agreed that in the USA, RELIGION is a PUBLIC spectacle in Govt Ceremonies.
Yet you object to Sirisena observing His religion in his PRIVATE capacity.
Is that Honest?
You said ” “In God We Trust” is a slogan written into the US constitution. It also says that “All Men Are Created Equal” There is no distinction as to which religion;”
Again you are making excuses on behalf of the USA, despite the fact that GOD has been advertised courtesy of the State.
Where is your Honesty?
“The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania”
That was an extract from the US Treasury website.
Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel is not referring to the Hindu GOD or the Islamic GOD is he? (Buddhists don’t have a creator god anyway)
You see Burning, the point is, it is a religious slogan and ADVERTISES a specific religion on it’s currency. You are bending over backwards trying to justify it and Miss Honesty is getting raped in the process.
You have avoided my questions about the UK Govts more ostentatious involvement with Religion as you cannot justify that.
You have no argument left to justify your objections to Maithree observing his religion, even if he did so in an official function though the pic we are discussing is not of an official function.
Now I will address your other issues. Please do not mix what follows with the above as the issues discussed are different and is in response to questions raised by you.
You said “in UK the Parliament is supreme”
If that statement is true NOTHING and NO ONE can bypass Parliament.
In trying to over come the hurdle of the “Royal Prerogative” you have again unwittingly admitted to a mechanism that exists to bypass Parliament.
You say “The British Prime minister is the elected leader of the nation; he/she can act in certain circumstances by-passing the parliament using provisions of the Royal Prerogatives”
Hence Parliament is NOT supreme in the UK.
The question is not about who uses the Royal Prerogative but the EXISTENCE of that device as a Law allowing the govt to Bypass Parliament whenever it needs to. As long as Parliament can be bypassed Parliament is not Supreme.
You say “I asked you before as to when exactly last time the British Monarch exercised the provisions on the Royal Prerogative. You cannot answer”
Their is a time and place for it and now is the time. Here is one case.
1967 – 1971: Chagossians were evicted from Indian Ocean homeland by the British Govt. using a 1971 immigration ordnance that banned the islanders from their homes
2000: Seven Judges of the High Court rules unanimously (the then highest court subordinate only to the Privy Council) that they can return to 65 islands, but not Diego Garcia
2004: Government uses royal prerogative – exercised by ministers in the Queen’s name – to effectively nullify the decision.
2007: Court overturns that order
June 2008: Government asks the Lords to rule on the issue
October 2008: Government wins appeal against the return
You said “First and foremost, you need to comprehend that the Tamils living in the US and in the UK are not comparable to the Tamils who live within the North and East of Sri Lanka”
I agree that the new generation is more radicalised as they had no taste of living under Prabahkaran. But how can their elders be different to those who live here? Please explain.
You say “As I said in no uncertain terms that, the Sri Lanka was put together by the British!”
I proved in no uncertain terms that you are wrong because Sri Lanka was one country under Parakramabahu VI in 1450.
Proof overrides irrational statements.
You say “I know that people like you want to create a Sinhala Buddhist state involving all parts of the nations, but you will not succeed”
Looks like you are hedging my questions about the physical IMPOSSIBILITY of establishing that the East was an Exclusive Tamil Homeland.
You say “Your insidious attempts to portray that the Sri Lankan Tamils are invaders is completely preposterous and disingenuous”
All of our ancestors are invaders in the distant past. But some of our ancestors came before others. Sinhalese have evolved here. Some of their ancestors are invaders others are Indigenous inhabitants of Lanka.
I asked you valid questions based on Lanka’s Physical Characteristics and populations. You fall back on Rhetoric. Why?
Don’t you have a valid argument to contest what I said?
You say “Sri Lanka is a country that comprises of diverse peoples with clear demarcation of their origin”
Of course and that demarcation excludes Tamils from the whole Eastern Seaboard, of the mainland. Irrefutable and clear evidence is available in the Dutch National Archives, because they say the Sinhala Kandyan Kingdom came up to Elephant Pass.
http://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/location/?id=813
You have no way of demeaning that.
But I have no intent of excluding Tamils from the East they must have the same rights as the others anywhere in Lanka but not the greedy claim of exclusivity to 40% of the land mass and 60% of the coast line which NO Tamil, including you, have been able to justify.
I have not used any of the Old Chronicles in my arguments. I have used only factual data of Geography, population and known Land Marks that are independently documented such as is found in the Dutch National Archive.
You have utterly failed to counter that argument.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Burning Issue / January 31, 2015
OTC,
You are at it again with your old tricks! I do not want to debate with an individual who is intellectually dishonest.
First and foremost, you need to show with deeds on this forum that I have objected to President Sirisena paying homage to a Bo Tree. You accused me that I did and labelled me of being dishonest!
As for the Royal Prerogatives, it is a clime down from your part that you now accept that it is the pm who can exercise such provisions and not the monarch! This is a good starting point. While you are on the same page, you need to understand that the British pm is totally answerable to the parliament even to defend should he exercise any provisions of the royal prerogatives.
The rest of your writing belongs to garbage I am very sorry to say.
/
Off the Cuff / February 1, 2015
Dear Burning Issue,
I write factual comments and what I write is supported with references. Hence I have absolutely no necessity for trickery. If I am wrong and I am proven wrong, I always apologise as I do not have an Ego to protect.
You say “First and foremost, you need to show with deeds on this forum that I have objected to President Sirisena paying homage to a Bo Tree.”
My post addressed to Gerard on January 28, 2015 at 10:26 pm accused Sharmini of writing to the Gallery.
You came to Sharmini’s defense declaring that “You may class me and many other intellectuals as idiots too! I am a fan of Sharmini;” Ref your post of January 29, 2015 at 7:04 pm. which was your first post to me.
Please note that you were DEFENDING Sharmini’s article as a whole. You did not make any exceptions. You were not critical of anything Sharmini had written. All that you said was you were a FAN of Sharmini.
Hence being a FAN of Sharmini you were subscribing to her views in totality. That includes Sharmini’s objections to Maithree paying homage to the Bo tree. If that was a point on which you disagreed with Sharmini, you should have made it quite clear in your first address to me on January 29, 2015 at 7:04 pm.
Trying to disclaim any part of Sharmini’s article so late in the day is disingenuous and does not cut any ice.
Instances of your dishonesty was specifically mentioned in my post
1. You were bending over backwards to prove that Religion is not a PUBLIC spectacle in Govt Ceremonies in the West. Even when confronted with SOLID examples of UK and USA.
2. You were again bending over backwards to prove that the slogan “In God We Trust” on US Currency had no Religious significance.
You wrote “As for the Royal Prerogatives, it is a clime down from your part that you now accept that it is the pm who can exercise such provisions and not the monarch!”
You should learn to read what I write more carefully if you don’t want me to contradict you in this forum. I don’t like to unnecessarily embarrass people.
Please re read the following passage from my post of January 30, 2015 at 1:34 am. with special attention to the emphasised text.
It is this powerful Monarch whose Public Display of his/her religion that I brought to your notice. He may remain passive and ceremonial but his Powers have not been rescinded and is still used by the Prime Minister or any other Minister to by pass Parliament and it has been used to even subvert decisions of the Supreme Court of the UK without either consulting or being responsible to Parliament. This is not possible in Sri Lanka.
Hence Burning, I did not climb down, you were just negligently myopic that led you to make erroneous conclusions.
I am not averse to climbing down when proven wrong as I have declared I will appologise in such an event.
You say “you need to understand that the British pm is totally answerable to the parliament even to defend should he exercise any provisions of the royal prerogatives”
You have a very poor understanding of the “Royal Prerogative”.
The Royal Prerogative is exercised in the NAME of the Queen. Hence for all purposes, it’s no different to the Queen doing it herself as it is done with her concurrence. The actions of the QUEEN cannot be questioned or over ruled by the UK Parliament.
The OVERTURNING of a UNANIMOUS decision of Seven Judges by the UK’s Highest Court in 2000 was carried out by using the Royal Prerogative, by a Minister (not by the PM) and yet they could not do anything about it in Parliament.
Hence in the UK, the Parliament is SUBORDINATED whenever the “Royal Prerogative” is exercised.
Research the subject. I will be happy if you can prove me wrong.
You say “The rest of your writing belongs to garbage I am very sorry to say”
Dear Burning, ANY idiot can say that to escape the questions that are difficult to answer.
An intellectual or an intelligent person would PROVE that it is garbage to shut more garbage being written.
I hope you fall into this second category and instead of being an idiot would Tear the arguments I presented to pieces with a Lucid and Forceful counter argument.
As I said before, I am ready to stand up and be counted. Would you stand up with me to show the Tamils and the Sinhalese how they can do justice to each other?
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Burning Issue / February 1, 2015
OTC,
It is extremely presumptuous of you to deem that I agree with Ms Serasinghe because I am a fan of her! I can be a fan of someone and at the same time I can disagree on certain issues. Please read my post addressing to her on 27th of Jan on this debate; everything will be clear to you. It is profoundly sad that you go at any length to justify Sinhala Buddhist Hegemony.
Once French king ruled both Britain and France does this mean britain and France are one country? English king ruled Scotland does this mean Scotland and England same country? This is why there is a United kingdom!
I will tell you this that during the period when the LTTE was reigning people of your ilk were getting away with total nonsense. SB Dissanyake in his book Understanding the Sinhalese states that generally Sinhalese are not racists. I agree with him. If they are properly led with authentic knowledge of history, they will be responsible people. Things have now changed; bigots are finding it difficult to have their views heard. Your platform is getting narrower and narrower, and soon you will have nowhere to stand on!
/
Off the Cuff / February 2, 2015
Dear Burning Issue,
You are now referring me to a post of yours on January 27, 2015 at 3:42 pm addressed to Sharmini (which by the way is out of sight of where this discussion is taking place).
You wrote “Once French king ruled both Britain and France does this mean britain and France are one country? English king ruled Scotland does this mean Scotland and England same country? This is why there is a United kingdom!”
As I said in my previous post, you need to read what I write with care.
Addressing my first post to you, I wrote “Sri Lanka has never been a Secular State. The Tamil Kingdom in Jaffna was not Secular. The Kingdoms of the South were not secular. Rule under the Portuguese was not secular. Rule under the Dutch was not secular and Rule under the British was not secular” (January 30, 2015 at 1:34 am)
That Burning, is an acknowledgement that Lanka had multiple kingdoms in the past. You did not have to make this circuitous and irrelevant argument to establish it.
More importantly you have not challenged that Lanka was never Secular either under the Kings or the Colonials.
You wrote “President Mithiripala Sirisena is a devout Buddhist, and I as Hindu born atheist have no problem him bowing down to a bo tree. That is his right and it should not impinge on his ability to govern a cosmopolitan country”
However later, we see you complaining of this very act of veneration claiming that it was convoluted and interconnected with the Constitution and that’s why publicity was given.
You said “essie, I am sorry the constitutional protection given to Buddhism and President ceremonially paying homage to the Bo tree are convoluted and interconnected. It is not as simple as you make out; it is precisely why publicity is given to this act. This is why I made reference to the constitution” (Yours of January 27, 2015 at 5:47 pm)
Thus your bone of contention is very clear.
President Maithree should keep the practice of his religion out of sight.
Sharmini says “There are many of us who regard our respective faiths as a very private matter, and to exhibit it in public is in poor taste”
You have gone a step further and tied it to the Constitution!!!
Perhaps Maithree should have erected a SCREEN right around the Sri Maha Bo tree, to keep the Paparazzi out, before he paid his respects!!!
Sharmini is trying to impose her world view and you are trying to impose your world view on how the person called Maithree should practice his religion and change the way he has done so, his entire life, to suit that view!!!
If we go by this Edict, No Head of State in the world should be photographed observing their different religions. How idiotic!
You say “It is profoundly sad that you go at any length to justify Sinhala Buddhist Hegemony. ”
What hegemony are you writing about when I support Power devolution to the Tamils and the Muslims?
My opposition to the fraudulent 40% claim of the land mass and 60% of the coast line that the Tamil Homeland proponents claim when more than half the total Tamil population are occupying areas outside that claimed homeland?
It is True that there was a Tamil Kingdom in the North.
It is False that the Tamil Kingdom extended beyond Elephant Pass in the Eastern Coast of the mainland.
It is True that Lanka was UNIFIED into ONE kingdom 565 years ago by Parakramabahu VI in 1450 before either the British, Dutch or the Portuguese came here.
It is true that Lanka had 85% Forest cover when the British arrived.
I have developed my argument against the 40% claim using only the Physical characteristics of Lanka, known landmarks and the known population mix as given in enumeration data of the British.
Here you are unable to present a logical argument to counter what I have presented trying to escape the questions by Rhetoric.
Your baseless accusation of Sinhala Buddhist hegemony can be easily countered by a matching Rhetoric but I chose to use a Logical argument based on verifiable Data.
Why don’t you dispense with Rhetoric and advance a logical counter argument instead?
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Burning Issue / February 2, 2015
OTC, you are barking mad! The 1948 constitution was composed and endorsed by all parties because Sri Lanka was a country of multi-faith and multi-languages as is now. This was the only way in which a nation could have been built. This the likes of you callously destroyed full stop!
You will never have SL the way you want it; you need to grow up and expend your energy on quest of nation building with just policies. Good luck
By the way, my comment to Ms Seresinghe was not out of sight; it is at the first page of the comments; I do not need to repeat my comments on my every post. I was disagreeing with you dismissing Ms Seresinghe and labelling all who value her as idiots!
You do not understand the concept Constitutional Monarchy in its present form or you are pretend not so! If you choose to be pigheaded, it is your choice!
/
Off the Cuff / February 2, 2015
Dear Burning Issue,
I am responding to you with Facts. You are responding with Rhetoric. Thus who is calm and who is mad (or barking mad) need not be said.
You say “The 1948 constitution was composed and endorsed by all parties because Sri Lanka was a country of multi-faith and multi-languages as is now. This was the only way in which a nation could have been built”
Does that Constitution have ANY reference to a Tamil Homeland covering 40% of Lanka?
Of course it didn’t. If it did it would have got rejected by the Brits themselves just like they rejected recognising the Tamil Cast system or the 50/50 demand, in that Constitution.
It is this greed for disproportionate Power and Land that is destroying the Nation.
You say “This the likes of you callously destroyed full stop!”
You are trying to cover your avarice by blaming the majority. It was not the majority who wanted disproportionate exclusive Homelands, it was a very small fraction of power hungry Tamils who did that. When you found that the Tamil numbers in the North and East insufficient, this greedy Tamils annexed the Muslims in a numbers game and Tamil the Ethnicity morphed into Tamil the language. That is how sly they were.
You have found my arguments on the subject unassailable as I have not used any of the old arguments that you are used to. Today you are even afraid to discuss it, as evidenced by your repeated avoidance of the subject.
You say “By the way, my comment to Ms Seresinghe was not out of sight; it is at the first page of the comments; “
This discussion is taking place on page 3 from where Page 1 is out of sight. May be you are Superman but I am not.
You say “I do not need to repeat my comments on my every post. “
If you want a honest discussion you either have to call my attention to that post by giving references or links or repeat it for my information. You can’t expect your opponent to wade through 275 posts to find yours. However you are dishonest because what you say to “essie” later contradicts what you say to Sharmini. You were given a chance to explain the contradiction and you avoided it.
You say “I was disagreeing with you dismissing Ms Seresinghe and labelling all who value her as idiots! “
Let’s put that to the test shall we?
She said “No leader of a multi religious society, can afford the luxury of being seen practicing his religion, in the full glare of the public!
The President of this country is a representative of all its people; Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Therefore, such a President cannot be seen favoring one faith, even though it is his own. If he must, then he ought to pay equal obeisance to other religions as well. After all, he is the leader of all of us, not just the Buddhists of Sri Lanka.”
She refers to the world when she says “No leader of a multi religious society,..” Hence please look around and prove that statement because Sharmini cant.
I see Barack Obama and the Presidents before him employing the Bible in full view of the world when they assumed the office as the US President. We have not seen any of them paying equal obeisance to other religions as well.
I see govt ceremonial functions in the UK taking place in Church.
This is just two of many similar happenings.
However the prize goes to the second para where she states
Therefore, such a President cannot be seen favoring one faith, even though it is his own. If he must, then he ought to pay equal obeisance to other religions as well.
Try applying that EDICT to the Heads of State in the world starting with USA
The USA probably has more Religions than we have in Lanka. In addition to the main stream religions of Christianity, Islam etc there is a multitude of religions practiced by the Original Americans.
Bole-Maru Religion, Dream Dance, Drum Religion, Earth Lodge Religion, Feather Religion, host Dances, Indian Shaker Religion, Longhouse Religion, Mexicayotl, Peyote Religion, Waashat Religion etc are some of the Original American religions.
In order not to show any preference to Christianity he will have to adopt a system such as a raffle to decide which religion he should first take the Oath in and the subsequent order of such religions to repeat the Oath.
What she has written is neither intellectual nor adequately researched. It’s a piece of trash by a self opinionated woman who believes that her world view of Buddhism is the Right view. That is idiotic.
Those of you who adulate her without thinking things through are also idiots IF you cannot argue her case logically.
No one has succeeded so far!
Good luck.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Burning Issue / February 3, 2015
OTC,
you say:
“This discussion is taking place on page 3 from where Page 1 is out of sight. May be you are Superman but I am not.”
As I have said before, I wrote a reply to Ms Seresinghe on the 27th of Jan that precipitated some comments including one from you that you addressed to Rajesh on 28th of Jan. So you mean to say that you wrote a comment without studying the trail of comments! Please save your excuses!
/
Off the Cuff / February 4, 2015
Dear Burning Issue,
I have no need to make excuses as I have countered everything you have said. On the other hand you have avoided every question I have raised.
I responded to your accusations and homeland claims but you have avoided discussing it because you are on a loosing wicket. So why should I be making excuses?
I challenged Rajesh because what he said was hilarious
quote
What I am saying is that Good Governance also include embracing all religion and language and minorities. Rajash, January 27, 2015 at 9:18 pm
Unquote
I had no need to read the thread to challenge that.
Even when reading Rajesh’s comical comment your comment of January 27, 2015 at 3:42 pm is out of sight. That was lucky for you because if I did read it and your reply to Essie, I would have asked you to explain the 180 degree turn that you took with your principles. Hope you can do so even now.
essie on January 27, 2015 at 5:11 pm said
Burning issue, I am not discussing religion or the constitution here.That would be a different issue altogether. I just feel that the publicity given to these trivialities, and the meaningless articles written about them take the public focus away from the much more important subject of good governance.
You in reply on January 27, 2015 at 5:47 pm said
essie,
I am sorry the constitutional protection given to Buddhism and President ceremonially paying homage to the Bo tree are convoluted and interconnected. It is not as simple as you make out; it is precisely why publicity is given to this act. This is why I made reference to the constitution.
I did not touch on the second para of that comment because that is a subject you have discussed with me when it happened and lost.
Your principles are fickle and changes like a Chameleons skin.
I hope you will engage me on the question,
Is the Tamil claim for an exclusive Traditional Homeland a Fair claim or a Greedy Land Grab?
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Gerard / January 30, 2015
First of all, I am a free thinker (That means I don’t believe in anything even remotely connected to the supernatural). I had no control of my parents wishes to call me with what name they wanted (the reason some jump into conclusions, “without research”, that I am a Christian). I have been a follower of Science since my graduation to this day. Science teaches me to think and act logically. I am not claiming to be an Atheist/Agnostic as well. That is for you to do in reply to this as usual, because it seems calling people names is the order of the day for you in the guise of anonymous names. If you have something to say please keep to the topic of the article instead of trying to stir up communal violence. Sri Lanka has had enough of it.
You badly need to get out of the well you are living in and see the world and learn. Seeing that you have lot of free time to write continuous lengthy comments, you outta do that “research” yourself.
Leave Sharmini alone, she knows what she is doing, and as a responsible Sri Lankan woman well exposed, intelligent and knowledgeable. You don’t have the B***s to do what she does. Instead of throwing tantrums at everyone who appreciates good work, get down to some constructive work that the country can appreciate.
/
Off the Cuff / January 30, 2015
Dear Gerard,
You Anger has robbed you of All Logic and whatever sense that you may have had. You have lost track of the questions that you yourself asked.
You asked two questions
Q1. “So has the president conducted himself responsibly here?”
Answer – Maithree has the freedom to profess his religion either in private or in public just like you and me. Don’t be idiotic enough to interfere with that right.
Q2. “Do we see leaders of developed countries practice such things as this?”
Answer Yes. TWO prominent examples are the UK and the USA where Religion takes a prominent place in govt ceremonies.
My first post gives you details.
Please re read with care.
My argument does not depend on your Religion and therefore I did not question it. So why all that Bull Sh*t about your religion? It is totally irrelevant to this discussion.
The whole of your first paragraph is blah blah blah about your religion, your education, my Pseudonym, communal violence and what not but nothing to counter my answers to your own questions.
Red Herring tactics because you got checkmated?
You said “Science teaches me to think and act logically”
Do you really believe that you wrote that rejoinder by thinking and acting Logically? If so I pity you.
This discussion centers on Religion and the Head of State. From where did you get that “communal violence” bit? By Hallucinating?
You say “Leave Sharmini alone, she knows what she is doing, and as a responsible Sri Lankan woman well exposed, intelligent and knowledgeable”
Ha ha haa I did not know she was well exposed, wonder how you knew!!!
In my comments I have said that Sharmini will not defend what she writes and that she will allow her unthinking followers to do that. And you have proven me right.
A writer who writes controversial articles and refuses to justify what was written cannot be either Responsible or Intelligent. That Gerard is called Rabble Rousing. Despite your science training your arguments are illogical and puerile.
Finally Gerard I write as Off the Cuff to convey to all (including you) that it is not my name. But you could be using the name Gerard when your Real name is something else. Can you prove that your are not deceiving the CT Readership posing off as Gerard?
I hope that Science training of yours is up to the task.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Off the Cuff / January 31, 2015
Dear Gerard,
Still looking for ways and means to prove that your real name is Gerard?
What happened to all that Logical thinking that you said you possess?
You see Gerard it is best to focus on the contents of a post rather than making idiotic references to your opponent’s name when you cant argue your case.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Dr.Goebells / January 28, 2015
Ms. Serasinghe is trying hard to portray herself as being a very sophisticated , ‘socially correct ‘ lady . MS is a grassroots son of the soil. He paid homage to the sacred bo tree just like millions of other people have done over the past thousands of years . What’s wrong with that , and why should that be offensive to anybody ? What are you going to suggest next , that he start speaking in English because minorities might get upset ? Get a life lady !
/
My3 Mohamed / January 28, 2015
My dear pretty face,
By your logic, if a Muslim ever became president of this country (heaven forbid), he should not be allowed to pray five times daily and to go to the mosque on Fridays at lunch time.
Have you checked whether any Muslim would be prepared to forgo any of these religious practices for the sake of being the president of this multi-religious country? You don’t seem to have.
Go on, make your rules of democracy as you go along.
h…u…m…b…u…g!
/
Javi. / January 29, 2015
Mamu was a accepted pedophile and any massage parlour within Europe or folk of Europe especially women know more of islamic men than you portray your mariakade serapu.
Don’t expect presidency- all you are good is to buy and sell even after standardization on racial grounds where you take the cream.
keep the fu**ing out. – K. F.O.
/
Prof. A. Senanayake / January 28, 2015
Dear Sharmini,
Please dear child, stop wasting your precious wisdom, time and effort, by casting pearls of wisdom, before swine!
I have read with utmost disgust and despair, comments made by many on this thread, unashamed of displaying in public, their intellectual nudity.
Though they may believe, their pseudonyms give them anonymity, they will never be anonymous to their own conscience.
This is not a place, worthy of you dear Sharmini!
/
Javi. / January 29, 2015
Profosora,
are you one of the macho men holding the women of the nation under your jack boot that it does not tickle your conscience??
We always go in 2’s but never as a half maggot in an apple.
/
Burning Issue / January 29, 2015
Prof. A. Senanayake,
Sharmini is a big girl and she can handle the negative comments. She has some very interesting and pertinent ideas and obviously in a public forums such as this, there will be people who will utter negative comments. This is part and parcel of the culture of on-loine debating. I think that Sharmini has a lot to offer and she can educate the Sinhala public about religious tolerance while promoting a Sri Lankan identity. If anything, she should write more to provoke reactions. The more the hard-line Sinhala Buddhist write the more isolated they will be.
/
Off the Cuff / January 30, 2015
Dear Prof. A. Senanayake,
I have posted a response to Burning Issue at this link
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-presidents-faux-pas/comment-page-3/#comment-1758076
If you are unafraid to prove that Sharmini has indeed written Pearls of Wisdom, please engage along with Burning Issue.
Sharmini of course will not defend what she writes.
That of course is wise.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Javi. / January 30, 2015
Burning Issue,
He is just a farce holding a `servants` job grunting of intellectual nudity when he has never met student intellects or intellectual lecturers who don’t need that salary or designation??.
Bill and Mark aren’t the only ones to show their middle finger to Harvard and Yale professors but many of us. We have our technical qualifications make our money while professors beg for their salary strike because they got their tail between their legs drinking Nespray from birth.
When we go out into the profession without our staff assistance scumbags like Senanayaka were awe stuck. Why so, too much asslicking professional/professor??
We don’t need to tell what our creations there are which you see every day.
/
nimal / January 29, 2015
This is what happens in Greece.
SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras visits Archbishop Ieronymos this afternoon to inform him that he will not be sworn in by him and will only be taking a political oath.
Tsipras will also inform Ieronymos that he will not be needed in the inauguration swearing-in ceremony of the new government at Maximos Mansion because the oath of cabinet members will be political and not religious.
After the meeting with the Archbishop, the new prime minister will visit President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias.
The inauguration of the new government will take place tomorrow without the Archbishop, but with the chief secretary of the Holy Synod — in the event that some of the new ministers would like to take a religious oath as well.
/
Seneviratne Banda J / January 29, 2015
I hope our new President when he retires from this earth one day be born in the part in heaven seperated for sinhala budhists.
/
Crombyses / February 2, 2015
I wish him be reborn a chair with 4 legs, for somebody or manybodies to sit,sat and fart on it.
/
Shanthi / January 29, 2015
I’m a Buddhist and live in USA for the past 25 years. Believe, the message Sharmini wanted to convey is misinterpreted, some trying to be ultra spiritualistic.
Minute, a person, especially a leader of a country say “Theruwan saranai” you are polarizing a nation then and there. This is what have been going on on.For e.g, if I’m a Catholic or a Muslim, how will I feel. Sometimes, you become my immediate enemy.
Going by the aspirations of MR, he wanted to win the elections thinking he can harness 50% + Buddhist votes and wanted to hang on. Slogan, Sinhala Buddhists. Little they know about Buddhism, how pathetic.
When the president of USA say may god Bless you and may God continue to Bless.. USA, I do not feel polarized, though I tend to, because we Buddhists believe in Gods(siyalu devi devatha)too.
What is now necessary is to have a binding connections with our Christian, Muslim and Tamil communities and make Sri Lanka as it was in early 1960’s. Fortunately, I belong to that era.
/
pran / January 29, 2015
Going by your own theory Srianthi why does all US presidents say God Bless America! As a person who lives in US you know very well what a religious nation America is despite the hollywood depiction of the US to the world. Do you really think in US an ultra liberal non christian candidate can ever become the president of US unless they show to the people who religious, and god loving he is. Why Romney lost is because of his faith, there will never be a chance for a jewish person to be a president. So what liberals of even America doesn’t get you preach for Sri Lanka where there is a known tension between people of different faith, and we can practically expect the president of that polarized nation to overnight give up his faith. What world are you living. Besides Maithere never claimed to be a vibrant liberal. Why would he follow any leader, CBK or Ranil for that matter, in reality they too are going to these places of importance. It is about paying respect to what other people of SL believe. It is importtant for some people that their leader is adhereing to cultural practices, MR gave a bad presedence to cuptural, and religious practices of the country so that looks wierd when someone else does the same. It is about visuals.
/
Dingiri B / January 29, 2015
Pran,
You have got it all wrong.
No one in their right mind will want the President to give up his faith.
It’s the practicing of his faith, in this case engaging in symbol/idol worship, he ought to do in private.
/
Off the Cuff / January 30, 2015
Dear Dingiri,
Would you tell that to the Queen of England and her PM, the cabinet, the Judges and all the high officials that take part in Ceremonies in Church?
Would you ask them to rescind all mention to God from their oaths of office?
Would you ask them not to sing “God Save the Queen” as that will offend her subjects that don’t believe in God?
Would you ask them to trash that song for it offends those who are not God believers?
Would you tell the President of the USA not to hold the Bible when taking the oath of office as that is televised to the world?
Would you ask him to take that oath in private if he wants to hold the Bible?
Would you ask him to remove the legend “In God we Trust” from all US currency (notes and coins) because there is nothing more Public than that.
Honest answer please?
Sharmini has written to the gallery.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Sri Lankan / January 29, 2015
I was at one time extremely critical of this writer.
That was until I met her at a gathering where the topic of a common identity as a Sri Lankan was being discussed.
When I said that I’m proud to call myself a Sinhala Buddhist, Sharmini asked me why?
To be honest, I didn’t have an answer to her question, and I still don’t. It was then I realised that I was not reading her articles objectively. I do now and I very clearly understand the message she is trying to convey.
Hope this article is brought to the attention of the President. I’m sure being the humble man he appears to be, he will thank the writer for it.
/
Off the Cuff / January 30, 2015
Dear Sri Lankan,
I am proud to be a Sri Lankan and that stops there.
My Ethnicity was by chance and I had no control over it (unless it’s argued from the perspective of Rebirth).
My Religion was initially by birth and later by conviction.
Hence my Ethnicity and my Religion is nothing to be proud of.
Sharmini is undoubtedly well versed in English and I admire her writing skills. But I don’t admire some of the things she choose to write on as the core message is stupid and she like you, is dumbfounded when that core is challenged.
Look around this website. Has she defended what she wrote under this article? Not different to your ow predicament isn’t it?
You were wrong to claim that you were proud to call yourself a Sinhala Buddhist. Sharmini picked on that claim. You should be Proud be a Sri Lankan just like an Indian is Proud to be an Indian or an American who is proud to be an American.
Kind Regards,
OTC
/
Javi. / January 31, 2015
Obnoxious Tam`ill Cockaroach, OTC (BBS)Biscuit Boofer Society
Kicked off toronto by border security force.
Thank God Its Friday – TGIF
You are not the Pages Cargills to do anything on conviction.
Your gene is not an accident just another sihala speaking tam`ill`off shot not fit to comment about kandy or galle.
Go back to the madakalpu sty where you belong.
/
Off the Cuff / February 1, 2015
Jaadi the scavenger is at it again!!!
Spilling what he carries on his head
/
Javi. / February 1, 2015
～゜・_・゜～ ～゜・_・゜～
Obnoxious Tam`ill Cockaroach,
Patient either Obnoxious or Screaming in Pain
OruMukkan (shit bucket)
～゜・_・゜～
ಠ_ಠ
/
Off the Cuff / February 1, 2015
Ha ha ha haaa
/
Javi. / February 1, 2015
paramilitary mercenary
GOOO oooTa To Angoda douchbag
/
Off the Cuff / February 1, 2015
Ha ha ha haa haaa!
/
Javi. / February 1, 2015
Mutt – eating from the rear- biscuit boofer (std. english)
You are what we call culo de cerdo (Pigs meat)
for the bowwas.
/
Off the Cuff / February 1, 2015
Ha ha ha ha haaaaa!
/
Javi. / February 2, 2015
Stinker!!!
/
Off the Cuff / February 6, 2015
ha ha haa
/
EDWIN RODRIGO / January 29, 2015
The Ficus religiosa (Bo) tree is considered sacred by the followers of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, “Of all trees I am the Peepal tree”. (Wikepedia)
In Buddhism, when we worship the Bo Tree, it is an act of gratitude to our teacher (Buddha) for showing us the path. I think the word ‘worship’ has a different meaning in Buddhism than the way it is interpreted in monotheistic or polytheistic religions, where the object of worship is God/s or something closely associated with him/them.
When Prince Siddhartha sat down under the Bo tree after a long and fruitless search for the truth, he pledged to himself that he will not get up until he finds it. So the Bo tree also signifies relentless effort, determination and perseverance (Adhishtana, Veerya etc.). It is a good starting point for a lesser mortal like the President to start with the Bodhi Vandana, because the task before him requires the same qualities, though they pale in comparison to the task that confronted Buddha. In other words, for Buddhists, it is more an act of emulation rather than obeisance.
We should take it in that context and not as a sign of favoring one religion as opposed to another.
We should also allow opinions like that of Sharmini with Maithree and not attack her because it happens to be different from ours. At least, such opinions make us think.
/
Javi. / January 29, 2015
It was written in Sanskrit and never direct but eg. of shade in ancient india where everyone stopped for under it to gossip eat etc- like the women at the well.
The picture is classic of werewolf mahawamse- looking for the hole where the fox came from and where it goes back. Why arnt there women, what is wrong??
The 21st centenary belongs to them- without minority rights womens rights gay rights development wont be easy.
/
Humbug / January 29, 2015
The President of this country is not only the Leader of Buddhists but the leader of all religions and all citizens. Therefore he cannot actively participate or canvass for his political party either. This is illegal. Pres. Sirisena should not emulate what the former Pres Mahinda did. Whether it is legal or not it would not be ethical or fair by the other parties. After all he became President with the support of other political parties and not his own. He should put a stop to the Opposition Leader’s speeches in this regard. As they are now pinning their hopes on the incumbent President.
/
roger / January 29, 2015
As a Christian tamil I don’t think it is an issue. If at all I am happy that the President is a man following a faith. We know he is a Buddhist we accept it.
/
Chandana Perera / January 29, 2015
I have been following Sharmini for a long time. I wonder where she has got knowledge on Buddhism. Please follow the correct Buddhism. Lord Buddha has preached once when asked whom to worship in his absence in Jethawanarama, one can worship Ananada Bodhi ( Bo tree). Remember by worshiping to Bo tree or a statue of Buddha, you are not worshiping to a material instead you try to visualize the qualities of Buddha through imagination.
Further what is wrong with President worshiping Bo tree? You have to understand, Sri Lanka is a country with a lot of Sinhalese Buddhists living. While respecting other ethnic groups and religions, we have to respect the majority’s sentiments.That is what President Obama is doing openly accepting Bible. That is why constitution of Sri Lanka has already given prominence to Buddhism. Sharmini, remember in the world there are so many groups, countries to protect other religions but not Buddhism. Shame on you Sharmini being a fake Buddhist.
/
Navin / January 30, 2015
The Sri Lankan variety of “Sinhala Buddhism” is idolatry. Lord Buddha has no place in it. Practice what you will, but be aware what exactly you are, and be truthful about it.
The only persons I know in Sri Lanka who make a show out of calling themselves Sinhala Buddhists, are the politicians and those persons who benefit financially from Sinhala Buddhism. I remember even Buddharakkita Thero had a Mercedez Benz car – his vow of chastity and poverty was a mockery. The Youtube is full of the fun and vitriol of Gnanasara. Maithripala Sirisena makes a public show of his Sinhala Buddhism in order to benefit politically. His faith has never been put to the test – just like in the case of his predecessors and those to follow. Nothing will change for a long time to come.
It is time to be truthful and honest about who one is.
It is not truthful to say that one is a follower of Gauthama Buddha when one is loaded with charmed gold amulets on the neck, hip, and arms, hand entwined with pirith nool, worship trees including the monkeys sitting on them, believe in astrology, which supposes the sun goes round the earth, and ask for help from inanimate objects for a successful life.
/
Mitya / January 30, 2015
Sharmini, you are [Edited out]. You smell blood in what any sane person would see as a genuine act of religiosity on Maitri’s part, unlike Mahinda the poseur’s staged media circus. You go into a feeding frenzy and blindly attack it as an affront to the religious sentiments of non-Buddhists. Multiculturalism is not the negation of your heritage. Rather it is the acceptance of diversity and showing respect to other religions/cultures while following your own beliefs and practices. Any fair-minded person can see this is what the new government has signaled very clearly so far to the country. You are the one committing a faux pas by your racism-tinged attack on an innocuous act by Maitri. In trying to pose as a politically correct smartass, you commit the most blatant bigotry by disparaging the Buddhists for their practice of venerating the Bodhi tree. Everything we do in life is imbued with symbolism. Why are you hanging pieces of some metal on your ears and around your neck, and smearing your lips with some paint? Don’t we know it is simply to add some colour to an otherwise drab Pancha Skanda? Rituals fulfill the same function in our lives.
If we apply your stupid logic we have to agree to the following statements:
1. Hindus are worshiping the Penis.
2. Christians are worshiping a Jewish homosexual.
3. Muslims are worshiping a pedophile.
I don’t for a moment believe in these outrageous things. But your imbecile logic does imply these kinds of views about people’s cherished beliefs.
Mitya
/
Javi. / January 31, 2015
Your father the Hindu is worshiping the phallus. what could he have done with out your mother hyena/fox.
How come you came . short sighted on four legs its when you stand on two that we slaughter you at the alter of faith in holman.
Cold blooded douche bag heard of kotha_lawala where??
Bananas dont grow on coconut trees.
Anthuriums grow in the shade of the tree. So dont talk of penis like what the japanese have- too small to call. Go back to where you came from Mugabe loves you werewolf mahawamnse.
You need to have a big heart to be hindu and see the shiva flower with mind not your papas cold pussy.
Therefore, only the Dancing Shiva mode (hinduism is rituals for different regions there you can have what we offer you in the named of gautama. Ask the mainland they have the most of Gautama statues while you elk are rattons- the common chinese respect the hindian for business sense still and are being taught software)
Yes `Dancing Siva only` is at the EU Space Centre to locate the God particle- now lick pig arse.
Karana is a Sanskrit verbal noun, meaning “doing”. you are Buro (spanish) Buruva.
Aldous Huxley – The Dancing Shiva- at the EU Space Time and energy infinity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1kmKpjk_8E
/
Wise Owl / January 30, 2015
The gist of Sharmini Serasinghe’s article above is this-
Modesty and decorum expected of a Leader of a multi-religious country- Practice your religion privately, and keep all cameras OUT!
/
Off the Cuff / January 30, 2015
“Modesty and decorum expected of a Leader of a multi-religious country- Practice your religion privately, and keep all cameras OUT!”
Yes it boils down to that and Sharmini has laid down the Law as she sees it.
Unfortunately her Dream world excludes even the UK and US to name just a couple. Going by Sharmini’s Edict, both those countries are ruled by Bigots as both of them have leaders making a Public Spectacle of Religion.
Unless of course those in Sharmini’s bandwagon believes that UK and USA are not multi-religious!
Good Luck to all, who want to change the world to suit their fancies.
Kind Regards,
OTC
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naughty boy / January 30, 2015
Looks like Ms. Serasinghe has got the racist Sinhala Buddhists hopping mad. Keep up the good work madam.
Wonder what these bigots would have to say if our President was a Muslim and was photographed praying 5 times a day, or a Christian kneeling in church, or a Hindu breaking coconuts.
Ha Ha Ha!
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Off the Cuff / February 1, 2015
What is more interesting would be what Sharmini and her band wagon of idiots have to say in the event our President was REQUIRED to take his/her Oath of office with the Hand on a Religious Book or an Object of veneration according to His/her faith in front of the Whole World as done in the USA.
Would she and her following Justify it or be righteous and decry it?
What if we had a Governor General who was a subject of the Head of the Church of England?
Why do we still recognise a marriage performed by the Church as Legal in this Multi Religious society?
Naughty naughty……
Kind Regards,
OTC
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Derby / February 2, 2015
What b****y nonsense is this woman talking about. Even the Unites States President is photographed going to church on Sundays! The Sri Lankan President has every right to practice his religion where ever he wants to.
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