{"id":127468,"date":"2014-07-06T10:42:56","date_gmt":"2014-07-06T05:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=127468"},"modified":"2014-07-14T10:23:45","modified_gmt":"2014-07-14T04:53:45","slug":"protecting-buddhism-from-extremist-monks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/protecting-buddhism-from-extremist-monks\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Buddhism From Extremist Monks"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tassie Seneviratne<\/span><\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Tassie<\/a>

Tassie Seneviratne<\/p><\/div>\n

There is widespread concern about the betrayal of Buddhism by extremist monks.\u00a0 These concerns have been reflected in the media.\u00a0 The Sunday Times Editorials of May 11th<\/sup> 2014 and June 22nd<\/sup> 2014 were entirely devoted to this serious concern.<\/p>\n

I, though a Christian, have the highest respect and regard for Buddhism as it is the religion of over 75% of the people of this country.\u00a0 Buddhism is a cultural heritage of our country that has to be protected and preserved in the manner laid down by its greatest teacher, Gauthama the Buddha. Due to its long history of Buddhism, our country is known as the Dhamma Dveepaya \u2013 the Island of Buddhism.\u00a0 No lesser person than the enlightened Buddha has himself told his disciples that if they wished to honour him, they should follow his teachings.\u00a0 His teachings have been divided into three main disciplines:-<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pubba Hasi \u2013 Pleasant appearance; a smiling and friendly face.<\/li>\n
  2. Pubba Bhasi \u2013 Pleasant and friendly speech.<\/li>\n
  3. Pubba Kari — Pleasant and friendly action.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It is the breakdown in these disciplines that has led to conflict, hate and violence that are\u00a0 \u00a0spreading throughout the country raising serious concerns in all right thinking people of all religions.\u00a0 Loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, patience, \u00a0\u00a0tolerance and endurance are religious attributes generally common to Buddhism and Christianity \u2013 in fact to all religions.\u00a0 Hence there is no justification at all for religious intolerance.\u00a0 The enlightened Buddha preached these attributes 500 years before the advent of Jesus Christ the Messiah.<\/p>\n

    The danger today is that there are some people wielding enormous power who are misusing religious fervor for personal agendas.\u00a0 The irony is that under cover of protecting Buddhism they are resorting to means diametrically opposed to the disciplines taught by the enlightened Buddha, thereby betraying Buddhism wholesale. Age old dirty tricks of unrighteous leaders, to distract the people when there is unrest in the country and their dues cannot be met, keep coming to the fore.\u00a0 Shakespeare, through King Henry IV talking from his deathbed to his son at his succession, puts it like this :<\/p>\n

    \u201c \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.God knows, my son,<\/p>\n

    By what by-paths and indirect crook\u2019d ways<\/p>\n

    I met \u00a0\u00a0this crown; and I myself know well<\/p>\n

    How troublesome it sat upon my head:<\/p>\n

    To thee it shall descend with better quiet,<\/p>\n

    \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n

    And by whose power I might lodge a fear<\/p>\n

    To be again displaced: which to avoid,<\/p>\n

    I cut them off; and had a purpose now<\/p>\n

    To lead out many to the Holy Land, (to wage war<\/i>)<\/p>\n

    Lest rest and lying still might make them look<\/p>\n

    Too near unto my state.\u00a0 Therefore, my Harry,<\/p>\n

    Be it thy course to busy giddy minds<\/p>\n

    With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out,<\/p>\n

    May waste the memory of the former days.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In the meanwhile there are also breakaways from different religions, forming sects with evil agendas causing aberrations to the body politic of this country.\u00a0 These sects are not interested in the people or their respective religions, but are driven as suits their evil agendas.\u00a0 As the activities of these sects have no bearing on any religion as such, they have to be dealt with on a case by case basis.<\/p>\n

    The \u2018Bodu Bala Sena<\/span><\/a>\u2019 (BBS) which enjoys the patronage of the Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapakse<\/span><\/a> has come into much controversy and is being described as an Ethno Regligious Fascist movement. \u2018Meth Sevana\u2019, a cultural centre comprising of a library, dharmashala halls, meditation centres, and a number of mind relaxing places, situated on two hectares of land at Pilane, Wanchawala in Galle, was constructed and donated by a German philanthropist Michael Kreitmeir, to the Maha Sanga, obtained with the collaboration of the BBS amidst allegations that the property has been arrogated by the BBS. It was declared open by the Secretary Defence and Urban Development authority Gotabaya Rajapakse on 9th<\/sup> March 2013.He had earlier donated the Ashraff Memorial Hospital in Kalmunai in 2010 and International Maria Theresa College also in Kalmunai in 2011. Michael is a child-lover whose interest is to help destitute children. His projects are carried out under the name, Little Smile Association. There are rumblings suggesting paedophilia as the motive behind Michael Kreitmeir\u2019s projects. It has to be borne in mind that all paedophiles are not necessarily child molesters, and vice-versa – all child molesters are not paedophiles. Clandestine sex is the strongest temptation a human being is confronted with – paedophile or otherwise.\u00a0 Those in charge of women\u2019s and children\u2019s affairs are the most exposed to temptation \u2013 talk of stalkers also.\u00a0 The Catholic Church too has its share of sex scandals. It is up to the individuals in charge of women and children to exercise restraint, and to the institutions concerned and state authorities to closely monitor institutions dealing with women and children.\u00a0 As for the Little Smile Association which is a very large project, it will be in the best interest of all concerned that the Women and Children\u2019s Bureau closely monitor its activities.\u00a0 Nor can Michael Kreitmeir be expected to control the attitudes and conduct of the BBS, just because the Meth Sevana Project is his donation.<\/p>\n

    The task at hand is protection of Buddhism from extremist monks.\u00a0 There is news that a separate Police Unit has been set up under the auspices of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs to handle complaints related to religion.\u00a0 What training they have in order to set about their job is a major question.\u00a0 Proper training and being well informed are obvious prerequisites if the police unit is to deliver the desired results.\u00a0 But in an environment where even the judiciary is being controlled, will the Police unit be able to act impartially in the light of the patronage of very powerful individuals that the people believe the mischief makers enjoy?\u00a0 The motives behind these atrocities as discerned by the people and exposed in the media, send shudders through our bodies. However apart from the basic laws in the Penal Code, it would be appropriate for the special police unit to invoke provisions of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance, (Part v \u2013 Miscellaneous- that deals with appointment of Bhikkus), and act in concurrence with the Mahanayake Theras and the Nayake Theras of the respective Nikayas who are the appointing authorities of Samanera Bhikkus and Upasampada Bhikkus and who hold disciplinary authority over them, and with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs, if positive and righteous action is in fact intended.<\/p>\n

    *The writer is a retired Senior Superintendant of Police<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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