{"id":179657,"date":"2017-07-09T00:10:13","date_gmt":"2017-07-08T18:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=179657"},"modified":"2017-07-09T09:51:24","modified_gmt":"2017-07-09T04:21:24","slug":"lost-leadership-the-three-mahanayakes-join-the-kolam-dance-of-the-gmoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/lost-leadership-the-three-mahanayakes-join-the-kolam-dance-of-the-gmoa\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost Leadership: The Three Mahanayakes Join The Kolam Dance Of The GMOA"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Shyamon Jayasinghe<\/a>\u00a0\u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Shyamon Jayasinghe<\/p><\/div>\n

The days of Ven Narada, Kotahene Pragnakeerthi, Yakkaduwe Prajnaratne, Madihe Pannaseeha, are gone it seems forever. The great line of tradition begun by Ven Sariyuth Mugalan disappears before our eyes. The Sanga is fast become a mere trailer attached to the corrupt political brigade.<\/i><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka is full of political games these days than never before. It is Kolam theatre that we see because in the typical game the players hide under masks or pretences. The discerning sophisticate can see through the agenda but the undiscerning vast are beguiled into believing that what appears is what is. Take a good look at the recent warning by the three Mahanayakes<\/a> in a joint statement and you will get what I mean.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conspiring Cabal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The statement itself was a follow -up of the unilateral statement issued previously by the Holy One at Asgiriya<\/a>. Hence, the hand of\u00a0 <\/span>conspirators in a widening game can be inferred. The conspirators tricked Asgiriya to come into the spider net and then, with enhanced confidence, went up to the other three Holy Ones and got them to sign up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our conspiring cabal are indeed \u2018smart patriots<\/a>,\u2019 to use a phrase innovated by Dayan Jayatilleka. GMOA<\/a> is already in their fold. GMOA, in turn, tried to rope in the trade unions in one collective assault on the government but hardened workers are street smart and they refused to be caught. Thus the GMOA\u2019s \u2018unending strikes,\u2019 like the Permanent Revolution (nonewethena viplyavaya), keeps going sans the working class until they eventually get a backlash from the suffering people. \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike the GMOA, however, the monk platform has only one stated theme, and that is the preservation of the Sanga and Buddhism. The GMOA has the SAITM, the government international trade pacts and so on and any public policy matter they might think fit to include. When eminent economist Saman Kelegama passed away recently the GMOA even thought it appropriate to circulate an SMS<\/a> that the\u00a0<\/span>Chief Architect of the trade pact with India has gone!<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the Mahanayakes\u2019 joint statement focused on the growing public shaming of the Sanga. The immediate provocation had been the public castigation of the doings and undoings of Gnanasara<\/a>. Social media went viral on rampaging Buddhist monks. A simple mobile camera can capture misbehaviour and broadcast in an instant.<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Kapila Abhayawansa, formerly of the Pali and Buddhist University and currently teaching Buddhist philosophy in a Thailand university, wrote a brilliant piece<\/a> that appeared in the Colombo Telegraph<\/em> of July 6th. He has correctly spotted the game as he\u00a0 <\/span>questions whether the three Holy Ones\u2019 statement is a pointer to the government or\u00a0 <\/span>a pointer to the Sasana?<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement is supposed to protest at the trend of shaming of Buddhist monks by the public and\u00a0 <\/span>the social media etc and wants the government to stop the rot. This wave of criticism was provoked particularly after Gnanasara\u2019s campaign to attack Muslims begun in 2013 and revived vehemently recently.<\/span><\/p>\n

Listing Old Stories<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor Kapila questions the Mahanayakes\u2019 need for listing the destruction to Buddhist religious places, the smashing of Buddha statues and the theft of valuable archaeological\u00a0 <\/span>treasures buried in temples as among the untoward things happening today. These have been happening for many years in the past. The suggestion is that the widened list of undesirables has been meant to give a depth of context to Gnanasara\u2019s BBS brigade and point the finger at the yahapalanaya government.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Professor reminds us how even some Buddhist monks have been implicated in such destructive acts of theft around sacred places. There have been charges that monks have themselves been party to the\u00a0 <\/span>stealing of cash donations and tills in temples. One monk has been charged with giving such moneys on interest. <\/span><\/p>\n

Auditing of Temple Money<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is no secret that we have numerous rich temples spread over the country. Kelaniya, Bellanvila, and Kandy are prime examples. Massive amounts of donations keep pouring in to these institutions. The Kalutara Bodhi has millions of passing travellers\u00a0 <\/span>emptying their pockets as an insurance for a good journey. These have been occurring for many years. The Kings of the past had donated massive assets to places of worship in the form of Nindagam, Devalagam, and Viharagam. The Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters know that too well. I am not aware of any auditing of these donations that have ever been carried out in the face of such considerable cash handling. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sharing Wealth with Poorer Temples<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor Kapila rightly states that these rich temple worthies should consider sharing some of their wealth with the thousands of poor temples where monks have to battle daily for mere existence. Many temples in poor rural areas do not have many facilities to extend to the burgeoning number of faithfuls who flock to worship and to find solace. I know one temple in Pilimathalawa where the Nayake monk died young of complicated diabetes. He had drawn out a Last Will passing on the inheritance to his sisters\u2019s children!\u00a0 <\/span>The villagers were shocked.<\/span><\/p>\n

We blame the Christians, but their churches better manage donations and keep audited accounts. They also assist poorer diocese. This better management practice is partly related to the fact that churches are hierarchically managed under one unifying head whereas temples freely crop up and freely grow without any regulatory body. <\/span><\/p>\n

To come to the ostensive theme of the Holy Ones\u2019 statement, it is absolutely unfair to blame the government or the public or the growing social media for the attacks on the ill-discipline of members of the Sanga. The three Mahanaykes should have pulled up the misbehaving monks. I have many images saved that show how young monks in robes behaving worse than lay rowdies. Many of the latter are unshaven and they are seen at various protest venues rushing to the attack and unable even to contain the robe on their bodies. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gnanasara represents the apotheosis of this trend. I have already dealt\u00a0 <\/span>fully with this guy. How he entered a Magistrate\u2019s Court and threatened the grieving widow of Ekneligoda; how he turbocharged and spat filth on the police who came to bring him under control; how he organised goons to burn mosques. The videos have had wide circulation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Violence in thought and deed is anathema to Buddhist thinking. We say, \u201cMay all beings be happy!\u201d (sabbe saththa bhavathu sukkhi). That is our daily wish for all the living species. Is this what Gnanasara and his many likes practice? And what the Mahanaykes\u2019 underplay? And, thereby, encourage?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mahanayakes don\u2019t want us to criticise these ruffians and they don\u2019t want us to call them by their personal names without the prefix,\u201dswameen wahanse,\u2019 (something like,Oh Lord). Thus, I have sinned several times by calling this bloke simply Gnanasara. According to the Mahanayakes, if I were to address him I have to say, \u201cVenerable Sir\u201d! The Police must first worship Gnanasara; then say, \u201cVenerable sir, please don\u2019 t instigate people to violence! Be quiet!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To digest such stuff would have to take our sense of humour to impossible heights.<\/span><\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t it confounding\u00a0<\/span>when the Asgiriya Holy made the infamous statement that Gnanasara\u2019s \u201cmessage is good but his behaviour unacceptable?\u201d In effect, the Holy was exonerating the blackguard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Message and Behaviour No Distinction<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Message and behaviour cannot be distinct.The message is embedded in behaviour and the behaviour itself gives another message, namely, that it is right to verbally and physically assault\u00a0<\/span>another.\u00a0 <\/span>Hence, the distinction here made between the two things makes no sense. <\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Kapila makes the point that the first precept of the Noble Eightfold Path is \u2018right view (samma sankappa). What is this but one\u2019s message?From that flows three other steps of the Path, namely right intention, right action, and right speech. This is the whole point: Gnanasara\u2019s foul speech, and his physically violent disposition to act, and his very act of burning Muslim shops and mosques are an outrageous violation of the Noble Eightfold Path. The three undesirable characteristics of a person leading to akusal (demerit), namely raga (desire), dosa (hate) and moha (delusion) are personified in the images of young monks I mentioned earlier and Gnanasara. It was reported how Gnanasara is said to have verbally assaulted\u00a0 <\/span>Revd Watareka Vijitha, another monk, calling the latter, \u2018balla\u2019 (dog)<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is this what we are advised to condone? Is this why we should worship such monks? Crazy isn\u2019t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, like in politics, in the Sanga Sri Lanka has lost leadership. The days of Ven Narada, Kotahene Prgnakeerthi, Yakkaduwe Prajnaratne, Madihe Pannaseeha etc. are gone it seems forever. Is\u00a0 <\/span>the\u00a0 <\/span>great line of tradition begun by Ven Sariyuth Mugalan disappearing before our eyes? The Sanga is fast becoming an uncritical, naive, vacillating, and gullible lot lacking in the vast reservoir of erudition that their predecessors possessed.\u00a0<\/span>Naturally, they cannot lead a vast population thirsty for the Dhamma.<\/span><\/p>\n

I dare say, there are still some in the tradition of Sariyuth Mugalan in Sri Lankan temples but they are a minority and they, avoid publicity.\u00a0 <\/span>Publicity is what builds public and international perception.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sinhala Buddhism is in crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

*The writer can be contacted at sjturaus@optusnet.com.au<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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