{"id":202450,"date":"2019-06-09T00:02:35","date_gmt":"2019-06-08T18:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=202450"},"modified":"2019-06-11T23:57:46","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:27:46","slug":"fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast In Kandy, A Feast For Fools \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sarath de Alwis<\/a>\u00a0–<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sarath de Alwis<\/p><\/div>\n

When a wise man, established well in morality\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Develops consciousness and wisdom,<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Then as a bhikkhu ardent and sagacious<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

He succeeds in disentangling this tangle.\u00a0~\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/em>Visuddhimagga \u2013 Path to purification\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The prelude:<\/b><\/p>\n

It was called a \u2018Fast unto death. It turned out to be a feast of fools. Feast of fools was a quasi-religious yearly event in medieval Europe. The purpose was to mock overbearing church dignitaries.<\/p>\n

Victor Hugo made it consequential in literature. In his \u2018Hunchback of Notre Dame<\/i>,\u2019 Quasimodo is crowned King of Fools in festivities of a feast of fools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The organized Buddhist church has now started issuing \u2018Fatwas\u2019 in the form of \u2018Sangha Agnnas\u2019 or edicts. It is time to take the bull by its horns. \u00a0<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence this essay on the \u2018Four day fast unto death by Bhikkhu Parliamentarian Athuraliye Rathana<\/strong><\/a> thera. I undertake this voyage in the clear belief that conscience is not proprietary to the priestly vocation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is something that our \u2018Mahanayakes\u2019 will not talk about and our \u2018Jananayakes\u2019 will not think about.<\/p>\n

That is the spirit of free inquiry as contained in the instructions given by the master to the \u2018Kalama community in the Kalama Sutta. It is the Buddhas finest discourse to lay followers. It rejects fanaticism, bigotry, dogmatism, and intolerance. Qualities that are plentiful in those who constitute the core subject of this essay.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time has come for us to seriously ponder on what the Buddha taught then and what the Sangha preach now. The sooner we undertake the task, the faster this nation will revert to sanity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

This picture of the Dharmic Drama in Kandy digitally recorded on an iphone by a young bhikkhu conveys a uniquely contemporaneous narrative. Canonical caprice has replaced Buddha\u2019s Renunciation and Nonattachment with Parochial Prejudice.<\/p><\/div>\n

The muddle:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Sinhala Buddhism is intransigent dogmatism. Mangala Samaraweera<\/strong><\/a> has read the \u2018Kalama Sutta\u2019. He quotes it fearlessly. Why? Because he has no plans to be President or Prime minster. On this subject Ranil Wickremesinghe<\/strong><\/a> is either tongue tied or has swallowed a dumpling whole.\u00a0<\/span>Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/strong><\/a> is unconcerned. He is the patron of the clerical outfit.\u00a0<\/span>He won the war. So, he alone has the formula that allows his kids to hold formula 1 grand prix races around the Kandy lake. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plain, naked, hard truth\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cSiddhartha\u2019 in Sanskrit means he who achieves his goal. Prince Siddhartha after his renunciation, found the ultimate truth. He discovered the \u2018Sea of Samsara\u2019 and how it can be traversed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Buddhists, we are familiar with the analogy of the \u2018Sea of Samsara\u2019. It is the endless ocean we must cross, lifetime after lifetime to reach the distant shore of \u2018Nirvana\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to conventional wisdom, the saffron robe marks a tranquil mind. The wearer has renounced worldly concerns. The \u2018Saffron wearer is engaged in constructing the \u2018raft\u2019 that will take him across the sea of \u2018Samsara\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We learnt the story when we were quite young. A man trekking through the misery of suffering arrives at an enormous expanse of water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Danger, Discomfort and Drudgery surround him. Across the great expanse of water is the other shore safe, secure and inviting. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no boat or bridge in sight. With assiduous application he gathers grass twigs and branches. He ties them all together to make a simple raft. Relying on the raft to keep himself afloat, the man paddles with his hands and feet to reach the safety of the other shore. Once over there, he continues his journey on dry land.<\/p>\n

Buddha\u2019s parable of the raft is virtually a \u2018do it yourself\u2019 (DIY) manual on how the raft is made and how it is paddled across the sea of samsara. What is important is that the user must discard it after use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An enlightened person, when safely across must know the difference between good and evil. Morality is still the main compass. That means holding on to any set of rules or teachings after they have served their purpose is futile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bre:<\/b><\/p>\n

Venerable Rathana thera does not intend to construct his raft any time soon. He does not intend to paddle across the sea of samsara either.<\/p>\n

To him the \u2018Saffron Robe\u201d is something of an Aqualung for diving into the deep waters of murky, tribal politics of prejudice. Rathana Thera seems hell bent in frolicking in the turbulent sea of Samsara! \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Misinterpreting scripture, doctoring the doctrine are not the exclusive preserve of\u00a0<\/span>Abu Bakr el Baghdadi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u2018fast unto death\u2019 operation, that also was a rare display of rowdy piety and wooly headed patriotism was called off after four days of sacrilegious suspense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The analysis\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The venue chosen for the \u2018fast unto death\u2019 is significant. The majestic repository of the sacred tooth relic is no ordinary shrine. It is the symbol of Sinhala Buddhist sovereignty.<\/p>\n

In the uncertain times of the besieged kingdom of Kandy, with \u2018Nayakkars\u2019 on the throne, invaders entrenched in the littoral, the \u2018Dalada Maligawa\u2019 was the suzerain around which governance revolved.<\/p>\n

Even in the present day in the Sinhala Buddhist majoritarian state, the sanctity of the preeminent Buddhist shrine of the \u2018Theravada\u2019 Buddhist world serves as an instrument that can confer political legitimacy. Rathana thero chose his venue for politics of piety and protest wisely and judiciously.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite my unconditional solidarity with Mangala Samaraweera on his no holds barred secular political values and multicultural social norms, I think he was hasty in faulting his eminence Malcom cardinal Ranjith for his visit to the site of the fast and for his exchange of views with the fasting prelate. He discharged his duty as a prince of the church. <\/b>\u201c<\/b>Then render to Caesar what is Caesar but give to God what is God\u2019s.\u201d (Mat 22:15-21).<\/b> \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Historical context\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The eminent Sri Lankan Social Anthropologist H.L. Seneviratne<\/strong><\/a> has written a comprehensive ethnography of rituals observed in temple of the sacred tooth relic perceived as the shrine that bestows bounteous benefits to the Sinhala Buddhist realm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few revelatory passages from his \u2018Rituals of the Kandyan Sate\u2019 will help us to understand the predicament we are in and how we got there.<\/p>\n

\u201c..in Kandyan times the \u2018Dalada \u2018 was a legitimizer of political power. ..today there is no\u00a0 <\/span>belief\u00a0 <\/span>in the Dalada as a direct legitimizer of political power :but indirectly the Dalada has clear political meanings.<\/i><\/p>\n

Thus, when a new government is sworn in, their first act is to visit the temple from where the mass media broadcast the ceremonial proceedings. The function of this act is twofold. Firs, it identifies the rulers with the religion and in this sense gives them a kind of legitimacy. Second it identifies the government with the culture of the past, the revival of which is promised by all parties. \u201c<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Asgiriya and Malvatta monasteries have traditionally and jealously guarded their exclusive right to the custodianship of the Tooth Relic and the rights of residence in, and special association with the Temple accruing to them thereby.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cConflicting ideologies and attitudes such as that broadly termed conservative and radical as well as social forms that can be called archaic and modern, all seem to find both a place and legitimacy in the Temple and its rituals. The Temple cannot but be considered a cherished symbol meaningful to diverse and conflicting groups.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Professor H.L. Seneviratne wrote these passages in 1978. Nothing has changed.\u00a0<\/span>The time warp of Sinhala Buddhism is intact and safe. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We, ordinarily folk worship the sacred relics from a distance. Only the powerful and the privileged can worship in the \u2018sanctum sanctorum\u2019. That too by the grace of the two monastic orders who claim the prerogative of its custodial care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lest you forget, that is from the time that the British voluntarily vested them with the task. It was the royal obligation of the dethroned king whom the other acclaimed social anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere<\/strong><\/a> calls the \u2018doomed king\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contemporary conundrum\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The visit to the site by his eminence Malcom cardinal Ranjith is portentous. The collective resignation of all nine Muslim ministers is menacingly momentous.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the aftermath of the carnage on Easter Sunday, two perilous consequences have surfaced. There is an overpowering rise of zealotry. There is a decisive decline of civility in the political debate. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The fasting monk targeted two Governors and one Cabinet Minster. The other eight holders of ministerial office resigned not so much as an act of solidarity with the three who were specified by Rathna thero but in simple recognition of the polarization that the \u2018Fast unto death precipitated with several supportive demonstrations staged in Colombo and in some provincial towns.<\/p>\n

What Athuraliye Rathana thero did with his \u2018Fast unto death\u2019 at this critical hour must be recognized for what it is. He removed moderation from our political discourse. I leave it to the reader to compare the strategy of the monk with that of the Salafist Jihadists.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exposing apostasy:<\/b><\/p>\n

Indologist and Buddhist Scholar Richard Gombrich explains the essence of Buddha\u2019s teaching in luminous clarity. Nirvana is the abolition of passion. Passion means wanting something very much. It is the opposite of hatred and confusion. The two factors that influenced the staging of the \u2018Fast unto death.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unburdened by a manufactured past the Buddhist scholar explains the concept of the \u2018three jewels\u2019- the \u2018Thrivida Rathnaya\u2019 \u201cBuddha is the physician. Dharma is the medicine. Sangha is the nurse. In Sinhala Buddhism the nurse is also the proxy physician.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moderation is the political temperament that values self-restraint. Self-restraint is normally a personality trait. But in the case of a \u2018Buddha Srawaka\u2019 who answered the great master\u2019s call to spread the message of compassion for the benefit of the many it must be more than a personal trait. It is the existential meaning of the saffron robe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Religious passion in any form enslaves the human mind. It is incompatible with either reason or ethical conduct. Events in Kandy will be stark reminder of how easy it is to slide from expedient politics to unbridled fanaticism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The painful truth<\/b><\/p>\n

Politics, by its very nature thrives on divisions and disagreements.\u00a0<\/span>A Buddhist Bhikkhu in politics can wield a greater influence by injecting an element of moderation through a higher commitment to dialogue and compromise.<\/p>\n

Rathana Thero is a Buddhist Bhikkhu. That is undisputed. But is he a Buddhist who practices compassion for the world ? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":202453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\nFast In Kandy, A Feast For Fools \u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fast In Kandy, A Feast For Fools \u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[…]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colombo Telegraph\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-08T18:32:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-11T18:27:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Athuraliye-Rathana.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"936\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"538\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarath de Alwis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarath de Alwis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/\",\"name\":\"Fast In Kandy, A Feast For Fools \u00a0 - Colombo Telegraph\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Athuraliye-Rathana.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-08T18:32:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-11T18:27:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9314baba9871514de4e0a9c997223784\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/fast-in-kandy-a-feast-for-fools\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Athuraliye-Rathana.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Athuraliye-Rathana.jpeg\",\"width\":936,\"height\":538,\"caption\":\"This picture of the Dharmic Drama in Kandy digitally recorded on an iphone by a young bhikkhu conveys a uniquely contemporaneous narrative. 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