Buddhist world must help stop political-Christian agenda to displace Buddhism’s historical place in Sri Lanka through new constitution
Posted on January 15th, 2016
Shenali D Waduge
Buddhism came to Sri Lanka by royal invitation. Buddhism was followed by Sinhala Buddhists and respected by Tamil Hindus. 180 rulers of the Sinhale nation ruled following the Dasa–Raja–Dhamma: The ‘Ten Royal Virtues’. No politician (local or foreign), the UN, NGOs on payroll or heads of Abrahamic religions have any right to usurp that place on the argument that all religions must be equal only in Sri Lanka. This argument is strengthened by the fact that if Catholicism is the only religion to be given a sovereign country and a place in the UN while in majority Muslim countries the place of Islam is non-negotiable, why should Buddhism’s place that received State patronage for over 2500 years be removed just to pacify politically correct theories? As one of the 5 major religions of the world and the only to be scientifically proven the foremost place given to Buddhism in Sri Lanka is in grave danger of being removed. It is the duty of the Buddhist world to come to Sri Lanka’s assistance before a new constitution aims to dislodge the historical place afforded by the State to Buddhism.
The fear the Buddhist community has is based on factual and solid evidence.
When Christian colonial invaders saw all non-Christian religions as a threat and forced people to convert or face death, how different is the missionary program funded by Western governments aligned to western imperialism and gathering of flocks across all continents?
Did the British not lie when they promised to continue to give Buddhism its rightful place resulting in the 1815 Kandyan Convention the contents of which the British broke kick starting a well calculated plan to systematically remove the Buddhist identity of Sri Lanka?
If the Evangelical agenda made majority Buddhist South Korea into a nation ruled by Evangelicals in less than 60 years is it not this same fear that the Sinhala Buddhists of Sri Lanka have? USAID funds many faith-based organizations across the developing world.
When colonial Christians were ordered to convert natives by force and kill those that refused what makes this different from the role of missionaries/ Christian NGOs and other Evangelical groups with specific instructions to penetrate into poverty-stricken society riding on the camouflage of providing education, helping development and social service and thereby slowly entering non-Christian heartlands and converting innocent people? This was how South Korea was turned from a Buddhist nation to an Evangelical stronghold. The same fate happened to Buddhist Maldives which is today only Islam and even museums have no place for Buddhism.
That sad fate cannot be allowed to happen to Sri Lanka as history has shown how European colonials destroyed Buddhist Temples and Kovils throughout Sri Lanka.
When orders were given by the Church to colonial explorers to take over and declare as Christian any land/territory that was non-Christian to invade, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens, pagans, and other enemies of Christ, to put them into perpetual slavery, and to take away all their possessions and property” how is this different to the military interventions by US/NATO and their illegal occupation? The US/NATO occupies nations in Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia using ‘status of forces’ agreement and other illegal means.
The Spanish conquest in the America’s resulted in 8-10million indigenous deaths. In 170 years the Spaniards succeeded in subjugating the Mayas while their campaigns against Aztecs and Incas were much shorter. A short account of the destruction of the Indies” by Bartolome de las Casas in 1552 says that the colony of Hispaniola was reduced from 400,000 to just 200. 500 years of colonial crimes included decimating Native Americans. An estimated 10m Native Americans lived in the land now known as US before European explorers arrived. By 1900 their numbers were less than 300,000. A hallmark of colonial rulers has been to totally remove the independent thinking capacity of indigenous/natives and use a system of dependent thinking through education wherein majority of people continue to be made to think that only the West has the answers to all the world’s problems.
When the Christian colonials excused their invasions to ‘civilize’ the unknown world is that any different to the manner US/Western nations and their allies are using ‘democracy’ ‘freedom’ ‘rights’ as terminologies to descend and force nations to function according to their dictates?
Walter Rodney’s How Europe underdeveloped Africa’ and Richard W Hull’s ‘African cities and towns before the European conquest’ also expose the falsely publicized notion that Africans were primitives and needed to be ‘civilized’ by the Europeans. William Blum’s U.S. Military and CIA Interventions since World War II” will shock most readers!
When colonials used merciless methods to annihilate and destroy the cultures, traditions and historical monuments of the indigenous people was this any different from the manner US/NATO are neutralizing Islam/Muslims using a bogus ‘war on terror’ created by them?
Today, there are no historical buildings or monuments in Africa. West Africa (present Nigeria) once had beautiful cities and monuments. Africa’s glorious past is detailed by Robin Walker (pan-African historian) in his book When we ruled”. Benin City is just one of the cities burnt to the ground by British forces in 1897 while the British war crimes in Iraq since 2001 are being suppressed by the British Government. Similarly Gold Coast (present Ghana) Asante Kingdom was also blown up and destroyed by the British. So too was Timbuktu (present Mali) the richest city in the world and emperor Mansa Musa who was worth $400billion producing half the world’s salt and gold. Today Timbuktu is almost 300 times smaller than London and impoverished with beggars. http://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/the-great-bini-empire-african-legacy/comment-page-1/ This list gives an idea of the cultures/traditions destroyed by Christian conquest with the carnage continuing through missionaries. http://www.crusadewatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=355&Itemid=36
Australasia’s indigenous people too suffered. Tasmania’s natives who had been living for over 10,000 years were all annihilated in 73 years after Britain began settling criminals in 1803. Australian aborigines also suffered genocide in the 19th and 20th centuries with their population dropping from about 1m to 0.1m in the first century after the invasion in 1788. David Cameron who proudly says Britain is still a Christian nation is reminded that his ancestors used Terra Nullius (empty land) papal bull to take possession of Australasia and Britain destroyed a 50,000 year old culture in less than 200 years. Britain is also yet to be accountable for starving to death 29 million Indians.
Christian history books have been telling lies. Christopher Columbus did not discover Americas in 1492. Americas were already inhabited by natives living there for centuries. Columbus and his men committed horrendous atrocities. If Christopher Columbus were alive today, he should be put on trial for crimes against humanity but why do Americans celebrate Columbus Day every year on the second Monday in October? It is because the knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal service organization were looking for a Catholic hero as a role-model their kids could look up to. How many other mass murderers have been made saints! Joseph Vaz also with a scarred past was recently made a saint by Pope Francis.
Though it was only in 1944 that the word Genocide was coined by Raphael Lemkin, the accountability for mass murders, stealing land from indigenous people, forced conversions, inflicting diseases with intent to kill, annihilating entire tribes, destroying ancient monuments, cultures, stealing ancient artifacts and treasures and 500 years of Christian colonial crimes against humanity and genocide across Americas, Africa, Australiasia by conquering Christian Europeans have been conveniently brushed under the carpet with not one of these nations held for accountability.
Using the ‘war on terror’ in one hand and ‘bringing democracy’ in the other the evil axis are manipulating world systems to bring people under their control and plunder the world’s wealth amongst themselves.
None of the military interventions taking place provide any benefit or relief to the ordinary people of the West except burdening them by having to pay for the illegal wars. Every political decision being made by the West is to secure additional profit to a handful of people only using more sophisticated methodologies that what was adapted by colonial rulers.
Christianity has $170billion while Islam has $87billion to promote their faith globally. Buddhism only promotes a philosophy inherent to the individual’s goal of purifying the mind. Buddhism was founded long before Christianity or Islam. Sri Lanka is the oldest country to follow Theravada Buddhism which claims to be the oldest and authentic school. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand are facing similar existential threats by the same forces that are manipulating the local politicians and influencing a new constitution that would legally remove the place Buddhism held for centuries thereby realizing a long attempted historical goal.
Into this axis India has joined though India is the birthplace of Buddha attracting visitors from the world. If India watches while the place of Buddhism is uprooted in Sri Lanka, India will lose its respect and bring to nought all the cosmetic efforts India is doing politically to project itself as championing the cause of Buddhism.
The present Government will be doing a historical injustice to Buddhism by removing the State patronage afforded to Buddhism over centuries just to please the forces that brought them to power. It is good to remember that these forces are capable of removing puppets just as quickly as placing them in power when they read the pulse of the people!
It is therefore crucial that China and fellow Buddhist nations including Russia, the only western nation to officially recognize Buddhism, come to Sri Lanka’s assistance and diplomatically lobby to deny the removal of the foremost place & state patronage given to Buddhism in a new constitution being drafted without the People’s wishes.
Shenali D Waduge
January 15th, 2016 at 6:07 am
I haven’t read the article yet, but glad to have Shenali back.
January 15th, 2016 at 7:55 am
Shenali thanks for batting the Indian imperialists and Indian colonial parasites who are Hindus. There are more Hindus than Buddhists in the world. If you have followed Soma Thero the biggest threat to Buddhism comes from the Hindus. Both Mahinda and Sirisena are Hindus as they go to Indian Hindu temples as soon as they win elections. Look at the Hindu Kovils that have sprung across the island since 1956.
January 15th, 2016 at 7:56 am
henali thanks for batting for the Indian imperialists and Indian colonial parasites who are Hindus.
January 15th, 2016 at 12:46 pm
SHENALI !! Yes, I see it has come to a point, where Buddhists and Sangha should stand together to defend the Country of such evil Anglican forces.
January 15th, 2016 at 1:09 pm
Great to see Shenali’s articles again ! Keep it up, Shenali and wish you the best of Health !
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The Hindu religion is full of rituals, epic stories etc. There is also the Caste System which is a part of it. This part is dreaded by the Dalits of India who have to endure the permanence of it on their birth certificates.
The true beauty of the Hindu religion is in the Four Yogas. The Raj Yoga is akin to Buddhism. Therefore, India ought not to suppress Buddhism in Lanka.
Agree with Shenali that all countries that appreciate the great truth and beauty of Buddhism must come to Lanka’s aid NOW in her hour of need, to save Buddhism in Lanka and the Unitary status Nation. Unitary status does not mean Fed state for Tamils of Lanka. A Fed State is as good as Eelam. One law, One set of rules, One country – Sri Lanka.
January 15th, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Pertinent to address what Lanka needs from the west :
Knowledge on Sc&Tech. That’s it.
January 15th, 2016 at 3:06 pm
“China and fellow Buddhist nations including Russia, the only western nation to officially recognize Buddhism, come to Sri Lanka’s assistance and diplomatically lobby to deny the removal of the foremost place & state patronage given to Buddhism in a new constitution being drafted without the People’s wishes.”
NOT TRUE.
Russia is a CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALIST country. It recognizes ISLAM as well as BUDDHISM but will NEVER defend Islam or Buddhism.
China has BANNED Theravada Buddhism the type found in SL and TIBET.
So if you want to protect Buddhism, it has to be done within SL.
The BIGGEST threat to Buddhism comes from HINDUISM. All these ANTI-BUDDHIST things are done by the govt. because HINDUSTAN wants these done.
January 15th, 2016 at 3:09 pm
Ven SOMA was killed in Russia by state supported Christian fundamentalist groups.
Asking them to protect Buddhism is a JOKE.
China persecute MORE BUDDHISTS than any other country in the world. MOST Buddhists of China live in Endia.
Asking them to protect Buddhism is a JOKE.
Lets be practical when trying to save Buddhism and NOT have over our chickens to foxes.
JEWS in USA will protect Buddhism as Theravada Buddhism is the fastest growing practice among them (except the karma BS). We have to reach out to them. SL had a few prominent JEWISH Buddhist monks.
January 15th, 2016 at 4:17 pm
“when you migrate from one culture to another – you loose both”.
January 15th, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Whilst the State & Religion must be kept separate, in the case of Sri Lanka, the State has to protect Buddhism without interfering with the existing Vinaya which is quite adequate as a set of Rules for the Buddhist priests. In turn, if the Chief Prelates could ensure that only those with true calling are ordained into priesthood, it would be great.
Other Theravada Buddhist countries and willing other sects of Buddhism in other countries could lend moral support for this venture. Sri Lanka Buddhists could support other Buddhist countries in their endeavors, at least as moral support.
January 15th, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Well said Shenali.The reason why Buddhism needs protection is because there are several other religions which are very aggressively converting anyone they can to their religions. These religions are well funded by very rich countries. In case of Buddhism they have no one. Buddhists also do not go round trying to convert anyone mainly because Buddhism is not a religion. It is a Philosophy and is like a gentle flower which has to be protected. Otherwise like in Indonesia, Afghanistan and South Korea Buddhism will be displaced by the more aggressive religions to the detriment of the local culture. The Muslims and the Christians are able to practice their culture and live in peace because of Buddhisms core values of compassion and tolerance. When the Portuguese were threatening the Muslims it was a Sinhala Buddhist King who gave them land in the East and settled them. It was the same with the Catholics who were threatened who were given land in Matale by the King.
January 15th, 2016 at 5:24 pm
Buddhism needs protection….
BECAUSE Buddhism cannot stand on its own legs. It needs the support of power blocks: governments and wealthy patrons.
Buddhism has no inherent power structure or organs of authority. Its top brass monks are only ceremonial figure-heads. They are like belled cats who sit enthroned while the ‘mice’ monks run circles around them.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
January 16th, 2016 at 5:02 am
Catholic-run UNPelievably UNPatriotic party wants to destroy Buddhism from Sri Lanka. To spearhead this, they have the
best man in catholic pol pot ponil in charge for the first time. So they have to get the job done quickly and they are going full steam ahead. Pol pot ponil has all the brutal qualities needed for the job. He is ruthless; he is murderous; he is determined.
Buddhist monks are the only ones who comes forward to defend what is left of Sri Lanka, Buddhism and the Sinhalese.
While Sri Lanka, Sinhalese race and Buddhsim being destroyed at will by the 3 enemies (tamils, mussies and catholics) all the toothless, spineless Sinhalese politicians keep quiet for the fear of losing their support. So while they don’t give a damn, the Bikkus always come forward and protect. That is how pathetic the situation of the Sinhalese. Now there is a guy who has no saying in the country’s affairs as the president and the murderous pol pot ponil is running the show. He set the tiger boys free to start their separatist agenda and sent the soldiers who put their lives on the line to prison. He is aided by a lot of Buddhist haters like, bandit queen, john mara, asgiriye kapuwa thibbotu-brained sumangala, etc. etc.
Buddhim gone from the school curriculum. Now Buddhist monks are being reined in while catholic, hindu and mussie priests can do or say whatever they like. This is what some Sinhalese voted for and still canvassing for. Those traitors are a curse to Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese race and Buddhism. Catholic-run UNPatriotic party has been slowly and systematically
destroying Buddhism from Sri Lanka. This is what the catholic west needed. Sinhalese Buddhists are attacked by three fronts; tamils and mussies and catholics. Still some stupid Sinhalese don’t understand this simple truth. When you have enemies within their job is much much easier. Sinhalese race and Buddhism are doomed thanks to those traitors. Future generations going to curse you traitor lot!
January 16th, 2016 at 7:19 am
In the Internet and in news, Ranil W. Is shown up as a Theravada Buddhist. Yet it appears always that his loyalties and leanings are AWAY from the local Buddhist people of Lanka, isn’t it ?
The Army & the Buddhist monks are there for the PROTECTION of ALL the People of Lanka, as proven many times. That is, the Army for elimination of terrorism and the Buddhist monks for upholding Buddhist values and point out home truths so that all may benefit.
Yet, Ranil’s present day UNP govt which is the true political party in power, is only following what is taught what to do by foreign interests. It is the UNP that have downed both balancing powers in Lanka, without any explanation why, except that it seems apparent it is due to foreign interests.
Las laugh may be with Indo/Brits and Tamil leaders ?
As usual, the “Ugly Sisters”, RW/CBK duo, would have ruined the country through their thick headed activities. As for the Ugly Sisters, they remain so, no matter how hard they try to look good.
There are better ways to have tackled the present world crises that affect Lanka too. There are ways in which the co-operation of the People could have been roped in, without humiliating the entire Nation.
January 17th, 2016 at 10:22 pm
Last 2,000 years, Christianity has depended on the miracles which were its basic foundations to prove it a superior religion to any other religion. These miracles have been, for the last 2,000 years, the superiority of Christianity over all religions; otherwise what has Christianity got? The pope represents Jesus. He should do at least some little miracles as evidence that he is really representative; otherwise what has he got to prove that he is the representative?
Walk on water, and the whole world will become Christian. And the Pope says faith in Jesus can do miracles — then try it! He must have faith.
But no any Pope is ready to walk on water. They all know that nature does not change its laws for anybody.
So it is a bold step, but very dangerous. If you take away all the miracles of Jesus then a very poor man, just a carpenter’s son, is left behind, with nothing to be compared with Shakyamuni . Really you take away all his glory which depends on miracles. But you cannot prove miracles, and because you cannot prove miracles you create suspicion about Jesus. So it is better to drop miracles; at least the suspicion about Jesus will be dropped. But you don’t understand the implication: without miracles Jesus means nothing.
Without miracles Shakyamuni remains the same, because he never did any miracles. People loved him not for his miracles. People loved him for his clarity of perception, of seeing into the very root of things, of giving insights to people to transform life. Walking on water is simply stupid. Even if you can do it, then too it is not a miracle, it is simply stupidity, because you will remain the same. You will not come out of the water a transformed human being.
Just to give you an idea of how Shakyamuni and Jesus Christ will behave in a similar situation…. Lazarus is dead. His sisters are great devotees — Lazarus was a great friend of Jesus. They send a message to him, “Come, Lazarus is dead!” And they keep his body inside a cave. Jesus comes and he calls Lazarus, standing outside the cave, “Lazarus, come out!”
Lazarus says, “Have you come? Great, I am coming!” And he comes out. It seems to be dramatic, it seems to be all planned. It seems the man was not dead. He was a friend, his two sisters were devotees — it was as if he was simply sitting there, waiting.
But it is not a miracle. And even if it is a miracle, even if Lazarus comes back to life, he is not transformed. We don’t hear anything else again of Lazarus. A man who has died, a man who has gone through the process of death to the beyond, who comes back, cannot be the same. Lazarus would have become a great master, but he remained the same person — no change at all.
In a similar situation Shakyamuni behaves differently, and I think that is the way any wise man will behave. A woman, Kisa Gotami had only one son. Her husband had died, her other children had died; she had seen death in its brutal ugliness. Only one son remained, and she was living only for him; otherwise there was nothing for her to live for. She wanted to kill herself; she had lost everything — all those people she had loved and lived for. But her neighbours suggested, “One son is alive — without you he will also be dead. Take care of him. We understand your sorrow…”
But one day that boy also died, and Kisa Gotami went completely mad. It was a coincidence that Shakyamuni was staying in the same city of Shravasti. Somebody suggested to Kisa Gotami, “A great mystic is here. Why don’t you take your son to him? He can do anything; he is a man of tremendous power. Seeing your situation, and knowing his compassion, something is possible. Perhaps your son may come back to life.”
Kisa Gotami went with the dead body. She put the body at the feet of Shakyamuni and said, “I have lost everything — all my children, my husband. I was living only for this son; now he is also dead. I have heard much about your compassion. Now is the time to show it. Let my son get up again, resurrect him.”
Shakyamuni said, “On one condition: you go into the town… to resurrect your child I need a few mustard seeds, but they should be from a family where nobody has ever died.”
Kisa Gotami was not in a state of mind to realize that this was impossible, that the condition could not be fulfilled. She went from one house to another and people said, “We can give you as many mustard seeds as you want. We can fill our bullock carts with mustard seeds and bring them to Shakyamuni if your son can be revived. But our mustard seeds won’t help, because not only one but thousands must have died in our family. For generations after generations, people have been dying. These mustard seeds are not going to fulfill the condition.
She went on, and the same was the answer everywhere. She went to the king of Shravasti and told him, “Can’t you do just a small thing for me? A few mustard seeds and my son can be back, alive.”
The king said, “You can have as many mustard seeds as you want.”
But the woman said, “There is a condition, and the condition is that in your family no one should have died. And your family is royal — certainly you will fulfill my condition.”
The king said, with tears in his eyes, “Royal or not royal, death makes no difference. My father has died, my son has died, and an unaccountable number of people must have died in my family before I was born. You have to forgive me; I can give you anything you want, but that condition cannot be fulfilled.”
The whole day going round the city, the woman became alert of a fact… death is inevitable, today or tomorrow.
After seeing the king she came back to Shakyamuni, touched his feet and said, “Please forgive me. I was asking you to do something against nature, and you were wise enough not to say no to me. Instead you gave me an opportunity to understand that my asking was wrong. Please initiate me. I don’t have anything to live for, but I would like to know what it is that lives and what it is that dies.” Shakyamuni initiated her, and she became one of the great meditators among his followers.
Now, which one is a miracle, Lazarus or Kisa Gotami ? Which one did the miracle? — Jesus Christ or Shakyamuni?
Shakyamuni is not doing a miracle at all, but if you understand it rightly, he is doing the miracle, because he is changing the woman from a mad state into a meditative state.
Even if Lazarus becomes alive he remains Lazarus, and one day he will die again, so what is the point?
But Christianity has depended on these miracles in proving its superiority over other religions; But if you drop all miracles then Jesus Christ is left naked; you have taken all his clothes, he has nothing to give to the world.
According to the Bible, Joseph was a 90 years old man at the time of marriage with the Mary – Mother of Jesus of Christ
Religion is an opium that can be used either constructively to preach peace or to terrorize the defenseless and kill women and children. As Christianity forged its way through the Atlantic and Indian ocean via European and American ships, the Arabs found a way of riding camels through deserts with Islam on their helm.
Buddhism is a philosophy and it is something other than the superstitious rubbish most of the people believe religion to be. Religions including Christianity and Islam are passionate, irrational and messy. But Buddhism is the flower of human intellect and it is reasonable and civilized. Religions including Christianity and Islam inspire war and atrocity.