අධ්‍යාපනයටත් රටක් විනාශ කල හැක
Posted on October 28th, 2016
– ධර්මසිරි සෙනෙවිරත්න –
අද ලංකාවේ දෙනු ලබන අධ්ධ්යාපන ක්‍රමය ඉංග්‍රීසින් විසින් තම අවශ්‍යතා සපුරා ගැනීමට සැකසු ක්‍රමය මතම සැකසුනකි අතීතයේ පවතී රටට ජාතියට ගැලපෙන අධ්ධ්යාපන ක්‍රමය අහෝසි කර ඇත .තමන්ට සුවච කීකරු ගෝලබාලයන් හදා ගනී මටත් ඉංග්‍රීසින් යොදාගත්තේ අධ්යාපනයය් . මෙය ඔවුන් විසින් ඉන්දියාවේද අනුගමනය කල ක්‍රමයය් . .ඉන්දියාවේ ජාතික කොන්ග්‍රසය බිහි කිරීමට දේශීය ප්‍රභූන් සමග එකතුවූ ඩබ්ලිව් හියුම් ප්‍රකාශ කලේ තව දුරටත් බලය අල්ලා තබා ගැනීමට හොඳම ක්‍රමය නම් ඉංග්‍රීසින්ගේ සංස්කෘතිය අනුව හැඩගැසුණ පිරිසක් බිහි කිරීම බවත් එවිට කීකරු කීප දාහක් සමග පමණක් ගනුදෙනු බේරාගත හැකි බවත් ය .. ලංකාවේදී ඉංග්‍රීසින් පළමුවෙන්ම කලේ බෙදා වෙන්කර පාලනය කිරීමේ න්‍යාය යටතේ ඉතාම සුළු ජන වර්ගයක් වුත් ඔවුන්ගේම කුලී වැඩට ඉන්දියාවෙන් ගෙන ආ දෙමළුන් ට ඉංග්‍රීසි ඇතුළු මිෂනාරි අධ්‍යාපනයක් දී රාජ්‍ය පාලනයට සහභාගී කර ගැනීමය .. මෙනිසා 1956 පමණ වන තුරු මහා ජාතිය සුළු ජන වර්ගයට යටවී සිටියේය .75% කට නොඅඩු සිංහල ජනගහනයක් සිටි රටේ නිදහස ගැන ඉංග්‍රීසින් හා සාකච්චාවට යැවීමට සිදුවුයේ රාමනාදන්ය .ඉංග්‍රීසි දැනුම නිසාම දෙමලු උගතුන් සේ සැලකීමටද සිංහලයෝ පෙළඹුනහ රාමනාදන් ආපසු පැමිණෙන විට ඔහු කරත්තයක තබා ඇදගෙන ගොස් ගරුබුහුමන් දක්වීමට ද එදා සිංහල ප්‍රභූ වරු කටයුතු කලේ ”සුරුස් බුරුස් ”ගා රාමනාදන් කතාකල ඉංග්‍රීසියෙන් බිරන්තට්ටු වී සිටි නිසාය
යාපනේ අධ්‍යාපන කටයුතු ඉංග්‍රීසින් විසින් බාර දුන්නේ ඇමරිකන් මිෂනාරීන්ටය.1816 09 -25 දින ඇමරිකන් සිලෝන් මිෂන් ව්‍යාපාර කටයුතු අරඹන ලදී .පුජක දනියෙල් පුවර් තෙලිප්පලෙය් හි පදිංචි වී වසරක් තුල දෙමල ඉගෙන ගෙන දෙමලෙන් දේශනා කිරීම ඇරඹුවේය . පළමු වසර දෙක තුල දෙමල පාසල් 12ක් අරඹන ලදී . අනෙක් සේවා මෙසේ වෙ .
1820 දී ආසියාවේ ප්‍රථම බටහිර වයි ද්‍ය මධ්‍යස්ථානය පොන්දිතිරිප්පු වල
1821 මනිපය් වල මුද්‍රණාලයක්
1823 වඩු ක් කොඩෙය්(වඩු ගොඩ) පාසලක්
1824 දී උඩුවිල් හි —උඩුවිල —–ආසියාවේ ප්‍රථම නේවාසික ගැහැණු පාසල
1848 මනිපය් රෝහල හා 1849 දී මනිපා ය් හෙදි පාසල හා මනිපාය් වයිද්ය විද්‍යාලය
කාන්තා නේවාසික පාසලේ මුල් කාලයේදී ඉගැන්වීමට අමතරව ඇඳුම් පැළදුම් හා ආහාර සපයා ඉගෙනීමෙන් පසුව විවාහයන්ද කරදෙන ලදී .. ඔබ්සර්වර් පුවත් පතට පමණක් පැරණි කමෙන් දෙවන වන ”’උදය තාරකෙය් ” නම් පුවත් පතක් පුවර දේව ගති වරයා විසින් 1841 දී අරඹන ලදී .
මේ සියල්ල කඩිමුඩියේ ලහි ලහියේ එහෙත් දිගු කාලීන සැලැස්මක් ඇතිව කරන ලද්දේ ඉංග්‍රීසි පාලකයන්ගේ අතවැසි දෙවන පන්තියේ නිලධාරී පැලැන්තියක් නිර්මාණය කර සිංහලයන්ට ඉහලින් රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ පිහිටු වීමටය .. එය එසේම සිදුවිය .. සිංහල රාජ්‍ය භාෂාව කරන තුරුම සිංහලයන්ට සිදුවුයේ සිංහල ගුරු පත්වීම් වලින් පමණක් සෑහීමට පත් වීමටය .
ඉතිරිය පසුව
October 28th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Tamils and Africans are and still remain most loyal slaves/servants of the British and other western nations. That was why they were taken around the world and given various subservient titles. By 1931, 4.9% of “Ceylon Tamil” men were fluent in English compared to just 4.2% of Sinhala men (it was a mere 0.9% for upcountry Sinhalese). It changed subsequently.
However, missionary education in the north had its share of problems. Hindus didn’t like it. Mostly low caste Tamils converted to Christianity to avoid caste discrimination. They had priority in getting into Christian missionary and other westerners’ run schools. Upper caste Tamils were very unhappy. Some even pretended to be Christians just to get an English education. They had to drink wine, do ballroom dancing, eat cow meat and give up their dress code, traditions and even religious holidays. It came to a head with Arumuga Navalar who resigned from Jaffna Central College over allowing a low caste student into the school. He started many vernacular Tamil medium schools for Hindus. His actions kicked out Christian missionaries from the north eventually.
KB Rathnayaka and Maithripala Senanayaka are two patriotic Sinhalese leaders from northern schools.
On the contrary, Sinhalese didn’t pose any such threat to Christian missionaries. A large number of patriotic leaders came out of Christian missionary schools in the south including Dharmapala, Bandaranaike and Senanayakes.
Interestingly almost all pioneering Tamil racist leaders and almost all subsequent Tamil racist party leaders were educated in Colombo, not Jaffna. This is a matter that needs to look into.
October 29th, 2016 at 4:11 am
දර්මසිරිත් දිල්‍රූක් දෙන්නම කියන කතා තමයි අපි වැඩිදෙනෙක් කියන්නේ. බිරිතානි-ඉන්දියානු අදිරදයේ ඉන්දියානු පරපෝසිතයන්ට ඉන්ග්‍රිසි ඉගෙනුමක් ලැබුනේය. හොඳම උදාහරනය තම්යි ෆීජී. සින්හලයන්ටත් ඉන්ග්‍රිසි ඉගෙනුම ලැබුනේ නැත. ඒ නිසා තමයි ඉන්දියානු අදිරදයත් පරපෝසිතයනුත් අපිට කෙලින්නේ. 56 හයේ බන්ඩගෙ ඉන් තමයි ඒක කලේ. ඒකනේ අද අමෙරිකානු තනපතිය …
October 29th, 2016 at 4:41 am
Dilrook,
You are mistaken when you say Anagarika Dharmapala was not a threat to Christian missionaries and schools. He was recognized as a threat to the Christian establishment during his time.
In fact, Dharmapala left the Christian school he was attending in DISGUST because they denigrated both the culture and the Buddhist religion of the Sinhala people, a situation that my parents and I also experienced, though to vastly different degrees.
That experience turned Dharmapala against the Christians and motivated his lifetime of activity to awaken the Sinhala Buddhist people to the value if their ancient cultural and religious heritage.
He was a GREAT THREAT to the Christian establishment and must be credited with stemming the tide of conversion of Buddhists to Christianity during his time. He played a large role in preserving and the Sinhala Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka that we have today. If not for people like him, Sri Lanka would be like another South Korea today, with a 70% Christian majority!
October 29th, 2016 at 6:45 am
@Ananda
The threat to missionaries (or the absence) was about Sinhalese in general (not Dharmapala or anyone else in person) compared to what happened in Jaffna in early 20th century. Incited by Navalar, people joined into to make sure Christian missionaries left. It didn’t happen outside the north.
I didn’t say Anagarika Dharmapala was or was not a threat to Christian missionaries and schools. I gave him as an example of a product of 3 Christian schools (and the absence of similar products from Jaffna schools) and Colombo Academy (Royal College). He left his Christian school a few months before his school leaving age after the 1883 Kotahena riot between Catholics and Buddhists. His school was in Kotahena.
I agree and appreciate his great contribution. Free education also helped bridge the education gap and ultimately bring all schools to the same syllabus (only to change again with international schools).
October 29th, 2016 at 11:09 am
Dilrook,
1. You said Sinhalese didn’t pose any such threat to Christians, and
2. Identified Dharmapala as an example of the large number of great patriots who attended a Christian Schools.
in the same paragtaph. Taken together these two statements imply, but do not directly state, that Dharmapala was not a great threat to the Christian missionary establishment.
I am glad you have clarified what you really meant and concur that INDEED HE WAS a great threat to the Christian establishment of his time.
October 29th, 2016 at 11:22 am
Dilrook,
BTW, I distinctly recall reading that Dharmapala left his Christian school in disgust, well before his final school year, because of the denigration of Sinhala culture and Buddhism by that school and it’s staff.
It may have been mentioned in that big autobiographical book entitled Anagarika Dharmapala. I have that book and a large collection of newspaper paper articles on him in a file; I will look for the exact reference.
October 29th, 2016 at 7:58 pm
@Ananda
Very much possible he left his third Christian school in disgust at the age of 19 also influenced by the aftermath of the riot.
The general public antagonism towards Christian schools was very mild (if any) in Sinhala areas. In Tamil majority areas however, there were direct suppression of Christian schools since 1920s and conversion of most into Hindu schools. This is contrasting.
November 3rd, 2016 at 11:53 am
Here is an article on Anagarika Dharmapala, a sincere Buddhist leader of those times.
Nearly 500 yrs of Colonisation of Lanka resulted in a number of able Sinhala Buddhist leaders being killed or driven to an early death through strife and stress.
PERSECUTION of able Sinhala/Buddhist leaders continue to date.
Buddhist Lanka has become a hub for foreign fights to manifest (Cold War players), ‘divide & rule’ and take possession of Lanka/parts of Lanka.
This is mainly due to Cold War/s, Ports, & proximity of Tamil Nadu & INDIA bringing in Tamil CASTE WARS to Lanka.
In what way/s can PEACE come to Lanka, given such odds ?
“All swim together
or Sink together”. ?
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Anagarika Dharmapala – a fearless defender of Buddhism
ISLAND, April 29, 2011, 3:38 pm
By Walter Wijenayaka
A true messenger of Buddha Dhamma born into a darkened world to shed light of truth, as well as an illustrious son of Sri Lanka, patriot, fearless defender of Buddhism and Sinhala culture at a time when they were despised as a result of foreign domination under the influence of the church, Anagarika Dharmapala born Don David, on September 17, 1864, to the family of Mudliyar Don Carolis Hewavitharana of Hitthotiya in Matara and Mallika Dharmagunawardena of Matara, breathed his last on April 29, 1933, 78 years ago.
He gave his alien name and took on the name Anagarika Dharmapala at age of 17 years and also gave up without regret all claims to wealth and position, for a life of religious dedication. Since that age, he had three sources of religious influence – his pious mother Mallika Hewavitharana and the two Buddhists of the day – Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayake Thera and Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera who played a vital role in the Panadura Buddhist – Christian controversy. Further he learnt the Sinhala Language and Buddhism from these erudite Bhikkhus.
Dharmapala had his primary education at a Christian Missionary School (St. Thomas’), Kotte. Then at St. Benedict’s Institute at Kotahena and S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia. In some writings it states that he also studied at the Catholic Missionary School, Pettah.
In the process of his spreading Buddha Dharma being not confined to Sri Lanka, he visited Britain, USA, France, Germany, Switzerland and other European countries. He even proceeded to Rome when a cardinal promised him an audience with the Pope. However, when Dharmapala told the cardinal that he would speak to the Pontiff about the drunkenness which the Europeans had introduced to Sri Lanka, the clergyman not only cancelled the appointment but also refused to see Dharmapala any more.
In alliance with Col. Henry Steele Olcott, he joined the Theosephical Society headed by the colonel and later became its Secretary. The Buddhist Theosephical Society, under his guidance, was able to establish Buddhist schools throughout the country which saw the birth of seats of learning such as Ananda, Nalanda, Mahinda and Dharmaraja for boys and Vishaka Mahamaya, Sangamitta etc. for girls.
He travelled all over the country by a bullock-cart specially decorated for the purpose from village to village, covering almost the entire Sri Lanka, championing the national, religious and cultural regeneration for Sinhala people. In this exercise, he could generate the fresh wave of enthusisiasm among the people of the country. The people all over the country thronged to listen to the speeches delivered by him.
During the Dutch period the village school was made the base for reception of instructions in the first principles of Christianity. Baptism was administered and marriage solomnised in the village school. The attendance of pupils was made compulsory and fines were imposed on parents of the pupils who did not attend school. The British destroyed tanks in Wellassa and Uva Province and uprooted the villager from his traditional homeland, forcing him to labour in coffee plantations.
The British opened up taverns in every village, throughout the interior and distributed liquor to make our people develop a taste for it. Dharmapala was a ‘teetotaller and not a meat eater, He denounced the drunkardness and encouraged vegetarianism.
He with four Bhikkus – Dunuwilla Chandrajothi, Matale Sumangala, Anuradhapura Pemananda and Galle Sudassana proceeded to India on July 10, 1891 for Dhammadutha work. Thus the campaign for the restoration of Buddha Gaya spearheaded by the Maha Bodhi Society.
More than six thousand delegates participated in this conference. Swamy Vivekananda represented India. C. W. Leadbeter on the Theosephical Society and Sir Edwin Arnold were among them.
He published the Maha Bodhi Journal, which was the official organ of the Maha Bodhi Society. From the year 1893, the struggle to restore Buddha Gaya commenced with the Hindu Mahantha taking steps to oppose every move of the Maha Bodhi’ Society for the restoration of Buddha Gaya. The campaign reached fruition on 1949, when the Governor of Bihar gave his assent to the law empowering the appointment of the Buddha Gaya Temple Management Committee of eight with four Indian Buddhists and four Hindus including the Hindu Mahantha.
Anagarika Dharmapala established the London Buddhist Temple – London Viharaya – way back in 1926. The establishment of this viharaya was an important step in his mission of bringing the dhamma to the attention of the Western countries. It is fitting therefore that on an occasion like this we take a fresh look at the reason which motivated him in establishing the London Viharaya. However the British Government took over the premises during World War II.
The late Sir Cyril de Zoysa re-established the London Viharaya in 1954 with the support of the London Viharadhara Sabha.
For the first time in India, Anagarika Dharmapala organized and conducted a Vesak festival in May 1906.
When the communal riots arose in the country in 1915, the authorities having come to kow of the strong Sinhala-Buddhist feelings among the Hewavitharana family deciding to dissolve the strength, arrested the youngest of the family Edmond Hewavitharana and tried him by Court Martial for treason. He was sentenced to penal servitude for life. Later he died inside jail. Anagarika Dharmapala who was in India at the time was kept under house arrest for five years at the request of the British rulers.
In 1915, the Mahabodhi Society in India became a registered body and Anagarika Dharmapala was elected the General Secretary. He erected a Viharaya at College Street, Calcutta on a land purchased by him. In this process the Government of India presented a sacred relic of the Buddha to the Maha Bodhi Society to be enshrined in the Vihara Chethiya. Mrs Mary Fester contributed a total of Rs. 63,606 and Maharaja of Baroda contributed Rs. 5,685 and M/s Birla Brothers also contributed a sum of Rs. 5,000 towards the Vihara fund. During this period he visited Sri Lanka and re-started the jouranal Sinhala Buddhaya which was suspended in 1915 during the riot period.
Anagarika Dharmapala who had the practice of reading and writing frequently had his own library in Sarnath. This library was named as Mulagandakuti Viharaya Library. This viharaya erected by him was ceremonially opened on November 11, 1931.
His last visit to Sri Lanka from India was in 1931 to form the Anagaraika Dharmapala Trust.
He was ordained in the name of Sri Devamitta Dhammapala on July 13, 1931, and received ‘Upasampada’ the higher ordination on January 16, 1933 and breathed his last marking the end of an era on April 29, 1933 at Sarnath in Benares in India at the age of 69.
Hundreds from far and near gathered at Sarnath to witness the funeral. As it was wished by the late Sri Devamitta Dhammapala the last rights were performed in a simple manner with traditional Budhist rights.
After two weeks of the funeral, his ashes were taken to Sri Lanka by a steam ship from Madras to Talaimannar and from there by train to the Colombo Fort Railway Station from where they were brought to the Maligakanda Pirivana in a grand procession.
May he attain the bliss of Nibbana!
November 3rd, 2016 at 2:33 pm
Dear Fran,
Thank you very much for publishing the article summarising Anagarika Dharmapala’s life, and his activities to protect the Sinhala people and their Buddhist religion. I will print out this article and add it to my collection.
I was aware that he attended S.Thomas, but I was not aware that he also attended S.Thomas in Mt. Lavinia, which I attended all of my school years, as well.
This is not the article I was referring to when I mentioned why he left his Christian School in DISGUST! I wonder whether he was attending S.Thomas then!
November 3rd, 2016 at 5:15 pm
Good news Ananda, he was studying at St Benedict’s (Kotahena) in 1883 when he left it following the Christian-Buddhist riot in Kotehena. Thereafter he studied at the Colombo Academy (Royal College) for a few months.
Don David Hewawitharana as he was known then (later Anagarika Dharmapala and Venerable Siri Devamitta Dharmapala) did study at St Thomas’. However, at that time it was located in Colombo north (near Kotahena) not Mt. Lavinia. Possibly SWRD Bandaranaike and SJV Chelvanayagam also studied at the same school while it was located in Colombo north.
According to centenary, etc. anniversary publications of these schools, a number of prominent Buddhist monks and Buddhist activists that studied in these schools hailed their schools and credited them for the education they received. It’s a matter of gratitude and gratefulness irrespective of differing religious views. Disgust of Christianity’s colonial imposition is one thing, gratitude for the education one received at a missionary school is another. I’m sure Ananda (going by his very high standards of gratitude) is appreciative of his education at St Thomas’ – a premier missionary school; undoubtedly the most influential of them all.
While remaining grateful for the education, I support dismantling missionary schools today. These must be converted to non profit entities managed individually without regard to religious sects. I have seen massive corruption, malpractices and heard stories of abuse in these schools. They must not be allowed to continue. Due to strong south Indian influence through Catholic brothers, sisters and fathers, they constantly ridicule our history, Sinhala culture and values. I personally struggled against them (facing threats from an aggressive section of students from a minority community) to retain the distinct identity of the Sinhala literary union.
November 4th, 2016 at 3:56 am
Ananda,
We would like to thank you very much for your steadfast commitment to justice & truth in Sri Lanka. Exposing the truth of matters is so important.
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At present, SL Parliament is virtually a dead body, with an inept Exec PM all set to crash the Economy, stuff the pockets of the ‘faithful’, and sell off the Country to foreign interests. The troubles are due mostly to failure of world systems in a world of nearly 8 Billion people, plus Cliimate Change and dire consequences, with polluted Air, Water & Food supply, and an earlier emphasis on War (coming mainly from the two world wars) as a solution to all of mankinds problems.
Self Realiance in any and every way possible may be the answer.
Buddhism has a large part to play in such a situation. Meditation a must for all (Buddhist) schools. The Colonial past took away that aspect in Buddhist schools and brought in the ‘divide & rule’ game instead. Time to bring our heritage back. Britain has already started teaching Meditation in their schools. Colonists have taken out the best idea from Sri Lanka – how ironical, how sad that we lost our precious heritage. It is not too late to recover.
November 4th, 2016 at 4:59 am
Hi Dilrook; are there any Sinhala kid in St Thomas, Bandarawela?
November 4th, 2016 at 6:18 am
Dear Ananda,
Our heartfelt thanks to you and all other Patriots of Lanka.
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Re Meditation (Buddhist Heritage), Dr Prasanna Cooray’s article in the ISLAND news site of today (Nov 4, 2016), refers to the Benefits of Meditation as well as other matters of interest in the sphere of Health (Mental & Physical).
The title of the Article is : “Agrochemical Poisoning in Sri Lanka” and the other relevant Health related articles are below that.
The main theme is “Health & Society” (a series of articles), by Dr Prasanna Cooray.
The west has incorporated Buddhist Meditation into modern Psycho-therapy and calls it Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This system is widely used all over the world. It empowers the patient to take charge of his/her life. It is high time Buddhists realized this and took just pride in their Buddhist heritage.
Also take great pride that the modern irrigation systems still cannot quite get the workings of the wise and clever ‘flow with Nature’, vast Irrigation Systems developed by the ancient Sinhale of Lanka.
Ancient Lanka’s Agrarian Society with the Buddhist base was a wonder to behold !
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The Colonial Christians schools in Lanka brought in the modern education methods, the teaching of the English language, Science & Tech and specialization later in those spheres viz Medical, Engineering sectors, etc.
It is time to tie up the best from both systems and introduce the Meditation factor into schools.
Properly done, Human Life Values will grow from and through Meditation.
November 4th, 2016 at 3:10 pm
Christie,
Most of the children attending S. Thomas at all locations, including Mt.Lavinia and Bandara well, are Sinhalese. Most of them are Anglican Christian, as is to be expected, but there is a minority of non-Chistian students (Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim). Most of this minority are Buddhist.