Unethical Practices : Hijacking Buddhist architecture and projecting as Christian!
Posted on June 16th, 2015
Shenali D Waduge
450 years of foreign invasion & occupation, 133 years of British rule cannot replace 2300 years of Sinhala Buddhist rule but they keep trying and gaining ground too. 67 years of post-independence where former colonies remain tied to and enslaved by colonial systems cannot be allowed to continue the hidden objective of removing the Sinhala Buddhist identity and denationalizing the people to facilitate foreign agendas that aspire to replace our historic culture, heritage, religion with theirs in a carefully hidden program being implemented across all former colonies still.
We need to realize and address the covert and over attempts to systematically change Sri Lanka’s identity of 2300 years of Buddhist governance following dasa raja dhamma ethics and ethical livelihood which even Indian invaders followed and the legacy of heritage, culture and irrigation marvels that continue to baffle modern day engineers.
That the objective of Western colonials was to replace Buddhism with Christian rule is evident by the manner Portuguese, Dutch and British went on a systematic campaign to kill Sinhalese, destroy Buddhist architecture, heritage and eventually resorted to converting Buddhists dividing them into Christians/Catholics. In short the objective of Western colonial rulers was to break the national identity and to do that it was necessary to divide or destroy the Sinhala Buddhists.
The same was done to Hindus of India. The historical colonial injustices remain unapologized, unaccounted and not even compensated while post-independence injustices are being carefully camouflaged.
It is on the virtue of the 2300 years of Buddhist governance that even when the Sinhale nation was ceded by traitors to the British in 1815 the Kandyan Convention assured to protect the placed of Buddhism. Article 9 of Sri Lanka’s Constitution is merely a continuation of the 2300years Buddhist governance that prevailed. It is nothing that anyone can make objections to and nothing they should try to change and successive governments whatever their personal or party ideologies are should not be allowed to legally/constitutionally change this historical identity and replace it with another!
Attempts have been made through traitors of Sri Lanka to even change the place given historically to Buddhism. Sri Lanka’s Constitution has a separate chapter (2) Article 9 that declares The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1) (e).
The Abrahamic religions continue to flirt with local traitors to dilute the place of Buddhism in an effort that remains enshrined in their mission/vision & objectives whatever they say otherwise. Massive funds are allocated for this effort that the Sinhala Buddhists or even Tamil Hindus can only match by awareness. The introduction of liberal notion multiculturalism is meant to declare all religions/cultures/history as equal when it is not so. It is nations that do not have a culture/heritage or history that jumps on the bandwagon to gain via modern liberal movements what they historically do not possess.
The manner in which historical architecture has become victim goes to show a sinister plan to remove historical artefacts/evidence and slowly adopt Abrahamic symbols into whatever ancient architecture remains. The grand plan is to replace historical Buddhist architecture and identify it with Abrahamic and change historical records completely because even the education system denies students their right to know what really took place in the past and students are shown a history that craftily denies and omits the crimes of the Abrahamic religions and their leaders upon Third World nations.
The example to elucidate the manner in which a subtle attempt is being made to hijack Buddhist architecture can be seen on the postage stamp issued by the Sri Lanka Post on 13 January 2015 to commemorate the visit of the Pope.
Moreover is there no one in the postal department that questioned why a Buddhist symbol should be projected alongside a Pope? The Dagoba has nothing to do with the Church or the Pope. Why has the Buddhist Sangha or Buddhist organizations not objected? The lack of objections inspires these mischief makers to continue to obliterate history and with time people will begin to accept Buddhist architecture as equivalent to Christian/Catholicism (which is what the ultimate objective is) Otherwise why should Christian Sunday Schools be also referred to as Dhamma (Both Christians and Islam are using this word) The immediate defence when questioned is to say that it is on the gesture of peaceful coexistence and the much battered word ‘reconciliation’!
What is obviously happening is what the Portuguese, Dutch, the British and the Church could not do directly they are getting the local traitors to agree to do – the examples of what is taking place in East Timor, South Korea and even India suffices for the need to oppose and point out the wrongs taking place.
Church uses the process of inculturation with an aim to adopt Vedic (Buddhist & Hindu) cultural practices to confuse, corrupt and change the minds of the gullible masses.
Some examples :
- Singapore Hindus object to Hijacking of Pongal by Christians (2004) – Hindu Press International states The adoption of Pongal by the Christians is part of their tactic of “inculturation,” including various aspects of the local religion in the hopes of getting Christianity to appear less foreign”
- 2006 article titled ‘Christians trying to hijack Yoga’.
- Missionaries trying to hijack Bharatanatyam – Fr Saju George Moolamthuvuthil, a Jesuit priest’s mission was fuse Hindu dance Bharatanatyam with ABRAHMIC RELIGION of crusaders and inquisition
- Pagan Festivals stolen by Christians
- Christian missionaries target every single component of Hindu society http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/36329.html
- Just like some Buddhist priests have been bought over in India some Hindu sadhus started ‘Christian Brahmin Seva Samiti’ to distort Hindu scriptures to advance Christianity and now runs Agni Ministry which converts people under the guise of education & health.
- DMK government inaugurated a government sponsored festival named Sangamam” conceived by a Christian NGO by name Tamil Maiyam founded by Father Jegath Gaspar Raj (main link to LTTE) and Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi. http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4959
- Evangelists like Sadhu Chellappa are Christianising festivals like Deepavali
- evangelists masquerade as Sadhus and Sanyasis”,
- Roman Catholic Church came out with a ‘New Community Bible’ christened as the Indian Bible,” which included sacred verses from the Ithihasas, Gita, Vedas and Upanishads. This Bible depicted Virgin Mary barefoot, wearing a sari and sporting a bindi on her forehead, a naked baby Jesus on one shoulder, standing beside Joseph clad in loincloth and turban. It was released in June 2008. It was approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India and the Vatican blessed the initiative that was conceived in the 1980s.
- Church has started setting up Hindu type” of buildings and calling them as ‘Ashrams’ controlled by ‘Saffron robed’ Padres, projecting themselves as ‘Swamijis’.
- Hindu style of architecture, construction, layout and interior designs are being followed. The buildings also have the Sanskrit ‘Om’ symbol in front of them and the saffronised Padres claim that Om is not Hindu, but Vedic!
- Christian missionary schools have been found guilty of attempting to denigrate Buddhism – a playschool had presented two boxes for the children to open. The first box with a photo of Jesus was full of sweets. The second box had only a photo of Buddha – the message conveyed to these childrens minds was that Christianity had sweet things to offer, Buddhism had nothing.
- Church has adopted every Hindu practice and the only thing left is the replacement of ‘Hindu Murthis’ with Jesus and Mary statues, which is most likely to happen anytime if this inculturation continues
- Some Churches also sculpture the statues of Jesus in ‘meditating’ posture, Jesus sitting cross-legged on a lotus with ‘Abaya Hastha Mudra’,
Swords have been replaced by a more sophisticated conquest and force is used only when victory is assured. India needs to be scared of not China’s pearls but the Christian pearls slowly surrounding it. If we blame Christian oriented Sinhala leaders India will no doubt join in to rebuke Nehru’s condemnation for Hinduism. If India’s Congress is under Christian agents the same can be said of UNP tied to the International Democratic Union of which Ranil W is the head of Asia.
The West exercises huge influence over both India & Sri Lanka through Christian missionaries and Christian NGOs who work as their agents. India recently packed off close to 5000 NGOs most of which were foreign-linked. Both India and Sri Lanka suffer from a Christianized English media and academia who decide and determine public discourse. Conversions have resulted in recent converts hostile to Hindus in India and Buddhists in Sri Lanka and brainwashed to be anti-national. Attempts to mislead census statistics has been made in India where converted Hindus are asked to register as Hindus to avert shock at the scale of conversions. We must wonder if the same tactic has been adopted in Sri Lanka. It is believed that next to the Indian government, the Churches are the biggest landowners in India! That is shocking news! Churches work hand in glove with foreign intelligence agencies and via NGO research organizations they build up the data to decide on how to change the demography.
How would you rate the British ambassador in Nepal declaring that Nepal would turn into a Christian country! Why Nepal of all countries! It is because the West wishes to create a Christian bastion on the Nepal-Tibet border, a step closer to China (Nepal is to be divided into 8 federal states too), just how Kosovo independence was to create a NATO military base, a step closer to Russia!
If India’s Hindus are claiming existential fears, Sri Lanka’s Sinhala Buddhist majority has every right to fear the same. It is not only the American & European Governments that are exerting pressures but they are using the Churches which they fund and control to exert pressure in indirect ways and use the people’s backing to ban conversions and bring penalties for engaging in proselytization.
We must wake up. We yearn for Buddhist leaders of the caliber of Prof. Gunapala Malalsekera & L H Mettananda. Just as the Buddhist Commission of Inquiry recorded the historical injustices in 1954 after probing the entire country and finally presented in 1956. The culmination of this and SWRD Bandaranaike embracing its proposals led to the Maha Sangha under banner of Eksath Bhikkshu Peramuna to back the Bandaranaike led MEP incorporating the slogan Pancha Maha Balavega (Sangha, Veda, Guru, Govi, Kamkaru) the election results left UNP with just 8 seats. It was not the ‘Sinhala Only’ that the Buddhists sought but the rectification of historical injustices and the reversal of discriminations suffered by the Sinhalese Buddhists.
Can the Buddhist Organizations justify their existence if they cannot issue a single statement, objection against the incursions taking place to Buddhism.
Shenali D Waduge
June 16th, 2015 at 3:51 pm
Two thousand years ago a hippy who ranted against the Romans was put on a cross and tortured. He survived the torture and disappeared never to show face in Palestine. The cult that was built around this hippy became Christianity and it became all more powerful when the Roman Empire adopted this hippy movement as the official dogma. Ever since that time the imperialist powers have used the story of this hippy (with additions from other pre-existing religions) to control their subjects.
Now that Christianity is becoming a joke in developed countries they are pivoting to other vulnerable societies to gain influence and thereby perpetuate Western Christian Imperialism.
Christianity has no shame. In the seventies with so called Liberal Theology they commenced their policy of Kappanna Beri Ata Imbeema. This is what Shenali has so succinctly show above. They are the lowest scum of the earth and the richest – the Christian / Catholic Church.
June 16th, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Bravo Shenali! You hit the Diabolical Christian Missionary Nail squarely on its Ugly head!
These activities of the Missionaries result not only in religious conversions of Buddhists and Hindus, but result in the slow usurpation of the Sovereignty of Sri Lanka, and the alienation of its governance from its largely Sinhala Buddhist majority population to a consortium of ANTI-NATIONAL minorities, with the aid of a few brainwashed and bribed Sinhala Buddhists lulled into treachery! The Christian Missionaries and their Churches are largely responsible for preventing the ASSIMILATION of the Christian Community of Sri Lanka into the larger patriotic citizenry and exacerbating religious differences into social and political barriers between the citizens.
It was with considerable shock that the Christian attitudes that I had experienced and resented in my long vanished youth, were AGAIN brought home to me in debates I had with very old Christian friends of long-standing on the eve of that DAY OF INFAMY, January 8, 2015 when our Motherland was re-converted into a Missionary-controlled colony of Western Neo-Colonialists!
In these conversations, I found that NOT ONE CHRISTIAN supported President Mahinda Rajapaksa against the treachery of Palwatte Gamaralage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena! They minimized all that he had accomplished, viewing everything through the parochial prism of their small religious community, and did not make common cause with the majority Sinhala Buddhist community. Levelling venomous accusations of unlimited corruption against the sitting President who rescued our Motherland from the terrorists, they argued vehemently in support of the assorted traitors seeking to unseat him.
I was shocked, how can this be so STILL after 67 years of “reconciliation & assimilation” I asked myself? It was clear that during the previous 40 years there had been NO INTEGRATION and MEANINGFUL MELDING of Sri Lanka’s Christians into the greater social fabric and citizenry of Sri Lanka. They still considered themselves to be fundamentally separate from their Sinhala Buddhist neighbors, still an aspiring elite unto themselves jockeying for advantage, and still dancing to the same divide and rule siren songs of the Colonial Powers expelled from our country 67 years ago.
In short, NOTHING had changed their minds in these 67 years of independence of Sri Lanka in which the poor and disadvantaged of ALL communities, as well as their own, had benefited equally from the progressive policies implemented by largely Sinhala Buddhist leaders and parties. The INGRATITUDE and SELFISHNESS was monumental!
When I was young, the Christians ….both Catholics and Protestants … had just been ousted from their position of dominance controlling ALL of Sri Lanka’s NATIONAL RESOURCES for THEIR SOLE BENEFIT. They were ANGRY but UNABLE to PREVENT the Blue Revolution launched by SWRD, that floated all boats and benefited all people irrespective of wealth, race, creed, language, sex or caste. They NURSED their anger at the foiling of their best laid plans to control the seats of national power, and slowly subvert through the Bible the land they had failed to conquer with the SWORD in one hand and the BIBLE in the other, in the preceding 400 years. The chagrin and the underlying anger was palpable.
Nearly 50 years ago, when I entered the Engineering Faculty at Peradeniya University, I was one of a pitifully small band of Buddhists, a mere handful, in a nation that was preponderantly Buddhist! That situation, the result of centuries of discrimination against the Sinhala Buddhist, has now changed with time. As the Christian schools gradually lost ground as the SOLE means, restricted largely to Christians, of piercing the veil of admission to the universities, government schools …. the new Madhya MahaVidyalayas for example,…. in the rural heartland of Sri Lanka began to acquire the facilities for science education and send a stream of students of stupendous educational merit to the universities. The rise of Swabhasha instruction aided this transformation. Still, with the abandonment of English as a co-equal to Sinhala/Tamil as the medium of instruction in Grade Schools, I find that the students in rural schools are ILL EQUIPPED to cope with English instruction in science/ medicine/ engineering/ communications and business curricula in the universities, that lead to the best careers. The lack of English proficiency, has shut the doors of higher education to many of these students, denying them access to educational opportunities abroad, that English educated students of private Christian Schools universally enjoy.
Let me return to the main focus of my comment: As Shenali points out, there is a concerted effort to undermine Buddhism in Sri Lanka, confuse and co-opt the Buddhist culture, and wean Buddhists away from their religion …. a strategy that has succeeded in formerly Buddhist South Korea … now a bastion of missionary Christendom in which the residual Buddhists are treated as second class citizens.
An undeniable corollary is that Christians have still not assimilated themselves into the indigenous social fabric of Sri Lanka as patriotic group joining hands with their Buddhist neighbors. They are still attempting to gain political advantage as a distinct and separate minority, as they had immediately after Sri Lanka became independent. In the recent Presidential Election they voted overwhelmingly against President Mahinda Rajapaksa. SAD, but TRUE!
The conclusion I have come to is this: The Sinhala Buddhists of Sri Lanka must BECOME MORE AWARE of what these minorities are attempting to do under various PRETEXTS of “human rights”, “religious freedom” and “democratic rights”, and that these ENEMIES have neither changed their attitude, nor given up what they had attempted to do in the past. The Sinhala Buddhists must not believe that when these Anti-National minorities come to power that they will treat the Sinhala Buddhist with the same fairness and justice that we accorded them based upon our ethical and moral convictions, even through the most difficult times of independent Sri Lanka.
Therefore, the Sinhala Buddhist MUST REMAIN UNITED and PREVENT the usurpation of the reigns of power by the Minorities as they did on January 8, 2015 AT ALL COSTS! As we can see, everything that was built to defend and protect our Motherland, and the citizens of Sri Lanka, the Sinhala Buddhist and the minorities as well, in the last 67 years is now being undermined and dismantled with the aid of our internal and external enemies to enable the Minorities to rule us as they did prior to independence.
While RECOGNIZING the role these anti-national Minorities play, when the Sinhala Buddhist REGAINS POWER at the next GENERAL ELECTION, he must CONTINUE to DELIVER equal rights to ALL citizens, and ENFORCE equal responsibilities on ALL citizens, regardless of wealth, race, religion, language, sex, and caste of the citizens. That is an ethical and moral IMPERATIVE.
However, at all times, the Sinhala Buddhist MUST RESOLVE NEVER TO YIELD POWER and the GOVERNANCE OF THE NATION to the Minority Communities of Sri Lanka, for they have shown themselves on every occasion in which they have wielded significant power, even for a short time, to be Anti-National and Inimical to the interests of the Sinhala Buddhist, and SIMPLY CANNOT BE TRUSTED again!
That is the LESSON of the DAY OF INFAMY: January 8, 2015!
June 16th, 2015 at 5:57 pm
පෝප් වහන්ස මේවා කරන්න ලැජ්ජාවක් නැද්ද මිනී මරුවෝ කවද්ද භාවනා කලේ
June 16th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
The above posts further divides the Sinhala race and ironically comes from Lankans who have chosen to live in the Christian dominated west. All this while SL burns.
June 16th, 2015 at 8:03 pm
I must totally agree with L.Perera
Furthermore this religion bashing only consumes valuable space and time and serves no fruitful purpose. It only unleashes negative emotions that are potential time bombs.
This religious mania is pure ‘rabble rousing stuff” and highly condemnable.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 16th, 2015 at 8:30 pm
Thanks Mario – appreciate your support .
LP.
June 16th, 2015 at 8:59 pm
The commemorative stamp issued for the Pope’s visit has a picture of St. Peters Basilica in Rome and not a Dagoba with a cross. So much for the integrity of the writer.
June 16th, 2015 at 9:39 pm
The under-noted passage of Shenali’s text is TOTALLY FALSE.
As L.Perera clearly indicates, the dome (the dome of St.Peter’s basilica, Rome) Shenali uses as the backbone of her contention which is the ‘hijacking of Buddhist architecture’ by Catholics, is evidence of ‘intellectual dishonesty’ and therefore IMMORAL. Shenali is purposely taking the gullible for a donkey ride. Below is the relevant quote from Shenali’s long winded article which is much do about nothing.
“The manner in which historical architecture has become victim goes to show a sinister plan to remove historical artefacts/evidence and slowly adopt Abrahamic symbols into whatever ancient architecture remains. The grand plan is to replace historical Buddhist architecture and identify it with Abrahamic and change historical records completely because even the education system denies students their right to know what really took place in the past and students are shown a history that craftily denies and omits the crimes of the Abrahamic religions and their leaders upon Third World nations.
The example to elucidate the manner in which a subtle attempt is being made to hijack Buddhist architecture can be seen on the postage stamp issued by the Sri Lanka Post on 13 January 2015 to commemorate the visit of the Pope.
Hijackbud01
The stamp shows a Buddhist Dagoba with a Christian cross. Anyone not aware of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist past would think that the structure is Christian. The immediate defense would be to say we are jumping to conclusions making mountains out of molehills…read further to see if we ignored bringing these aspects to light what would eventually happen to the Vedic religions presently being targeted!
Moreover is there no one in the postal department that questioned why a Buddhist symbol should be projected alongside a Pope? The Dagoba has nothing to do with the Church or the Pope. Why has the Buddhist Sangha or Buddhist organizations not objected? The lack of objections inspires these mischief makers to continue to obliterate history and with time people will begin to accept Buddhist architecture as equivalent to Christian/Catholicism (which is what the ultimate objective is) Otherwise why should Christian Sunday Schools be also referred to as Dhamma (Both Christians and Islam are using this word) The immediate defence when questioned is to say that it is on the gesture of peaceful coexistence and the much battered word ‘reconciliation’!”
Shenali, you owe an apology to your readers for knowingly and willingly trying to mislead them and thereby being a ‘divisive force’ inciting violence.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 16th, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Shenali no need to apologize to anyone.What you were saying was true. Nobody is bashing any religion here but telling the facts about Christians and Catholics. The Sinhala Buddhists must be awake and be alert of the sinister plans of these Christians and Catholics. They preach something and do something behind our backs with the help of foreign Govts. We should not be ashamed to call our country a Sinhala Buddhist nation. Our two Mahanayakes must do more to promote the religion than colluding with politicians and give political messages to the public on daily basis. Kandy Temple has become a mini parliament with all kinds of corrupt politicians flocking to see the Mahanayakas and make that most revered place in to a political bashing place of some kind. It’s shame to see all the jokers flocking there to complain each other and take advise and make fun at people.
Shenal keep on writing and educate the Sinhalese of all sinister plans of our enemies whether religious or political. We appreciate your courage and your writing.
June 16th, 2015 at 11:00 pm
The previous commentator wrote:
“Shenal keep on writing and educate the Sinhalese of all sinister plans of our enemies whether religious or political.”
A fantastic education indeed by playing the Pied Piper, leading the gullible astray by willfully (knowingly and willingly) and immorally presenting the dome of the St.Peter’s basilica as a ‘Dagoba surmounted by a cross’, and indulging in a long deceitful harangue of a cheap two pennies worth rabid mob rouser.
Shenali, if you have ‘courage’ as the previous commentator states, admit your blatant and glaring falsehood and tender your unconditional apology. That would be the spirit of a genuine intellectual which you present yourself to be.
‘You dug a ditch for others to fall into, but fell yourself into the very same ditch that you dug for other’ = fossam fovit et excavavit sed incidit in foveam quam fecit.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 16th, 2015 at 11:53 pm
Mother Lanka always be Sinhala Buddhists last 2,500 years & and will be for 3,000 years more years as We-Saiva Demila with you !!!
We-kick out any outsiders eg: as We done to IPKF last time but We modayas, Sakkiliyas live & fight each other for ever .
June 17th, 2015 at 12:06 am
I always support SW in her factual analyses. BUT some of her writings have 3 HUGE ERRORS.
These 3 errors when translated to POLITICS is disastrous for the MR camp.
1. Dividing the Singhalese voters into Buddhists and Christians. This is politically DISASTROUS. Singhalese are 75% and Singhala Christians are 5%. As the non-Singhalse will NEVER vote for MR in sufficient numbers, it is EXTREMELY important to keep the Singhala vote intact.
2. At least 25% of Muslims used to support MR until certain events happened that separated the community from MR. SOME of these are FACTS but IF getting MR across the line is important, we HAVE TO avoid it. Sad but true.
3. SW has praised Hindus as closest to Buddhists and potentially the biggest supporters of SL against “Abahamic” groups. WRONG move. The complete opposite is true in the case of SL. NO HINDUS numbering over 150,000 will ever vote for MR.
We have to be TACTFUL not to divide the vote and sacrifice KNOWN friends for unknown enemies.
To get 50% out of 70% Singhala Buddhists alone is IMPOSSIBLE. For that MR has to win 72% of the Buddhist vote which is divided into UNP and JVP as well. His Catholic wife and Anglican kids may not help it either!
So we have to be TACTFUL IF we are serious about making MR the next PM.
June 17th, 2015 at 1:26 am
Dear Shenali, again, I ask you to consider to use your tremendous energy to write academic articles. You can, if you want.
June 17th, 2015 at 2:36 am
As far as I am concerned, I do not under any circumstances mistrust Shenali’s views. She is foremost a Buddhist with absolute credibility and I cannot agree with claims of photo shopping a stamp merely for the sake of creating a split between communities.
You can’t think of a better time to address this underlying covert agenda of the west. Sri Lankans are enlightened enough to not to take their Catholic friends as opponents, but the Church. Whatever good the Church does in our part of the world, they always have their one and only motive in mind. That is to convert anyone who comes in to contact with them, to Catholicism. The agenda is to manipulate and rule the whole world to their advantage.
As evidenced, Shiranthi has definitely played a part in MR’s downfall. In our culture, it is the mother of the family who intervenes directly when the father or the children get in to the habit of committing immoral acts. In this case, she promoted such acts by letting her sons do anything they wanted, including conducting night races around the most sacred Dalada Maligawa. Her brother was a total disaster. These are the people who took the lead in bringing down MR.
I am sure that everyone’s aware that this is the final chance MR is going to get. If he does the same this time letting his wife doing politics behind the scenes, then we are left with only one man to save us all… That is Hon. GR..!
June 17th, 2015 at 2:59 am
Namaste: Buddhism is not about pictures and sculptures. It is the Hindu practices that have been included as part of Buddhist practices. Cause and effect and relief is what it is. Who cares about pictures or structures.
June 17th, 2015 at 9:07 am
Catholic Church devices varous means to publise its religion. There was then the Catholic action, against which late L.H.Mettananda came out to show the danger to Buddhism coming from the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is still in the process of making it an acceptable religion. It first introduced the New Testament to make the God a father as the Holy Bible of the Jews never accepted the God as haviing a son.
In countries like Sri Lanka the Buddhists Symbols and festivities with gokkala decoraation, the temple music are stolen into Catholic ceremonies to make Catholism attractive to the naive Sinhala who are possible converts to their religion.
Thank you Shenali for a timely article. In the west the Buddha statue has become an item of decoration of Bars and Restaurants, and a publicity item to sell women’s under wear and shoes and sandles.
June 17th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Charles,
The END RESULT of these arguments is MR losing MORE Christian and Muslim votes (he has lost all Hindu votes by now).
IF MR winning the next election is our TOP PRIORITY, we should immediately stop creating divisions between religions.
Like it or not it was MR who PERSONALLY INVITED pope to visit SL!!
Christians (6.5% of voters) are the KING MAKERS at the next election. NOT Hindus, NOT Muslims.
June 17th, 2015 at 5:24 pm
SHENALI IS PRESENTING A SITUATION THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED< CONVERSIONS TO CHRISTIANITY, with BUDDHIST RITUAL PRESENTATIONS INCORPORATED IN THE CATHOLIC AND RELEGIOUS FUNCTIONS. I HAVE SEEN WESAK BUCKETS OF VARIOUS COLOURS BEING CARRIED BY THE CHRISTIAN CONGRGATION, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT A BUDDHIST TEMPLE IS DOING ALL THIS FOR RACIAL RECOCILIATION. Later I found out that this is a ploy to show that Christians are a holy lot now arm in arm with the Buddhists. WHO IS MISLEADING WHOM IS THE PROBLEM
June 17th, 2015 at 6:33 pm
Now we are moving to CONVERSIONS.
BANNING unethical conversions is the responsibility of the parliament. I support it. This BILL has been POSTPONED since 2005.
ALL SL leaders except JR and MR studied at CHRISTIAN schools. They were HEAVILY brainwashed.
JR and MR had VERY CLOSE CHRISTIAN family members.
So ALL SL leaders until now were somehow heavily influenced by the CHURCH.
ONLY My3 has NOT studied in a CHRISTIAN school and have NO Christian relatives.
Using lanterns and tree leaves for festivals is NOT limited to Buddhism. Anyone can use them (unless patented).
June 17th, 2015 at 8:20 pm
What a great pity Charles is plagued for life with a WESTERN and CATHOLIC name.
Yet a change even at this juncture is possible and feasible. It just requires a declaration in the District Court, and an inscription in the birth certificate to that effect.
I was trying to think of an alternative without much success. Carolis will not do because of its too close resemblance to Carolus which is the Latin for Charles.
However with human ingenuity knowing no limits, a suitable replacement could eventually be found. It is not fitting that a champion of Sinhala culture and of Buddhism sport a flagrantly Catholic name.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 18th, 2015 at 3:49 am
Mr.Mario Perera Thanks for your concern. I will manage it on own nevertheless.
June 18th, 2015 at 3:49 am
Mr.Mario Perera Thanks for your concern. I will manage it on my own nevertheless.
June 18th, 2015 at 8:54 am
Dear Lankaweb Friends,
Please do not quarrell over religion. All the Masters said the similar wholesome truths.
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It is MANKIND that does NOT follow the actual and true Teachings of the different Masters. This is due to Fear of being dominated over and enslaved IF APPEARING TOO HUMBLE & WEAK as some think kindness is a weakness. Some leaders of countries conquer other countries to take away Resources and enslave the people of those countries. Guns, bombs, unfair impositions, threats seen and unseen, killings, rioting, etc are caused due to Greed & Fear and overpopulation.
Today we stand at the crossroads of survival and annihilation due to huge stockpiles of weaponry and Climate Change. We ought to work together to Savie Planet Earth. A huge meteorite half a mile wide is headed toward Earth in another hundred years. What can we do to save life on Planet Earth ? Let us work together for the common good, using all the fantastic Teachings of the Masters that can be used in a PRACTICAL way today.
However, I am for keeping State & Religion apart (any religion). In Lanka, Buddhism needs to be protected via the State
but the State itself ought to be free of religion for the sake of survival of all in Lanka.
Comments welcome.
June 18th, 2015 at 9:19 am
keeping State & Religion apart (any religion)
Buddhism needs to be protected via the State- contradicting why not Saivam ???
June 18th, 2015 at 9:56 am
Ananda USA,
So good to have you write in again !
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Dilrook Kannangara supported MR when he pointed out that in the last Presidential election, MR was defeated due to cheating at the election. There were two articles in the L’web on the subject where Dilrook gave his point of view on this.
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In the modern world, some religions have got tied to the world Economic system due to presence of high priced/valued Resources in those countries resulting in wars/quarrells etc. with others.
June 18th, 2015 at 10:39 am
Dear Fran Diaz I know you are a just person and sincere. But being a Buddhist even with a Catholic name I would like to defend Buddhism because it is the greatest Treasure we have received from Venerable Mahinda Thero. Sri Lanka is the only small niche in which the pure Theravada Buddhism still exists. We cannot let it be assailed by any later religions, which have n’t got the deep and profound teachings of Buddhism which is unique in every respect.
June 18th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Dear Charles,
Thank you for response.
This is difficult subject ….
I agree that Buddhism has proven to be the most non-aggressive religion, is therefore unique, and must be preserved in Lanka. But Security comes first, in my view.
I must admit I am not an expert in this field.
June 18th, 2015 at 1:08 pm
I am of the feeling that what is sought by the Sinhala/Buddhist community of Lanka is an apology for all the atrocities committed against them over the hundreds of years by Colonists and invaders embracing different religions, but not practising what their religions taught. Raw piracy and killing, and enforcement of invaders will and wishes prevailed and what is sought now is an apology for what happened then. The past must be laid to rest before we can carry on with present and future needs of Lankans.
Who will apologise or has the authority and the courage to do so ?
By the same token, the Sinhala/Buddhist community has to apologise to each other i.e. JVP for atrocities committed in the past, and local leaders for killing of the JVP Sinhala/Buddhist villagers. It is mostly the Sinhala/Buddhist villager who died for Lanka in the war against raw terrorism of 30 yrs with the maligned low caste (created in Tamil Nadu) Tamils of the LTTE.
If we apologise and feel regret for past actions, we will have a Nation based on Buddhist values to build on.
June 18th, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Fran,
That theory is WRONG. There is NO EVIDENCE of CHEATING at the election or computer GILMART. I like to see EVIDENCE before jumping to a conclusion. Very few may have done it.
Look at the math. Singhala Buddhists are 70% of the population. To win 50%, how many of them need to vote for MR? =50%/70% = 72%.
Why? Because Tamils NEVER vote for MR (other than EPDP, TMVP families). Muslims have been attacked, mosques burnt, BBS not restricted. So they are out.
MR invited pope but pope decided to visit AFTER the election. So the political mileage was lost.
Now why didn’t 72% of Singhala Buddhists vote for MR? Because Buddhists are a BALANCED COMMUNITY. Unlike Tamils and Muslims, Buddhists will NOT go to ONE EXTREME. A 72%-28% division is NOT possible. JVP and UNP are also there to get the Buddhist vote. Also MR did MOST work for UNGRATEFUL Tamils and Muslims after 2010. And neglected Buddhists.
NOW MR goes to Buddhist temples. He did NOT do that during 2010-2015!! He went to Matara where he NEVER visited during 2010-2015!!
To WIN the general election, MR needs CHRISTIAN votes as NO Tamil and NO Muslim is going to vote for his party. I’m trying to see that MR WINS the next election. Religious bickering DOES NOT help!!
June 18th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Buddhism as a religion is a formation ( sankara) and will be subjected to Aniccha.
Other religions are God created so will not be subjected to Aniccha ( according to their teaching)
So, mix all and create a multi-faith religion for Sinhalese which will not be subjected to Aniccha.
This is Jeusu’s message of Aniccha.
June 18th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
Charles,
The BIGGEST THREAT to Buddhism comes NOT from Christianity but from HINDUISM. Look at places Buddha lived and preached. They are all HINDU now.
Maldives, Indonesia, Bangladesh were Buddhist until Islam invaded them.
Except South Korea, NO Buddhist country has been turned into a Christian country. In SL, Christians are the SMALLEST CREED!! Poses NO THREAT WHATSOEVER to Buddhism.
June 18th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
JAG !! I wonder whether you would remember, in 2013 or 2014, Shiranthe sent a truck load of Christmas Carol Singers, circling the Maligawa area, just before the Randoli Perahera was about to commence, and people HOOTED the Carol Singers. They even showed the Carol Singers on TV news. This is a deliberate attempt to insult BUDDHISM.
This can be contributory Retribution for MRs fall GREAT FALL.
CHARLES !
I had occasion to report this Maria to the Editor, for insulting and insinuation. All his comments were deleted. He never writes a SINGLE article, but always throws brick bats at commenters.
June 18th, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Lorenzo,
It was a flawed election. Dilrook proved it. Please read his articles on the subject in L’web (2 articles).
Whether MR won or not, what is bothering Lanka are the cracks formed by the different political parties. This is true for almost all the Democracies all over the world. In order to overcome that, ALL the parties must look at Lanka as a whole FIRST and not at petty pocket stuffing politics and bootlicking outside elements. Then we can have a true Democracy with Peace & Prosperity for All.
———
Time for various parties to apologise and move on.
June 18th, 2015 at 4:16 pm
SW,
You are a TOP patriot. Why do you support this DIVISION of voters?
Randoli Perahera is held in JULY.
Christmas is in DECEMBER.
So there cannot be CHRISTMAS CAROLS just before Randoli Perahera!!
June 18th, 2015 at 4:19 pm
Fran,
“It was a flawed election.”
Of course. And what makes you think the NEXT election will NOT be another flawed election?
Dental Raj’s peace bridage will stuff ballot boxes at the next election. He too has PM ambitions!!
As I always say, ELECTIONS CANNOT save this country. Only RANAVIRUWO can save SL politics. Prove me wrong.
June 18th, 2015 at 5:23 pm
Namste ! Now we are part of USA. Must have a grand Christmas and also grand level DIWALI Indian style. No elephants to have Randoli Pereahera which is not recommended by Buddha anyway. – Jai Hind
June 18th, 2015 at 6:07 pm
Loreno,
Glad you agree with me hat the election was flawed.
PEOPLE (leaders and ordinary folk) have to save Lanka. That includes the armed forces too.
June 18th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
Sorry, a typo : referring to Lorenzo !
June 18th, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Fran,
I DID NOT agree with you that Maru Sira WON because of a flawed election. BOTH parties did crooked things and someone won. The election was FLAWED.
From past history I know I can NEVER agree with you on somethings. That is why I focus on WHAT WE AGREE – A FLAWED ELECTION. (never mind who won it last time)
So the next election will also be FLAWED. RUN-NIL, Rajitha, Maru Sira, CBK will stuff ballot boxes more than the other camp can.
People CANNOT do anything!! Court, police, elections, president, PM, judges, NGOs, media, mafia, etc. are ALL in the UNP-LTTE-AQ-Endia-USA camp.
Armed forces AS ARMED FORCES CANNOT do anything!! They MUST follow orders from the COMMANDER IN CHIEF (and defence minister) = Maru Sira!! and deputy defence minister = Run-nil’s cousin Ruwan!!
Then what is the solution?
June 18th, 2015 at 11:36 pm
Then what is the solution? kaput mate !!!
June 19th, 2015 at 2:16 am
Jag,
Shenali should be suitably impressed to note that you ‘do not under any circumstances mistrust’ her views. Loyalty is a fine attribute. That said, when it lets you accept as true, a blatant untruth despite the evidence to the contrary, it ceases to be an admirable quality.
I have found Shenali’s articles to be usually well researched and well written but I have also not failed to note her periodical anti Christian narratives. Unfortunately, this time she’s made a terrible blue in mistaking a picture of the dome of St Peter’s in Rome for a Buddhist dagoba in Sri Lanka. As Shenali will doubtless appreciate, one starts to lose one’s credibility when one gets one’s facts wrong. People don’t often remember the good stuff but they rarely forget one’s blunders. They will continue to haunt into the future.
You have mentioned a ‘covert agenda of the west’. How inept and careless the west must be with hidden its designs if even you are privy to its ‘covert’ agenda. Maybe, it is not so covert, after all!
You seem to be another one of those who see that MR is not to blame for his defeat, that it is all the fault of everyone else. And the particular villain of the piece you have cited is his wife Shiranthi. Yes, our culture envisages a great role for the mother in the upbringing of children but our culture also regards parenthood as a being joint responsibility, with the father’s role being no less important. The father cannot simply abdicate his duties and leave it all to the mother. If Shiranthi is guilty of blame for allowing her sons to conduct night races around the Dalada Malagiwa, her husband is no less culpable in that regard.
You say that Shiranthi’s brother was a ‘total disaster’. Not many will disagree. But if he was indeed a disaster, are we not entitled to ask just who appointed that ‘disaster’ to his position? Are we also not entitled to ask why MR could not remove him from that position when he was carrying on with his disastrous ways?
If MR allowed himself to be let down by his advisors and his wife, who according to you was ‘doing politics behind the scenes’, we might also be forgiven for questionong the quality of MR’s credentials for leadership.
June 19th, 2015 at 4:22 am
Cassandra,
Please don’t repeat similar attack on our dear God and get banned. We only have this God.
June 19th, 2015 at 6:25 am
Lorenzo,
From what I have seen in the press reports and analysts, the far worse of the flaws came from the Sirisena camp.
———–
Dear Charles,
I find no difficulty in accepting foreign names in Lanka. I myself carry such a name (middle name). I heard from reliable sources that the Portuguese found the local names difficult to pronounce and called up batches of people to church and re-named them for easier Census taking.
I find travel easier with my western sounding name ! So please keep your name and after all, ‘a rose by any other name …’
best wishes,
Fran
June 19th, 2015 at 7:30 am
Fran,
Your comment is interesting.
What you state is an admission that ancestors of those having Catholic names were Catholics at one time.
You say: the Portuguese called up batches of people to church and re-named them. What you are mentioning is the ‘rite of Baptism’
What you call the ‘census’ was only the registration of Catholics. The Portuguese had no earthly purpose in registering all and sundry.
You also say : I find travel easier with my western sounding name !
The western ‘sounding’ name (why not simply say the Western name or still more simply the Catholic name?), serves you well when you travel abroad (I presume you are referring to Western countries of the Catholic or Christian culture, which is practically the whole of Europe).
So something Western or Catholic about you (be it only in appearance), serves you well in certain circumstances of your life and the lives of others in the same situation. That is why you advise others to hold fast to their Western/Catholic names.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 19th, 2015 at 8:37 am
Dear Mario,
Thank you for response.
Dear Charles,
Dear Mario,
Thank you for response.
According to my friend, it was NOT Baptism. It was registration of persons. The local folk at that time found the Portuguese habits of eating beef and drinking liquor contrary to their own beliefs and habits and would never have come in large numbers to be baptised in churches. Conversions, when they did happen, were due to intimidation or convenience. The Portuguese traders who came and occupied Lanka were a rough lot – the gun in one hand. The word “pirates” would describe them better than traders. Rule by the gun was the order of the day. The people of that time came to church for name change because they were ordered to do so. It was rule by the gun by the Portuguese.
No. You misunderstood me. The Portuguese in charge at that time found the local names too long and tedious to pronounce and write down. The church was the convenient and safe meeting place for Portuguese to call the local folk in for any meeting that was desired. NO – the local folk were NOT BAPTISED ! They were just divided into different groups in the churches and told “from now on you lot are Fernandos” and “you lot are Pereras” and another lot “Diaz” and so on.
When the local mostly Sinhala/Buddhist people left the churches, they went away with different surnames only. Their religion remained Buddhist or perhaps even Hindu. This is what I was told by a knowledgeable person and a few others confirmed this. The religion of the local people did NOT change.
Those local folk who were TRULY BAPTISED were another group of Sinhala people and others who found it more desirable to change their names and religion too.
I would advise those abroad to keep their short western names and surnames as westerners find it easy to remember the names. Since 500 yrs of Colonisation has brought a great deal of westernisation and even pernament living abroad into our lives, it is convenient to retain such names if livng abroad or travelling abroad. Mario, you probably agree with me on that. It would be odd and inconvenient to dress in Lankan sarong and shirt and get about for work abroad and be known as perhaps “Arachilage Saranapala Pandithasekera” ! The English language and dress code is universally accepted due to the British Empire and therefore convenient to use anywhere in the world.
June 19th, 2015 at 8:38 am
I am sorry. Some tyop has happened and Charles name has got typed too. Please ignore. I am typing in a hurry and the computer glitches happen.
June 19th, 2015 at 9:30 am
Fran Diaz
Ofcourse our ancesters were converted to Catholism by offering them jobs or tempting by other ways. They did not know about the truth of the religion they were asked to accept by the Portughese Missioneries. My mother’s ge name is Thelikadapalliye palamuweni Gurunnanselage…so you see our ancestors did not have to understand whether Catholism was a true religion or not. They must have accepted it for the job they were given and took the names they gave. I am saddled with an awful Catholic name but fortunately not with the religion. Otherwise,I would be defending Caholism . After all what is there in a name it is just a label to identify a being.
June 19th, 2015 at 11:36 am
Dear Charles,
You are right. Yes, of course, jobs and even land must probably have been offered to the Sinhala Buddhists if they ‘converted’. But, I do think that the bulk of the local people got their names in large groups without being Baptised, as described by my friend.
Charles, in the case of your mother’s ge name, I am wondering whether the word ‘Thelikadapalliye’ which I think means (correct me if I am wrong), the “church near the oil shop” (Theli-kada-palliye), which is a means of identifying the AREA from which ‘palamuweni Gurunnanselage’ which means ‘first teachers’, came. So the full meaning to identity the offspring is that the father (mother’s side) came from the family branch of “the first teacher from the area of the church near the oil shop …”. Here the reference to the church is identity of the person in relation to the location of the church, and does not indicate that the person was converted to Catholicism. I wonder whether this interpretation is correct ?
June 19th, 2015 at 4:10 pm
It is unfair for anyone to ask Sinhala Buddhists not to anger the Sinhala Christians just because they MAY vote for Mahinda especially when there is a grave error being pointed out.
* How many in SL know what the Sistine chapel looks like and why was the upper portion only shown – this was a clear effort to mislead and when taking the photos of the distortions to Jesus in the same article it is obvious that there are people playing mischief.
* A wrong is a wrong – conversions by Christians /Evangelicals are taking place and why should Sinhala Buddhists keep quiet just because Christians may vote for Mahinda and MAY NOT vote because these wrongs are highlighted.
what we need to say is that these religions can’t continue to bribe us into keeping quiet because if we don’t they would not support the chosen leader !
June 19th, 2015 at 8:19 pm
Fran
Telikada is a village un Galle or Matara. My mother’s father would have been the Sinhala teacher in the first Missionary school opened in that village. My Mother’s first name is Donna Sophia and my father’s was Abraham. It may have been then a style to take foreign names that continued upto the time of the British.
How many Catholics have not only seen the Sistine Chapel, but how many of them have critically read the Bible New Testament is an off shoot of the Bible written by Greeks . Bible is that of the Israelites. The God never appeared before the people even when requested by Moses , he only came in the form of smoke. God never spoke to the people he always spoke through a prophet, and people had to believe that the Prophet spoke the words of the God.
The Compassionate Buddha made 84 thousand suttas, explaining not an unseen unheard god and about prayers and penances but about (Nama-Rupa) mind and matter,of beings, about suffering and way out of suffering. Buddhism is not a belief system it is a deep and profound philosophy. Buddhist Sinhala have every right to defend it Christians will vote or not for Sirisena for defending Buddhism is insignificnt
June 19th, 2015 at 8:35 pm
Dear Fran,
Certain matters you bring up are quite contestable. Below are some quotes from you.
“The local folk at that time found the Portuguese habits of eating beef and drinking liquor contrary to their own beliefs”.
Fran, were eating beef and drinking liquor contrary to Buddhist beliefs only during the Portuguese period? These are island wide phenomena. You would not tell me that the countless liquor shops especially that dot our geographical landscape and devastate our social milieu are purely for the use of Catholics!! The so called drug barons, the ‘kudu’ and ‘ethonol’ mafia that pollute parliament in such large numbers were not sent to parliament by Catholics.
The Portuguese only occupied a few parts of the country. The influence of Buddhism was the predominant feature of the country’s social life with the religion being trumpeted to the four winds then just as it now is. A handful of Portuguese did not make the Sinhala Buddhists take to alcohol like fish to the water. Are you trying to say that the tell us that the incalculable number of ‘Kithul’ trees served only for the manufacture of ‘jugggery’? Fran, food ad drink have nothing to do with beliefs. It is a matter of taste, opportunities and physical propensities or inclinations.What make Muslims reject pork are their laws and social solidarity. Muslims in Western countries act totally differently. Over their it is wine and dine, women and song.
You say: The people of that time came to church for name change because they were ordered to do so. It was rule by the gun by the Portuguese.
Fran, the question of forcible conversions has drawn more ink than the waters of the Indian ocean. It is better laying that matter to rest. However that people became converted for ‘convenience’ is indisputable. Just consider the great families that rule this country as support for that argument. Yet if convenience was the only reason, then how do Catholics persist so unshakably in their beliefs without the least wavering once such motivations ceased to exist, furthermore with all to lose and little to gain? Do not the tenets of their faith come into the picture in a preponderant way?
You say: The Portuguese in charge at that time found the local names too long and tedious to pronounce and write down. The church was the convenient and safe meeting place for Portuguese to call the local folk in for any meeting that was desired.
This statement does not stand any serious analyses. the Church was a sacred place and meant for what Catholics consider to be ‘sacrosanct rituals’. It was the House of their God. The Churches were not manned by Portuguese soldiers but by the Church authorities, the missionary priests. What you state is totally unacceptable. No church door would be opened for the population to congregate be it for discussing mundane matters or matters unconnected with the Catholic faith.
Also if the changes of name of the general population was for the convenience of the Portuguese, that would in no way have solved the problem of identification. With so many Charles’, and Francis’ abounding among the assembled multitude, how would the Portuguese have distinguished one Charles or Francis from another? When a question was posed to a Charles or Francis, countless Charles’ or Francis’ would have popped up their heads or raised their arms. How would the Portuguese have distinguished one Charles or Francis from the other? Why did not the Dutch adopt that ‘easy’ method for their censuses? In that case we would have Buddhist people with Dutch names, or for that matter with English names. Your argument would have been more pertinent to the period the Dutch and British rule as they controlled vast local populations, The British ruled over the entire country for nearly 150 years.
You also argue that: When the local mostly Sinhala/Buddhist people left the churches, they went away with different surnames only.
Then how would you explain the presence of Buddhist Charles’ and Buddhist Francis’ and similar? You say they left with different surnames ONLY!
Your ‘knowledgeable’ folk tell you that the religion of such people did not change. This statement contradicts history. Just consider what is happening i our preset day ad literally before your eyes. So it was and so it is.
You say: I would advise those abroad to keep their short western names and surnames as westerners find it easy to remember the names.
Fran, you do not have to advice mature individuals as to what is good for them. If the Charles’ and Francis’ have kept such names it is for either unavoidable (birth certificates) or personal reasons that abound to their advantage. I do not see, a Charles or Francis changing his Catholic name to Puran Sighno or Appu or whatever. He will become a laughing stock among everyone known to him.
You also state: It would be odd and inconvenient to dress in Lankan sarong and shirt and get about for work abroad and be known as perhaps “Arachilage Saranapala Pandithasekera” !
This too is contrary to reality. Even heads of state retain their traditional contumes when abroad. The streets of European countries and other ‘white’ countries are full of people dressed i their national costumes. In fact in several such capitals ‘whites’ have become a rarity.
Some observations of Charles too ‘take the cake’.
He says: Ofcourse our ancesters were converted to Catholicism by offering them jobs or tempting by other ways. They did not know about the truth of the religion they were asked to accept by the Portughese Missioneries.
No person is converted to the Catholic religion without having to undergo extensive lessons in the Catholic faith. They were taught the faith. So it was and so it is now. The catechism was in the hands of all Catholics. Catechism calsses were the order of the Catholic religion. It would be a profanation of the faith for someone to take part in a ritual without an understanding of it. It would be a sacrilege. The catholic religion teaches about heaven and hell. No rebirth in Catholicism for ‘having another shot’. profaating the faith would result in eternal damnation. Furthermore there is the ritual of regular ‘confession’ to ensure that no one lives in error about his faith and practice.
Charles further says: I am saddled with an awful Catholic name but fortunately not with the religion. Otherwise,I would be defending Catholism . After all what is there in a name it is just a label to identify a being.
Your being saddled, as you say, with an awful Catholic name, is knowing and willful. You have it and keep it because you want it. Get rid of it soon Charles.Why do you want to live the rest of your life. under such an awful condition. Just contact a lawyer. Go to the district court. Make a statement from the witness box, and you will be rid this awful burden. Do not sit and complain when the remedy is at your finger tips.
If you are defending Buddhism it is due to an accident of birth
A name, Charles, certainly serves to identify a being. But it is not simply an identification of the physical form. It is much more. A name sums up the ‘personality’ of that human being. Your name Charles is your ‘life story’. That is perhaps where a change of your name might lead to certain practical problems. A new name might become a long tunnel to traverse in search of your self. Let us say you change your awful name to the glorious name ‘Veera Puran Appu’. You will see yourself as a warrior on horse back spurring your steed with a sword in hand, racing with the intent of chopping the heads of the hated westerners and Christians!
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 19th, 2015 at 10:35 pm
Fran and Mario
Let me see my observation that takes the cake. The Portuguese came to Sri Lanka some where in 1505 and their conversion of the natives would have been fast as they had to start off with the administration of the country. They had the sword and other means of tempting people into the church without using their sword. They had no time for catechism classes and extensive classes even Dona Catherina and Don Juan would not have gone through any catechism classes. It may be so now, but then it would have been a different story. It was easy to escape sin by confession, and no fear of a rebirth. There was no karma it was the God who arranged things and it was prayers and singing in the Church. We know how conversions had taken place in Peru or Mexico from accounts of Holy Inquisition.
I have not bothered with being Charles. I have a middle name which is Seelachandra. People call me UCS in short and in Europe, Charles, or Carlos or Carlito by my Spanish friends. It is not my name that is history but it is my way of life; name is only an Identit of that “me”.
As Fran says Charles is convenient for the Europeans. Therefore I carry it as it had been given by my father as a name not because he liked Catholism or make a Catholic of me. Both my Father and mother were Buddhists. My great ancestor parents may have given up their Catholism when the Missionaries left Telikada who knows ?
Now I am a Buddhist and know that Buddhism is not comparable to any other religion. It is a great philosophy to be imparted to others for their release from the bonds of Samsara, not to be mislead by imported religions and get lost suffering in Samsara. I defend it when ever the opportunity arises.
June 20th, 2015 at 12:06 am
Thanks Charles
You say: Now I am a Buddhist and know that Buddhism is not comparable to any other religion. It is a great philosophy to be imparted to others for their release from the bonds of Samsara, not to be mislead by imported religions
Charles is not Buddhism an IMPORTED RELIGION? have you forgotten what POSON is all about?
Religion (any religion for that matter) is an inward journey either in search of one’s true ‘self’ or with a view of exposing and rejecting one’s false ‘self’. That is done in SOLITUDE and SILENCE, away from the ‘maddening crowd’. That journey is the VERY SAME FOR ALL In this there is no superiority of one religion over any other. There is no escaping it, the inward journey in solitude and silence to the fake and the fraud that is one’s apparent self. The rest is fanfare and trumpet that is in no way a substitute to that search and discovery. During that search all religious scriptures get wiped out of one’s inner consciousness which is the path to that discovery.
The words Buddhism or anything else similar are purely ‘mind made’ and as such of NO RELEVANCE to that inward journey. During that journey all mind made stuff call it Buddhism or any other get deleted and relegated to the TRASH can.
So harping on themes such as ‘I am Buddhist’ or ‘I know that Buddhism is not comparable to any other religion’ has no sense or meaning. Statements such as ‘I am not this or that’…’You are something else’ with reference to religious labels is pure ignorance and foolishness. When pushed to the extreme it is MADNESS.
Mario Perera
Kadawata
June 20th, 2015 at 1:20 am
Independent,
Thanks for that advice. I think you are right. We cannot afford to offend against ‘our dear God’, can we?
June 20th, 2015 at 1:22 am
Mario you are welcome to your opinion, and also to have your way. I close my discussion here.
June 20th, 2015 at 1:26 am
No offense meant to you Charles
Your participation in this forum is an enlightening factor
Kindest regards
Mario
June 20th, 2015 at 11:53 am
LORENZO !! YES, The Kandy Perahara season is in July and Christmas is in December. I know that very well.
***why do you support the division of voters ?*** Never had such intention, but here is the answer:-
Apparently you did not comprehend what I was trying to say, or you are trying to feign ignorance of this episode, or trying to draw a Red Herring across the trail to confuse readers. See whether you would comprehend it Now:-
During the Perahara in July in Kandy, the Randoli Big Perahara comes towards the end after the other Devale Peraharas are over. On the Randoli Perahara day, before the time the Perahara was scheduled to start, SHIRANTHE sent a truck load of CAROL SINGERS passing the MALIGAWA and circling the MALIGAWA area. People who had come to watch the Perahara HOOTED the CAROL SINGERS WHO WERE IN A VEHICLE. This came on the news and even the Carol Vehicle was shown on TV News. THIS WAS KANDY PERAHARA TIME AND NOT DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS TIME.
I had no idea that I was supporting a division of voters. How does that come into this BIG PICTURE***THE TRUTH.???
YOU WORKED AGAINST MR then, but YOU ARE NOW MAKING A DITCH ATTEMPT TO SAVE HIS ASS NOW. UNDERSTANDABLE LORENZO. UNDERSTANDABLE.
I repeat, this was a contributory RETRIBUTION FOR MR to fall flat on his ass. This line to be read many times.
June 20th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
LORENZO !!! During the last Election, ANANDA-USA, RANJIT, and I fought very hard with *WORDS* to save MR, amongst very many others. YOU then worked against MR, and went hell for leather to make Maru Sira to win, giving your sweat and finances. You succeeded but we lost. Now I see that you regret that decision. You were very Noble to admit it. MR made many errors, but I too like to see him back on the saddle, as much as you would like it. My recalling that episode, is to establish that the LAW OF KARMA is no respecter of persons, whether King or Mendicant.
THE ACT OF SENDING A CAROL CART INTO THE MIDST OF AN ANNUAL RITUALISTIC BUDDHIST CEREMONY, IS REPREHENSIBLE. REPEAT, REPREHENSIBLE. THE NEWS CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS INITIATED BY SHIRANTHE. IT WAS HER UNDOING.
June 20th, 2015 at 1:27 pm
Dear Mario,
Thank you for response.
The Portuguese who came to Lanka in 1505 had GUNS & SWORDS. I think it must have been a frightening time for the local population. I imgine that conversions may have been done through sheer terror of death if refused to convert and others converted through appeasement of jobs, land, etc. perhaps even marriage. As time went on, the local Buddhist places of learning were demolished and the stones from those buildings used to build the Portuguese Forts. In all fairness, some local folk may have joined the Portuguese due to the internal quarrels of that time
With time, the culture that came with the arrival of the Portuguese became an overlay on the existing Buddhist culture. Because the Portuguese, who were the first Colonists to arrive in Lanka, ate beef and drank liquor, these practices were considered impure by the local Buddhist & Hindu people. So it is very unlikely that they actually converted to Catholicism
willingly unless they were forced through terror or enticed to do so, through jobs and offer of land or even the chance to travel abroad.
In Dr Susantha Goonatilleke’s book “A 16th Century Clash of Civilizations” (page 18) he states “a Catholic Father, de Salanova, writing in 1581 states the difficulties of conversion in Sri Lanka. He says ‘it is not enough to just invite them, but it is ‘necessary to compel them’ because ‘if there is no compelling’ they will not convert how much the Portuguese wished. Furthermore, the Franciscan Chronicler Father Paulo de Trinidade, writing at Goa in 1638 in his ‘Spiritual CONQUEST of the East’ (emphasis mine) puts the policy of brute force and Papal power in Sri Lanka succinctly : ‘the two swords of the civil and hte ecclestiastical power were always so close together in the conquest of the East that we seldome find one being used without the other’.
In Lanka, with the advent of Don Juan Dharmapala (his father King Bhuvanekabahu VII was killed by the Portuguese) the conquest of Lanka by the Portuguese was complete (1551). Almost all past actions in Lanka by the Portuguese have left, shall I say, a ‘bad taste in the mouth’ of the Sinhala/Buddhist population of Lanka re Portuguese action in Lanka. Mario, can this ever be rectified ? If so, how ?
However, all that is in the past and it is the present times we must address.
The Way Within (Self Knowledge) is open anyone, of any religion. To the best of my knowledge of the religions of the world, only Buddhism and Raj Yoga (Hinduism) addresses Meditation as essential. Both Buddhism (in Dhana, Seela & BHAVANA) and Raj Yoga lay emphasis on Meditation which is the only way to Self Knowedge/Knowledge of God/Truth/(Sathya)Allah within.
I agree with most of what Charles has to say on this part of the debate.
Thank you for this exchange of views, Mario. I hope some good comes of all this.
June 20th, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Correction: I should say “….. ate beef and drank liquor, and the fact that these practices were always considered impure by the Buddhists & Hiindu people as per their religious beliefs”.
June 20th, 2015 at 3:11 pm
CHARLES !! My mother too has TELIKADE PALLAGE. We are from Galle.
June 20th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
SW,
You are right about Shiranthi. She seems to be VERY POWERFUL. She got all 3 sons to study in a CHRISTIAN SCHOOL despite MR studying at good Buddhist school.
My MAIN regret about Maru Sira is his love affair with UNP, CBK and LTTE. IF he can drop that I don’t see any real difference between him and MR. Remember MR is NOT going to divorce Shiranthi. She will continue to be a strong influence.
June 20th, 2015 at 5:04 pm
A large number of Sinhala/Buddhist Colombo families send their sons (or even daughters) to Christian or Catholic schools. I am told that the discipline is good in those schools.
June 20th, 2015 at 6:02 pm
YES LORENZO, They are husband and wife. As a Presidents wife, she too is powerful. I wish them a beautiful life together.
I am a Buddhist, but was educated in a Catholic College, St. Joseph’s, from Rev. Father Le Gogs time to Rev. Father Peter. A. Pillai’s time.
I only, emphatically told of the incident. Case closed.
Read HLDMs article. Good news.
June 20th, 2015 at 6:12 pm
Fran !! My father took me to Ananda, Royal and St. Joseph’s for the entrance exams. I passed in all three Schools. My mother expressed the same sentiments that you have reflected above, and told my father to put me to St. Joseph’s. My sisters to St. Bridgets
June 21st, 2015 at 4:28 am
Susantha,
Question we have to ask today is :
If DISCIPLINE is the important point, why not upgrade the Buddhist schools too to a higher standard re discipline ?
Also note that it was NOT WRONG of Mr & Mrs Mahinda Rajapakse as Lanka parents to send their sons to St Thos, Mt Lavinia.
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It is time that all divisions within the country were erased and peace reigns for one and all. The ‘divide & rule’ stuff is all exposed now and we have to act accordingly to save the People and the Land.
June 21st, 2015 at 8:22 am
Take the ONLY the best ideas from every culture, religion, group, outside countries, etc., so that the whole country, region and world, benefits.
June 21st, 2015 at 10:36 am
My apologies Cassandra, I almost missed your reply due to not being a frequent visitor to this site. I must say that Shenali wont be swayed either by accolades or insults, because I am sure she is above all that. However, the fact remains that she is held in the highest esteem by all patriotic Sri Lankans for her forthright views and enlivening patriotism.
I am not going to argue with you as to whether the west’s agenda is overt or covert. Whatever it is, their sole aim is to rule the world through religion and that is Catholicism.
I am also not concerned about Shiranthi and MR sharing their responsibilities as parents, but she has not functioned as a responsible mother when it came to keeping her children out of trouble. At the same time, I got to agree with Susantha’s comment on that particular incident in Kandy.
And last but not the least:
‘Buddhism is not comparable to any other religion. It is a great philosophy to be imparted to others for their release from the bonds of Samsara, not to be mislead by imported religions and get lost suffering in Samsara.’
Can’t agree more with you Charles, for your most enlightening elucidation!
Thank you.