By Prof Suwanda H J Sugunasiri (writing from Canada)
(in Commemoration of his 131st Birth anniversary that fell on October 21st, 2015)
It may not be election time in Sri Lanka, but I’m voting for the Rt. Hon. D S Senanayake! That’s right, the honourable thing to do. Birth Anniversary falling on October 21 (1884), it’s election time of a special sentient being, the Buddha declaring, ‘Rare is birth as a human’ (manussatam dullabham).
I’m no history buff. In fact, the only time I enjoyed the subject was at the University Entrance class at Nalanda Vidyalaya when the freshly minted graduate, the handsome Mr K M P Rajaratna in a national dress brought dynamism to it. It was not who killed whom which year but making history come alive. But even then was I not to stumble upon what I’m going to write about.
It was browsing through the Sri Lankan collection in our home library that I was inducted to the Hall of History. The eye-catcher was the D. S. Senanayake Memorial Number of The Ceylon Historical Journal, edited by S D Saparamadu. Likely purchased by my wife Swarna as a University Entrance student, it had sat on our shelves all these many years but, sorry, rarely got attention from my academic busybody. So shall we say that retirement has its benefits, ha…!
So why am I voting for DSS (no disrespect intended but simply to save space)? THAT he’s the ‘Father of the Nation’ we knew, basically understanding that he steered the country towards Independence from British colonial rule in 1948. But HOW? Now a ray of insight was beginning to shine on me when I read that most of the agitation from 1932 to 1942 may have been on the wrong lines.” (Sir Ivor Jennings, Former Vice Chancellor of University of Ceylon, writing on D S Senanayake and Independence”, (p.16)).
So what did Rt Hon. Senanayake do right? Let’s count.
Political Wisdom
A colony can obtain Independence by force or persuasion”. But effective non-cooperation leads necessarily to force, as Mahatma Gandhi discovered ” (Jennings). So DSS’s strategy was to be co-operative, and use persuasion. Now I know how Ceylon gained Independence without shedding a drop of blood”.
There could not be a better example of cooperation than in relation to the Soulbury Commission. The British getting the fullest support for the war effort from the State Council headed by DSS, Dominion status had been promised soon after the war. Yet, breaking the word, well, what else is new, huh, there came to be appointed the Soulbury Commission. The Ministers held aloof from us…,” writes Viscount Soulbury the boycotted party (and Governor-General of Ceylon, 1949-54, writing on Senanayake the Man”), and there was the possibility that we might be deprived of the opportunity to carry out our terms of reference. That such a step was not taken was largely due to the strength and wisdom of DS” (p. 62). And .. if he had not lived, the history of Ceylon would have been very different”.
In a word, then, it is the QUALITY of the man that that got results where others failed. And that in short was the story for me.
Wisdom DSS had, it was said. Sir Andrew Caldecott (one of those who had never understood DS”) once asked one of his advisors if he found Mr Senanayake intelligent””(Jennings, 20). Mr. Senanayake made a great impression in London because he was so utterly unexpected. Whitehall was used to the slick, England-educated, graduate politician. It had not expected a bluff old farmer with a sense of humour. What is more, he knew his stuff””. S D Saparamadu, Editor of the Special Issue, points to DSS’s knowledge of constitutional niceties that would do honour to a pundit” (97). Jennings corroborates. ‘Soulbury Constitution’ it was called, but the fact is that it was produced by Mr Senanayake” (17)! Thanks to his leadership skills, Ceylon was able to play a leading part at these [Commonwealth] Conferences, far beyond the influence which her size granted.” (Hon J R Jayawardena, writing on D S Senanayake’s Foreign Policy”, 52). Intelligent enough?
So if using persuasion and working in cooperation as well was wisdom, it is only part of the story. So let me recount.
He had not only the fire of a complete conviction, but also the sense of strategy of a great general.” (Jennings, 22). DSS and his Ministers may have boycotted the Soulbury Commission, but DSS made sure he met with the Commissioners informally. With the kindliness and hospitality typical of his people, DS made extensive arrangements for the Commissioners to see the Island” (Soulbury, 62).
Here’s the man of wisdom himself talking: My government reiterates its firm faith in the democratic way of life in which the rule of the moral law holds sway” (52). And it clearly touched the hearts of world leaders. Leading personalities of different countries become symbols of change. .. [DSS] was such a personality, who impressed himself not only in Ceylon, but on a wider sphere” (Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India (8)). Many are those who agree: very wise and well balanced leader” (Clement Atlee, Prime Minister, Great Britain (9)); man of enormous breath of vision” Great Statesman of the Commonwealth” (Rt Hon. R G Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia) (10); … a man of sterling worth with a broad outlook, a mature wisdom and a great determination” (Ghulam Mohammed, Governor General of Pakistan (14)).
Economic Wisdom
Mr Senanayake’s Economic wisdom was not far behind his Political wisdom. What he brought in was an effective agricultural revival – productive, egalitarian, and would you believe, scientific.
It may perhaps be the ‘Kundasale girls’ in western pants doing paddy farming that may be what’s lodged in your memory. If this speaks to his attempts at modernizing farming, and introducing it to the younger generation, it, however, can be said to be a marginal s(l)ideshow. The wider contribution was the reforms he introduced as Minister of Agriculture and Lands. In the words of R L Brohier, (Member of the Gal Oya Development Board, and Author, Ancient Irrigation Works in Ceylon), In the first half-century of the British period there were sown the seeds that diverted agriculture to an industry which commanded money rather than means of sustenance” (69). By contrast, DSS’s policy focussed itself on the peasant farmer needs” …(70), promoting a prosperous self-supporting multitude of peasant proprietors” (74). But in equal measure [it was] emphasizing the dignity of labour and the value of cooperation” (70).
His self-sufficiency promotion thrust in relation to agriculture was guided by three interrelated considerations: first, as a technology based on science, second, as an industry based on tradition and thirdly, a business to be founded on economics and not merely a way of life” (70). So many an idea of the Minister, novel as they were” writes Brohier, were, surprise surprise, repugnant to the official disciples”!
One important detail that receive special consideration is the system on which colonists were to be selected.” Under this, all applicants were to be divided into three classes: peasants or small-holders, middle class Ceylonese, and others”. The small-holders were to be of a restricted tenure preventing alienation or mortgage” (73). This was to ensure that the land was not abandoned or left uncultivated. And for preventing the land becoming subject to multiple individual ownership.” While the individual allotment to the small holder was limited to five acres of paddy, his well-being was not totally abandoned to him. Not only were two additional acres of ‘high land’ allotted for dwelling purposes”, but a cottage would be erected at government cost” as well! While the middle class was given 50 acres, it was under the same conditions as for the peasant. The third category, capitalists” were offered land only if available after distributing to the peasant and the middle class, but still only on a 99 year lease (74).
This system of land distribution was in stark contrast to the practice in British times. Government policy in the colonial regime was to sell the land to perpetuity, and to the highest bidder (D S Senanayake doing the First reading of the Land Development Bill in the State Council in 1933 (Hansard) (83)).
Land distribution was not the only detail worth noting. There were the other dimensions built into it to ensure success and keeping the peasant off the indebtedness wagon. Thus did his policy include providing financial assistance in the form of loans. This was to ensure that the peasant would not be in eternal indebtedness, more often than not resulting in the land being divided into uneconomical lots, with the lender appropriating the land.
Doing my doctoral studies in Canada in the mid seventies, a running theme in developmental research was the widening gap between the rich and the poor, metropolis and hinterland, West and East. Forty years later, the gap continues. If nothing else, DSS’s approach needs to be considered a significant if small measure going against the grain.
His Economic wisdom also lay in having the necessary research done not only as to the extent of land available for distribution, but also the quality of the soil before land was allotted, so that the gift would not end up a white elephant to the allottees. Within half a century of British occupation, many of [the rain forests of the mountain zone] were felled” (71). Afforestation, therefore came to be a dimension of DSS’s Economic wisdom.
Pointing to increasing unemployment that was sure to follow with a growing population, he was convinced that this would only be solved by increasing the amount of land under cultivation and providing careers for much larger numbers on the land” (76). Minneriya, the two colonies – Kahagama and Minipe, and Gal Oya, his last colonization scheme” (76) would amply speak to this strategy and wisdom.
The crowning achievement .. in his role of rebuilder of ancient irrigation works and reclaimer of the dry zone, is the .. scheme he initiated in the plains around … Polonnaruwa… The primary requirement in this undertaking was the restoration of the Parakram Samudra.” (75).
Another dimension of the Senanyake Economic wisdom was the promotion of animal husbandry as part of agriculture reform (79). He …educated the country in the methods of housing, breeding and feeding stock through country-side live-stock farms….”. Within reason, he also introduced protective measures for agriculture and animal husbandry produce, by prohibiting the importation of eggs, vegetables and animals, from time to time as necessary” (79).
Hands-on Wisdom
Political and Economic wisdom was not all the Rt. Honourable had. A hands-on Practical wisdom, too. Attention to administrative efficiency was primary among them.
I remember once publishing an article in the Ceylon Daily News, writing from Canada, under the title, Do we get the Best Administrators”. So I was happy to see the Father of the Nation on the same wavelength. Mr S was not liked by some of those who worked under him, because he could not tolerate inefficiency, procrastination and bombast” (21). He liked people who could work quickly, efficiently and cheerfully.” A Convocation Address by the Prime Minister given at University of Ceylon in 1947 (Oct. 17) was on the topic of Qualities required of public servants” (106). His interest was The establishment of a disciplined, efficient and contented public service.” (106). He outlines several desirable personal qualities” of such a public servant (107): high academic standard which is evidence of ability and power of concentration”, interest in his job”, energy and enthusiasm ..”, a high sense of duty”, character and personality”, self-discipline” and physical fitness”. But who would expect a Mao Zedong in a horse-riding aristocrat? Believe you me, another desirable quality of a public servant he saw was a knowledge of the people of the Island”.
He chides those who, posted to a rural area, dare not go into the jungle in case he meets a mosquito”! (109). Sarcasm it may be, but a knock out punch it was, wouldn’t you say? Of the women graduates, he points to the many avenues of employment in the Public Service … where the special qualities of … gentleness and tenderness can be made use of to the best advantage of the community.” (109).
The future of the country lies not with the birds of passage who have been elected to Parliament but with the young men and women of the country of whom you are a highly selected example”. And it is your duty to devote your talents to the public benefit.” (110).
Realism was another dimension of his Hands on Pragmatism. I did not get all what I asked”, he says in the State Council in 1945, recommending acceptance of the White paper on Constitutional Reform. But the question is whether to keep the Donoughmore Constitution [of 1941] or whether we jump nine-tenths of the way.” Soon the knock-out punch, my favourite: A man should not refuse bread because it is not cake” (103-4)!
Russia was no favourite of DSS: Enslavement of the world is what we believe to be their attitude…. We will never be with Russia until she gives up her policy” (J R Jayawardhena writing on DSS’s Foreign Policy, quoting the Hansard (54)). Yet, when questioned in Parliament, he says, If Russia wants our rubber, let her become another competitor.. [They] can buy in the open market.” (Hansard) (58). His approach then seems to be irrespective of … political views and ideologies” (58). Simply put, realism.
Personal Qualities
If we have seen the Rt. Honourable’s right and honourable Political, Economic, Administrative and Pragmatic wisdom by the bushel, what is behind it all can be said to be his personal qualities.
- A man of singular personal attraction”, pursuing his objectives with sincerity and forcefulness”, yet always with due regard for the rights and feeling of others” (Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia, 10).
- His personal qualities will always earn him a place of warm regard in the hearts of those who had the honour to know him” (Menzies, recalling his friendship with warm pleasure”).
- ..man of very great personal charm” (Clement Atlee, Prime Minister of Great Britain, 9).
- If he had been born and bred in my country, I should have described him as the best type of English country-gentleman – able, shrewd, practical, good humoured, kindly and modest” (Soulbury, 62) He brought into my office the fresh air of the countryside, the breezy cheerfulness and good humour of a charming friend. He never seemed worried or stressed and I still seem to hear his hearty chuckle” (66).
- Courage, moderation and modesty” (Soulbury, 67).
Gratitude was another personal quality DSS brought to the table. Gratitude must be accorded especially to those of the past generation who saw the vision of Free Lanka far off among the hills, who strove to make the first breaches in the bureaucratic wall that surrounded us (Senanayake, 99). He was grateful for Britain’s good will and co-operation” (Menzies). He never failed to support his Catholic alma mater, St Thomas College, Mt. Lavinia.
Humility: I put my case for Lanka in all its strength and with all my force. Possibly there might have ben a better advocate. Certainly there could not have been a fairer or patient judge” (98). In a self-mocking, he tells the university graduates, I do too much talking myself to have much faith in talkers” (108).
Then there was his sense of humour, seeing it in others, too.
Sentiment was not absent in his heart either. Going against the advice of his engineers that greater advantage would be achieved by damming the Amban Ganga at the Sudukanda Gap” than the Parakrama Samudra,, he permitted sentiment to stand in the way of practical utility” (76). But it was not sentiment without reason: he explained it in terms of the time saved by utilizing an existing bund and merely filling in a breach” (76).
Going on a limb here, with apologies, the two protagonists in my novel Untouchable Woman’s Odyssey (available on Kindle, or in print at Vijita Yapa and Namel-Malini Punchi Theatre) are sitting in the open verandah of a rest house in an ancient capital, facing a vast ocean of water. Later moving on to a bund, dangling their feet, the female protagonist Tangamma, in a surge of insight, and changing history, proposes a name change of her dear husband, from Milton to Milinda. Brohier talks about discussing DSS letting sentiment reign in, while lounging in the open verandah of the quiet Polonnaruwa Rest House”.
Soulbury captures the personal qualities of DSS as if in summary …those who lived in his time were lifted up by the example of courage, kindliness, moderation and modesty ..” (67). Adds Brohier (80), …cultivating the great gift of appreciating his own capabilities, he learnt to tactfully handle men of far greater brilliance than himself. Therein lay the key to the power, prestige and greatness he later achieved”.
No other man had so many political enemies”, says Sir John Kotelawala, in politics with DSS over 25 years, writing A Tribute…” (11). And few others lived to make those same enemies come round to at least to grudging admiration”. Soulbury confirms: .. we did not always agree., and yet looking backwards I think that when we differed he was much more often right than wrong.” (66).
Hands on Compassion
To let Mr Senanayake’s compassion go unnoticed would be to provide an incomplete picture. The love he had for all living animals… was nowhere manifested to greater degree than in his property, Koulwewa Estate, where he farmed poultry, ducks, pigs, turkeys, goats, sheep, deer, buffaloes and … cattle of many breeds.” (Brohier, 79).
Recounting his invitation to DSS to his country farm in the UK, and taking him to the Whipsnade zoo, Soulbury recalls, By a happy chance, the first elephant he saw had been brought from Ceylon .. DS went up to him and spoke a few words in a language incomprehensible to me but obviously understood and relished by the elephant” (65). Communication is not just in language (vacī viññatti) but also in body language ((kāya viññatti). I should add, telepathically, too, British biologist Rupert Sheldrake’s research providing some scientific evidence.
Running the family estate, as DSS did, may have been by way of looking after family interests. But what we also see here is an elephantile heart in relation to quadrupeds. Multipeds (insects) and nullpeds (my term) (snakes), as in the Metta Sutta, would have no doubt gotten their fair share of compassion in the company of DSS.
His compassion, of course, goes beyond the animal kingdom. The principles of fairness and justice in the context of land alienation, and all the other things done for the welfare of the citizens of a free Ceylon, would amply speak for it in the biped kingdom.
Charm, chuckle and compassion he had. But … don’t be taken by surprise if he wrestles you down, with alacrity! As in the mug shot of him in the issue, beware, he is a wrestler! I don’t know how much of the skill he took to the political ring, but what his interest tells me is that he paid as much attention to his physical health as also to his psychological health. For, isn’t ‘good health the greatest gain’ (ārogyā paramā lābhā) (Buddha)? It is only good health that would have allowed him to go about all the things he did, for over a quarter of a century. Whenever he had a big problem on hand, he broke away from his busy life in Colombo, and sought self-expression in his hereditary home in the village of Botale, or in the quietness of Koulwewa Estate.(Brohier, 80). In other words, he has not forgotten self-compassion.
His emphasis on self-care he shares with his university audience: Muscle and brawn are no substitute for intelligence, but there is no need to ignore the claims of physical education.” And his continuing care for the other is well reflected in the wish he shares with his university audience: I wish it were possible to compel every student to spend a year in a village as a villager” (110).
The Rt. Honourable’s compassion, however, was not an all namby-pamby. He fails not to give the occasional punch when needed. The international aristocracy of [Western] Sovereign States, jealous of their special positions, carefully choose their colleagues in the charmed circle. International peace was necessary not for the greater happiness of humanity, but to impose their own domination of the world.” (113) (BBC speech).
We consider India to be one of the greatest nations … but we do not expect India to play the role of trying to establish rights where they have no rights, … or to deprive other countries of their rights” (57) (Hansard).
When it comes to his own people, in addressing the university audience, says he, .. our objective is not to raise the standard of living in Cinnamon Gardens”, of the rich (110).
So it was a critical compassion that DSS had.
Buddhist Praxis
Adroit politician, insightful economist, five star administrator, compassionate human being. Guess what I see in all this. A Buddhism in praxis, i.e., theory in action, for the well-being of the many, for the comfort of the many, out of compassion for the world / sentient beings (bahujana hitāya, bahujana sukhāya, lokānukampāya). In contemporary language, who we have is a socially engaged Buddhist.
But is this a far-out theorizing of a dry-bone Buddhist academic? Hardly! You may be surprised that it is very much based in the warm breath of, are you ready, a practicing Buddhist Rt Honourable Senanayake. Sure he did not wear his Buddhistness up on his sleeve, any more than he sought to enthrone Buddhism in the Constitution. But would you believe, or did you know, that unknown to us the public, he was a devout Buddhist? A practicing one, too, taking to the ata sil (Eight Training Principles (sikkhāpada), popularly, Precepts). How often don’t ask me. But observe he did, donning the white Sil attire.
Evidence of his Buddhist praxis is that his attitude, behaviour, action – politics, economics, administration, are all conditioned by a compassion instructed by wisdom, and of course, vice versa, the ideal well exemplified by the Buddha.
We have recorded examples of his Mettā ‘friendliness’ and Karunā ‘compassion’ in international relations: My government’s relations with other countries continue to be extended on the basis of friendship” (53). Ceylon feels that peace cannot be established… by hatred or revenge…” (60). Thus it is that Mr Senanayake came out very strongly on the side of complete freedom” for Japan, America ultimately taking the same view (J R Jayawardhena 60). And he also urged that Japan be not asked for reparation. Talking about the colonizer he had fought, and who had imprisoned him (52), DSS only has kind words for the British public who has shown by their commonwealth idea .. an unrivalled genius for compromise…”(113).
A prime example of his personal Buddhist praxis is noted by Jennings. Dominion status promised, but word broken, Oddly enough, Mr. Senanayake was not at all angry”. Wouldn’t it take a Bodhisatta to not get hot all over? He never seemed worried or stressed”, notes Soulbury (66). So not just a one time marvel.
Not getting angry can also be seen as being reflective of another Buddhist praxis – upekkhā ‘equanimity’, instructed by the Eight-fold World Reality Wheel (aṭṭhaloka dhammacakka) – gain n’ loss, infamy n’ fame, blame n’ praise, comfort n’ dukkha (lābho alābho ayaso yaso ca nindā pasaṃsā sukhañca dukkham).
Then there was his breezy cheerfulness and good humour of a charming friend” (Soulbury).
Beyond his personal practice, he seems interested in having Buddhist values imbibed in university students. Just as his contribution … towards the establishment of a residential university is not so well known” (Sir Nicholas Attygalle, Vice Chancellor, U ofCeylon, 81), by facilitating, as Minister of Lands, the acquiring of the New Peradeniya Estate, his interest in the University Sangharama and Vihara role is not known either. He laid the foundation stone to the vihara.
His speech on the BBC on the Middle Way” of Moderation as a path to peace (110) clearly speaks to another Buddhist praxis. He talks of spirituality, too: we are convinced that only through clearer knowledge of the fundamental spiritual values of existence can international understanding be reached” (114).
The Rt. Honourable also well represented the national Buddhist ethos with the kindliness and hospitality typical of his people” (Soulbury, 63).
A Noble Eightfold Path in Action
A man of enormous breath and vision”, says Menzies of DSS (10). Along with it, his punditry and conviction may then be seen as an example of ‘Right view’ (sammā diṭṭhi) in him, the first benchmark of the Noble Eightfold Path. The strategies he used could be seen as ‘Right conceptualization’ (sammā samkappa). He had a wonderful faculty for defining them [objectives] precisely”.
Whenever DSS disagreed with someone, he would express it with an opener such as I mean to say”, As a matter of fact” and Actually” (Jennings, 18), never putting up an oppositional front. If they were unable to convince him, they were told, in the nicest possible way, that they had better go away and think again”. His humour, charm and chuckle added, we have Excellent Speech (sammā vācā), the third link in the Path. It is not only strategy that shows ‘Right Action’ (sammā kammanta), but also his approach that impressed others, and drew them over to him if in the long term. His ‘Excellent Livelihood’ (sammā ājīva) was written all over the landscape. It was to do his best to serve the people, both at home and abroad that fits the bill.
‘Excellent Mental Exercise’ (as I translate it) (sammā vāyāma) in the Noble Eightfold Path entails avoiding the bad (nivārana), getting rid of the bad (pahāna), cultivating the good (bhāvanā) and protecting the good one already has (anurakkhana). Did he avoid the bad? We’ve read how the efforts made for Independence under earlier leadership failed. So he took a new tact – of cooperation and accommodation. So how’s that for avoiding the bad, eh? We don’t know what badness there was in him personally – and I’m sure there was, as everyone who is not an Arahant does, but there is little doubt that he sought to cultivate the good in himself (as e.g., not getting angry), as well as in others when he demanded a self-disciplined, efficient and contented public service. And, did he ever protect the qualities he possessed! The record of 25 plus years of work in the field should speak loudly for itself.
Part of observing the Eight Training Principles (ata sil) is to cultivate mindfulness. I don’t know how often DSS took to it on Full Moon Days, but there is little doubt that he was into ‘Excellent mindfulness’ (sammā sati) in whatever he did in his public life. Meditation, never mind ‘Concentration’ (samādhi) was certainly not part of the practice of Sinhala Buddhism at that time unlike today. But it was with pleasant surprise in his address to the graduates that I read him talk of the value of ‘concentration’. ‘Excellent concentration’ (sammā samādhi) in the spiritual sense of watching the breath may not be what he himself practised, but it was undoubtedly in excellent concentration that he went about his business.
Though attired in a vest and tie, and not a white wrap around, the Rt. Hon DSS can then be said to have had the ongoing wrap of the Noble Eightfold Path around his mindbody in all his adult political life.
His Legacy, Tusita Heaven and My Respects
But we humans have an uncanny skill at pulling down the pillars of goodness, don’t we, as soon as the architect is out of sight. It didn’t take long for King Asoka’s Dharmarajya to come tumbling down after his passing away. DSS may not have set up physical pillars across the country as Asoka did, but build tall pillars he did – in politics, economics, administration and personal example.
In his Foreword, Sir Oliver Goonetilleke hoped that the Journal Issue may serve to reveal to the people this vision of a great leader .. so that future generations may trod the path he trod” (7). I will let the people of the country, and my readers, make up their own minds as to what extent the country has maintained the legacy of DSS . But there is nothing in my mind that doesn’t lend credibility to the Buddha’s words, The body of mortals does go to decay; but the name goes on” (rūpam jiarati maccānam, nāmagottam na jīrati).
If anyone has earned the accolade Rt Honourable, it would be DSS, even though he had turned down all British honours earlier, and now accepting it only so Ceylon will earn respect alongside other Commonwealth countries. Nationally he has earned it for all his contributions in the Political, Economic, Administrative and other spheres. Internationally, for all his contributions to peace and democracy. But he earns it equally by being literally Right and literally Honourable in relation to moral and spiritual standards: the rule of the moral law holds sway” (52).
So why am I writing about the Rt. Hon. Senanayake? It is to share with my dear readers what I have learned about him, thanking Editor Saparamadu for keeping history recorded for posterity. It may also be for educational reasons. This is not the Senanayake we had ever known as students or adults. To this average onlooker of society and politics, there was nothing honourable about a horse-back riding aristocrat! Our schools didn’t teach us of the great leader, other than as the ‘Father of the Nation’, which to us apolitical brats, meant nothing.
But I’ll admit to having a more selfish motive: to practice my mudita, i.e., altruistic joy, at discovering a goodly sentient being. It is also to introduce a kalyāna mitta ‘beautiful friend’ we didn’t know about. Says the Buddha, a kalyāna mitta is the whole spiritual life, not just half of it as Ven Ananda had said. Sorry I was not one of the ‘fortunate ones’ to benefit personally and directly from the company of this great sentient being. But at least I’m happy that I have benefited from this historical relationship with a sentient being at his best in the context of social living.
If my memory serves me right, I was a dot among an estimated million gathered at Independent Square (on March 29, 1952, as the record shows) where the body of the Troop (Sena) Leader (Nayaka) was cremated. It was as a tiny trooper of the Nalanda Junior Cadet Platoon. Sixty two years of water under the bridge, and two oceans and 10,000 miles away, I’m happy to be able to do better, and pay my personal respects to a rare human being and an example par excellence of goodliness, with all the ingredients to do still better spiritually.
The student of Buddhism in me tells me that the late leader would have inevitably ended up in the Tusita Heaven for all the merits accrued through his good deeds. Queen Mahamaya ended up there, and the future Prince Siddhartha came to us from there. But may I hope that upon the completion of his life in Heaven, the Rt Hon Senanayake will work out his liberation from samsara.
‘Hatred’, based in ‘anger’ is one of the three Blemish Roots (akusala mūla) that keeps one in Samsara. Oddly enough”, we have been told, you Sir, were not angry in a situation demanding a justifiable anger. So we could say then that you’re well on your way to a ‘jettisoning of anger and hatred’ (dosakkhaya) (dvesha, in Sanskritized Sinhala), one of the characteristics of Nibbāna. Compassion feeding on Wisdom, Wisdom feeding on Compassion, in a Conditioned Co-origination (paticcasamuppāda) reciprocal relationship, you Sir, are close to making it ‘across to the other shore’ as in the Dhammapada line.
May you attain the peace of Nibbāna!
Saadu Saadu Saadu Sā…!
(This was originally published in the Sunday Island in two parts (Oct. 25 & 31, 2015) under the title, I’m Voting for the Rt. Hon. D S Senanayaka!”)
(US Fulbright and Canadian Buddhist scholar Suwanda H J Sugunasiri is the author of Evolution and Devolution in the Aggañña Sutta”, and Arahant Mahinda as Redactor of the Buddhapujava in Sinhala Buddhism. His latest research is titled TRIUNE MIND FINDS HOME IN TRIUNE BRAIN: An Exercise in Buddhianscience & Westernscience” <https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/69843>).
![අවම බලය යොදා මරන්නත් පුළුවන්.. වෙඩි තියන්නේ දෙපාවලට නොව මරන්නමයි.. – පොලිස් මාධ්ය ප්රකාශක [Video]](http://lankacnews.com/sinhala/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Ruwan-gunasekara.jpg)
අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීම සඳහා පොලීසිය යොදන බලය මරණය දක්වා වුව පැතිරවිය හැකි යයි පොලිස් මාධ්ය ප්රකාශක සහකාර පොලිස් අධිකාරී රුවන් ගුණසේකර මහතා පවසයි.
ගුරු දේව් 
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When asked by Daily Mirror about Senior DIG Champika Siriwardene’s claim that the HNDA student was not beaten by the Police but was only being removed from the location, the student Sasini Sandeepani said she was not assisted by the policemen to remove but was only repeatedly beaten on the head.
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ආ……………..
මේ… වැරදීමක්. මේ කොටි පොළීසියේ මාධ්ය ප්රකාශකනෙ.
ටොයියනි හුජ්ජ කොල්ලනි UNP පාලනයකට ඔබව සාදරයෙන් පිළිගනිමු
හිතන්න එපා මේ කතා අහම්බෙන් මෙයාගේ මෝඩකමට වැරදිලා කියන කතා කියල
මේ කතා මෙයා කියන්නේ ආණ්ඩුවේ ඉගැන්වීම මතයි .
මේ තමයි unp පාලන ක්රමය .
මේකතා කියන්නේ මිනිසුන්ට අනතුරු අගවන්න .”එන්න එපා පාරට රට පාවල දුන්නත් එන්න එපා පාරට උද්ගෝෂණය කරන්න කියලා මිනිසුන්ට මරණ බය ඇතිකරලා ආණ්ඩුවේ පාවාදීම් වලදී ජනතාව පාරට බහින එක නවත්වන්න .
මේ එන්ජිඕ කාරයෝ මොන බයිලා කිව්වත් ඒ වෙලාවට මුන් ඔක්කොම හැඟෙනවා
Kanagatuwen unath kiyanna thiyenne oba 100% n correct kiyalai. Hithata dukai rata gana.
1815 ඉතිහාසය ආයේ නැවත සිදුවෙනවා වගේ…එසේම අවුරුදු තිහකට කලින් සිදුවූ දේ ආයේ නැවත වෙනවා වගේ… යහපාලනයේ බලයෙන් LTTE කොටින්ට පන දෙන විට අපේ පොලෝසිය මාරු විකල්ලෙන් දගලනවා පොලෝසියේ ලොක්කෝ කළු සුද්දන්ය ලංකාව කියන රටේ දැන් තියෙන්නේ පට්ට පොලීසියක්ය
මොකෝ එයාලා ඉස්තාලය වහන්නේ…,අස්සයා පැන ගියායින් පස්සේය.
ඔය එන්නේ හොද හොද කතන්දර. අනේ මසුරන් වගේ නේද
100% agreed with your comment.
100% agreed with your comment.
This is no joke. The Police Spokesman is issuing a warning to the public. Assaulting students seems to be well planned to make people scared to come to the road in protest. The way the Police justified assaulting students gives away their ulterior motive. Both ‘Yahapalanaya” and the Police are getting ready to receive” the protesters against Geneva Report. Our Police is trying to stage American horror shows in Sri Lanka.
The statement of the Police Spokesman is not correct. The Police has no right to kill citizens when they can avoid it. They can kill someone if the person shoots at the police, killed somebody, injured somebody or carries a lethal weapon in hand. The Police can’t justify killing as a measure to disperse a protest.
පොලීසිය ගැන මහජනතාව නරක විදිහට, වැරදි විදිහට හිතන්නේ බහුතර පොලිස් නිළධාරීන් පිරිසක් සාධාරණව රාජකාරිය ඉටුකරන අතර වැරදි කරන සුළුතර පිරිසක් ඉන්න නිසා කියා එයට එකඟ වීමට නොහැක . අද මුළු පොලිස් සේවයම එක්තරා ග්රහනයකට හසුව තිබෙනවා. ඒ නිසා පොලීසිය අචේතනිකව හා යාන්ත්රිකවයි ක්රියාකරන්නේ.පොලීසිය ගැන මහජනතාව නරක විදිහට, වැරදි විදිහට, හිතන්නේ, බහුතර පොලිස් නිළධාරීන් පිරිසක් සාධාරණව රාජකාරිය ඉටුකරන අතර, වැරදි කරන සුළුතර පිරිසක් ඉන්න නිසා ,ඒ නිසා පොලීසිය අචේතනිකව හා යාන්ත්රිකවයි ක්රියාකරන්නේ. ඒ හේතුව නිසාමයි අවනීතිය පිලිබඳ මහජන දෝෂාරෝපණ වැඩිවී තිබෙන්නේ. පොලිස් කාරයා අද ජෝකරයකු කර තිබෙන්නේ, දේශපාලුවන්ගේ වරදාන භුක්තිවිඳින ලොකු පොලිස්කාරයන් විසින්මයි. මේ පොලිස් මාධ්ය ප්රකාශක සහකාර පොලිස් අධිකාරී තුමාගේ ප්රකාශය එයට හොද නිදසුනක්
Good explanation. Police state is no joke indeed. But people can’t be scared by that. The matter is, people can resist to police when they kill and it would be self defense. There are methods to prevent harm from gas. Plus there are plenty of police officers who are not content with this situation. At an important time they could side with the protesters. Such draconian measures are bound to backfire and it would be harder than they expect.
After this incident there is tension in the society and a strong disapproval of the manner in which the Police handled the student protest.
The duty of the Police Spokesman is not making irresponsible statements which only escalates the tension, but calm down people and students and try to diffuse the tension.
Hutaaaaa…police ya lankawe police ya…..LOL
අවම බලය යොදා මරන්නත් පුළුවන්.. වෙඩි තියන්නේ දෙපාවලට නොව මරන්නමයි.. – පොලිස් මාධ්ය ප්රකාශක – නරකද හයිබ්රිඩ් උසාවී දාලා මේ රට විනාශ කොරන්න හදන බටහිර ක්රමන්ත්රණ කරුවන්ගේ ලීඩර්ස්ලා.ට…. . ඔබේ යහපාලන නායකයින්ට ඔය දඩුවම දුන්නානම් …ජනතාවට නොදී
???????????????
LANKAWE THIYENNE POLIS THRSTHAWADAYAK.ATTHATAMA KANAGATUI.
තේ මිල එකට එකක් බැහැලාය. රබර් ගැන කතා කොරලා වැඩක් නැතිය. වී ගොයියෝ මේ පාරත් මහ පාරේමය. ගොයියෝ එහෙම කට්ට කද්දි පාලකයා උතුරේ කොටි ඩිස්කෝ ඩාන්ස් දන්න සිහින මවනවාය (ගෝලීය දෙමල ඩයස් පෝරාවට ආරාදනා කර ඇත ) පොලිසිය දැන් කාකි කොට් වල බලය පෙන්වමින් ජනතාව බය කිරීමට හදනවාය මේවා පෙන්වා දෙන්න ඉන්නේත් අපරාදේ කියන්නේ සුළු පිරිසකි ඔවූන් හදුන්වන්නේ සිංහල ජාතිවාදීන් ලෙසය ජඩමාධ්ය යන්නේ වාසි පැත්තටය ඔවුන්ට රට ජාතිය ගැන ආදරයක් නැත අපේ රටේ මාධ්යවේදීන් ඔවුන්ගේ රැකියාව හරියට කරනවානම් රටේ පාලකයින්ගේ නිලධාරීන්ගේ දුෂිත වැඩ අවම කල හැක කරුමය කියන්නේ එය සිඳු නොවීමය පොලිසිය මෙන්ම රට බල්ලාටම යනවාය.
අනේ සිංහලයෙනි , මේ බව උබලාට කවදා වැටහේ විද ???
Kawadaawath na macho. Upan ponna gathi therum gaththata arinna ba.
මේකෙන් පෙනෙන්නේ පොලිසියට නීතිය පිළිබද තියෙන දැනුමයි. ආකල්පමය බංකොලොත් භාවයයි තමයි. මරණ දඩුවම නියම වුවෙක් අත්අඩංගුවට ගන්නකොට යොදන බලය මරණය දක්වා පැතිරවිය හැකිය කියන්නේ මරණ දඩුවම ක්රියාත්මක කිරීම පොලිසියට බාරදිලද අළුගෝසු වැඩෙත් පොලිසියම කරන්න යනවද? බොහෝ දියුණුරටවල වගේ අපෙපොලිසියත් නිරායුද කරානම් හරි.
වෙඩි තියලා මිනිමරලා බයකරලා ඊට පස්සෙ මොකද වෙන්නෙ දන්නවද ? මේකද යහපාලනය ?
මේ පොලිස් මාධ්ය නිවේදකයා අවම සහ අවශ්ය බලයක් ගැන කථා කරන්නේ අඩුම තරමේ පොලිස්” යන වචනයේ තේරුමම වත් දැන නොවේ. පිස්සෙක් වගේ මොකකද මේ පොලිසය බට ලන්දේ බලයද?
නැතුව නැතුව මේක යමපාලන බලේ …
සමාවෙන්න මට මොහුව පෙන්නේ යමපල්ලෙක් වගේ ! බොරු තර්ක ගොඩ නගන කළු කෝට් කාරයෙක් ! මේ වගේ උන්ට බලය ලැබුනම මොනවා නොකරයිද ? හඳුනාගන්න යහපාලනය !!!!
88/89 කාලෙත් මේගොල්ලෝ අවම බලය යොදල තරුණයෝ 60000 ක් පමණ ටයර් සෑය වල් වල යැව්වා ! ඒකලත් බටහිර ගැති යහපාලනයක් තිබ්බේ ! පුවත්පත් ඇතුළු මාධ්ය සියල්ල පාලනය කරන ! ඔය රාජපක්ෂ මැරයෙක් , හොරෙක් ” කිව්ව ඊනියා සිවිල් සමාජ පුරවැසියෝ ” ” කලාකාරයෝ ” ” මහනායක වරු ඇතුළු ආගමික නායකයෝ ” නිහඬව සිටිය ! විජේවීර ඇතුළු JVP නායකයෝ අනිත් පැත්තෙන් තරුණයෝ අවුස්සලා වලව් වලට වෙලා සැප ගත්ත ! ඒ තුලින් ඝාතන වලට වලංගු භාවයක් ලැබුන ! ඒ කාලේ බටලන්ද ඇතුළු වදකාගාර මෙහෙයවපු (UNP) අය අද බබාලා වගේ රට පාලනය කරනවා ! මිනීමැරීම වරදක් වෙන්නේ නීති පද්ධතියට විතරයි ! ඊට මුවා වෙලා ඕනෑම අපරාධයක් කල හැකියි ! හැබැයි ඒවාට යුධ අපරාධ අධිකරණ නෑ ! සිංහල (බෞද්ධ) වහලුන්ට එරෙහිව යුධ අපරාධ කිරීම වරදක් නොවේ !
ඒ කාලෙ ඉඳලා කියන කතාවක් මේ..
අපිට කොරනවා කියලයි කියන්නේ..
දින්න නිසා පොලිසියේ ඒ කට්ටිය උඩින් යයි..
දුන්නු ඈයො කොර ඇණ ඇණ බිමින් යයි..
යම් ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී රටක දේශපාලඥයන් අවස්ථාවාදීන් හා කපටියන් නම් ඡන්දදායකයන් මෝඩයන් නම් එවැනි රටක බිහිවන රාජ්ය තරම් භයානක රාජ්යයක් මුලු ලෝකයේම නැත්තේය.”
Absolutely true.
පොලිස් පොලිස් මාධ්ය ප්රකාශක තුමාට ට නිතිය පිලිබදව වැටහීමක් නොමැති බවත් ඔහුට බුද්ධියක් නොමැතිවා පමණක් නොව. තමන්ට බලය තිබුනද එය භාවිතා කරන්නේ කෙසේදැයි කියා නොදන්නා බව මේ කතාවෙන් පැහැදිලිව පෙනේ මෙවැනි නිලධාරින් පොලිස් දෙපාර්මෙන්තුවටම නිගාවකි
Yahapalanayata jaya wewa.
This is called Beta Landei theory in Indian sub continent.
Founded and implemented by most capable economic guru Hon. She Ann W Ram Singh in 1989 when he/she ran ill due to actions of Jathikam Vinasam Paksam.
Very good yahapalaya
ඉදිරියේදී යහපාලනයට විරුද්ධව ඇතිවන උද්ගෝෂණ මැඩ පැවැත්වීම සඳහා බය කරන්න කරනලද මෙම ප්රකාශයට විරුද්ධව නීතිමය තත්ත්වයක් අැතිකල යුතුයි.
අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම . නැත්නම් ආයෙ ඇස් බැදගෙන ගිහින් ටයර් දාල පුච්චන යුගයක් එයි.
ඔළුවට වෙඩි තියන නිසා ෆුල් ෆේස් හෙල්මට් දමා පාරට බැසීමට දැන් රට වැසියාට සිදුවී ඇත ලංකාව කියන රටේ තියෙන්නේ පට්ට පොලීසියක්ය
තේරුම් ගනිල්ලා! ඔය කියන්නේ ඊලගපාර ඔලුවටම තියනවා කියල…. පොලොසියත් දැන් හැමදේකින්ම චාටර්වෙලා නැති බන්ගස්තාන් වෙලානිසා උන්ට තවත් නැති වෙන්න දෙයක් නෑ. ඒක නිසා ඊලගපාර නම් එකෙක් දෙන්නෙක්ව මරන්නත් ඉඩ තියෙනව!
What does AID to CIVIL power instructions says, You select identify the proper culprit firt. Has it changed now?
ඇත්තටම එහෙම භයානක බලතල පොලීසියට තියනවද . එහෙම තියනවනම් ඒව අයින් කරන්න ඕන. එහෙම නැත්නම් සමාජය ඉන්නෙ ගිනිකන්දක් උඩ. සමාජයට තිබෙන භයානකම තර්ජනය පොලීසිය . මම එහෙම කියන්නෙ ඇත්තටම එහෙම බලතල තියනවනම්. මේ ගැන නීති ක්ශේත්රයෙ ප්රවීනයන් යම් අදහසක් පළ කරන්න ඕන. පොලිස් නිළධාරීන් හිතන්නෙ තමන්ට ඕනම දෙයක් කළ හැකියි කියා. හොඳ පොලිස්කාරයො කියල පිරිසක් නෑ.
පුද්ගලයෙක් පැහැරගෙන ගිහින් මරල පොලීඉස්යට පුළුවන් තර්ක කරන්න පොලීසිය තුලදි රාජකාරියට බාධා කළා කියල. මේ මං ගොසිප් සයිට් එකක දැක්ක කොමෙන්ට් එකක්.
” එක පොලිස් ලොක්කෙකුගෙ ගෙදරහෝස් පයිප් එකක් නැති වුනාලු. ඒකාට් ගෙදරට එන මාලුකාරය සැක කරල ඌව අල්ලගෙන ගිහින් කකුල් දෙකම කැඩුවලු. මාළු කාරය බයික් එක විකුනල හෝස් පයිප්පෙ අරන් දුන්නලු. පස්සෙ පොලිසගෙ ගෑනිට අමතක වෙලා කොහෙ හරි දාල තිබිල පස්සෙ හමුවුනාලු. ”
පොලිස්කාරයො හිතන්නෙ සිවිල් ජනතාව කියන්නෙ බල්ලො බලල්ලු කියල. කවදාවත් පොලිස්කාරයෙක් කරන වැරැද්දකට දඩුවම් ලැබෙන්නෙ නෑ. උඩුගම්පොල කියන කුප්රකට පොලිස්කාරය උසාවියෙ වැරදිකාරය වුනාම ආන්ඩුවෙන් දඩේ ගෙවල ඌට ප්රොමෝෂන් එකක් දුන්න.ඒ කාලෙත් තිබුනෙ යහපාලන ආන්ඩුවක්. ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදී රටක මෙහෙම නම් හමුදා ආන්ඩුවක් තියන රටවල ජනතාව මොන තරම් පීඩනයක් ඇද්ද
පොලිස්කාරයො නීතිය උන්ගෙ වාසියට අර්තකථනය කර කර මිනී මරනව.
nodakin mekada yako api chande deela path koragaththu yahapalae? hari puluwan nam danna ekek kiyahalla balanna MR paalanei MY3+Ranil+CBK paalanei athare wenasa? mata matama aeraganna hithenawa ooi
කටමැත දොඩන්නට මේ නිලධාරියාට රජයෙන් පඩි ගෙවන්නේ මොන පොලිස්පතිද? ඔලුවේ උඩින් දෙපැත්තේ ඉදිමීමක් වගේ පේනවා. අයනු බින්දුව දෙකක් ඇවිල්ලද?
Kanagatuwen unath kiyanna thiyenne oba 100% n correct kiyalai. Hithata dukai rata gana.
පොලිස් පොලිස් මාධ්ය ප්රකාශක කටමැත දොඩන්නටඇත්තටම එහෙම භයානක බලතල පොලීසියට තියනවද මේ නිලධාරියාට රජයෙන් පඩි ගෙවන්නේ
police yata tiana balatala helikaranu,munta erahiwa udgoshana karana wawuruth nadda appa..