Betrayal of Buddhism by Buddhist monks

January 17, 2014

Sometime back the country has experienced Buddhist monks coming into direct politics. n recent times the country has experienced Buddhist monks grouped under !arious names rampaging in the streets, engaging in !iolence against other religions. "he topic, #hether it is appropriate $or Buddhist monks to engage in politics, #as debated $or a long time. n the 1%40s Buddhist monks attached to &idyalankara 'iri!ena took a bold step not only to engage in so(called politics as they interpreted but also to acti!ely engage #ith it. "he academic sta$$ o$ the &idyalankara 'iri!ena unanimously made a declaration dated 1)th *ebruary 1%4+ #hich #as subse,uently called the &idyalankara -eclaration, .usti$ying the reasons #hy Buddhist monks should engage in politics, #hich term #as de$ined by them. "he declaration #as issued under the name o$ /iri#aththudu#e 'ragnasara #ho #as the 0ead o$ the institution at that time. "here #ere !ery prominent monks #ho contributed immensely to the education and kno#ledgebase o$ this county in the &idyalankara academic sta$$ at that time, including 1akkadu#e 'ragnarama, /otahene 'annakiththi, 2aththandiye 'annakara,

Bambarande Siri Si!ali and 3alpola 4ahula. 5t this time it is appropriate to discuss the contents o$ &idyalankara -eclaration against the beha!iour o$ the present day monks #ho rampage in the streets. &idyalankara -eclaration 5bout +0 years back Buddhists in this country did not #ish to attain nibbana in this !ery li$e. "heir intention #as to attain nibbana a$ter hearing sermons $rom the next Buddha 6aithree. "he &idyalankara -eclaration in the outset stated as $ollo#s as translated $rom Sinhala7 t should be accepted that the economic, political and social status pre!ailed during the time o$ Buddha #as changed !ery much no# and there$ore the li$e o$ monks also changed !ery much. n those days the intention o$ the monks #as to attain nibbana in the same li$e. ntention o$ the bhikkus li!ed much later #orked to#ards the bene$it o$ themsel!es and others #ith the intention o$ attaining nibbana at a later li$e. t is !ery clear that the li$e o$ a monk changed !ery much later because o$ this shi$t o$ the basic intention.8 "his situation #as changed gradually #ith the Buddha Jayanthi, the 2,900th anni!ersary o$ the parinibbana, passing a#ay o$ Buddha in 1%9+. n the /andyan era Buddhism #as lost in Sri :anka and ordination to monkhood #as carried into the country $rom "hailand and Burma. ;nlike in Sri :anka in those t#o countries there #ere !ipassana meditation systems passed on o!er a period $rom one generation to another #ithout interruption. "hese meditation systems #ere spread around the #orld a$ter the Buddha Jayanthi in 1%9+. 3hen the 6itirigala 2issarana &anaya 6onastery #as incorporated in 1%+7 by the late 5soka 3eerarathne <later &en. 6itirigala -hammanisenthi= #ith most !enerable 6atara Sri >nanarama as the abbot, it #as the intention to $acilitate the resident monks o$ the monastery to achie!e nibbana in this !ery li$e. "here is a considerable number o$ lay persons and monks #ho meditate to achie!e this ob.ecti!e today in Sri :anka let alone Burma and "hailand. 5t the time o$ &idyalankara -eclaration and be$ore that the education and kno#ledge o$ this country #as concentrated around the Buddhist temple. "he monks #ho thought in the piri!ena established throughout the country #ere kno#ledgeable in !arious sub.ects. "he in$luence o$ the monks #as started diminishing a$ter the establishment o$ the uni!ersities &idyodaya and &idyalankara a$ter 1%9+. 'resently the recognition to the sub.ects such as modern sciences is higher than that to the sub.ects #here monks are con!ersant.

&alidity in ,uestion "he &idyalankara -eclaration takes liberty to .usti$y the political acti!ities o$ the bhikkus by the statement, ? ntention o$ the bhikkus li!ed much later ser!ed themsel!es and the others #ith the intention o$ attaining nibbana at a later li$e.8 "he reason $or this statement #as that at the time o$ &idyalankara -eclaration the economic and social li$e #as di$$erent to that o$ the time o$ Buddha. 0o#e!er the situation today is di$$erent to the time o$ &idyalankara -eclaration. 0ence the !alidity o$ that declaration today is a ,uestion. "he main intention o$ the &idyalankara -eclaration #as to liberate the common man #ho #as suppressed by the then elites o$ the society. "he monks #ho contributed to the &idyalankara -eclaration ha!e done immense ser!ice to the education o$ this country. "hey #ere progressi!e, $earless and impartial. 5t one point #hen there #as no alms gi!en to the &idyalankara 'iri!ena by the laymen, under the in$luence o$ the po#er$ul persons, &en. 1akkadu#e 'ragnarama had #ritten a series o$ books 'ancha "hanthra. "he "hera had to $ace the anger o$ the then 'rime 6inister by stating at one place o$ the book that i$ one #ants to go to hell, one has to do the .ob o$ the prime minister. *earlessness does not mean to damage

6uslim or @hristian religious places #ith the support o$ the ruling elite. Bene$it o$ the common man n the -eclaration it #as stated as $ollo#s as #ell7 ?3e belie!e that e!ery #ork done $or the bene$it o$ the common man belongs to politics. t is the duty o$ the monks to #ork to#ards the progress o$ the religion. "he gro#th o$ the religion is depending on the gro#th o$ the people #ho belie!e that religion. t #as pro!ed by the history that at the times o$ Sinhala Buddhists #ere doing #ell Buddhism also #as doing #ell. "here$ore i$ there is any acti!ity #hich contributes to the bene$it o$ the common man o$ this country it is appropriate to $or the monks to in!ol!e #ith that acti!ity #ithout damaging the monkhood #hether the name o$ that acti!ity is politics or other#ise. 3e accept that it is the duty o$ the monks to #ork $or the progress o$ the common man and also #ork against the $orces #hich #ould be a hindrance to the progress o$ them. *or instance to #ork against the $orces #hich try to destroy the $ree education #hich is bene$icial to the common man and establish the $ree education is a paramount duty o$ the monks.8 5lthough at the time o$ &idyalankara -eclaration and around 10 years therea$ter Bhikkus o$ this country did not en.oy ade,uate political po#er, Bhikkus #ho pioneered the &idyalankara -eclaration did not engage #ith any acti!ity #hich a$$ected the belie!ers o$ other religions or damaged the monkhood. &iolent conduct 3e ha!e to examine the conduct o$ the monks #ho are engaged in !iolent acti!ities, harming Buddhism and the monkhood in this background. "hese monks do not belong to progressi!e camp in the political sense. "hey do not #ork to#ards the general progress o$ the common people in the country. "hey are communalists. "hey try to sa$eguard the religion .ust like the $oolish companion #ho tried to chase a#ay the $ly #ho #as on the body o$ the king by attacking the $ly #ith a s#ord. "hey are oppressors. "hey by any chance do not represent the oppressed. "his beha!iour is completely against the #ay recommended by the Buddha and the #ay $ollo#ed by the monks #ho authored the &idyalankara -eclaration. "hey are also indi$$erent to the spiritual direction taken by the Buddhism in this country a$ter the &idyalankara -eclaration. "hey #ork against the nibbanic #ay. "hey create a hindrance to propagation o$ Buddhism in the #orld at large. 5lthough the monks #ho authored the &idyalankara -eclaration did not #ork to#ards nibbana in this li$e, they #ere engaged in progressi!e acts bene$iting the common man o$ the country. An the contrary, these monks are reactionaries. /no#ingly or unkno#ingly they #ork to#ards the political bene$it o$ the rulers and mislead lay Buddhists. "hey betray Buddhism and

monkhood $or petty political purposes and hence their actions should be condemned and stopped. "he day they #ill be thro#n to the dustbin o$ the history is !ery close. "rue Buddhists o$ this country should be !ery !igilant to ensure that the Buddhism o$ this county #ill also not be thro#n into the dustbin at the same time.