The Silent Sangha

Featured image courtesy PMDNews

SORAYA DEEN-07/12/2018

One of the greatest challenges facing Sri Lanka today is the failure to bring
about communal reconciliation in the island. Hate has grown, gone rampant
and viral. On a recent visit to Lanka I was alarmed to hear fellow Sri Lankans
freely express a high level of fear and hatred towards their counterparts. I
remembered the words of Brian Eno, who once said, “Feelings are more
dangerous than ideas, because they aren’t susceptible to rational evaluation.
They grow quietly, spreading underground, and erupt suddenly, all over the
place.”

The majority Buddhist (constituting approximately 75% of Sri Lanka’s total

population) and the Sangha, have a critical role to play in solving this problem
head-on. People around the world turn to monastic leaders to guide them in
the Buddhist Dharma. Why are the monastic leaders in Sri Lanka silent when
their very own cadres are abandoning the real practice of the Dharma by
engaging in its desecration through hate speech, violence and unwholesome
conduct?

Why the Sangha?

For decades, the most radical Sinhala nationalists have influenced successive
governments to embrace religious nationalism. One such initiative was the
campaign carried out by the Sinhala community which included Buddhist
monks, who called to have Sinhala made the Official language of Sri Lanka.

The then Prime Ministerial candidate, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike aligned

himself with these hardliners.

He campaigned with the promise to make Sinhala the sole official language of
Sri Lanka. After being sworn in as the 4th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, he
delivered on his promise. Sinhala language was declared as the only official
language (with the subsequent amendment of the Constitution to reflect Tamil
also as an Official Language). Today the Constitution of Sri Lanka also
awards Buddhism the foremost place while protecting and fostering the
Buddha Sasana.

Andreas Johnson in his article, “Why the peaceful religion of Buddhism has
grown violent in Sri Lanka,” states
“When the civil war ended in 2009, many hoped that Sri Lanka’s ethnic
groups would find a way to coexist in peace. But it did not take long before the
country’s Buddhist extremists found another target.
Currently, Sri Lanka’s most active Buddhist extremist group is Bodu Bala
Sena (Buddhist power force, or the BBS). The BBS entered politics in 2012
with a Buddhist-nationalist ideology and agenda, its leaders claiming that Sri
Lankans had become immoral and turned away from Buddhism. Whom does
it blame? Sri Lankan Muslims.
The BBS’s rhetoric takes its cue from other populist anti-Muslim movements
around the globe, claiming that Muslims are “taking over” the country thanks
to a high birth rate. It also accuses Muslim organizations of funding
international terrorism with money from halal – certified food industries.
These are not just empty words; in 2014, one of their anti-Muslim protest
rallies in the southern town of Aluthgama ended with the death of four
Muslims.”
This is without even mentioning the violence that erupted early this year in
several cities in the Central Province.

The views of the BBS have been disowned by some mainstream Buddhist
clergy, as not being the views of the entire Sangha Community. But is simply
“disowning” sufficient in the current climate of hate that is causing
irreparable harm to the country and its people?

The Sangha as we know, is a powerful force in Sri Lanka. They represent a

distinct Sri Lankan and Sinhalese identity. Buddhism is present and
acknowledged in the State’s affairs. The rise of the Sinhala identity to
prominence invited the rise of Buddhist principles and values to prominence
as well. Sinhalese nationalist politicians and politically-engaged monks have
always cultivated and promoted a symbiotic relationship.

There is still well earned and deserved deep respect for the Sangha in Sri
Lanka. They represent the majority and stand on a firm foundation as
respected leaders of the community and country. They have emerged as
powerful influencers of public policy and political longevity.

Their knowledge of the Dharma, their symbolic push to assert Buddhism and
the Sinahala language, is not to be viewed or dismissed as simply bigoted as
has been done by many, but seen as a push to affirm that the country has not
lost its Sinhalese Buddhist roots after a long period of colonial rule. The
Portuguese, Dutch and the British suppressed Buddhist religion and culture,
oppressed people and exploited natural resources.

Buddhism today wields high influence in Sri Lanka. The Mahanayakes (head
priests of the three sects) are advisors to the President and Prime Minister
today. Political leaders often pay visits to the Mahanayakes residence in
Kandy during the time of election visit for blessings.

Some Buddhist monks have been voted to Parliament. Even liberal Buddhists
who oppose monks being active in politics are not sufficiently vocal in their
opposition to the extremist nationalist ideas spewed by the radicals. This is
because the Sangha are seen as the vanguards of Buddhism, and indeed
Buddhism is a very important factor in the daily lives of over 70 percent of the
island’s population.

So why haven’t the Sangha done more to combat hate in Lanka?

Buddhism is larger than Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism

Millions of people around the world follow the spiritual path of Buddhism.

As a Muslim woman I began to practice the Buddhist virtues of meditation

and mindfulness at a very early age. Today I am proud of my Sri Lankan,
South Asian heritage and my association with Buddhism. I wouldn’t be the
Muslim I am without the Buddhism I know.

The pain I feel at the desecration of Buddhism by the very people who have
taken an oath to uphold it is real. Even the simple truths in Buddhism that I
have learned, I don’t see in the public ‘Buddhist square’ anymore. I am not an
expert on Buddhism by any means. But I am certainly a lover of it.

As an activist working in countries like Nigeria, a stronghold of the extremist

group Boko Haram, the most potent advice I have given is to ask people to
strive to attain the Four sublime states of mind taught by the Buddha:
 Love or Loving-kindness (metta)
 Compassion (karuna)
 Sympathetic Joy (mudita)
 Equanimity (upekkha)
These four attitudes can enable the whole world to a right or ideal way of
conduct towards living beings (sattesu samma patipatti). They provide the
answer to all situations arising from social contact. They are incompatible
with hate. While removing tension in social conflict and promoting healing,
these subliminal states also enable us to build harmonious communities.

Why are we in Sri Lanka, confining these teachings to our books and minds
and not practicing them? Why are the Sangha and the Buddhist practitioners
who can unite us by implementing the Buddhism they avowed, silent?

Today the Sangha has an important role to play. They must stop searching for
consensus and mould it instead. The Sangha must bring brilliance and energy
to communal problems and commit to communal reconciliation. The
uncompromising advocacy for Sinhala Buddhist nationalism has divided our
country. It must stop.

Positive or virtuous actions sow the seeds of future happiness, and negative or
non-virtuous actions sow the seeds of future suffering. This definite
relationship between actions and their effects – virtue causing happiness and
non-virtue causing suffering – is known as the ‘law of karma’. An
understanding of the law of karma is the basis of Buddhist morality.

Let these teachings be the foundation to communal reconciliation. The Sangha

who have taken the precepts to uphold Buddhism in its truest state must do
so. The Buddha wanted us to conquer negative states of mind. It is only when
we can overcome anger, jealousy and ignorance, and develop positive minds
through love, compassion and wisdom that we can claim to be true Buddhists.
The Sangha must then pass this message on to others so they too can enjoy the
same benefits. It is never too late to build that trust where all Sri Lankans will
acknowledge that the Sangha can usher incredible possibilities when they
move from preaching to the practice of the Dharma.

Sri Lanka Buddhism stems from the Theravada form of Buddhism. Its
scripture and rules have passed down the ages unadulterated and devoid of
ritual.

The current silence of the Sangha is untenable. The Sangha body must
urgently look into address longstanding demands of minority grievances and
majority concerns. Are there not sufficient solutions to address these
problems within the Dharma? The Dharma contains universal principles and
not dogma. It can be a powerful resource to end communal disharmony and
discord in the country.

Dr. King in his famous speech, “I have a dream” reminds us that, “There
comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor
popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right. The
ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, shedding light on some aspects of the communal
conflict in Lanka, Minister of Integration, Reconciliation and Official
Languages Mano Ganesan said,
The Sinhala people have two fears. They need an assurance from the Tamil
community that they will not have this dream of the State of Eelam and that
they will not take up arms again.
Similarly the Tamil people also have some fears. That is, that the Sinhala
people may not accept that this country is necessarily a multi ethnic, multi
religious multi linguistic country.
The Sinhala people should understand that diversity is not a weakness. It’s
strength. The other fear is, the power sharing issue. The power should be
shared democratically, demographically and geographically in all areas.
People everywhere are eager to accept and take for granted their beliefs.
Unless we question our beliefs, we will never be able to understand why we
believe what we believe.
Clearly in Sri Lanka, religious, political and national beliefs have divided the
communities paving the way for fear, mistrust and antagonism. If these beliefs
are creating a high level of intolerance, can we live without these beliefs?

Create a path to efficient collaborative decision making

Transformation can takes years. We live in a mindset where we can’t even

commit to changing a bad personal habit. Changing communities and
mindsets can therefore be a long drawn and problematic endeavor. But the
good news is that the Sangha and faith leaders are well trained and equipped
to influence their followers. Their access to large communities and the
influence they wield are all the reasons why the Sanga should lead in the
process of Communal Reconciliation.

To understand and implement the basic principles of collaboration and

decision making, we must create an avenue for dialogue and movement. The
goal clearly is not to dominate or conquer. We must uncover urgently
solutions everyone can embrace. All parties must come together
understanding deeply their needs and aspirations.

If Tamil people give an unequivocal assurance that they have no desire for an
Eelam or take up arms, is the Sinhala majority willing to accept that
assurance? What specific assurance might they need further than this? Our
range of willingness when explored is much larger than our preferences.

People will be offended. But we must move with renewed vigour and purpose.
We must move gently but with urgency. What is at stake is more important
than our apathy.

Ijtihad not Jihad

As a Muslim I have interviewed hundreds of non-Muslims whose perennial

complaint has been the isolation of the community and the Arabisation of
women’s attire. Muslims might not like to hear it, but it is the truth.

For a while now I have also watched with dismay the Arabisation of my
community.

In my understanding of the Quran, it calls on men and women man and

women to be modest. Modesty is not defined as a Burqa for women.

Embrace the contextual realities of what is happening and evolving in the

margins.

Ijtihad is the reinterpretation of sacred text. To change that which does not
serve the people. Fiqh is all Human Effort. Not divine. Therefore all that
arises from human effort can also be reformed.

Commit to building an egalitarian Muslim community. Social and contextual

acts must be open to change and must evolve.

So Muslims, claim your place in the country. Be actively engaged in society

and give preference to civic engagement and community activism.

The nationalists are clear in making known that they do not believe in
interfaith and multiculturalism. Remember you have work to do.

It is urgently necessary that you understand the gravity of your safety and
security. That you must build trust with all the communities, particularly the
Sinhala majority and commit and collaborate to promote to communal
reconciliation.

Sri Lanka has a very long and proud tradition of religious co-existence. Multi
religious sacred sites are highly visible throughout the country. Public space is
shared and our lives are intertwined with common customs, traditions, mixed
marriages and a vibrant generation of youth who are looking to the future
with hope.

Let us all work with fervor and purpose to establish our Sri Lankan National
Identity, transcending ethnic and religious differences.

Let it be our hope that the silent Sangha will wake up and lead us on the path
to reconciliation.

Editor’s Note: Also read “In the Springtime of Tyrants” and “Some Questions
about Violence and Theravada in Buddhism“
Posted by Thavam