She was a devout Catholic and was praying as she walked along the road. A woman was sweeping the pavement and she stopped and wished the sweeper a good morning. The sweeper smiled and responded, using a Buddhist stanza and asking the Gods to protect her not knowing and probably not caring that the latter was a Catholic. She went on her way and soon she was in the swimming pool enjoying the luxury of having the pool to herself. Then a bearded Muslim gentleman came for his regular morning swim. She called out "Good Morning" and he responded. Then the man and the woman continued their swim at different ends of the pool. He finished his swim and as he walked off she told him, "Have a Good Day" and he responded with a smile, "Thank you. Wish you the same." The man and the woman went their separate ways and probably, the early morning greeting and sharing enabled all of them to have a really good day. Isn't it only in sunny Sri Lanka that this kind of informal sharing and co-existing can take place between men and women belonging to different religions? The world news networks bring us stories of wars and conflicts between people of different races and religions. Certain religious leaders propagate their religion being superior to the others. To many, their religion brings them solace. Religion is a very personal matter and depends on each person's system of beliefs and, also the circumstances one is placed in. Let's share what is common to all religions and mingle bringing out our essential humanity. | |||
| | |||
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Let's mingle By Sirohmi
Anagarika Dharmapala remembered
The annual Anagarika Dharmapala commemoration lecture was delivered by Dr. Risiman Amarasinghe, Director, Dharmapala-Olcott International Research Foundation of Sri Lanka last Saturday at Suvisuddharama Hall, Wellawatte. This lecture titled, ‘Dharmapala and his work’ was sponsored by the Colombo South Research Circle.
Dr. Risiman Amarasinghe said that Lanka’s history does not record the activities of a layman who has rendered such an enduring service to Buddhism and its survival as Anagarika Dharmapala since king Parakramabahu VI of Kotte. When the observance and practice of Buddhism was at a serious decline in the country due to the pressure exerted by the colonial government at the time Dharmapala strove hard at the risk of his life to revive Buddhism here. He toured various places in the island in his caravan inculcating Buddhist principles and the value of living according to the Buddhist culture. Thereby he brought about a renaissance in Buddhist practice.
In this endeavour he was ably assisted by another eminent Buddhist leader, Valisinghe Harischandra, who spent all his wealth to clear the jungles, then covering the shrines in the city of Anuradhapura and around it. After he had cleared the jungle and restored most of the ancient shrines, Buddhist monks were able to occupy them. Thereafter many monks were able to enjoy the incumbency of most of the ancient Buddhist shrines there.
When Colonel Olcott began his Buddhist educational campaign after founding the Buddhist Theosophical Society in Colombo, Dharmapala wholeheartedly supported him. He went round the country translating into Sinhala the speeches delivered by Olcott in English. He supported the Buddhist Theosophical Society and the Buddhist Defence Committee Olcott initiated as an active member of both.
With the support of leading Buddhist monks like Vens. Migettuwatte Gunananda, Hikkaduwe Sumangala and Weligama Sumangala he restored many Buddhist places of worship in India including Buddhagaya for generations of Buddhists all over the world to worship. In Dharmapala’s religious propagation activities he received the financial support of his affluent grandfather, Lansage Don Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardena, whose munificence as a Buddhist leader of the time is recorded by Col. Olcott in the journal, Buddhist’, Vol. III, 1889-1890. In fact he financially helped his father Hewavitaranage Don Carolis to set up the famous furniture shop H. Don Carolis & Company in Colombo. Don Carolis however changed his name from Hewavitaranage to Hewavitarana by dropping the ‘ge’ ending in the original name when the British government conferred on him a Muhandiramship, following the normal practice of the time.
Dharmapala visited foreign countries to propagate Buddhism. In this regard his epoch making addresses at American Institutions are well known. His address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 impacted vastly in the spread of Buddhism in the west. Dharmapala helped to found Ananda College in Colombo and Dharmaraja College and Mahamaya Girls’ College in Kandy.
JHU launches signature campaign to oust Norway [TamilNet, September 29, 2004 10:31 GMT]
"Norwegian envoys are the real enemies of people of Sri Lanka. They are sympathetic to Tiger demands," said Sobhitha Thera.
Ven. Pandit Madagama Dhammananatha Thera of the Asgiriya Maha Vihara said that the objective of obtaining the signatures is to pressure Sri Lanka's President to prevent the division of the country.
Kandy district JHU parliamentarian Ven. Udawatta Nanda Thera said, "We do not need Norwegians support. If the our government needs any support to solve the ethnic problem, it should seek the assistance of India."
Head of the Dodanwela Bhikshu training centre, Ven. Dodanwela Dharmaratna Thera, and the chairman of the Keppetipola, Sri Walshakabhidana society, and R.K Ariya sema also took part in the meeting.
JHU officials said that they will handover the signatures to Sri Lanka's President Ms. Kumarathunge, Prime Minister Mahindha Rajapaksha and foreign diplomats.
JHU is also planning to obtain signatures from the ruling party parliamentarians and the opposition parliamentarians, JHU sources said.
The signature campaign is expected to last 30 days, according to JHU sources.
JHU won an unexpected nine seats in the 225-seat Parliament during the April elections.
The JHU is opposed to negotiations with the LTTE and to international facilitation. The party is against the present peace process saying it will only lead to the division of SriLanka.
Sinhalese make up 74% of the 19 million population of the Sri Lanka and are concentrated in the southwest of Sri Lanka
Taboo on beef and pork
Along with this development, JHU's Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera last week moved an adjournment motion that sought to stop the slaughter of cows in the country. The monk's motion was supported by the CWC's V.Putirasigamani. The CWC was given an assurance by Agriculture and Livestock Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake that his Ministry would soon introduce legislation to regulate the slaughter of cows.
Where is the money coming?
Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had a good explanation for the reasons why the UNP lost the last general election.
He said the two years that the UNP ruled, the country was like the man who wore a loin cloth, did not live or eat well, was undergoing all possible hardships a human could endure, all the while having a big, fat bank account. He said the UPFA was going to be different. It was going to spend the money and let people live a more comfortable life.
Where the money for this purpose would come from, he did not say.
Bullet proof visit
The US Consul Marc H. Williams visited Jaffna last week. He took an aircraft to Jaffna but his bulletproof car was not far behind. It left early and took the tedious A 9 route to Jaffna to be on time to receive him and take him round the northern city.
Boost for peace?
A state run English paper carried a news headline last week which occupied more than half the front page. After seeing the big bold letters a person not conversant in English had inquired from the newspaper seller whether World War Three had been declared. Fortunately it was no such gloomy news.
It was only a peace day message from the President sent to all media institutions but was obviously felt by one paper to deserve that kind of attention.
No sympathy
EPDP leader Douglas Devananda was among the invitees to the Saudi Arabian National Day celebration in Colombo last Thursday – the day on which one of his senior party members was shot dead in Wellawatte.
Most heads of missions present walked up to Mr. Devananda to inquire about the incident and expressed their sympathies. Conspicuously it was only the Norwegian Ambassador who avoided Mr. Devananda.
(http://www.sundaytimes.lk/040926/news/7.html)
Buddhist women join issue with US religious freedom report
The All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress (ACWBC) has written to American Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead seeking an early opportunity for a "small representative group" of Buddhist women to meet him to discuss the recently published International Religious Freedom Report (South Asia) 2004 issued by the US Government.
ACWBC President Indrani Devendra writing to the ambassador had expressed "dismay and disappointment" at the contents of the report as reported in last Sunday’s Island.
"The largely unsubstantiated statements referring to attacks on Christians by Buddhist extremists have obviously been made without any attempt to at least ascertain the views of reputed Buddhist organisations such as the ACWBC. The two Supreme Court decisions referred to in the Report were initiated by our Congress," Devendra has said.
"They have to be understood in the context of Sri Lanka’s constitution which enshrines the foremost position for the Buddha Sasana while, at the same time, ensuring individual freedom of religious belief. This tradition parallels that of many Western democracies such as the USA which has written in the (Christian) God into its own Constitution, Britain which has its official Church of England and Norway whose official religion is Lutheran Christianity and bars non-Lutherans from holding the highest office of State."
Urging that "most favoured status" to one religion "does not" preclude the exercise of religious freedom, Devendra has made the point that an objective analysis of the two relevant Supreme Court judgements will indicate that they do not obstruct or preclude the practice of the Christian faith.
"What they do is curb unethical means of conversion by material inducements (i.e. bribery) which, I am sure you will agree, is most dishonourable and undesirable," she said.
The letter pointed out that it was an unfortunate fact that most of the ‘new Christian’ Sects indulging in this practice rely on large financial contributions from their principals in the USA. Devendra has referred the ambassador to the study of this subject made by sociologist Sasanka Perera in his paper "New Evangelical Movements in South Asia" published by the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies.
"There is a strong suspicion that this Report has been influenced by these groups which have a tremendously powerful lobby – more so in these last few weeks leading up to your country’s Presidential Election," Devendra has said.
JHU denies rushing back to vote by Shamindra Ferdinando
The Jathika Hela Urumaya yesterday scotched claims that some MP monks cut short their foreign visits on a UPFA request to back the Inland Revenue (Regulation of Amnesty) Bill last Wednesday.
Ven. Udawatte Nanda, MP, said, "Some claimed we returned as the government sought our help. We backed the Bill as it was the right thing to do. We will support the government on a case-by-case basis."
He also scotched speculation that the UPFA offered return air tickets to MPs as it desperately needed the JHU’s support.
The government, he said, need not worry about the JHU’s backing. "As long as the UPFA’s actions weren’t detrimental to the national interests, we would be solidly behind them," he told the Sunday Island.
The thera said he returned from Italy along with Ven. Kotapola Amarakeerthi, MP, last Wednesday, the day of the vote. "We were there to meet our supporters."
Ven. Ellawela Medhananda, MP and Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka returned from Europe two days before, he said. Dhammaloka thera had subsequently left for Finland. "Ven. Athuraliye Rathana is in the UK. He is expected to return within the next few days," Udawatte Nanda thera said.
Of the eight JHU MPs, only Rathana thera had not taken part in the voting.
Ven. Akmeemana Dayaratne, MP, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha, MP, and Ven. Kolonnawe Sumangala, MP, didn’t leave the country. "They were here and dutifully voted with the government."
A matter of heresy by Ephrm Fernando
Rev Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London (1500-1555) was burnt at the stake for heresy for asserting, among other things, that the words "Ite Missa est, Deo gratias," (go the Mass is ended, thanks be to God) is nothing but a papal ordinance. In ‘The Island’ of April 3, a self-appointed oblate theoretian who when we were undergrads was a spokesman for the party line but now often seen in mufti, a measure of his newly acquired contempt for the laws of the Church, asserted, peppering his assertions with Scriptural quotations to give a facade of academic rigour, that
(a) After consecration, Bread and Wine are not physically changed but only symbolically, rejecting the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
(b) The Eucharist is only a memorial of the Last Supper. Despite the heretical flavour of the assertions, the sower of cockle, this ancient enemy, who has dared to oversow the Lord’s field with scurrilous rubbish, leave alone being burnt at the stake has not even been given a smack on his wrist. An automatic excommunication latae sententiae, is brought on by the actions of an individual priest without the need for any formal pronouncement by Church authority. In other words the offender separates himself from the Church. Under existing law priests who reject the binding teachings of the past councils, incur the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae. As to why the Archbishop has not announced the excommunication of the oblate that has already taken place I cannot answer. That a Catholic priest who denies the Doctrine of the Eucharist and does so openly is certainly a scandal. Since it is morally and psychologically true that responsibility runs up and not down, it is even a greater scandal that a blasphemy is permitted to be propagated by the bishops, who are teachers of the faith and guardians of the flock against the wolves of heresy.
Reading too many ‘comics’
The Father turned Reverend seems to have been reading too many ‘comics’ of the continental heretics Bucer, Zwingli and Melanchthon who were excommunicated in the sixteenth century. The oblate not only rejects the binding teachings of the past Councils of the Catholic Church but thumbs his nose at the current teachings of Pope John Paul II, contained in the recent encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharista (Church and the Eucharist) showing nothing but hatred for the magisterium (teaching) of the Church. Worst of all, the heretic turned theologian, nay, poacher turned gamekeeper, is duping the innocent Catholic with tabernacles decorating them with fancy bulbs as if though Christ is present in the tabernacle in the form of consecrated bread, despite his assertion that the bread is any old bread one can get in any old bakery.
I admire Martin Luther for his candour and vocabulary because he vanished after declaring "that all the brothels, all the manslaughters, murders, thefts and adulteries have wrought less akomination than, the popish Mass. Masses are the height of idolatory and impiety, an evil introduced by Satan himself. It is indeed upon the Mass, as on a rock, that the whole Papal system is built, with its monasteries, its bishoprics, its collegiate churches, its altars, its ministries, its doctrine, that is its guts. All these cannot fail to crumble once their sacrilegious and abominable Mass falls". But the hanger-on of Martin Luther lingers behind enjoying the perks of priestly office provided by the gullible, blessing the same gullible with an empty chalice with the words: "Ite Missa est. Deo Gracias", "Go the Mass is ended. Thanks be to God."
Axe to grind
Today every bishop and priest with an axe to grind misinterpret Vatican II for unrestrained frontal attacks on the dogmas of the Church. Catholic beliefs are complex they assert. Religion they argue ought to be simple. Jesus came into the world with a simple message of love and the Catholic Church has encrusted His message with creeds and sacraments and stuff nobody wants. As Chesterton said: It is exactly as if, somebody were to say about medicine: "All I ask is Health; what could be simpler than the beautiful gift of Health; why not be content to enjoy forever the glow of youth and the fresh enjoyment of being fit. Why have litanies of words barbarously compounded from Latin and Greek? Why a damnable plague of long words? Why study dry and dismal sciences of anatomy and physiology? Why inquire about the whereabouts of obscure organs of the human body? Why pendantically distinguish between what is labelled a posison and what is labelled an anti-dote, when it is so simple to enjoy Health?"
Tearing threads out of the weave of Catholic faith is the fashion of bishops and priests who were the worst pre-Vatican II authoritarians and after Vatican II the most tyrannical in implemeeting liturgical changes. I was abused for not kneeling during Mass. Today the abuser is going overboard implementing changes, going to extremes, dumping statues, hiding tabernacles and replacing rubrics with village stunts. Recently a Catholic rang a bishop and started to criticize John Paul II.
The bishop quite agitated, threatened to terminate the conversation if he does not stop criticizing the pope. But the bishop turns a blind eye at abuses taking place under his nose, the very abuses condemned by the pope in the encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharista. Consequently a distorted set of ecclesiologies have emerged, lacking history and sacrament with little emphasis placed on virtue and tradition. The Magisterium of the Church does not speculate in Theology. The Magisterium presents the firm certainties of faith so that the educated and uneducated alike can put into practice the Catholic faith. Rejection of the Canon laws and teachings of the Church are two sides of the same coin of clericalism, a flight from discipline and the exercise of illegitimate power.
Syndrome
To understand this syndrome, it is necessary to recognise that the Church after Vatican II has become more clericalist than the Church before Vatican II, despite repeated claims to the contrary. Prior to Vatican II the Church was clericalist in transparent ways but part of that clericalism was the fact that bishops and priest were held to higher standards than lay catholics. Bishops and priests never questioned doctrine and those who did were condemned as pariahs. After Vatican II, this abruptly changed. Emphasis on the indellible, sacramental character imparted by ordination, a bond between priest and God, shifted to challenging all the teachings of the Chureh.
The spectacle of catholic priests supported by bishops denying the Real Presence and setting-up wayward catholics as catspaws to write to newspapers, scandalise the lay catholic because it means bishops and priests are exempted from teachings that lay catholics are told to obey. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is like a bowl of salad at a madhatters tea party with bishops and priests interpreting dogmas and muddling through in their own merry ways united only by the fact they are in the same bowl sprinkled with a thin Vatican dressing. These clerics are more willing to compromise on the doctrines they preach than the vintage wines they have with their dinners. If the catholics had accepted the doctrines or the new messiahs 2000 years ago, catholicism today would be nothing but a footnote in history.
Grievously flawed
The process that results in the appointment of bishops is grievously flawed. During my school days only the best were chosen for the episcopate. If suitable candidates were not available the slot remained vacant. Today any clerical Dick, Tom and Harry with Divinity qualifications from third rate theological schools, finds himself appointed a bishop concerned only about status and hob-nobbing with politicians who are here today and gone tomorrow, than nip clerical abuses in the bud. When a concerned catholic protested to a bishop, who has some theological qualifications from Ottawa, Canada where catholicism has almost collapsed and where theologians routinely reject the teachings of the Church, against the absurdity and impiety of the actions of the sower of cockle, the bishop who being tanquam modo genitus infans (like a new born child) yawned and gave an hackneyed excuse supporting the reprobate demonstrating his unworthiness to hold episcopal office. The bishop displayed a mentality whereby unlimited sympathy was extended to the transgressor of Church teachings, while a judgemental spirit was reserved for the hapless catholic.
Dogmas
Why do bishops and priests who do not accept the teachings of the Church insist upon remaining in the church? In the Catholic Church there are dogmas which one must accept. To deny them is to relinquish the right to the name catholic. Bishops and priests are duty bound to respect the boundary lines. It is their duty to fix the lines clearly in their minds and if they wish to go beyond them they must change their profession. This is their duty not as catholics but as honest men because they are breaking the rule summed by Mary at the wedding feast in Cana. "Do whatever He tells you."
For two thousand years the Catholic Church weathered persecutions, storms and trials of enemies from within and without. The Church will continue to be challenged by Her enemies saecula saeculorum (till the end of time). When I was a graduate student the newspapers competed with daily prayer. After graduation television began to compete with the newspapers. After I completed my doctoral studies, the Internet started to compete with television.
Then a few catholic intellectuals lost their way. Now catholic intellectuals have lost their address. Only the so-called catholic professionals, who spend their time burying charms in bedrooms are left to give dinners to bishops and sing their praises. Why Christ does not intervene and chase the blashemers from the Temple profoundly shocks me, similar to the shocks I would get if I look at the mirror and not see my face. On the other hand,is Christ by His patience sending a message, similar to the one He sent when He bestowed the priesthood, at the Last Supper, on Judas, His betrayer. Is Christ waiting till the new betrayers, like Judas, get enough rope to hang themselves from the nearest gibbet?
One of the boasts of the dissenting oblate is that he was once in charge of the Ampitiya seminary. The quality of his training can be measured by the following examples of abuse taken from many, which I have censored, because I am ashamed to write about them. In a church south of Colombo, the parish priest uses only bread, no wine for the consecration. In a church north of Colombo the priest is a contortionist. Stunts have replaced liturgical rubrics and begins distributing communion by tossing a host in his mouth. The new breed of priests are like Gadarene swine and do not support the Church, Her hierarchy, Her Eucharist or Her liturgy.
They have knocked the guts out of orthodoxy. A temptation against Faith, Hope and Charity. They look at the Mass as tired men look at flies and their bloated bodies and cynical laughter are worse than the ancient wrongs of Martin Luther that produced so much greed, ugliness and vice. When we were students the Ampitiya Seminary produced priests of admirable quality. Although priests of that era had their faults they were by any standard less ignorant, less immoral, less neglectful of duty and less disobedient than at almost any time in the history of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. More positively priests of that generation were pious and zealous.
Decreed
The Ampitiya Seminary was modelled the way it was decreed by the Council of Trent. The system of discipline was characterized by ascetism and was used to train the will and develop habits of regularity, self-control self- sacrifice and holiness. The seminarians were trained to follow a rule of life which determined what they would do throughout the course of each day, Mass, prayer, classes, study, recreation and devotion. Nothing was left to caprice. St. Charles Borromeo, the cardinal archbishop of Milan, a renowned father of the Council of Trent, is the one who developed the seminary system and copied in to by the Ampitiya Seminary. St Charle’s contributions to the seminary system are so significant that he is often called the father of the seminary. Even The Second Vatican Council which the wreckers often misquote to drive a coach and six through catholic dogmas, decreed "Since the training of seminarians hingers to a very large extent on wise regulations and on suitable teachers, seminary directors should be chosen from among the best and be painstakingly prepared by solid doctrine, appropriate pastoral experience and special spiritual and pedagogical training." Despite the clear instructions in Optatium Totius (priestly formation of Vatican II) dissenting theologians are appointed to the seminary. The Ampitiya Seminary falls under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop. After the sexual abuse scandals of the clergy in America, the American bishops are fighting back and wresting control of the seminaries from the hands of the infidels. The Archbishop should follow their example. St Thomas More parted with his head rather than part with his catholic principles.
Left aghast
American catholics have been left aghast after the recent clergy sex scandals. Destruction of the American seminary system has been an inside job by homosexual bishops, priests and lesbian nuns. The corruption, the deliberate infiltration by Gnostic gurus who are bringing back into the seminaries the old heretical, pagan, pantheistic ideas which historically can be traced as far back 2000 BC, are having a devastating impact. Gnostic words like gentleness, love, peace, caring, forgiveness, spirituality are commonplace. The seminarian who arrives to be taught the Catholic faith is sadly disappointed. Instead he is taught the rubbish of dissenting theologians like Richard McBrien, Edward Schillebeecks, Hans Kung, Bernard Haring, Charles Curran who were chained like mad dogs by Pope Pius XII and unleashed after Vatican II, that the Bible is not to be taken seriously, the pope is not infallible, Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is just an old pre-Vatican II myth, Christ was not divine, God is feminine, Mass is simply a meal in which we should eat bread that looks like bread in a bakery, women should be ordained priests and so on.
Archbishop Elden F. Curtiss of Omaha, Nebraska has attributed the shortage of priests to be artificial and contrived by those who promote ordination of women. He has pointed out that in dioceses which support orthodox candidates there is no vocation crisis but an increase in priestly vocations. Orthodoxy begets vocations. Dissent kills vocations he said. A final point. The expert brings his gifts for money or to promote dated indeas and agendas. The amateur brings his gifts in pursuit of learninq. The amateur is an enthusiastic learner. He is not ashamed of enthusiasm because the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek words "en theos" meaning "filled with God". When the amateur locks horns with the expert there is no dialogue only a monologue.
‘A Buddhist revival needed’ by Neminda Samarajeewa
GALLE: There must be a gradual growing of a Buddhist renaissance to protect the Sinhala race and the Buddha Dhamma, said J. R. P. Suriyapperuma at the 40th Anagarika Dharmapala commemoration ceremony held in the Galle Town Hall by the YMBA, Galle.
We should remember Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda, Munidasa Coomaratunga of ‘Hela Hawla’ and Buddhist revivalist Henry S. Olcott. The best Buddhist reawakening period was between 1850 and 1940, he said.
A march by Buddhists from Borella to Dheepaduttaramaya at Kotahena led by Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda inspired Buddhists in Colombo during that time, J. R. P. Suriyapperuma commended.
The Chairman of the YMBA Sarath Dias said that his Association will erect a 250 feet high standing Buddhist statue at the Rumassala hill top and appealed for contribution to fulfil this meritorious duty.
Prizes were awarded to students of Dhamma Schools selected for the university entrance.
Sarvodaya Chief A. T. Ariyaratne and veteran journalist Edwin Ariyadasa also addressed the gathering. The meeting was chaired by Ven. Maligaspe Saranatissa Thero.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
US signals Sri Lanka on religious issue
We have just had a wake-up call but we are still snoring. On September 15, Secretary of State Colin Powell announced the release of the US State Department’s Report on International Religious Freedoms 2004. Punctiliously researched and documented, soberly written, it contains a section several pages long and quite critical of the situation in Sri Lanka. Significantly it is also sharply critical of the LTTE.
It would be the height of civic irresponsibility for the Sri Lankan mass media not to carry the full text, in Sinhala and Tamil translation as well, given its source, its implications and the possibility that our more myopic politicians and baser drives may take us into a minefield.
In the report’s Executive Summary the segment on Sri Lanka comes in ‘Part I: Barriers to International Religious Freedom’, in the section " State Neglect of Societal Discrimination Against, or Persecution of, Religious Minorities’, and reads as follows:
"There was an overall deterioration of religious freedom due to the actions of extremists. In late 2003 and early 2004, Buddhist extremists destroyed Christian churches and harassed and abused pastors and congregants. There were over 100 accounts of attacks on Christian church buildings and members, several dozens of which were confirmed by diplomatic observers. NGOs have reported that in the majority of cases, the police failed to protect churches and citizens from attack. In May an MP of the Jathika Hela Urumaya party presented a draft anti-conversion bill to Parliament. In June, the Minister of Buddhist affairs presented a separate draft anti-conversion bill to the cabinet. It was not formally approved; however it was sent to the attorney General for a review that was ongoing at the end of the period covered by the report. There has been considerable public discussion of the bills, and many government officials expressed their concern about such legislation".
The website of the US Embassy in Japan carries in the section US Policy and Issues, a story by David Shelby, Washington staff writer, on the International Religious Freedoms Report, a story which is posted on the State Dept’s other, more general websites as well. The pertinent quote reads:
"Sri Lanka’s constitution permits the free practice of religion as well, but according to the report, actions of religious extremists have resulted in a deterioration of religious freedom. In particular, the report raised concerns about attacks on Christian churches by Buddhist groups. While the government condemned such attacks, it has apparently done little to prevent them from continuing".
Just two sample quotes from the international press will provide a glimpse of the damage our extremists and those who pander to them, have inflicted on the image of Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese and the Buddhists. ‘In ... Sri Lanka there was "state neglect of societal discrimination against or persecution of minority religions".’ (AFP, Washington, in ‘The Australian’, Sept. 17, p.12) "Sri Lanka’s Constitution permits the free practice of religion as well, but according to the report, actions of religious extremists have resulted in a deterioration of religious freedom. In particular, the report pointed out instances of attacks on Christian churches by Buddhist groups" (Indo-Asian News Service, Washington, Sept. 16).
Most important is the statement in the Report of the US Government’s conduct, which implicitly indicates a cost if Sri Lanka resumes its journey on this path:
"Embassy representatives met repeatedly with Government officials at the highest level, including with President Kumaratunga, to express the US Government’s concern about the attacks on Christian churches and to discuss the anti-conversion issue. On several occasions, the Assistant Secretary for Human Rights, Democracy, Labour and the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom discussed the anti-conversion issue with the country’s ambassador to the United States".
A clear warning signal: don’t cross the line by turning either Bill into law, and don’t burn churches.
The basic demographic fact that the Tamils had 50 million co-ethnics in neighbouring India, the region’s superpower, imposed a heavy punishment on the Sri Lankan state and its majority for having been myopically discriminatory.
Now, the country with the world’s largest number of Christians is the USA, sole superpower and mightiest power in history.
What could be the costs of continuing to pick on the Christian minority that has two billion co-religionists (I got it wrong in my review of ‘The Passion’: the one billion figure is for the Catholics alone), 1/3rd of humanity? If the majority in Sri Lanka were Muslims or Hindus, with access to the sheer numbers, wealth, natural resources, market, self-sacrificial militancy and dispersed global presence of those communities, then such confrontation may be sane. But that just isn’t the case.
The report will not go away with the Bush administration, which I fear, doesn’t look like its going away. If it’s a Bush presidency, the Christian Evangelicals have influence; if it’s Kerry, it’s the Catholics. I don’t recommend that the Stars and Stripes be burnt in Vihara Maha Devi Park or that JHU or PNM/JVP monks besiege the American embassy demanding that the US Govt. ban the State Department report.
Anuruddha Thilakasiri
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
JHU is campaigining against slaughtering of cows.....
JHU monk parliamentarian Venerable Kolonnawe Sumangala Thera in the evening said that Sri Lanka with a large Buddhist population should not tolerate the cruel manner in which cattle are slaughtered. "We have a long tradition of compassion. A nation like ours, which was named the Dhamma Deepa, should stop inhuman practices like this. Or we will protest on the streets very soon," he said.
The Thera's views were supported by CWC member V. Puthirasigamoney, who said that September was a month where the Hindu community refrained from the consumption of meat, and appreciated him for making the proposal during this month.
In a lighter vein, UPFA MP Mervyn Silva said, "Any person who consumes the flesh of cattle slaughtered in the cruel manner they are, with so much anger and pain, could not have any good feelings inside them. It is such consumption that is responsible for the incidents that happen inside here".
Making the reply speech, Agriculture Minister Anura Dissanayake said that around 600,000 cattle are being slaughtered annually, with at least 15% being cows. "We would soon face a problem with dairy production. We have arranged for three farms to buy cattle from farmers before they sell them to the slaughterhouse. The farms were allocated Rs. 30 million and they will look after the animals and give them back to the farmers," he said.
He also said that laws alone will not stop the slaughter, and that a public dialogue on the matter was needed. He promised to bring laws to ban the slaughter of cows at least very soon.
(http://www.newswire.lk -News Wire 23 Sept )
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Bhikku front hits out at Buddha Sasana Minister by Damitha Hemachandra
Earlier the bhikkus had hung a placard which read 'Are You Sleeping' on the Ministry boundary wall. Another question on a placard asked whether the minister knew his responsibilities as the Minister of Buddhasasana.
However the Ministry officials showered verbal abuse on the bhikkhus and media personnel who gathered to cover the protest.
Spokesman for Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya (JSS), Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera said the minister showed no concern for threats to Buddhism in the country. He also pointed out the failure on the part of the Minister or the ministry to protest the film 'Hollywood Buddha'.
Commenting on the recent apology made by the film director, the spokesman for the Sammelanaya said it had been agreed only to remove the offending picture of the Buddha used for propaganda.
"However the movie features dialogues and scenes, denigrating Buddhism and the Buddha," he said adding that the movie continued to be screened with these blasphemous scenes and dialogues.
He also questioned as to why the Sri Lankan government, the Buddhasasana Ministry and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage were not taking up the issue at international level.
" This is not the first time these ministries had failed to react to rising waves of sacrilege against Buddhism and the Buddha," Ven. Gnanasara Thera said.
Meanwhile the ministry officials admitted they were yet to view 'Hollywood Buddha'. However, Mr. Abeywickrama said that they have already received feedback from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington that the movie does not contain anything offending the Buddhists.
At a news conference held at the Ministry premises later Mr. Abeywickrama maintained his stand that the protest was an unnecessary move by the Sangha Sammelanaya.
Meanwhile, the Jathika Sangha Sammelanaya in a statement last night condemned the behaviour of the Buddhasasana Ministry Secretary towards journalists and Bhikkus and threatened to take the case to International courts if the ministry failed to take immediate action.
Ven. Gnanasara Thera extended his apology towards the media personnel who were inconvenienced due to the Ministry secretary's behaviour.
Safeguard Buddhism from distortion — Ranil
One of the main responsibilities of the Buddhists of the day is to safeguard Maha Vihara Theravada Buddhism from distortion and other damages. If we train ourselves to live and look at problems according to Dhamma we would be able to lead happier lives in a world with less problems and propagate Theravada Buddhism in many more countries of the world, so said the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at a meeting at Nalandaramaya Temple, Nugegoda when he opened a new Dhamma Shala complex.
Wickremesinghe said, "Maha vihara Theravada Buddhism disseminated from Maha Viharaya, is considered the first ever most popular religion of the South East Asia. Countries such as Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia readily embraced Mahavihara Theravada Buddhism when they realized the value of its teachings.
"For twenty-three long centuries Sri Lanka played a major role in safeguarding Buddhism against many catastrophes and propagating it in many countries. As citizens of a country with such a history we should resolve today to enhance our efforts to safeguard Buddhism and strengthen the Buddha Shasana, he said.
(http://www.island.lk/2004/09/16/news12.html)
Islamic perspective on conversion
The Blessed Prophet Muhammad was the last Messenger of God Almighty, or religious founder according to those of other faiths, making his advent about 625 years after Jesus Christ the Messiah. It is a historical fact that Islam has spread rapidly ever since Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation. Large parts of Africa, and nations like Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Persia fell under the sway of Islam no sooner they came in contact with the simple and irresistible tenets of the faith, with "God is One" and "Muhammad is the Messenger of that God" as its rallying cry.
The spread of Islam was not to remain confined to the region and the faith was destined to make vast strides reaching the shores of far away China in no time. The myth that the sword spread Islam stands shattered when we observe that Indonesia, a nation of many religious persuasions at one point of time, is today the largest Muslim country in the world. Malaysia, Pakistan (then India), Philippines, Maldives and Bangladesh also bear ample testimony that Islam was not spread by violent means in the region because there is no record of Arab military conquests of these nations. On the contrary nations that were not Muslim had colonised these Muslim lands along with many other nations in the world that were not Muslim, spreading their faith by means that don’t seem fair in the present day context.
Talking of military conquests Islam, at a time when it was politically weak, achieved its most brilliant spiritual conquest when the Seljuk Turks embraced Islam in the eleventh century thus becoming the first nation to adopt the faith of the people it conquered. History was to repeat itself in the thirteenth century when the marauding Mongols became Muslims after they conquered Iraq.
During the first Crusade too there was a section of soldiers comprising Germans and Lombards under the command of a certain knight named Rainaud who went over to the Seljuk Turks and embraced Islam. There is also a stirring story of Ananda; a grandson of Qubllay Khan, and himself a viceroy of a region in the Mongol empire embracing Islam at a time when the Mongols were battling against the rising tide of the faith. To use a sporting parlance these conversions went against the run of play.
But the word ‘conversion’ is itself anathema to Muslims because nobody ‘converts’ to the faith but rather ‘reverts’ to it. According to the Holy Qur’an everybody is born with the ‘Deen al Fitrah’ (Holy Qur’an 30 30) which means the original faith’ which in its essence means that ‘God is One’. Elaborating on this Aya (verse) the Blessed Prophet Muhammad said that all children are born Muslim and it is their parents who direct them to other faiths.
But a Muslim is not necessarily perturbed about people following other faiths because God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an that if He had so willed He could ‘certainly have brought every soul its true guidance’ (Qur’an 32:13) and the fact that He hasn’t is His business. But that does not in any way mean that a Muslim is not required to speak about Islam to non-Muslims. Indeed that is a duty, a sacred one at that, imposed on every Muslim, male and female, by God Almighty. In His book the Holy Qur’an He urges Muslims to "Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious for your Lord knows best who have strayed from His path and who receive guidance" (Qur’an 16:125).
The operative word in this verse is ‘invite’ (Da’wah) and not ‘force’ with the emphasis on preaching and wisdom. No Muslim ‘converts’ a non-Muslim to Islam. It is only God Almighty who does that with His Mercy and Guidance. The duty of the Muslim is only confined to the invitation and exhortation, leaving the rest to God Almighty.
Instead of forcing non-Muslims to Islam, which is the common perception, Allah Almighty urges Muslims ‘not to revile those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their ignorance’ (Qur’an 6:108). In this verse Allah not only teaches Muslims to be of good nature but also shows compassion to those who are not of the faith by preventing them from reviling Him in their ignorance’ And why shouldn’t He be compassionate towards non-Muslims? After all He is the One who has created them and all of mankind ‘from a single pair of male and female and made you in nations and tribes that you may know each other (not that you may despise one another). Surely the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous amongst you" (Holy Qur’an 49: 13).
To guide His creatures Allah sent 124 thousand Messengers to all people speaking to them in their mother tongue. Evidence of this could be found in the Veddah community of our country. Up until today, to the best of my knowledge, they have not made an image or an idol for purposes of worship. The same could be said of the Aborigines of Australia. This clearly indicates that they have received a Messenger and his message has passed down the line to the present day generations.
The Islamic belief is that the Prophet Muhammad was sent as the last and final Messenger of God for the whole of mankind with a mission to complete God’s message. The fact that he made his advent in the world in the full glare of history is clearly borne out by the historians who have recorded events of his life and message in minute details His life on earth is not covered in misty myths or hazy legends. Islam is the only religion that does not take its name from a person or place. The word Islam literally means ‘Peace and its spiritual connotation is ‘submission to the Will of God. The Qur’an constantly reminds us that the Prophet Muhammad was only a Messenger and not a deity to be worshipped. He was sent to the world a ‘Mercy to all creatures’ (Holy Qur’an 21:107) and so it’s quite natural that he should exhort all Muslims to ‘Spread my Message even if you know only one sentence’.
Hameed Abdul Karim.
Wellawatte.
(http://www.island.lk/2004/09/16/opinion5.html)
Court seeks psychiatrist report on suspect
The case was taken up before Colombo's Additional Magistrate Vikum Kaluarachchi following a motion filed by the counsel to inquire into the mental health state of the suspect who was attached to an NGO.
The case will be taken up on September 23.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2004/09/16/news/NewsBrief.asp)
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Film "The Passion of Christ": Why anti-semitic counterfeit? by Wendell W. Solomons
Sri Lanka searches for an end to ethnic bickering and a durable peace. Yet, a film that finger-points ethnically has broken out in the island's capital.
Clergymen in Sri Lanka are recommending Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of Christ" in sermons and they are packing cinema.
Next, some newspaper columnists have taken to giving promotional writing for the film free. These newspapers are pushing audiences - quite beyond Sri Lanka's small Christian minority - to see the film.
Why and how is this happening?
* * *
Full-blown fascism is a new phenomenon to many countries but in Canada's "Globe and Mail" newspaper, Rick Salutin had a message. He wrote on Feb. 27, 2004."
"Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is essentially, not just incidentally, a moment in the life of George W. Bush's America."
Then, James Carroll had commented in the Boston Globe on Feb, 24, 2004."
"THE PASSION of The Christ" by Mel Gibson is an obscene movie. It will incite contempt for Jews his prejudiced selection of details and his invention of dialogue and incidents, cause one serious problem, very much at the expense of Jews.'
"But the impact of his perverse imagination on a sacred story, coming at a time when the world is newly riven with primal violence in the name of God, threatens an even more grievous problem. The subject of this film, despite its title, is not the Passion of the Christ, but the sick love of physical abuse, engaged in for power.'
"Going well beyond anything in the Gospels, Gibson's film emphasizes Roman virtue and Jewish venality by inventions."
How really did this Mel Gibson market this film in America and push it overseas? Market manipulation
Australia's 'The Age' newspaper spread the news that European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti plans to charge Hollywood's largest studios with trying illegally to limit competition in Europe.
Commissioner Monti aims to boost competition in the $49.5 billion European pay-TV market by making access to content, including films such as 'Die Another Day' and professional sports, easier.
Last month, Commissioner Monti forced Rupert Murdoch's British Sky Broadcasting Group to give competitors access to some English Premier League soccer games. Hollywood's real 'president'
At Syracuse University, in its 'Daily Orange' paper, senior magazine major Patrick Hedlund wrote on April 6, 2004, entitling his story, 'Bush: the real Hollywood president'."
"Oh, how storybook.'
"First President Bush handles Sept. 11 with patriotic poise, vowing swift revenge on the perpetrators. He then wages a war on terror that includes a tangential invasion of Iraq, captures Public Enemy No. 2 Saddam Hussein and in an act of bad-action-movie heroism, corrals Osama just in time to renew his Mad magazine subscription to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It's an epic drama that has played out for most of Bush's presidency?" and in most of the Die Hard movies and will come full circle with the announcement of bin Laden's apprehension.'
"This act will epitomise President Bush and the Bush family's American reign by proving that through all of George Jr.'s muddling, diplomatic shortcomings and vehement conservatism, he is still the best man for the job. Centrists everywhere, terrified like the rest of us by terrorism's reality, will swing in favour of a Bush candidacy that allocates funds for advanced battlefield-motorcycles instead of public schools. Now we can finally sleep at night.'
"We remain comfortable, even in the face of allegations from former Bush counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke saying that the administration could have better defended against terrorism before Sept. 11 and possibly prevented it. Bush's war on Iraq, which ties directly to his business interest in Iraqi oil, is justified when a grovelling Saddam Hussein is removed from his dirt hole and paraded to the public as a man beaten. Who knows what the President and his empire stand to gain from this calculated move but, in the end, Bush appears a poster child for the American dream."
Richard Deats wrote on March 19, 2004, "Literalists like Mel Gibson, who go to ancient texts but ignore the political and historical context in which they were written; who dust off and exhibit ancient calumnies but ignore what careful study and history have taught us, create untold mischief. Gibson's movie is singularly unhelpful at this time in history, when religious zealotry, intolerance and violence are a threat to civil society in many countries, including our own. In blatantly anti-Semitic countries, the film could be downright dangerous." (http://www.forusa.org/media/for-statement-pass-31904.html) Film-maker Mel Gibson and his hasty backers have suppressed the essential message of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion.
I quote from Matthew 26:26-28:
"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'
"Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (NKJ)
Christians see that Christ wanted them to treat his sacrifice on the cross as the last and final one.
This message is not a tribal but cosmopolitan one. Christ wanted his followers to cease the ritual sacrifice of cattle, sheep, goats and other animals so as to PROJECT blame for problems to other tribes or internal 'enemies'.
Christianity as a non-sacrificial faith is not alone. It has a consistency with Buddhism. Half a millennium years before, 'Ahimsa' (not causing hurt to other beings) had became central to Buddhist doctrine. It has remained the core of the Five Precepts ('Pansil') that any Buddhist house-holder observes.
So if you have long ceased going to movie theatres after the days of James Bond and Rambo but feel impelled to see this production ?" view it as a counterfeit of the faith it tries to name. It is an example of ethnic finger pointing and brutality that the world must shun.
Respecting religious sentiments
There is understandable umbrage and concern among the local Buddhist public over the film titled 'Hollywood Buddha' and a related poster showing the Director and main actor of the film, Philippe Caland, sitting atop the head of the Buddha.
At the time of writing Caland has issued an apology to Lankan Buddhists over the scandalous poster and has taken the first steps to take it out of circulation. Claiming to be a follower of the Buddha, Caland is on record that he is "heartbroken for offending Buddhists".
While Buddhists are conscience-bound to accept this apology and bestow their compassion and forgiveness on the offender, there is no denying the fact that the Buddha image - a highly revered and worshipped sacred object in this country - has been slighted, although unwittingly.
What is left to be done is to ensure that the offending poster never appears again and to make certain that Buddhist sensitivities are respected at all times.
Buddhism is influencing many a heart and mind in the West but the finer feelings attending the worship of the Buddha could be experienced by only those who live and have their being in traditional Buddhist societies, such as Sri Lanka.
The West which has blazed a trail in creating an awareness of human rights and in codifying them into law, needs to respond empathetically towards cultures which profess values and religious traditions which are different from its own. If it lacks this sensitivity, it doesn't possess the moral authority to preach to the rest of the world on the rights of man.
Thus, it could be seen that in regard to cultural insensitivity, those sections of the West which make light of the religious sensitivities of others, match in callousness the diabolic Taliban regime of Afghanistan, which wantonly destroyed the historic giant Buddha statues of that country, with nary a care for the feelings of Buddhists.
It is a sign of our times that human societies are growing increasingly insensitive to each other's susceptibilities. That such tendencies are seen in the West, points to increasing moral degeneration among some sections in that part of the world.
We hope this crisis would alert the adherents of all religions to respect each others faiths and traditions. In the religious sphere, there could never be superiors and subordinates, "high" and "low" religions. Every major religion teaches humanity, reverence for life and mutual accommodation. They all speak of the oneness of humanity.
This being the case, practitioners of religions need to forgive and forget each others faults and transgressions. They also need to scrupulously follow the rule that mankind is equal.
(http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/09/15/editorial.html)
Minister urges ban on film “Hollywood Buddha"
Cultural Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday urged Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to call for a complete ban on the controversial movie "Hollywood Buddha" which has created an uproar among Buddhists around the world.
In a letter addressed to Minister Kadirgamar, Cultural Affairs Minister has also requested him to take up the matter with the relevant authorities in the USA and insist on taking necessary legal action to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The letter states : "I would like to draw your kind attention to the special statement made by me in parliament on September 10, 2004, regarding the newspaper article which appeared in the third page of the "Divaina" on September 09, 2004, which showed a film star sitting atop a Buddha's head.
"According to the aforesaid newspaper article, it was revealed that the movie, "Hollywood Buddha" is derogatory towards Lord Buddha and Buddhism. And it was reported that the movie produced by Phillipe Caland, in which the two major roles are played by Michel Nagas and Susam Thago is scheduled to be screened in Los Angeles, America on September 23, 2004 and its information is available in the Webside W.W.W.ybg.Com.
"I think, it is not necessary to state that this kind of action is disastrous to the image of the Lord Buddha and Buddhism, and violates the U.N.O. agreement and its accepted principles regarding religions.
"However, we are glad to hear that the director of the movie has already decided to withdraw the poster and information in the Website regarding the movie.
"I request you very earnestly and respectfully to take up this important issue with the relevant authorities in the U.S.A., to get this movie banned completely and also to take necessary legal action to stop such incidents in the future."
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2004/09/15/news/4.asp)
The historic temporary ordination project by the BCC by Kingsley Heendeniya
In our country, in step with other parts of the world, there is a seemingly exponential increase in dissatisfaction or dukkha. People are trying to seek satisfaction in material things as never before in our culture, chasing after the insatiable gratification of sensual pleasure.
With not enough to go round, with increasing demand for pleasure, there is widespread conflict within people, and without in society. But beneath the surface, there is an encouraging development, chiefly among young people.
More and more are interested in the Teaching of the Buddha and in the moral values and aims that shaped and nurtured or society for 2500 years.
The Buddhist Cultural Centre (BCC) was started by Venerable Kirama Wimalajoti its Director 12 years ago in a modest way at its premises at 125, Anderson Road, Nedimale, Dehiwela. Over the years, it has steadily grown and extended its activities.
Besides the main activity of publishing, distributing and sale of Dhamma books and literature worldwide, they have now embarked on a project to address the aforesaid issues and cater to the wishes of a new generation of young people desirous of helping themselves and others through Dhamma.
In the time of the Buddha, hundreds of young people from noble families renounced their inheritances and went into homelessness seeking permanent ordination as bhikkhus in order to strive for final release from dukkha. But as with all things, perceptions changed. Moreover, there is now no Buddha to give inspiration and leadership.
Many years ago, the Sangha in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and latterly in Malaysia and Singapore adapted to these changing conditions. They offered short-term or temporary ordination, training in Dhamma and an experience in homelessness to their people, who were in the main Buddhists. It was a Theravada innovation.
This practice of temporary ordination gradually took root in the culture of these countries. Even royalty accepted a short period of homelessness to give patronage and leadership.
However, temporary ordination was not practiced in our country. The Sangha here preferred to stick by the orthodox tradition.
This matter was discussed by the trustees of the BCC two years ago and on the suggestion of its Director, Ven. Wimalajoti, it set apart funds and resources to offer initially, a two weeks course of training in Dhamma and Vinaya to a batch of 25 young people selected from over 100 who applied to join in a short career of homelessness.
A panel of monks and lay scholars prepared a detailed syllabus covering the whole of 24 hours of each day in the training.
It was conducted at the Dekandawila forest monastery in Horana run by the BCC. This monastery was started a few years ago by Ven. Wimalajoti with support from his teacher in Malaysia and other national and international well-wishers.
It is now well equipped with residential facilities and dana for up to 40 persons on any one day.
As the name indicates, it is between two hills covered with forest and foliage, providing the ideal of peace, tranquillity and solitude for meditation and study.
The temporary ordination project has now trained over 100 young male persons between the ages of 18 - 35 years from cities and villages, from University students, school leavers and a few employed young men on leave. All persons joining the course with permission from parents are inducted as samanera according to Vinaya rules at a simple ceremony.
That is, their heads and beards are clean shaven and they wear the robe same as the monks who teach them.
All necessaries are provided and no fee is charged from the students. The program each day begins at 4 in the morning and it is intensive without being physically and mentally overworked.
It provides for individual and group instruction, discussion and private mediation.
At the end of the course, there is a course evaluation from participants with a view to improve it. The few persons who request extension of ordination are sent to temples in the borderline villages in the North of the country to strengthen Dhamma activities in these areas.
In pursuance of this addition to the original project, the Director has now included in the syllabus training in public speaking and discourse of Dhamma, teaching at Sunday schools, counselling, social welfare activities and management of small village temples.
The organizers of the project have found that there is a great need to provide instruction and guidance in Dhamma to people in villages scattered in these remote and difficult areas because many temples have been virtually devastated by the civil war in the recent years.
There are many young monks who are eager to venture out in these remote places and the BCC has started a special one year Tipitaka instruction course for them.
There are now 30 monks in training at Dekandawila.
This article is written to inform the Buddhist public and NGOs about this historic temporary ordination project and solicit their support and participation to strengthen it with their patronage and advice.
The reader is welcome to contact the Director for details at the Buddhist Cultural Centre on any day of the week. The telephone numbers are: 2726234, 2734256.
(http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/09/15/fea07.html)
Why and how should we cultivate our minds? by Ven. Souraba Nanda
Avoid that which should be shunnedApplying oneself to that which should be avoided, not applying oneself to that which should be pursued and giving up the quest, one who goes after pleasure envies them who exert themselves.Piya vagga - The Dhammapada
In my previous article, 'what does "a good Buddhist" mean?' which was published on 1st of September in the Daily News, I was talking about the power of mind that goes beyond all other external powers. I mentioned that the only way to attain this power of mind is through bhavana (meditation).
Let's have a look at what bhavana is. If we analyze the word bhavana, we can see, it is from bhu and na, bhu means to be, to exist, to cultivate etc, while na is added to show an abstract noun. So the whole word means existing, developing, cultivating etc. Hence, it is the development or cultivation of our mind.
Why should we cultivate our mind? We can find various canonical sources from Tipitaka where the Buddha explains the nature of a human mind. In Dhammapada the Buddha has preached thus: mind is the forerunner of all states. Mind is chief; they (all the dhammas) are mind made.
If someone speaks or acts with a wicked mind, because of that suffering follows him like the wheel follows the hoof of a chariot. On the other hand if someone speaks or acts with a pure mind, because of that, happiness follows him like the shadow that never leaves.
So it is clear to us that one can use his mind in two complete different ways. That depends on how one uses it. He can make use of his mind to do any dangerous act like murdering etc., if he develops his mind in that way. In contrast one can attain the Arahanthood, the perfect state of mind, if he cultivates his mind in that way.
Obviously from one's birth one does both wholesome (kusala) and unwholesome (akusala) activities with both categories in mind. Though one seems to perform wholesome activities with a wholesome mind, still we cannot say by performing that he has developed his mind widely; of course he did it in some extent but not completely.
It is impossible for one to develop one's mind in absolute sense by only performing religious rites and rituals without bhavana that trains one's mind to concentrate on one object. Bhavana makes your mind very calm and quiet. You become very serene. It makes you understand yours and other's inner nature, the reality of this human world and so on.
In Buddhism we can find two kinds of bhavana, they are samatha bhavana (development of concentration) and vipassana bhavana (development of Insight). Though vipassana bhavana is mostly recognized by many scholars for it leads us directly to the realization of the ultimate truth (Nibbana) I would preferably advise to follow primarily samatha bhavana which is the foundation of vipassana bhavana. In other words it is impossible to practise vipassana bhavana without developing samatha bhavana in one self.
In Mahasatipattana Sutta the Buddha has given a clear explanation on how to practise samatha bhavana. One can practise this samatha bhavana in any place that he thinks is suitable for him. Of course a solitary place would be better for a meditator and for that he might go to a forest or to a foot of a tree or a solitary place.
In Buddhism we find four objects of mindfulness or contemplation as mentioned in the Sutta which can be used in accordance with the different individual temperaments. They are as follows:
1. Kayanupassana (contemplating on the body)
2. vedananupassana (contemplating on the feelings)
3. cittanapassana (contemplating on the consciousness or the state of mind)
4. dhammanupassana (contemplating on dhamma)
In this article I have only dealt with the first, kayanupassana (contemplating on the body). Though the Buddha has given some methods of sitting postures for a meditator while meditating; it is all right to sit in any posture that suits him.
Of course sitting cross-legged and straight would be better to follow, as it is very easy to breathe in and out if done so. Now while sitting in this posture one must be mindful enough to know in his mind that he is sitting there to do bhavana.
Then, slowly he has to observe the whole body from top to bottom, head to feet with mindfulness. In that process he must know how every part of his body exists as it is. Let's say, he observes his head, that is whether the head is straight or bent; if bent should make it straight mindfully.
So, it is the same with every part of body; when something goes wrong correct it at that moment itself consciously. Then after this process with mindfulness one slowly observes his inhalations and exhalations consciously (anapanasati). Inhaling a long breath he knows that "I am inhaling a long breath," while exhaling a long breath, he knows that "I am exhaling a long breath."
Inhaling a short breath, he knows that "I am inhaling a short breath." While exhaling a short breath, he knows that "I am exhaling a short breath." Thus he must experience the entire breathing system in full sense contemplating on the body internally or externally, or both internally and externally.
It should be mentioned that one must not strictly be bound to a single method of concentration, let's say contemplating on breathing in and out; he must or expand his mental state of concentration, that's let's say after contemplating on breathing in and out for sometime thoroughly, he must proceed to contemplate on, for example, the arising nature of the body of respiration, the perishing nature of the body of respiration, both the arising and perishing nature of the body of respiration.
So if the previous state is done mindfully, without clinging to that very state one must proceed to another, let's say, now the mindfulness that there exits only a body to the extent necessary for the growth of mindfulness and wisdom arises in him and thus he lives independently clinging to nothingness in this world.
Thus he lives contemplating on the body and again something else. He again in going forward, going backward, looking forward, looking backward, while bending or stretching his body or limbs, is clearly aware of what he is doing. In the case of a monk when wearing robes, taking bowl, going for pindapata (arms giving), eating, drinking, chewing, tasting, in answering a call of nature, he is clearly aware of what he is doing.
Once again this system of kayanupassana of concentrating the mind on the body is not only confined to sitting and contemplating, as I said this can be done in any posture, sitting, walking, sleeping, eating, talking, looking etc, just what we have to do is to be mindful enough of what we are doing at that moment itself.
If done so the mindfulness that there are only postures in his body arises in him. This mindfulness enhances the growth of mindfulness and wisdom. He lives without craving. He lives in this world without taking anything or a matter or body as a soul.
He lives thus contemplating on body as a body. He lives in this world contemplating only on his basic necessities that would be sufficient to carry on his life. He does not desire to trouble himself going after additional possessions other than his requirements. Thus he lives an honourable life.
The common way of practising anapanasati bhavana can be seen in four steps. In the first step, one has to breathe first and then count. Once again one has to sit erect in cross-legged posture and have to observe the whole body with consciousness.
Then slowly he has to draw his mind to the position of the nose, feel how the breath comes in and goes out, when he breathes in and then out he has to count one, again breathes in and out, count two and similarly minimum up to five times and then repeat the same.
In the second step, one has to count first and then breathe, that is first one has to count one and then breathe in and out, again count two and breath in and out with mindfulness, likewise has to continue to count for minimum five times and then repeat the same.
In the third step, no more counting. Instead one has to just observe and feel how this breath is going in and coming out, going-in coming-out, going-in coming-out with mindfulness.
In the fourth step also no counting. Once again one has to keep his mind at the base of the nose and feel what is going on that place when breathing in and out, whether one feels cool or hot or both, whatever feeling, he has to exactly know very consciously as it is in his mind.
The duration of the time for each step depends on the meditator, how long he practises it. Let's say he practises it for half an hour and in that case he can take five minutes per step. It will be difficult for the beginners to follow these steps.
Do not be worried how difficult it is, try hard again and again, at least five minutes per day. Then, after about two-three months you can feel what a big change has taken place in you.
Then you understand the benefits of meditation for yourself as long as you are mindful enough.
So it is the only path (ekayano maggo) to develop our inner inexpressible potentialities that are hidden in the depth of our mind and to vanish all the impurities that are in us.