I am compelled to write this note to the press after having watched the Buddhist monks protesting against the ‘Hollywood Buddha’ at the US Embassy in Colombo. I do strongly approve of their action and it was called for by the sacrilegious depiction of Lord Buddha in an advertisement. The offensive advertisement is now expected to be withdrawn soon.
The humbug I condemned is that nobody from the Sangha Sammeelaneya raises any protest about the outrageous conduct of the booty hunters in our ancient temples and monasteries. They drill holes on the heads of Buddha images, they gauge out the eyes, mangle the body by opening it up on all sides. Most of these robbers are knowledgeable Sinhala Buddhists and some have been Buddhist monks in robes! Where is the odium shown for this despicable conduct in our own land? Should not these protesting monks invade the Sangha Sasana Ministry every time this plunder takes place and demand government protection for all potential targets, the apprehension of the culprits and deterrent punishment of the same?
Lord Buddha did not play cricket nor did he preach any Suttas on cricket. He never claimed divinity, nor even the power of divine intervention in human affairs. If our cricketers had gone before Him prior to their matches, He probably would have advised them to play the matches by the rules of the game, do their best in their chosen profession, wished them well and reminded them that all successes and glories of this world are mere temporary phenomena.
The humbug, I condemn here, is the way the SL Cricket Board frog march all our cricketers for a pirith ceremony before every major international cricket match. Seriously, is the Board expecting divine intervention by Lord Buddha? or is this a surreptitious attempt to degrade Buddhism and bring it into disrepute in the eyes of the world? Simply, put this practice should stop. Buddhism has nothing to do with cricket. Individual members of the team should be given the freedom to go to their temples of choice to intercede with the God or gods of their choice.
There is also the arrogance of the majority in public display here. There are non-Buddhists in the team, why should they conform to a ceremony that is ridiculous by all the canons of Buddhism? Was it not against this kind of hypocrisy and prostitution of religion that Ven. Soma Thera preached? JHU monks wake up. Did you not proclaim yourselves to be the saviours of our decadent religion?
As a matter of interest do the majority Hindu Indian Cricket team drag their Christian Rahul Dravid to the Hindu temple before their matches? Does the all Muslim Pakistan team conduct prayers at the mosque before their matches? Do the other teams from Christian countries visit their various churches before their matches? Mind you that the members of these teams probably believe in divine intervention according to their religion. If they do make any plea to their respective gods, it is likely to be private. And that’s how it should be. So in the name of our Theravada Buddhist religion, I call upon the SL Cricket Board to stop denigrating the Noble Teachings of Lord Buddha and I request all Buddhist monks to desist from taking part in this meaningless ceremony.
