Last week the Buddhists, in this country and worldwide, were rudely shaken by reactions of shock and dismay over the highly controversial statements made by a very senior prelate of the Sri Lankan Buddha Sasana.
It was just last week that, in commemoration of Poson Poya and the formal advent of Buddhism in the country some 2,300 years ago, that these editorial columns celebrated that historic moment when Sri Lankan royalty – the centre of political power and governance – chose to identify itself with the Buddha Dhamma. The Sri Lankan ruling clan, in listening to Missionary Mahinda Thera, no doubt, saw the wisdom of Dharmasoka in casting his reign in the solid ideological mould of a doctrine that upheld reason, pragmatism, realism and the highest ideals of humanity – justice, compassion and charity.
But in this past week after Poson, the country has seen the very opposite of that ancient, historic, inception of Dharma-infused governance. We have heard a Sangha leader preach the most socially destabilising and potentially violent forms of human behaviour, the very opposite of what the Buddha preached and what monarchs Dharmasoka and Devanampiyatissa wished to abide by.
We heard a Buddhist prelate advocate the mass boycott of the economic ventures of an entire ethnic community. Even more alarming, the same prelate indirectly seemed to preach vengeful murder, even recommending a most brutish method of murder as well – stoning to death.
Was it out of shame and embarrassment that the national news media chose to downplay these dangerously provocative and violent remarks made by one of the most important religious leaders in the country? Was the Fourth Estate attempting to shield society from these, perhaps unguarded, shockingly inflammatory, remarks by a religious leader who is normally supposed to guide the nation?
Thanks to the internet, the whole world has been informed of these remarks, nay, exhortations to social divisiveness and even violence. In a country where uncontrolled internet communications have already sparked large scale social violence several times in recent years, the whole nation has been on tenterhooks this past week as to whether these ecclesiastical remarks would again provoke mayhem.
Even if these remarks have not yet provoked actual violence, all responsible citizenry will be concerned over the degree to which this irrational and harmful preaching will further entrench not just attitudes of communal mistrust and enmity but also lawlessness and violent behaviour.
Most concerning is the fact that last week’s incident by a Buddhist prelate is not the first such provocation. Actual events of large scale social violence have been linked in recent years to unsavoury exhortations by Buddhist monks even if they were not those with much seniority.
The Maha Sangha hierarchy has so far not thought fit to contradict such exhortations and even hate speech by their juniors. Nor has any effort been made to institutionally discipline such misbehaviour by monks. That, alone, raises questions about the institutional strength of the Vinaya in governing the life of the Sangha community of Sri Lanka.
Doubts grew even more when, a few months ago, a Maha Sangha leader himself spoke in favour of the type of politics exemplified by Adolf Hitler. Now, after the chilling remarks by a Buddhist prelate last week, the country is presented with a picture of a Sri Lankan Buddha Sasana that suffers from a lack of genuine spiritual vigour, especially, among some sections of its leadership.
It is not enough for prominent lay Buddhists or political leaders to raise this issue of this spiritual debility in the country’s foremost religion. What is needed is a frank introspection and meticulous self-criticism that must come from within the Buddhist community, especially, the Maha Sangha. Otherwise, there will be created an impression that not only is the saffron robe above the law of the land but, that some of its wearers are transgressing their own Law, their very own Dhamma.
The faithful, however, remain confident that the Sasana, which has sustained itself on this island over millennia, yet has the intellectual and spiritual resources to revive its ancient glory.