seven notes on re-reading buddhism in sri lanka

8/4/2019 Seven Notes on Re-Reading Buddhism in Sri Lanka

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SEVEN NOTES ON

RE-READINGBUDDHISM IN

SRI LANKA

Note 1 The Extra-ordinary Norm in India

Note 2 The Liberation and Good Life Models of Buddhism

Note 3 Three Yanas

Note 4 Approaches to effective criticism of Buddhist dogma

Note 5 Kandyan Buddhism

Note 6 Saving Buddhism from Buddhists

Note 7 Words and Reality


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FIRST NOTE


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Re-reading Buddhism

THE EXTRA-ORDINARY NORM IN INDIA

key ideas in bold type

TH

Every society has its orthodoxies and alternative traditions: those systems of belief that

underpin the security and cohesion of the group and those which feed and direct the

creative aspirations of societys true individuals. The two rarely get along and the price of

non conformity can be heavy indeed.

Acarya Sangarakshitha Alternative traditions 1986 Windhorse Glasgow.

What Franklin Edgerton called the extraordinary norm in Indian tradition is of sramanic or

non Brahmanic origin. The great doctrines concerning yoga, dhyana, karma, moksha, and

samsara seem to have been the legacy ofmunis or sramanas ascetic sages. These great

ideas were the distinguishing features of sramana thought which was perfected in early

Jainism and Buddhism. In the older Upanishads these ideas appear only as intruders in the

framework of Brahmana thought.

L.M. Joshi aspects of Buddhism in Indian History BPS 1973 p 16.

It is useful to bear in mind that Buddhism values silence over thoughts and words and that

it places a premium on actual experience over mere descriptions of it or what we may

call abstractions.


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We need to go back to pre- hindu and pre-aryan indigenous culture of India to trace the

origins of the ascetic or sramana tradition that Siddhartha followed. A close affinity with

nature and its regenerative (feminine) qualities informed the earliest experiences of self

knowledge or spirituality for tribal men and women in India. (The word India is used very

broadly here to include the whole of South Asia.)

There is evidence that this knowledge had reached a fairly advanced scientific stage when

the Aryans for the first time started incorporating it in their Vedas. Some of the Sri

Vidya Tantric Practices and worship are found in the Rig and Artha Vedas.1

An ascetic is one who practices strict self denial in seeking the truth. On this path a

growing realization of selflessness or egolessness informs his/her way of life and

convictions. The rules of conduct that traditionally governed his surroundings, residence,observance of uposatha, sojourn in a fixed place in the rainy season, the alms round etc

had been established prior to the Buddhas time as indeed was dhyana or meditation.

Brahmanism simply appropriated the idea of God for worldly purposes to create an

ordered society which was hierarchical and patriarchal. The idea of karma for example

used cleverly to justify ordering in terms of caste. The language and rituals were all

chosen to exclude the non Aryan caste shudras who were both despised and feared.

In other words this was the male principle of control or the ethic of justice. I will now

extract a passage from another essay to show how this male system of control is translated

across time and space to facilitate the domination (and exploitation) of man by man.

Banks notes that Kantian and utilitarian moralities are based on a system of individual rights and duties,

emphasising abstract moral principles, impartiality and rationality.2 They reinforce the separation of

individuals, hierarchy, social contracts and individual freedom. The ethic of care stresses caring as the core

value based on human inter-dependence and gives greater premium to responsibilities, relationships, co-

operation and communication. The ethic of justice which is sometimes referred to as a male-oriented systemof morality3 is the dominant mode of thinking not only in the UK but in the Common Law world generally. But

its limitations in addressing social issues and the effectiveness of the ethic of care have been recognised, more

specifically in the incorporation of restorative justice models into the juvenile court process. 4

1Santiago, J.R. 1999. Mandala: The Mystical Diagram of Hinduism. Delhi: Book Faith India,

2Id.

3Id.

4

A striking example of the fusion of both systems is the CRC which employs a rights discourse in setting out aholistic and care based agenda for action.


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The essential characteristic of Brahmanism is external power and this is generally secured

through superior knowledge couched in an alien language. The modern professional is a

typical Brahmin.

Brahmanism in India was resisted by the internal power of the sramana. This resistance

took different forms and religious movements and it employed different languages and a

variety of communication strategies. Jainism, Buddhism, the Tamil devotional cult, and

Bakthi movement all embodied the same egalitarian ideals that belong essentially to the

sramana tradition.

To teach effectively you must care enough that the listener should understand and benefit

from the teaching. The sramanas cared enough. They had compassion and the skill that

applies compassion with a keen situational sense. In Gandhi we saw the dramaticflowering of the sramana tradition in the 20th century world of politics.

The 3 yanas ofBuddhism Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana had distinct periods in

which they flowered in India. In the first 500 years the elders worked in their secluded

monasteries to systematize the doctrine and weave it into an ordered and coherent whole

in the form of the three baskets or the tripitaka.

This scholastic tendency and attachment to the Buddhas teachings that naturally

developed was firmly arrested by Nagarjuna who re-stated the doctrine on the

foundations of non attachment and emptiness. He taught the principle ofnon-dwelling

that the true disciple of the Buddha who lives in the present moment avoids dwelling on

the middle path as well.

He founded the Mahayana school which emphasized the bodhisattva ideal as opposed to

the Arahat ideal. On principle the Arahat has also realized egolessness and this distinction

is wrong. The real distinction is between the pacceka Buddha and Bodhisatva. The formerattains to a bodhi which is higher than the Arahat but lower than samma sambuddha as he

does not teach.

The Mahayana is divided into Paramitayana and Tantrayana.

In the former the Bodhisatva who is dedicated to saving all sentient beings works tirelessly

to fulfill the ten paramitas or perfections. In the latter which is also known as the

Vajrayana the way of the indestructible, vajra standing for diamond progress is faster


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as the basic method is one of meditation in action whereby the whole life is dedicated to

meditative activity or what we may call Buddha activity.

Buddha activity is selfless and spontaneous. We can see this type of activity in certain

actions of Gandhi.

When required, he could not only dramatize himself but also dramatize an issue quite powerfully. When others

called meetings of protest against the Rowlatt Bills, Gandhi called a hartal, a religious strike non cooperation

and silence. When others walked out of the Assembly as a gesture of defiance, Gandhi walked sixty miles to

the sea at Dandi to make illicit salt.5

Conventional understanding of these actions is that Gandhi was a genius or a popular psychologist, that

these were deliberately thought out actions.6 A close study of the relevant Indian spiritual tradition teaches usotherwise. These were simply spontaneous acts of a selfless and compassionate human being properly

located outside the realm of conventional thought. He was simply following his heart.

Academic distinctions between the three Buddhist paths are resolved and rendered

irrelevant through meditation in action. As Gandhi demonstrated, sometimes we help

ourselves through study, silence, self absorption, self discipline and restraint (Hinayana);

sometimes we help others through active service, communication, understanding and

empathetic action (Mahayana); and finally we abandon all ideas of self and others

because these are just ideas, imagined by us, and surrender ourselves completely to thesituation and become one with it, as Krishna advised Arjuna in the Gita. (Vajrayana)

Whilst Hinduism retained its freshness and dynamism as a living faith in India Buddhism in

Sri Lanka became entangled in the Sinhala Buddhist state building project as the sangha

became one pillar of ancient Thunsinhale next to the king and the self-sufficient village.

There is a horrifying fact that is little known about the last Sangharaja of Kandy the Ven.

Welivita Sri Saranankara. He was privy to the plot to kill his benefactor King Keerthi Sri

Rajasinghe in order to put a Siamese Prince on the throne. The plot was discovered and

Saranankara was banished, and then recalled and pardoned five years later. The details

are found in Lorna Devarajas book on the Kandyan Kingdom p 120. I know this sounds

fantastic but our priests have been too entangled in palace politics from the very

beginning. Then of course history has repeated when in 1959 Somarama killed SWRD. They

were the pioneers of political assassination in the 20th century.

5 Spear, Percival. 1965.A History of India volume Two: From the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. NewDelhi: Penguin, 199.6 Id


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No independent sramana tradition was developed up to the pioneering work of

Kadawadduwe Jinawamsa Thero who established the Sri Kalyanai sect in the 1950s. At

least we know very little or nothing of our sramana traditions of the past. It is the scholars

who dominate our spiritual or should I say religious landscape.

The Buddhist church degenerated from a narrow emphasis on learning to a local form of

Brahmanism. (Pl see Sangarakshitha in Buddhism in context) The insistence on caste

exclusivity by the Siam Nikaya the successors to Maha Viharaya is further proof that this

aspect of Aryan society has been replicated under Sri lankan skies. The opposition to

Bhikkuni ordination within the Theravada is another indication of their patriarchal and anti

Buddhist roots.

The Buddhist church in Sri Lanka has generally shut out the two latter waves ofteaching on the basis that the Theravada textual tradition embodies the accurateversion of what the Buddha taught, that it is unnecessary to look at othertraditions and that in any event there is little doctrinal inconsistency as to thefundamental principles. The Vajrayana exponents on the other hand have takenthe view that these three vehicles represent a graduated and ascending spiritualpath Hinayana being the foundation as the disciplined self, Mahayana being thesocial extension by cultivating the perfections or parami through walking the pathof awakening as a bodhisattva and Vajrayana being the final stage of perfectionwhere the self has ceased to exist and only selfless action or non-action remains.They have also pointed out that ultimately there is only one yana the Buddhayana

and that each vehicle is a style of teaching the Buddha adopted to suit thepersonality and spiritual development of his disciples.

One clear implication of Brahmanism is that it stands against egalitarianism as itstands for continued exploitation of the peasantry. It would also follow that thosemonks of Sri lanka who followed the sramana tradition as individuals would havefostered better communication and a true spirit of brotherhood with their laysupporters.

For example Ven Nanavira (the British wartime officer who came to Ceylon withVen Nanamoli and became pupils of Nanatiloka Mahathera) spent a long period inBundala and recounted in writing the generosity and unfailing consistency of thepoor villagers who supported him.

This is a tentative hypothesis which can be tested by research.

The human being and freedom are the two key principles with all isms beingenabling frameworks. The key achievement of the sramana tradition in Indiaappears to be orderly and gradual progress balancing the extreme abuses of theBrahmin tradition.

The sramana tradition hasalso succeeded in extending the maternal principle ofcompassion to the public sphere. It is not a tradition that can be institutionalized.


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Indeed institutionalization kills the essence of this tradition which is obedience tothe pattern of rise and fall.

It arises as a movement and then falls in accordance with the law of nature. Wesaw this phenomenon in the disintegration ofAsokas empire. Institutions on the

other hand can go on indefinitely. In the process they come to embody valueswhich are diametrically opposed to the values they are supposed to espouse.

When all the world comes to recognize good as good it becomes evil.Thomas Merton

SS

August 2008


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SECOND NOTE


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The Liberation and Good Life models of Buddhism

The Buddha established the sangha in order that both men and women would in noble

companionship progress towards nirvana or liberation. Monks and Nuns treading this path

would then be able to guide laymen in the same direction.

Pursuit of liberation being a commitment of a very high order a second model of sangha

grew alongside the primary liberation model.

What motivated the sangha to deviate from the liberation model?

Over-enthusiastic lay support was one. Monastic life became a materially comfortable

option for people from different walks of life. The other fatal attraction was political

influence.

Every political ideology requires some form of spiritual backing in the same way that the

early Indian kings assumed divine status through the intercession of Brahmins who were

the closest to God.

The establishment of Buddhism in Ceylon was closely linked to the imperial mission of

Asoka. Rambukwelle states that the sovereignty of Thunsinhale was established through

the work of 3 kings -

Pandukabhaya who defined the villages and thereby gave rise to the self sufficient village

the first component of our ancient sovereignty; Devanampiyatissa who established

Buddhism through royal patronage and gave rise to the second component the Sangha,

distinguished from the sangha of the lower case established by the Buddha; and

Dutugemunu who provided heroic symbolism to the chief among village chiefs the

Gamani.

Dutugemunu and his brother Saddhatissa were among the most over-enthusiastic lay

supporters of the Sangha.

The mission of this Sangha incorporated a worldly ideal preservation of the sinhalaBuddhist state in order that the true doctrine may endure for its allotted lifespan.


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This was a clear deviation. In terms of the doctrine established by the Buddha the life of

the sasana was vinaya the rules established for both the monks and nuns.

Vinayo sasanassa ayo

This did not include an insecure pre-occupation with the stability and maintenance of a

peculiar form of political power.

This insecurity deepened during the Brahmanatissa famine which ravaged the whole

country during the tumultuous period of King Walagamba. People were even forced to killthe monks they venerated to stay alive. As the oral tradition depended on the transmission

of the whole of the tripitaka stored in the memory of the monks a real threat was posed to

the preservation of the Buddhas teachings.

Consequently a decision was taken to reduce the entire tripitaka to writing. This was

initially reduced in writing to sinhala or hela language a language widely understood by

all.

With the conversion of the oral to a written tradition a class of monks was created to

preserve and maintain the knowledge of the canon. At a very significant debate that

occurred either before or after the codification between the monks who championed

learning and the sutta pitakaya theganthadura and the monks who followed the way of

meditation and the vinaya pitakaya the pamsukulika (rag robe wearers) a strange

question was posed one that was never posed before.

What was the foundation of the sasana? Learning or practice?

The more articulate ganthadura monks won the day and they came to dominate the

Sangha ever since.

This was the second deviation that was institutionalized by the Sangha.


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In the 5th century AD when Buddhaghosa translated this canon into pali the sinhala original

was not preserved. Why?

Of course the paths of scholarship and meditation were pursued together in those days

when the Sangha had not completely lost sight of the liberation model.

Walpola Rahula Mahathera relates an interesting episode about the humility, freedom of discussion

and broadmindedness that prevailed between Buddhist Monks in the days of the Mahavihara during

the Anuradhapura Period roughly ranging from 500 BC to 1000 AD.

To be humble and not be proud of ones learning was regarded as a sign of great scholarship. The celebrated

scholar Dhammarakkhita Thera of Tuladhara pabbata in Rohana, after teaching Tipitaka Chulabhaya Thera

from the Mahavihara, sat down on a mat at the feet of his pupil and begged of him to give him a topic of

meditation.

Why Sir, cried the pupil, havent I studied under you? What can I say that you dont know?

But my friend, said the teacher, the path of realization is quite a different thing. Tipitaka Chulabhaya was a

sotapanna at the time. The teacher is reported to have attained arahantship on the topic of meditation given

by his pupil.

[p297 History of Buddhism in Ceylon]

Nevertheless the vanavasi monk who meditated in the forest was not considered either

important or useful to society.

A possibility is that these monks had rich relationships with the poor who supported them

away from urban centres whilst the scholar monks became popular with the elite.

The good life model encouraged people to acquire merit or pin; to follow the 5

precepts so that they would have a good life in this birth and the next through their

sojourn in samsara which was expected to be very long. Hence the aspiration to be born in

the time of maitri Buddha.


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The monks having given up the more arduous path of meditation and vinaya advised the

lay people in these terms.

It should be noted that a life of observance of vinaya is essentially a meditative life. These

two aspects are bound together. The decline of vinaya is a direct result of the decline of

meditation in Sri Lanka.

It should be noted however that the monks who followed the path of vinaya and

meditation did not break away from any sect and form their own sect. Instead they

generally remained in their own sects and followed their individual paths to liberation.

Consequently vanavasi monks can be found in all the major nikayas in the country today.This non-confrontational and peaceful approach is in line with the dhamma.

One exception in the 1950s was the creation of the Sri Kalyani Yogasrama Sansthava

which was dedicated to the re-establishment of a way of monastic life in accordance with

the vinaya. It constitutes an example of successful reform of the sangha in recent times.

That this is not public knowledge is another aspect of the nature of the work of

meditation and the pursuit of liberation.

It is in a very important sense the silent way.

We can find examples of both models in every major Buddhist tradition Theravada,

Mahayana and Vajrayana. The Buddhist tradition is broad enough to include both models

as people should be supported to progress gradually on the spiritual path.

To me what distinguishes both Mahayana and Vajrayana from Theravada Buddhism in

Ceylon is this.

There is a true path laid down by the Buddha and there are numerous sidetracks along the

way. Scholarship, politics, the practice of medicine, astrology and various other

occupations can all be fetters to which the disciple can get attached due to egoistic

reasons.


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This makes it imperative for any religious tradition to develop counter-measures that

ensure that sidetracks do not masquerade as the true path. These counter measures have

grown due to the teachings and examples of enlightened meditation masters.

Effective counter measures are evident in both the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions

which possess strong and advanced meditative traditions. They are absent in our own Sri

Lankan tradition. The existence of the pali canon is a particularly weak counter measure

without a meditative tradition.

The true path in Sri Lanka is considerably over laid and over grown. One only needs to look

at the number of items found gathered under the expanded definition of Buddha sasana in

the last Buddhist Commission Report. Only the loud speakers seem to be missing!

Very few Sri Lankans are aware of other traditions. What the majority know has been

propagated by vested interests who want to perpetuate the notion of the supremacy of

orthodox Theravada Buddhism.

What is needed is a critical exploration of other traditions leading towards a holistic

understanding of the current directions that Buddhism is taking the world over.

As Buddhism progresses the world over as a critical, meditative, creative, dynamic yet

peaceful approach to life, Sri Lankans who continue to be dominated by a fairly narrow

devotional and intellectual traditional version of Buddhism are in serious danger of being

left behind.

SS

August 2008

TWO SEPARATIONS

There are two separations that weakened Buddhism in Sri Lanka and both were the result

of attempts to ensure the purity of the Buddhas message. There is no doubt that Sri

Lanka has preserved this purity in letters by codifying the three baskets in the FirstCentury BC. However maintaining the purity of Buddhas message in spirit, in life and as a


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way of life is more difficult and we as a nation have failed in this regard. Other nations

that received the dharma long after us have done this more effectively, the Thais,

Japanese and Tibetans for example.

What were the two great separations?

Textual Buddhism which became the reigning orthodoxy in Sri Lanka was vigorously

separated from pre Mahindian spiritual practice in Lanka and pre- Buddhist spirituality in

India.

There is no doubt that Prince Siddhartha was born into a living spiritual environment

nourished by the Upanishads, Yoga and Samkhya schools and also Jainism. Buddha was aflower that drew nourishment from this spiritual environment, even though he went onto

identify with greater clarity the three marks of existence anicca, dukkha and anatta

and his own version of the middle path to end all suffering.

It is also overlooked that the Buddha himself visited this island thrice and this would have

undoubtedly left a lasting influence.

When the Sinhalese plucked this great flower and preserved it for posterity in written

form the spiritual environment in lanka prior to the exaggerated advent of Arahant

Mahinda as well as the pre-Buddhist spiritual environment that prevailed in India were

rejected. Buddhism was white and those two environments were black. This literary style

of presentation in the Mahavamsa has continued to shape attitudes and Buddhist egos

generation after generation right up to the present day.

We now continue to worship a dead flower without receiving and using the nourishment of

these two living environments. Is there any trace of our own native spirituality left behindin some unaffected simplicity, a reality without a powerful name? Spirituality is alive in

India in some of their everyday practices like vegetarianism and yoga. Gandhi provided a

living demonstration of applied Buddhism for those who cared to see. Yet we find it

difficult to relate to him because he was a Hindu and not a Buddhist. It is on record that

Anagarika Dharmapala wept when he refused to accept the Buddhist label.

Much later another Indian, J. Krishnamurthi and local monk, Ven Walpola Rahula had the

following discussion:


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WR: But there is hardly any difference between your teaching and the Buddhas, it is just that you say the

same thing in a way that is fascinating for Man today, and for tomorr ows Man. And now I would like to

know what you think about all this.

K: May I ask sir, with due respect, why you compare?

WR: This is because when I read your books as a Buddhist scholar, as one who has studied Buddhist texts, I

always see that it is the same thing.

K: Yes sir, but if I may ask, what is the necessity of comparing?

WR: There is no necessity.

October 2010


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THIRD NOTE


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THREE YANAS

Theravada and Mahayana are two sides of the same coin. First we examine the self and then we

examine others. And finally we throw the coin away. Of course we must not cling to emptiness

either. Non attachment and not having fixed views and positions is a logical necessity in a world

characterised by anicca, dukkha and anatta. The self, others and emptiness are three fundamental

realities that we deal with in the practice and they are all stamped with the three signata.

The path being full of side tracks and deviations one of the key determinants of an enduring

tradition is the presence of correctives and these will normally come in the form of enlightened

practitioners who embody the spirit of the practice. Between the Buddha and now there are two

monumental figures that come to my own mind and they are Nagarjuna and Bodhidharma. These

two names are not very familiar to Sri Lankan theravadins. All that we are left between the Buddha

and today is the founding patriarch Arahant Mahinda and a pretty bulky set of writings called the

tripitaka.

Of course any form of practice irrespective of the country it is pursued in will yield results so long as

there is a balance between intellect and intuition study and practice. As the Buddha said:

I do not say you can attain purity by views, traditions, morality or conventions, nor will you attain purity without these. But

by using them for abandonment rather than as positions to hold on to, you will come to be at peace without the need to be

anything. [Emphasis added]

All this can seem somewhat theoretical in a country that seems to retainpolytheism as its enduring

centre of religious consciousness. Irrespective of formal affiliation most Sri Lankans believe or have a

healthy respect for all kinds of Gods and powers and forms of life that are beyond our limited

sensual realm. Has Hinduism triumphed in this sense and become the religion of Sri Lanka as well ina real sense? Is there a continuity of this broad polytheistic constellation notwithstanding the strong

institutional and reformist agendas that push macro ideas about one God (Christianity), one teacher

(Buddhism) and one Islamic God (Wahabbism)? Is popular religion in Sri Lanka simply this underlying

and implicit and sometimes regressive polytheistic pull?

http://video.dailymirror.lk/videos/778/seeking-divine-help-for-sf
http://video.dailymirror.lk/videos/778/seeking-divine-help-for-sfhttp://video.dailymirror.lk/videos/778/seeking-divine-help-for-sfhttp://video.dailymirror.lk/videos/778/seeking-divine-help-for-sf


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A NOTE ON TANTRA

Mahayana texts refer to sutrayana and tantrayana. In sutrayana there is a meeting of life with truth.

But in dualistic fashion the two are kept strictly separate. Another analogy is of course samsara and

nirvana. They are mutually opposed and exclusive domains.

Tantra means a thread or continuity. The meeting between life and truth that takes place through

learning is taken as a static point. But tantra being the path of experience takes the disciple back to

life armed with truth. Through this process the disciple becomes truth and unifies in his or her own

person both life and truth. Samsara and Nirvana are not opposed but unified through pure

perception.

Thus we could say that Sutrayana is the journey from life to truth and that Tantrayana is the journey

from truth to life or the application of truth to life.


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FOURTH NOTE


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APPROACHES TO EFFECTIVE CRITICISM OF BUDDHIST DOGMA

In the journey of a Buddhist born as a Buddhist in this country nominal creed comes first and this

may in time ripen into a dominant conviction. The nominal creed includes many beliefs and many

practices that are not strictly Buddhist but they are part of the natural adulteration that takes place

through the inter-mingling of the faith with popular practice and sometimes with political religion. In

criticizing these false beliefs and practices there are certain approaches that seem ill-advised. When

we look at the whole survival mentality of Buddhists that began during the British occupation and

continued thereafter with the struggles against the English speaking elites and finally with Tamils it is

very clear that the Buddhist leadership has now mastered the art of confrontation and disputation

in short politics has become second nature to them.

As such all challenges that emanate from various quarters are pre-identified and disposed of in a

very professional and political way. Some of the strongest responses are given to arguments based

on western norms. These norms, according to popular thinking are only an institutional lie to cover

up the desires of the westernised elite to continue their domination of the masses. This is especially

so when those western concepts are presented as universal norms that shut out criticism and

discussion instead of opening the doors to a dialogue.

In fact even some of the new engaged Buddhist approaches that come closest to the spirit of

Buddhism can be attacked as new fangled machinations of the Dalai Lama and other westerners who

have arrogated the dhamma that priceless gem of which the highest guardian is the Sinhala Buddhist

to themselves. When the texts are the ultimate touch stone of spiritual authenticity any attempt to

set up other sources attract immediate suspicion, if not resentment.

All these aspects leave a number of approaches intact for the effective criticism of Buddhist dogma.First and foremost is our personal example. A life that is lived with wisdom and compassion cannot

be rivalled by any verbal approach. It also gives credibility to the voice which is then used for the

purpose of advocacy. Another approach is to avoid direct confrontation and seek a closer level of

interaction with the offending Buddhists. This gives a better insight into their behaviour and places

you in a stronger position by removing the whole confrontational environment. Another idea is to

emphasize the positives rather than the negatives. Silence is of course another time honoured

practice as by giving attention to something bad you may serve to keep it alive.

Finally one of the most effective ways of challenging Buddhist dogma is to set up the dominant

conviction of Buddhists as a clear alternative. For example:

It is the nominal creed here that Buddhists are the majority (being 70%) of the population. Now the

Buddha said very clearly that one is not born a Brahmin but can only become one through right

action. Here we use the substance of Buddhism to expose the fallacy of form.

This approach is well taken by Ven Walpola Rahula in his Sinhala book satyodaya the dawn of

truth. Many false beliefs are well criticized and exposed using the powerful logic of the Buddhas

own teachings.

More recently Manuka Wijesinghe has taken the same approach in Theravada Man


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There is no doubt that the Kalama Sutta must be revived and be fully utilizedin reviving our critical

tradition. On of the key aspects of this sutta is the need for a benevolent state of mind when

deciding philosophical issues.

Strong value systems or their derivative practices can be attacked from outside but they almost

always fail to make an impression because arguments proceed on the basis of two value systems at a

superficial level without ever realizing the common core of universality that lies beneath both. On

the other hand where the participants have depth a rich dialogue can take place between different

value systems and cultures without the risk of offending and misunderstanding.

SELF IS THE BEST CRITIC

To criticize a Buddhist you must be a better Buddhist; to criticize a Christian you must be a better

Christian; to criticize a professional you must be a better professional. Others can complain and

comment but effective criticism that is targeted towards behaviour change requires knowledge. For

criticism to be useful and constructive this must be superior knowledge.

Unless you stand in the shoes of a person you really cannot know all the considerations and

influences and motivations running through his mind. A fellow human being who has also

experienced similar conditions may share the same knowledge to some extent and thus be able to

point out certain things. But even here you may really not be in a position to help. But if you are

neither able to stand in his shoes nor able to know his situation through your own experience then

you are a stranger with nothing to stand on.

The self is therefore the best critic. The further away from the self you go criticism becomes less

sensitive, relevant and accurate. In fact it becomes a monologue leading to a reduction of social skills

and finally violence mental, verbal and even physical.

So criticism in modern times is free for all but effective criticism calls for a great deal of restraint

and judgement.


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FIFTH NOTE


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KANDYAN BUDDHISM

We seek to explore the sources of legitimacy in Sri Lanka starting with the three pillars

on which the sovereignty of ancient Lanka were based; The King, a Self sufficient village

and the Sangha. Only the Sangha has remained and this is a vital source of legitimacy to


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the forces that monopolize violence (politicians) and money (private sector) that have

emerged from the British Period. There is no longer an independent public sector.

The behaviour of the Kandyan Nobles in the last phase of the Kandyan Kingdom and the

behaviour our middle classes ever since have established a legacy of dishonesty, disunity,

parochialism and disgrace. To this we must add the martial qualities of the Sinhalese and a propensity for violence displayed time and again since the emergence of Sitawaka

Rajasinghe. He was by no means the last lion in this sense. The decline of the Buddhist

establishment, which by the way was never a separate source of power like the Church in

Europe has matched this descent to tribal violence un-tempered by restraint, compassion

or reason. Cricket has probably diverted some of this violent energy into a peaceful pastime

and thereby provided a budding new source of legitimacy as well.

But legitimacy as a whole has been lost, and what is lost must again be reclaimed. For this

purpose the ultimate source Buddhism must be subject to new interpretations, and the

illegitimate severed from the legitimate to serve the spiritual needs of what is going to

become one of the youngest new nations of the world that will emerge from a dead pastwhich has had such a strong grip on our present.

In this note we seek to move away from the loose description Sinhala Buddhism towards a

more specific and historically grounded set of ideas to pin point the negative, insecure and

backward looking structural orientation within it asKandyan Buddhism

Buddhism in Sri Lanka was revived by a king for the last time in the reign of Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe

1747-82. The work of Kirthi Sri was essentially revivalist and he together with the last Sangaraja,

Ven. Welivita Sri Saranankara consolidated the form which the conventional Buddha Sasana in Sri

Lanka would take for another 250 years and more.


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It is a working hypothesis for this argument that the revivals initiated by Olcott and Dharmapala

during the British Period remained within the parameters of what I would refer to as Kandyan

Buddhism. Both were laymen who collaborated with the monks and as found by Anne Blackburn in

Locations of Buddhism (the biography of Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala) monastic practice and

projects in the late 19th

century showed a great deal of stability and continuity with the past.

This residue of the cultural revival that took place in the 18th

century is staunchly conservative and it

asserts an exclusive Buddhist authenticity backed powerfully by the palladium of Buddhist Kingship

the Temple of the Tooth of the Buddha, the colourful Esala Perahera and the two Mahanayakes of

the Siam Nikaya who claim direct succession to the ancient centre of Theravada Orthodoxy the

Mahavihara in Anuradhapura.

This is a form of imitative Buddhism that has exhausted all possibilities for change, growth and

development. It revels in a state of glorified stagnation. At the same time it has a pre-occupation

with survival that excludes growth and change. Kandyan Buddhism emerged as an assertion of

indigenous identity against the Dutch. It continued to provide the ideological foundation for

Buddhist assertiveness against the Christian Missionaries and finally against Tamil separatism. The

last dramatic gesture of its power was a fast unto death launched by Ven. Omalpe Sobitha of the

JHU against the Post Tsunami Operational and Management Structure (PTOMS) considered by the

Chandrika Cumaranatunga Government before the Dalada Maligawa in 2005. The heads of the Three

Nikayas threatened a form of ex-communication of the President if the proposed structure was

implemented to share power with the LTTE.

Kandyan Buddhism continues to look up to Buddhist Kingship and Kingly favours for its preservation

and perpetuation. In the absence of such a persona it has secured itself through Constitutional

provision in Article 9. The first time this provision appeared was in the Brownrigg Proclamation of

1818.

Kirthi Sri survived an assassination attempt hatched within Malwatte Viharaya by the deputy

Sangaraja and his brother with the full knowledge of Ven Saranankara himself. 200 years later the

Prime Minister who under-estimated the emotive force of Kandyan Buddhism paid for his mistakes

with his life. Kirthi Sri handled this force with non violence even forgiving the Sangaraja and his

deputy 5 years later. SWRDs democratic methods were no match for Kandyan Buddhism. In 2010

the attempt of Kandyan Buddhists to resist the remanding of General Fonseka met with gross

violence from a new type of President drawing his mandate more from the reunification of the

country than from the vote of the people. 2010 was perhaps the darkest hour yet for Kandyan

Buddhism. But though suppressed and battered into submission their ideology remains critical for

any ruler of Sri Lanka until such time that the Buddhists themselves are educated in self belief and

self reliance.

Three other features of Sinhala Buddhism (all of which are external power bases) were historically

inherited by the Kandyans who also placed their own stamp on them. These three features had

already brought the monastic Buddhist practice very close to Brahmanism in ancient India and these

were,

1. Caste and land ownership


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2. Active involvement in politics

3. Reliance on rituals and learning as the basis of religious practice; what Michael Carrithers

referred to as ceremonial and literary specialists.

Kandyan Buddhism is thus synomymous with Political Buddhism as opposed to SpiritualBuddhism and it includes those elements that give it temporal power (caste identity and land

ownership) and spiritual pretensions (the role of ceremonial and literary specialists).


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SIXTH NOTE


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SAVING BUDDHISM FROM BUDDHISTS

BUDDHA ATOP BAHIRAWAKANDA in Kandy to proclaim a dharma higher than Kandyan Buddhism,

the alternative sasana of a people who lost touch with their roots.


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BUDDHA AT BALANGODA the sacred abode of a true sramana, Balangoda Ananda Maitriya

Mahathera


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BUDDHA AT KURUNEGALA

Placing a giant Buddha statue on a commanding height is a modern phenomenon and a rare sign of

creativity within Buddhist worship in Sri Lanka. Building a Buddha statue is considered a great

investment of merit because countless people will gaze upon the Prince of Peace and generate a

serene mind and noble thoughts for many years and even centuries to come. It is therefore a store

of merit that will keep accumulating for those responsible for erecting the statue.

Merit making can of course be yet another form of worldly attachment, a type of spiritual

materialism where the habit of acquisition turns towards spiritual possessions.

Be that as it may placing Buddha above everything else is novel and a matter for contemplation. The

question is, can it save Buddhismfrom Buddhists?

The idea that Buddhists are the biggest enemies of Buddhism in Sri Lanka requires some

consideration.

The noble triple gem was not bestowed on us to register itand perpetuate its identity in any form

for 5000 years. It was given to be usedto attain liberation in this life itself.

Authenticity therefore lies in use and liberation rather than in mere identity or mere conformity with

tradition. Our fate is that we are stuck with identity and tradition, unable to move forward.

To say,

This is Buddha no one else can match him

This is the dharma the highest truth

This is the sangha they are the most noble order


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can at the beginners level be the defining article of Buddhist faith. But this devotion can also turn

into a form of arrogance and exclusiveness. It is the dharma that unites the triple gem and as we

internalize the dharma all separations vanish to be replaced by a boundless love and respect for all

living beings. We are required as Buddhists to share the Buddhas vision and walk his path. This is

the purest form of devotion.

When the substance is found all forms become secondary. They are simply movables that can be

used as well as abused.

Are we required as Buddhists to worship the Bo tree or sit at its root and meditate?


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SEVENTH NOTE


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Spirituality forms the core of every human society. Peaceful co-existence (from the highest

and most enlightened levels like in Bhutan or Ladakh and Sweden for example to the

lowest levels like in violent Central American and African countries) is made possible by this

inner core. Fellow feeling and compassion makes life possible even though sometimes thingsare hard.

What is the spirit?

We refer to the body, mind, shadow and spirit.

The spirit is that which is independent of body and mind. It may use the body and mind but

goes beyond.

The shadow is dependent on and in fact enslaved to body and mind.

The shadow is our conditioning and sub-conscious negativities that hide the beast within.

The spirit is what pulls that beast out and tames it and leads us towards freedom.

Both the shadow and spirit are the darker and lighter sides of the mind. They are locked in

perpetual battle until they are both integrated through love and wisdom.

They say that the Buddha mind is ALL minds a mind that has experienced and seen

through all states of mind.


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Like Buddha or Dhamma God is just a word that describes an experience that liberates.

This is an experience that simply cannot be put into words (like any other experience).

The precision and clarity of the dhamma may not be matched and in this sense Buddha wasa great teacher. But in a multi-dimensional world evolved to different degrees in terms of

spiritual growth we are not interested in a ranking or comparison exercise. That is to go the

way of the ego.

There is however an important aspect of Buddha that the theoretically perfect Theravada

Buddhism has almost completely ignored. In Sri Lanka in particular the Buddhas words and

those pali stanzas are authority just as much as vedic quotations were authority in 19th

century India. We hear what the Buddha said. This is the title of the famous introduction to

Buddhism written by Ven Walpola Rahula.

We are also interested in helping people not merely to gather converts but to genuinely

assist with appropriate words, gestures and actions that promote wisdom and compassion.

We need to learn how the Buddha taught and what skilful means he adopted to create

situations in which his words would be understood by his listeners. This is an aspect that

Mahayana has given far more attention to.

Our emotional tendency to prefer or give precedence to some words over others is simply

an example of the Lord of speech (one facet of ego) dominating our mind set.

The Buddha himself said to abandon everything and feel and experience reality directly. This

is meditation.

This reality has never been the exclusive preserve of any religion

If at all it has been the preserve of truth seekers who have in some form or other applied

the framework of Seela Samadhi and Prajna in order to witness the void and what

happens within the void.

September 2011

seven notes on re-reading buddhism in sri lanka

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