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| Sunday, 8 May 2005 |
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Maha Sangha and Inter-religious relationship by W.T.A. Leslie Fernando (An abridged English version of the keynote address made at the commemorative ceremony of Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera, an Anunayaka Thera of Ramanna Nikaya, at Sri Sarananda Pirivena, Peradeniya - recently)
I believe that the outstanding achievements of Ven. Sri Gunaratana Thera should be analysed in the background of the role of the Maha Sangha in our country. It was Buddhism that guided and moulded the lives of people in Sri Lanka throughout the centuries. Since Buddhism was established in this country, the Maha Sangha was the moral guide to the nation. Bhikkhus laid out a code of moral principles for the layman and the monastery became the centre of learning and instruction. Buddhist Vihares came into existence in every important village and served as centres of spiritual life, education and culture. The Portuguese and the Dutch who occupied the maritime provinces in Sri Lanka after the 16th century, propagated Christian faith and imposed Western culture on the people. There was an onslaught of our traditional values and indigenous culture in areas dominated by them. Nevertheless the traditional way of life continued in the Sinhala areas. The real setback for Buddhism and indigenous culture became evident when the whole of Sri Lanka came under the British in 1815. Thereafter the traditional way of life to which people were accustomed for centuries began to be suppressed by materialism and commercialisation found in the West. The colonial policy and the Western missionary activity in Sri Lanka had the effect of weaning the people away from the Sangha. The heroic Sinhalese never tolerated the British domination. In various rebellions led by Weera Keppitipola, Gongalegoda Banda and Puran Appu and the like, they revolted against the British rule. The British who ruthlessly crushed these rebellions took various measures to suppress the national resurgence. They broke the backbone of the Sinhala people by confiscating their lands under the Waste Lands Ordinance. The British enthroned English as the State language and Sinhala was treated as the language of the kitchen. The Sinhala culture was looked down upon and the villager was called 'Godaya' or the rustic. The British gave every encouragement and facilities for Christian missionaries to set up schools all over the country. The missionaries no doubt introduced advanced studies on science and technology and enforced strict discipline among students. Nevertheless they imparted the Western way of life and trained the people to be loyal to the British. Most of the higher strata in society who came under the direct influence of the European missionaries abandoned our traditional values, felt ashamed of them as primitive and began to slavishly imitate the West. However the Maha Sangha, the patriotic Sinhalese and the peasant in the village preserved the Buddhist religion from the vicissitudes of centuries and safeguarded the Sinhala culture from onslaught of the West. They often agitated for liberation from foreign domination and the Maha Sangha played a leading role for the emancipation of the nation, Buddhist religion and Sinhala culture. It is with pride that the Sinhalese commemorate Ven. Variayapola Sumangala Thera who trampled the British flag and raised the Lion flag amidst the might of the British colonial power Ven. Kudahapola Rahula Thera who played a leading role in the rebellion of 1848 and laid down his life for the freedom of the motherland and Ven. Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera who outrivalled the Christian intellectuals in the famous Panadura Debate. In the 20th century learned bhikkhus like Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maithreya, Dr. Walpola Rahula, Bambarande Siri Seevalie, Heenatiyana Dhammaloka, Yakkaduwe Pragnarama, Kotahene Prganakiththi, Dr. Kotagama Vachissara, Henpitagedera Gnanasihe and Udakandawala Saranankara Thera vindicated the rights of Buddhist clergy to guide the laity in the social field. Although they did not identify Buddhism with any political philosophy they voiced their views on the political issues of the day. Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera too followed the path of these great Theras and played a leading role in the contemporary religious - social scene. He was also one of the Buddhist Bhikkhus who mobilised public support in favour of the Free Education Scheme so as to frustrate all the efforts of the vested interests spearheaded by the then Catholic Church to sabotage free education. Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera was born to a Christian family on July 17, 1914 at Yodagama, Rambukkana. He had his early education at Rambukkana Christian school but later entered a Buddhist Temple. In 1928, he was ordained a Buddhist priest as a pupil of Udunuwara Sri Sarananda Thera. In 1930, he entered Sirinivasa Pirivena, Kadugannawa and was later educated at Wijeyawardhanaramaya in Eriyagama, Peradeniya. In 1935, he received upasampada or higher ordination at the Kelani Ganga Seemamalakaya. After passing the Pundit examination, he served as a teacher in Sirinivasa Pirivena, Kadugannawa from 1945 to 1952. In 1952, Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera set up Sri Sarananda Pirivena, on a few perches of an undeveloped land in Peradeniya. At that time Pirivenas were backward institutions without any state aid, except for a nominal grant. Both monks and the poorest of the poor who could not benefit even under free education were students of Pirivenas. However with sheer hardwork, dedication and sincerity of purpose, Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera developed Sri Sarananda Pirivena to become a leading educational institution. By 1960 it was so advanced, that it qualified to be affiliated to Vidyalankara University. Siyambalangomuwa Sri Gunaratana Thera expanded his educational activities from Sri Sarananda Pirivena, Peradeniya. He got his pupils to set up Sri Seelavathie Pirivena, Narammala, Sri Sarananda Pirivena, Karavitagara - Chilaw, Sri Sarananda Pirivena and Buddhist Centre, Anuradhapura Sri Gunaratana Pirivena, Thismada - Kothmale and Sri Gunaratana Pirivena, Varana. Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera was a popular preacher of Bana. In 1953 in the poll conducted by Lankadipa he got over 14000 votes and was declared the leading Bana preacher in the Central Province. In 1953 Siyamabalagomuwe Gunaratana Thera introduced Kavi Bana or sermons in verses. This sparked off a big controversy. Nevertheless in his introductory verses, he dismissed all the criticism made on Kavi Bana. His Kavi Bana was so popular, that he had to hold over 15000 sessions all over the country. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera has ordained 351 pupils. It is said that no other Thera since Arahath Mahinda has ordained such a large number of pupils. And rarely a Bhikkhu ordained by him left the Sasana. That is not all. Siyambalangomuwe Gunaratana Thera set up a Samadhi Budu Pilimeya which is the largest Buddha statue in Anuradhapura. He initiated a centre to make Buddhist Bhikkhus conversant of Tripitaka in English, Hindi and Tamil to propagate Dhamma. He also set up a two - storied Wishrama Salava in Anuradhapura for the Sangha who came there on pilgrimage. In 1979, Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera was elected an Anunayaka of Ramanna Nikaya. The Akthpathra (act of appointment) was presented to him on February 09, 1980 at the Magul Maduwa, Kandy by R. Premadasa, the then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. I came to know Siyambalangomuww Gunaratana Thera in 1963. I was a just passed out graduate teaching in a government school. I wanted to be close to Peradeniya University to read for the law degree as an external student. There was a vacancy in the staff of Sri Sarananda Pirivena and a friend of mine teaching there recommended me to the Nayaka Thera. I could vividly remember our first acquaintance. I told Ven. Gunaratana Thera that I am a Catholic. He replied that my religion did not matter to him, he made inquiries and he was prepated to take me. I resigned from the government service to join Sri Sarananda Pirivena. From 1963 to 1967, I taught Government and Sinhala for University entrance classes there. I consider those years as the happiest period in my life. It is recorded in the annals of Sri Sarananda pirivena, that it was the time that it had the best university entrance results. Every year 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the students presented from the Pirivena succeeded to enter the University. We celebrated results with cultural shows with many items specially pertaining to Kandyan areas. At that time our Nayaka Thera had about 40 pupil monks under him. In addition a considerable number of Bhikkhus and lay students from far and wide took up residence in the Pirivena. For all of them board and lodging was provided in the Pirivena at a subsidised rate within the reach of the poor. As the Kavi Bana of Siyambalangomuwe Thera was much in demand, almost every night he had to go to temples in various parts of the country. But on the following day we could see him enthusiastically attending to the work in the Pirivena. As a practising Catholic, once or twice a week I attended the services of St. Theresa's Church in Peradeniya, which was just in front of the Sri Sarananda Pirivena. In my career at Sarananda, not a single word was uttered to hurt my religious susceptibilities by the Sangha or the others in the Pirivena. On the contrary they respected and appreciated my religious life. From my student days I preferred to wear the national costume for special occasions. Our Nayaka Thera was overwhelmed with joy that being a Catholic I wore the national dress for the functions in the Pirivena. When the act of appointment of Anunayaka Thera, Ramanna Nikaya was presented to Siyambalangomuwe Gunaratana Thera, I too was invited for the occasion. I was a newly appointed Magistrate and I attended the ceremony in European costume as Judicial officers were not seen in the national dress. On that occasion Sri Gunaratana Thera remarked that he expected me there in the national costume. Even after I left Sri Sarananda, I kept in contact with the Nayaka Thera and sought his advice on various matters. He also encouraged me to join the Judiciary. Although I was away in person from Sri Sarananda, in mind I always felt that I was close to the Nayaka Thera and the Pirivena. When Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera passed away on March 08, 1989, I was the District Judge, Bandarawela. Being far away and in the midst of turmoil in the country, I was not in a position to attend his cremation held at Rambukkana. Had I got the chance I would have attended it in the national costume. When I think of Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera his magnetic and serene personality stands before me like a colossus. Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratna Thera dedicated all his life, talents and energy in the service of humanity. By firm determination, sheer commitment and indomitable courage, he achieved success in everything he ventured. The pupils of the Nayaka Thera who followed in the footsteps of the master set up various religious, educational and social institutions all over the country. People of all walks of life are benefitted by the vision, initiative and commitment of Sri Gunaratana Thera. It is 16 years since the death of Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera and since then the country has undergone vast changes. Some of the ideals and notions pursued by the Nayaka Thera are being gradually negated. The Free Education which he made use of to the maximum for the upliftment of the poorest of the poor has lost its meaning because of International schools and private schools and their branches that charge heavy fees in the name of donations, that come up like mushrooms. In time to come, these institutions with advanced facilities would enable the affluent to outrival the poor students benefitted by free education. What would be the fate of free education if private universities were to be set up? Those vested interests who opposed the Free Education Scheme openly then are now achieving their objectives in a subtle manner. Besides there are shameless acts of proselytising by Fundamental Christian sects by offering money and other inducements. There are some NGO's who try to create hotch-potch of religions that would lead to their destruction. There are some Catholic priests who have set up such organisations who have the statue of Christ on one side and that of Lord Buddha on the other and preach Buddhism and Christianity which are poles apart as parallel religions. There are some other Catholic priests who get Buddhist Bhikkhus to preach Bana in churches, place statues of Buddha, erect pandals and illuminate lanterns in churches for Vesak. The church is a place consecrated to God. Catholics believe that God is present there in the form of Holy Eucharist. Lord Buddha is an enlightened human being. Adoring Lord Buddha who denied an omnipotent God in churches is a sacrilege from Catholic point of view and a big joke as well. There are some foreign agencies that drill Western concepts of morality into the minds of people undermining wholesome values of our society and culture. They propagate ideas that lead to sexual misconduct. We have a high standard of arts, music and dancing. But our youth are being taken up by lurid entertainments, music with so much noise and sensuous dance forms in the West. Many of our films are adulterated with sex scenes. Some of the Maha Sangha who have been vociferous about this situation have been made dormant by various devices. So the challenges faced by the Sangha today are quite different from those during the time of Ven. Siyambalangomuwe Sri Gunaratana Thera. It is time for the Maha Sangha to safeguard Buddhism and our glorious civilisation from destructive agencies. Here I do not mean that they should sow the seeds of discord among religions. What I like to emphasise is that the Maha Sangha should be vigilant to
identify and overcome the treacherous activities of those with hidden
agendas, and inspire people to revive and activate our much cherished
spiritual, cultural and social values. |
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Indeed I consider it a great honour and privilege to make this oration in
honour of a great Thera, who has made his indelible impression in so many
aspects in the social, educational, religious and cultural scenes in our
country. I am elated to make this address not only because I have served for
four years in this Pirivena under Siyambalangomuwe Nayake Thera but also
because I am a Catholic who has been greatly inspired by his noble qualities
- his tolerance, broad outlook, equanimity and gentlemanliness. 
