Nibbana for cash:

Scholar monks stress need for 'Sanghayana'

By Manjula FERNANDO

Chancellor Sri Jayewardenepura University, Ven.Professor Bellanwila Wimalaratana thera

Chief Incumbent of Sri Nagavihara, Kotte Maduluwawe Sobhitha thera

Following the raid at a 'members only' temple at Liberty Plaza which offered 'Nibbana' for cash, Sunday Observer spoke to two scholar monks in the country to discuss the disturbing threat that is faced by Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka and the enemy within. We felt that the raid at Liberty Plaza centre run by two Japanese monks may have discovered the tip of the iceberg.

Both Venerable Theras pointed out the importance of converging a Sangayana to protect Theravada tradition that has been preserved in Sri Lanka for the past 2300 years amidst threats from foreign forces. They voiced the need for State patronage for a kathikawatha and setting up of a commission that could closely monitor the misdeeds of robed robbers and preserve the long protected tradition.

The excerpts of the interview:

Chancellor Sri Jayewardenepura University, Ven.Professor Bellanwila Wimalaratana thera.

Q: Why do you think a lot of Buddhists, educated individuals who cannot be easily tricked are flocking to these places?

A: These people may be educated in their respective disciplines, there may be doctors and engineers among those who are attracted to such places but they have no deep knowledge of Buddhism.

They know only general Buddhism, but they have not studied deeply the doctrine, the difference of Theravada and Mahayana. How Mahayana evaluated. What are their principles and cardinal teachings? They don't have an understanding of this. They just get attracted to their rituals and practices.

Q: Do you think people go after such places run by swindlers, because our traditional Buddhist temples and the monks have failed in their duty towards the society?

A: They do preach the teachings of Theravada Buddhism in the temples. But the secret of this attraction is that, those who operate these places approach people in a different method. They mostly attract people by promising material benefits. They claim those who worship and attend their prayers gain things.

For example if you don't have a proper job, by praying there you can get one. If your business is down, their prayers help the business to flourish. If you ask 100 people calling over such places as to what the reason, many will say they had a problem and it got solved after attending their prayers. The aim is not spiritual solace but material benefits.

Buddhism that we have practised for the past 2300 years with the arrival of Arhat Mahinda is not practised for that purpose. Buddhism teaches to behave according to Buddha's teachings, so that you will be a better person in the society. You will then stop unwholesome things and practise wholesome things.

That path will help you become a genuine and a holy person. We don't teach if you visit the temple you will gain material benefits. Buddha's teachings say if you practise to be a holy person the good things come your way and evil will not be able to cast its spell on you. This is the difference. Temples don't lure people by offering to cure diseases, good jobs and good schools for children.

If you behave as a good Buddhist, benefits will come your way indirectly. The main aim of Buddhism is not material prosperity.

Q: These centres have reportedly got results for their followers. Some have got their children to top schools in the country. One claimed her husband who was terminally ill got cured after visiting this place at Liberty Plaza?

A: No. That can be pure coincidence. How can anyone say it was the chanting of pirith that got them results. This is pure distortion of Buddhism. There is no such way of getting things done through Buddhism.

I will tell you, there are some people who make such claims of getting sicknesses cured through some ritual acts like 'Bali/Thovil' and horoscope. Sometimes, somehow or other, these may yield results. But you cannot exactly say it was this ritual that cured the person. Even particular churches make such claims. But these claims cannot be proved.

Q: There was a huge uprising against unlawful conversions some time back, but these Buddhist 'cult clubs' receive little resistance or none at all. There may be thousands of places which propagate distorted versions of Dhamma and mislead the masses. Has there been a proper study on these places conducted by some responsible authority?

A: From time to time, there have been popular trends like this. Prayer centres cropping up and receiving devotion from people. One instance was in Namaluwa area where a Buddhist monk claimed there was a blessed bodhi-tree that could make your wishes come true and cure ailments.

It drew devotees in thousands, but later the truth came out and no one cares to visit that place now. The bo-tree is still there. These are very temporary things. Even Buddhist monks who claim to perform miracles through pirith chanting are mere attempts to make money.

Q: Can the Sangha Sabha intervene in cases like this and take action or order these places to be shut down?

A: This is the weakness of the Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka. There is no higher authority. We separately do our own activities. There is no central body to control what is harmful to our Buddhist tradition.

What we should do is to get all the Buddhist prelates together and discuss the course of action to be taken to prevent harmful things taking place.

In Anuradhapura period, some of the Mahayana books were brought to Sri Lanka from India, and some Theravada sects accepted the teachings in these books. It was called Vaipulya Sutta, there are seven Suttas invented by Mahayana tradition. The Mahavihara tradition opposed the attempt to propagate the new teachings.

But the king at the time gave some sort of royal backing to that foreign influence. Anyhow the Sangha in one voice decided to reject these teachings in entirety. As a result, gradually this Vaipulya sect disappeared in Sri Lanka.

After about four centuries into the Buddha's demise, Theravada tradition that is practised in Sri Lanka even today, diminished. Mahayana tradition assumed a leading role after King Kanishka's period. This Mahayana tradition was then spread into other Buddhist countries like China, Korea and Japan etc.

That was the reason why these countries still practise Mahayana tradition. This Liberty Plaza centre was operated by Nichiren sect. Nichiren is a Buddhist monk who declared that he became a Buddha. He started spreading the notion that everyone should strive to become a Buddha.

It is based on Saddharma Pundareeka Sutta, which is called the Lotus Sutta in English. It is part of Mahayana teachings. The Lotus Sutta is the first sutta which denied the Arahanship and Pachcheka Buddha (Pase Budhu) concept.

In this sutta it is said that there are no three vehicles as taught in Theravada but only one vehicle. That is Mahayana. It says everyone must reach enlightenment after becoming a Buddha himself. This is not what Buddha taught. This is completely different from Theravada teachings.

According to our teachings a full enlightened Buddha will happen in millions of years. Every person cannot be a Buddha. This Buddha will teach mortals how to eradicate defilements, to realize truth and embark nirvana. During his period so many thousands of followers become Arahants. So they won't be born again. This is what Sri Lankans had been practising for the past 2600 years.

But later after Buddha's passing away, within 300 years there were new approaches to Buddhism. That is how Mahayana teachings arose. They claim the seven sutras in Mahayana were the actual teachings of Buddha. Heenayana by which name they identify Theravada, are the teachings for ordinary people who could not comprehend complex suttas.

It is their belief that Gauthama Buddha after parinibbana went to heaven and returned to earth in the guise of Buddha again and taught the Mahayana teachings. That completely differs from Theravada teachings. They believe the Gauthama Buddha is still in heaven.

In Sri Lanka Theravada tradition has continued throughout 2300 years after Ven.Mahinda Thera arrived here.

We don't have a fight with Mahayana tradition. Mahayana tradition too accepts the four noble truths, eight fold path, causation, the cause and effect theory - these main teachings they too accept but their way of approaching to become Buddha is quite different.

They invented many Buddhas. They say thousands of Buddhas are in thusitha heaven. They have another Buddha widely respected in Mahayana countries - Buddha Amithabha. If you chant Namo Amitabha' which means respect to Amitabha for many times, then you will reach to that Buddha's kingdom in heaven.

In our tradition there are no prayers. You have to practise what Buddha preached to reach Nirvana. We don't have prayers.

The Liberty Plaza centre also asked the people to chant many times, Namyo Orengeko which means I pay homage to Saddarma Pundarika Sutta'.

Unfortunate thing is these individuals create divisions among followers of Theravada tradition. We have no grouse with Mahayana . We can work with them. But these individuals who preach distorted versions of Mahayana tell their people not to go to temples and not to respect our traditional beliefs, like paying homage to Buddha statues. They force them to throw away the Buddha statues and replace them with writings of Saddharma pundarika scripts.

We visit many Mahayana temples and we work together with Mahayana monks. I recently went to Indonesia for the opening of a Mahayana temple. I was one of the chief guests invited for the event. They respect us and work with us. But these people use their practices against our beliefs of Theravada tradition. That should not be. People will get confused.

Q: There are a lot of meditation classes conducted islandwide by different individuals. They subsequently award you with a certificate recognising that you have reached 'marga pala'. What is your opinion on this?

A: Meditation is a very sensitive thing. In Theravada teachings, you don't meditate to gain some kind of trance or miraculous state. Meditation teaches you to concentrate, control your mind. Gradually when you practise meditation you gain the ability to focus your mind on the actual realities of the world - Anithya (impermanence), Dukka (suffering) and Anaththa (there is no permanent soul). These are called vidharshana.

While meditating some people may think they have come to the state of Sothapanna (Sovan - the first stage of enlightenment) and may be Arhatship. That is an illusion. After a short period of meditation you cannot become Sothapanna. You may call it classes or sessions, but after these sessions, you cannot evaluate and issue certificates, as if you sit for an exam to obtain certificates. Meditation is not a thing like that. What is the authority one possess to evaluate others mental status.

Q:Can there be people who have attained the state of Sothapanna in our society? If so how can you identify them?

A: May be there are. We cannot check them through investigation or examination. In our commentaries there is a story as follows. Once lived two monks, a teacher and a pupil. The teacher who claimed that he had attained Arahanship was guiding his pupil to meditate. After years of meditation the pupil attained Arahanship. Then with his developed mind he saw his teacher had not actually attained Arahanship. He thought if he continued to believe he was Arahan, he will never take any effort to attain Arhanship. As he could not declare this to his teacher the pupil created an illusion of a charging elephant to be seen only to his teacher. When the elephant got closer the teacher started to run away, this made the teacher realise that he was not more than an ordinary monk. A person who attained Arahanship has no fear or love for material things.

Sothapanna person will eradicate only the basic three defilements, they cannot do miraculous things. They still possess fear and attachment to worldly things. They can live like any other layman, they can marry and have family bonds. There may be some people who have attained sothapanna among us. But you will never know it and besides it is not something that can be awarded. That is the truth.

Q: Do you expect an intervention from the Government to close down such religious centres. Can the Sangha sabha take any action against these swindlers who mislead people ?

A: Government is entitled to do something but it must have the consent of the higher authority of the monks. If the prelates in different high places approach the Government, then it can take initiative to speak against these places and protect Theravada Buddhism. In that sense I agree that Government should take action.

Q: The way the new generation of Buddhist monks conduct themselves and their outlook do not command respect at all. Some of the monks deliver sermons not to give spiritual guidance but merely to make the audience laugh. What can be done to check this disturbing trend ?

A: That is again, I must say due to the lack of a central body to monitor such issues. That should be done immediately. The monks they behave as per their wish. In Thailand there is a higher authority, Shasana Mandala, the head of that Mandala is Sangharaja. He has a committee like a Cabinet, they make decisions on issues like what type of robes that the monks should wear, how they should conduct themselves. If someone is complained of misbehavior, there is a way of taking disciplinary action after a hearing. They decide if the monk has to be expelled. Here there is no such thing. Everyone is free to do what they like. Some monks want to make an image for themselves through media. They do different preachings, sometimes distorting the Buddha's teachings. People go behind this popular image.

There is no method of qualifying a monk to be a preacher in our Sashana. In Christian Church, all must get the approval from their higher authority to qualify to be a preacher. There is a systematic method. This is a weakness in our tradition in Sri Lanka.

Finally if something happens, there is no one to take responsibility. We have to summon a Sangayana and discuss this matter and set solutions. We had these type of things in difficult periods of our history. They make Kathikawatha (agreement). I think time has come for such Sangayana today.

Chief Incumbent of Sri Nagavihara, Kotte Maduluwawe Sobhitha thera joining in the discussion said,

A large majority of people in Sri Lanka are Buddhists. But their understanding of true teachings of Buddhism is very poor. When their knowledge of dhamma is minuscule it is easy to trap them for any misdeed.

If you take maxism, when it was first introduced to Sri Lanka, classes were held at village level to teach and indoctrinate the village youth by Sama Samaja party members. These youth as a result had a good understanding of maxism. Such people would not abandon their policies and party easily.

Today, those who take to politics do not learn it as a discipline. Therefore they do not possess such high qualities. No party has a firm policy. Having 'no-policy' has now become everyone's policy.

The same fate has befallen Buddhism. Most of our people are Buddhists by birth. There is nothing more than that. The people who attend ....bana are women, to be precise old women. Their intention is to amass merits to be reborn in a better place. That is the mentality of majority of our Buddhist devotees. Such people have no firm policy and they will tread any path, as long as the leaders promise to fulfill their aspirations.

The other point is that today people are burdened with numerous mortal problems, either the husband has abandoned the wife, children are misbehaving, not having an income or unable to sell a land. People are burdned with such worldly problems. They think these problems are due to the influence of the bad stars in the horoscope. There are swindlers who appear to be saviours of such people.

Everything has become instant now, like instant hoppers and noodles. These saviours also offer immediate results for these stricken people. There are places where you get guidance to become 'Sothapanna'. This has become a lucrative business now.

We should not waste our money on 'bali thovil and mantra.. The other point is the mushrooming of so called new sects of Buddhism. One such place is Namo namo oringe'. They claim to preach pure Buddhism. Some people make gold crowns for Maithree Buddha. If people offer money and touch the crown, all their wishes will be granted. And there is a list of benefits among which are childen for childless and husbands for unmarried.

People blindly follow these so called miracle workers. They are in kovils, temples, churches and sometimes such Buddhist centres. Some claim to cast spells, cure disease etc etc. Some advice not to seek medical advice and consume medicine to cure disease instead they ask them to pray to god. There are a significant proportion of our population who follow these swindlers.

This is not the path taught us by Buddha. I read in a newspaper recently that a 13 year old girl has been raped by 35 men from time to time. She had been taken to the men by her own grandmother. And we proudly proclaim we are a Buddhist country!

The people who patroniose these places, for instance the one at Liberty Plaza which was raided recently, can be educated individuals but their knowledge of Dhamma is very poor or else they will never have stepped into such place. The path offered to them there was completely wrong. What these so called religious places are doing is supplying for the popular demand.

Q:How can one know what preachings are true. Where can we learn the true teachings of Buddha. We find a lot of monks who make an effort to be popular?

A: This is another unfortunate trend that we are seeing today. Some monks attempt to preach popular sermons distorting the actual teachings. Many people have lost faith in Shasana and monks due to this fact.

Frustration is another factor that drives them away from temples. Some try to find spiritual solace elsewhere and others just stop visiting the temple and worshipping.

Q:What is the solution in your opinion?

A: I think the Government must be more vigilant of these dark forces that mislead people and work against Buddhism. It is a constitutional requirement. Especially, a commission of eminent Buddhist scholars and laypeople is a must to look into these disturbing developments.

All incidents, anywhere in the country, should be reported to this body for action.

This is the way how Buddhism was protected by kings like Maha Parakramabahu. Even during that period there were threats to Buddhism by profit driven people. In the Dambadeni Kathikawatha, it is written, monks are prohibited to learn ....

Issues like these were always resolved by coordinated efforts by Maha sangha and the rulers of the land. In the history it was the kings who protected Buddhism, but now it should be the President and the Government.

If there are unholy monks, action should be initiated against them. That is essential for the well-being of Sasana.