Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said recently that he could not understand why the President, the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and others are interested in a private ‘anusasanawa’ by Ven. Vendaruwe Upali Anunayake Thera. It is hilarious to hear that from a person who once was responsible for security of this country. It is common knowledge that such anusasanawa made in the presence of media becomes public news.
He adds “Those who have not fathomed the context of the sermon are making various comments. After all, I’m an ordinary person and not someone of importance. I don’t know the reason for issuing so many statements over a private anusasanawa to me at my residence,” here Gota speaks like a retired army general doing nothing but attending Buddhist activities. Then he wants us to believe that all are against the Anunayake Thera. Of course the Buddha said the Dhamma should be preached to each person in a format according to the capacity and the wisdom to understand it. After misquoting the Buddha he arrogantly says ‘I of course understood well what the venerable monk said. Those who haven’t understood the meaning are making these statements.”
In the meantime, at the recent Matara meeting Mangala said “We managed to reinstate the rule of law and democracy back in this country which was being diluted over the past decade while they were in power”.
Nazi regime and previous government
Speaking of the recent comments that sparked about a Nazi regime, the minister drew parallels to the previous government where incidents similar to that of the Hitler’s Nazi regime took place. “Whenever the previous government didn’t have sufficient support, they were in the practice of blackmailing and poaching people from parties that were opposed to them. This is the exact method in which Hitler operated as well. Once he managed to get a sufficient majority on his side, he ended up being a dictator who destroyed not only his country but created a big devastation in the world,” the Minister said; he went on to remind the arbitrary procedure through which the former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike was ousted from her position overnight.
That path followed by the Rajapaksa regime was very much like Hitler’s governance.
With Asgiri Upali Thera commenting on Gota, a valuable discussion on Buddhism and politics started in many directions. Buddhism is very close to ethics of governance just as Kant’s philosophy with Hegelianism influenced the bourgeoisie democratic revolution in Europe.
Many writers claim this Buddhist Monk has swept the very basic principles of consciousness Karuna, Metta, Muditha and Upekka exposed by the Buddha, off the floor. As we were informed by Ven. Kotagama Vachissara Thera at Ananda College, these four attitudes are said to be the right consciousness necessary for dealing with others and social existence in general. They provide, in fact, the answer to many fold situations arising from social contact. They remove tension, acting as the great peace-makers in social conflict, and the great healers of wounds suffered in the struggle of existence. They, also help to cut across social barriers, build harmonious communities; such consciousness awakens magnanimity, revive joy and hope of human brotherhood against the forces of egotism. When considered in that context the sermon preached by the Asgiri Chapter Anunayake becomes most unacceptable. Something is grievously wrong. It is wrong both in the content of the call for military rule as well as the process involved in making such a heinous call a reality.
If any reasonable man or woman thought that the cultural decline in our society is limited to the lay society, then one should think again. Because here is a high ranking Monk in the Buddhist order, while being enrobed in the usual saffron robe, has decided to wrap himself in the more expansive Nazi flag. Maybe the Swastika, the Nazi emblem, which in fact was a motif associated with ancient Asian Aryan religious thought, has taken hold of the personality of Anunayake Upali Thera. But in a more realistic context of modern Lankan politics, this degradation of religious thought signals a more sinister-degeneration replacing intelligent discourse amongst the general public in Lanka. On the one hand are the likes of Ven. Gnanasara Thera, whose religious standing is increasingly looking to be a matter of the past and on the other are these Buddhist Monks such as Vendaruwe Upali Thera, posing as representatives of a more traditional and orthodox teachings of Buddhism, preaching a military rule in a country whose people are committed to democracy, freedom and the fundamental human rights; have to take the matter more seriously.
Self-destroying bubble
In modern day politics such a statement coming from the lips of any person is purported to be a result of an orchestrated piece of aggressive kind of public relations. But what is even more dangerous is if the prelate’s words were a true enunciation of authentic beliefs held by him.
It may not be as humble Upali Sadu announced later. However nothing is more dangerous and outrageously harmful than a believer who thinks that he is always right in his decisions and also morally righteous. Gota is such, they say. This self-righteousness-belief renders him to be an island unto himself, making him ridiculously susceptible to a self-destroying bubble and that bubble is a creation of his own loyal cohorts and himself.
‘Gotler’ belongs to that self-defeating bubble. He dwells more in his own comforts zones making sure that wherever he goes is surrounded by his henchmen who benefitted immensely during his brother’s regime. After being alleged of most heinous crimes, trying to preach justice and fair-play is like Lankans were born only after the demise of the Rajapaksa rule. Playing the victim is always the sign of a weak person. They say that the best example is the current US President Donald Trump. After inflicting most unspeakable insults on his opponents, when he is being treated the same way, the bully reacts as if he has been victimized by his antagonists. But the tragedy is that card carries, especially before a gullible audience, albeit in the short run, a lot of positive marks for the man or woman who plays it. ‘Gotler’ may have chosen to play that card and it is the responsibility of those who will pass judgment on his whims and fancies, come out on Election Day.
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