"PACKAGE SERMON" - FOSTERING TAMIL DIVISIONISM Professor K.N.O.Dharmadasa

(Original paper was in Sinhala - Translated to English by H.P. Siriwardene)

The Package attempts to enshrine the Traditional Homeland concept in the Constitution. Some Tamil political leaders want the devolution of power more than anybody else. This is apparent by the statements they often make, their writings and the pressure they bring to bear on the President and the leaders of the Government.


The above is a quotation from the stone inscription at Gal Vihara established by King Parakramabahu the Great who reigned in Pollanaruwa in the 12th Century. The incident referred to in the inscription is known also as the EDICT of Parakramabahu the Great.

During the turbulent period prior to Parakramabahu bringing the whole land under one flag, Buddha Sasana too had declined. There were numerous defects in the Buddhist clergy. "Amidst such deterioration taking place before my very eyes, a King like me should not remain indifferent and idle enjoying royal pleasures", the King thought wisely and compassionately. Thus nobly motivated he decided to cleanse and reform the clergy and thereby restore the Buddha Sasana. The quotation cited above says it.

However, the King knew that he was not the proper person to reform the Buddhist clergy. He therefore had the Dimbulagala Maha Kashapa Thera, who was foremost in learning and virtu, to lead the task.

The priests who were divided among three chapters as Maha Vihara, Abhayagiri and Jethawana were unified, and those proved to be unvirtuous were expelled. Thus cleansed, a code of conduct, approved by the reform council of priests, was declared. The code specified the proper mode of conduct for a priest- what he should do and what not. The Parakramabahu Edict as engraved in the past remains intact and can be seen today just as it was engraved. What it depicts is the royal declaration made by the King with the noble intention of preserving the Buddha Sasana after the reform council’s decision.

Literally, KATHIKAWATHA means ‘discussion’, ‘agreement’, ‘recording of a decision’ and the like. But among the Sinhalese Buddhists it means a decision taken to reform and purify the Buddhist clergy.

Our history records many such instances. The Dambadeniya decision taken not so long after the Parakramabahu decision mentioned above is well known.

The five hundred years that followed was a period of conflict and upheaval. By the dawn of the 18th Century Buddha Sasana had declined to its lowest depth, so much so that there were no Buddhist priests who had received the higher ordination. This situation was remedied and the Buddha Sasana was restored by the efforts of the priests of the Silwath Samajaya, ‘The Virtuous Society’, headed by the Welivita Soratha Maha Thera.

The Sasana thus restored also declined after thirty to forty years and had to be cleansed again. This is evident by the two edicts of Kirthi Sri Rajasingha and Rajendra Rajasingha.

What becomes clear from these historical facts is this: Degeneration occurs in the Buddhist Clergy from time to time and steps have to be taken to stop such deterioration and restore it from time to time. There are certain common factors that seem to arise at such ‘decision’ times. (1) Just as the Kings of the past were ‘motivated’ by the noble, kind and meritorious thought, ‘It is not befitting there should be such deterioration of the Buddha Sasana when there is a King like me’, the political leaders of the day too getting similarly motivated to restore the Sasana. (2) The sole motive being the safeguarding of the Buddha Sasana. (3) Having Buddhist priests, who are learned and virtuous and therefore acceptable to all, to take the lead to form the reform council.

It can be noticed that in the year 1997 too there are people, not kings, who have come forward to point out the shortcomings in the Buddha Sasana as it exists at present. These shortcomings are perhaps the faulty conduct of the Buddhist priests. Perhaps they are the faulty rituals. And perhaps the poor relationship between Buddhist institutions, temples and viharas and the laity.

The following are some of the gentlemen who have come forward.

Professor Dr. Stanley Jayarajah Thambiah of the Chicago University of America.

Prof. Dr. H.L Seneviratne of the Virginia University,

Dr Jonathan Walters in a college or University in Walla-walla in Washington,

Jonathan Walters is the person who wrote the article "Reforming Buddhist Practices" that appeared in the "Island" newspaper on the last Wesak full moon day under the pseudonym "Cats EYE". Among these gentlemen are also journalists, some paid, some not, by various N.G.Os.

As all can notice, the activity of pointing out the defects of the Buddha Sasana has accelerated during the last few months. As an example, Dr H.L.Seneviratne in his article, "The Sangha’s Role Reassessed", that appeared in the ‘Lanka Guardian’ on the 15th March 1997, said this quite directly: "A minority of vociferous Buddhist priests are against the devolution of power and are attempting to derail the proposals. But how qualified are they to speak in any manned against devolution? It they are to speak knowledgeably on the devolution of power, they must first have a knowledge of such matters as: what is the present Government, what is a unitary Government, what is meant by multiple representation and what is democracy and the like. But they do not have the slightest knowledge of these".

Our Doctor deemed it necessary to re-assess the role of the Buddhist priests not because he was motivated by wisdom and kindness being aware that, when the priests are corrupt they commit sin and would be born in the hell world and it should be prevented. Or, to safeguard the Buddha Sasana and thereby saving the laymen from committing sin. These were not his concern. But he was afraid that the PACKAGE might get derailed because of the activities of the ‘vociferous priests’ although ‘only a few’. It is this effort of Dr. Seneviratne and others that should therefore be named the "PACKAGE EDICT".

The first question that arises here is this: Is it a majority of Buddhist priests or a minority that is against the package? How did the Doctor conclude it is a minority while being in America? Perhaps he had this information from the people who are entrusted with the propaganda work for the package.

Be that as it may, we know that there are Buddhist priests who are in favour of the package. As those priests are naturally and on principle not vociferous, the Government uses the radio, the T.V and the Lake House news papers that are under its control to create the necessary noise. They have indeed raised considerable noise of late.

However, there is an obvious lapse here. The Buddhist priests who are in favour of the package are silenced by Doctor Seneviratne himself whether he knows it or not. For, "In order to speak at all", as Doctor Seneviratne states, "a good knowledge of the present government and the other topics mentioned in that list of his, is essential. It is clear that the Buddhist priests who speak in favour of the package not only do not have an iota of such knowledge but they do not know even the contents of the package. As an example please see statement (1) made by reverend Aturaliya Indrarathana, the Chief Buddhist priest in charge of disciplinary matters of the clergy in the Southern provinces, on March 27 in "A Reply to Buddhist Devotees" : "There is no devolution of power on the basis of nationality in the draft legislation of devolution of power presented to the Parliamentary Select Committee. It is clearly stated that power will be devolved on the basis of the districts as they exist today. The nine districts that are proposed to be demarcated will remain as they are today." Does this Chief priest in charge of disciplinary affairs know what the foremost objective of the Tamil separatists, and why they continue their struggle in Sri Lanka?

The two districts that are regarded by us as the North and the East, are to the Tamil separatists their Traditional Homeland. The others, that means that Sinhalese, have no claim to those districts, the Traditional Homeland. They want this ensured and guaranteed. Even children know that this is the purpose of the devolution. Although we regard the North and the East as two separate districts, the separatists regard them as one district because of the Traditional Homeland concept. It is not only terrorist Tigers who consider this area as one district. The Tamil Liberation front also is of the same view and considers it as an essential and primary requirement. That is not all. The Minister who drafts legislation for the present Government also speaks of a ‘North-East province’ using one word. A so-called governor too has been appointed to this ‘province’. Apparently this case has not yet come before our Chief priest in charge of disciplinary affairs.

According to the reports of a conference held in Chicago by the Tamil Eelam Organisation and an article written by a Tamil doctor to the magazine "Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism", Prime Minister D.S.Senanayake in 1958 and Prime Minister S.W.R.D.Bandaranayake in 1966 accepted the concept that the Northern and the Eastern provinces form the Traditional Homeland of the Tamils. Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake too has accepted it. As such, there is Governmental recognition, they claim. Their complaint is that the accepted concept is not implemented. The Package is the attempt to incorporate the Traditional Homeland concept in the Constitution.

Some Tamil political leaders seem to want the devolution of power more than anybody else. That is apparent by the statements they often make, their writings and the pressure they bring to bear on the President and the Government leaders, etc. A group of Buddhist priests, including the Chief Magistrate priest in charge of disciplinary matters, are in favour of the Package. Not merely in favour. They have come forward to speak, debate and issue statements supporting it. The only obstacle is the presence of a ‘vociferous minority’, that is against it. A group of priests headed by the "Magistrate" have fallen among the Divisionists and live in the land of the Traditional Homelanders. Meetings are held island wide to sing the praise of the Package. A mobile propaganda group is employed for the purpose. Among them are also Buddhist priests. They often get publicity from the radio, T.V, and the Government news papers.

What they speak of are the superficial matters with which we all agree, i.e: war is cruel, a curse. What Buddha preached was compassion, living together in peace and harmony. Let us therefore agree to the Package. Then the war will be over. The millions of rupees that is now spent on the war can be used to develop the country", and so on. But not one priest preaches, "The Package is good according to Dr.Seneviratne’s list for the following reasons. The war will come to an end. That is 100% certain. Once this division is enshrined in the Constitution itself, the Muslims or the upcountry Tamils will not demand separate areas for themselves. We are also certain of it". Not one Buddhist priest sermonizes thus.

To be continued.