'Mob including Buddhist monks attack Christian centre in Hikkaduwa' - A News -

Respecting faiths and beliefs of others, is a core value found in Buddhism. Hence, throughout its thousand year old history, Buddhism was considered as the only religion; true enough, following the general understanding, Buddhism is also taken under the category of religion; which had not lead in to any bloodshed in spreading its values for mankind.

The materialistic things found in Buddhism, namely, statues, Bo trees, shrine rooms, offering flowers & various other things, are not really essential to follow the Buddha Wachana or the teachings of the Buddha. They are some mere cultural practices found in the popular Buddhism. In fact, they have little connection or do not have any such connections in the realization of Nibbana disclosed by the Buddha, the sublime teaching for non existence. Different individuals have different commitments and levels in understanding the true wisdom taught by the Buddha. Expecting all the Buddhists, even the Bhikkus in this case, to follow only the sublime doctrine of their teacher is not practical. Until they realize the true wisdom, a majority of them would pay a great interest in above mentioned cultural aspects as well.

When these cultural aspects are affected, destroyed or ruined, the average Buddhists would show their opposition by a behavior of this nature. Can we expect anything else from a group of followers whose 'religion', culture, history and the heritage are destroyed by some other? In this case, these destructions are practiced by their own relations, by the ones who were Buddhists few generations ago.

Other than very few places which were built in the very recent past, all most all the famous non-Buddhist religious places in Sri Lanka were treated as Buddhist monasteries built within last 2500 years or more. In the Dutch, Portuguese and later in the British period, thousands of Buddhist monasteries were demolished to the ground. Churches, Kovils and other non-Buddhist religious places were built on these lands. Thousands were killed, including lay Buddhists and monks, tortured and converted into other religions. Destroying these monasteries and building non-Buddhist places of worship, can be observed mainly in the coastal areas, purely due to the reason that these areas were first invaded by the non- Buddhists. Later, this spread in to interior parts of the country as well.

Its not only physical damages made for Buddhist monasteries, even other 'practices and aspects' in the Buddhist culture were truly affected. One such thing was the language used in Buddhist culture. Even to this date, the Church is in the process of 'stealing' Buddhist terms and used them in its vocabulary.

· Terms such as Sarwa Baladhaareen, Samidaanan, Swaameenwahanse, Munidu, Munidaanan Wahanse, Rajaanan Wahanse, Baagyawathun Wahanse were used in ancient Buddhist texts in place of Buddha and now are used in Christianity and Catholicism.

· Agaradaguru, Himi, Himipaanan, Nayaka Himi, Himinama were very famous terms used in place of Buddhist clergies. Today, they are used for clergies in the Church. E.g.- Malcolm Ranjith Naa Himi

· Daham Paasala - This is the place where Daham or Dharma ( the doctrine of the Buddhaa) is taught and today this term is used in the place of Sunday school.

· Sanga which is used only for Buddhist Monks had is used as Kithnu Sanga by the Church.

· Palliya in Sinhalese is the term used for the Church. In fact, this term had been used for 'The book storing place' located in the temple in the past.

· Mokshaya Labanawaa was another term. Mokshaya was used for Nibbana in old Pali canon.

· Sandakada Pahana in Thewaththa Church in Ragama. Sandakada Pahana is the Moonstone found only in Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka, made entirely based on Buddhist themes and is one of the great historical master pieces of Buddhist culture.

· Makara Thorana in Thewaththa Church in Ragama. The decorative gate entrance in Buddhist temples is fully imitated and placed in the main entrance.

· Frescoes in the Thewaththa Church in Ragama. According to these frescoes engraved on the walls of Thewaththa Church depicting the brother and sister of King Kashyapa (prince Mugalan and princess Sangaa) are not Buddhists but Catholics. These stories on the walls are not backed by any historical evidence.

· Jesu Bawanaa (The meditation called 'Jesu'\Jesus) in the Supuwath Arana is another term taken from Buddhist culture. The term Bawana had never ever been associated with the faith of 'the Creator'.

· Siri Handa (The Sacred Heart, in English). Siri is a synonymous word for the Buddha. The Buddhists had used this term for centuries with many applications. Few of them are as follows.

a. Siri Dalada - The sacred tooth relics of the Buddha

b. Siri Paada - The sacred foot print of the Buddha

c. Siri Waruna - The stories of the Buddha

d. Siri Maha Bodhi -The sacred Bodhi tree of Siri\ the Buddha under which The Enlightened One attained in to Nibbana

e. Sree Paada Kanda or Siri Paada Kanda - The mountain of sacred foot print of Siri\ the Buddha

f. Siri Lanka - The land called Lanka which was devoted for Siri\the Buddha. Prior to early '70, the name given for Sri Lanka was not Sri Lanka, but Siri Lanka

· The latest of this list is 'Dhaathu'. Dhaathu is the Buddhist term used only for the relics of the Noble Ones (The Enlightened ones or Arahants, including the Buddha) who have eradicated the worldly craving for becoming or Samsara. Dhaathu Karandua (The casket for relics of the noble ones), Dhaathoon Wahanse (The sacred relics of Arahants). Today this most sacred Buddhist term is used in the place of non-Arahants such as The Dhaathu of St. Sebastian.

Can someone deny the fact that all what was mentioned here, cannot be described as attacks for 'Buddhism' and 'Buddhists'? And, Buddhists should tolerate these as they are supposed to practice compassion and harmony among others in other religions? Can it be easily forgotten that if not for the tolerance taught by the Buddha and 'The Blind Tolerance of the Buddhists', as someone may term it, no any non-Buddhists would have spread their faith in Sri Lanka?

Places of worship of non-Buddhists are built everywhere. The numbers are getting greater every day. The lands which were given for Buddhist monasteries by the kingships in the past are taken over by non-Buddhists. If something of this nature happens in any other country, the Gulf for example, can it be expected someone to stand on his feet, condemn and give a great publicity of this kind?

In fact, it’s the Buddhists who are totally helpless in their own land. Buddhists have lost their own people, they were converted into other religions, and its still happening, their heritage is threatened; their history is changed, modified, ruined. And, sadly, they are losing their reputation as well, the reputation that they had earned for centuries by teaching Buddha Vachana, not by the strength of the sword and the bullet or by-force as others did, but by mere teaching itself!

It is guaranteed that no any Buddhist would step on to acts of this nature, if they are not disturbed by 'invisible' hands of other religions. Failing to do so, avoiding these kinds of acts may not be possible in the future. Is it a wrong statement?