Constitutional Reforms and the Protection
of Buddhism in Sri Lanka
Posted on April
13th, 2015 Senaka Weeraratna Lankaweb
In the light of the
proposed changes to the Constitution of Sri Lanka now under
consideration and growing accusations of contrived attempts via the
proposed new Article 33 to neutralise the applicability of Article
9 in the Constitution that imposes a mandatory duty on the State to
give to Buddhism the foremost place and protect and foster the
Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted
by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e), an important question has arisen What
is the relationship that should exist in the present day between
the State and Buddhism?
It is an
incontrovertible fact that Buddhism, more than other ideology or
religion, has played a singular role in creating an unique
civilization and shaping the destinies of this country. Sri Lanka
is the oldest Buddhist nation in the world. If not for the
continuance of the Dhamma, through the study and practice of it in
this country, it is unlikely that there would even be a semblance
of pure Sasana in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, or Cambodia. It is in
Sri Lanka that the Wheel of the Buddha’s law was truly set in
motion with the arrival of Arahant Mahinda with the blessings of
that great universal monarch, Emperor Asoka. If this event did not
take place in Sri Lanka, the Pali Canon may not have got recorded
and the noble doctrine of the Buddha, recited and accepted by the
Arahats, at Rajagaha, Vesali and Pataliputta, i.e. three Great
Councils of the Arya Sangha, would have vanished into thin air long
ago.
Arahant Mahinda not
only introduced the Dhamma but he also taught it in such a manner
that it soon became the overriding element in all the activities of
our people in the past, enthused them to develop an altogether new
culture, which has become the basis of the social outlook of
the vast majority of our people even to this day. Such is the hold
of the Dhamma so ingrained in almost every facet of this country
that the Buddhist public very rightly feel that it is something
they cannot do without as it is now representative of their life
blood, more or less. The day the Buddha Dhamma is abandoned
or allowed to fade or wither away with the removal of patronage of
our rulers and the protection afforded by the Constitution which
was also explicitly set out in Article 5 of the Kandyan Convention
of 1815, that is the day this country would have truly lost
its very soul.
In the pre-colonial
period the Sinhalese Monarch protected the Buddha Sasana and
maintained its purity as one of his primary duties. He exercised
his power and authority over the religion to prevent schisms and
heretical interpretations of the Dhamma. He invoked the
dasa raja dhamma” as a basis of governance. He developed an Animal
Friendly Cultural Heritage which is unique to Sri Lanka. The tenet
‘compassion to all living beings’ based on the Buddha’s words
in the Karaniya Metta Sutra was heavily influential in the choice
of both vocation and diet.
When foreigners came
to this country beginning in 1505 they found the Buddhists united
and strong. To weaken this unity they adopted every means to divide
them. The post – independent Sri Lanka has a fundamental obligation
to strengthen the status of Buddhism.
It is our historical
track record of service to the cause of Buddhism that has shaped
our national identity and brought universal recognition to this
country and still continues to do so.
It therefore falls on the current and future generations to ensure
that Buddhism continues to flourish in Sri Lanka and that the State
performs its historic public duty, as enshrined in the National
Constitution, to extend patronage, protection and foster Buddhism
both within and outside the country. Any attempt directly or
indirectly through tampering with the Constitution to stalemate the
applicability of Article 9 which gives foremost place to Buddhism
is fraught with grave danger to peaceful co – existence among
various communities in Sri Lanka.