Ven. Gnanasara is a disaster to the Sasana - Malabe Seelarathana Thera July 9, 2014, 9:03 pm article_image Seelarathana Thera The Mahanayake theras should awaken to this danger. They have remained quiet long enough. We have to protect the Sasana. If the Sasana is protected, the Buddhists will be protected and the country will be protected. In this interview, the Vice-President of the United National Party Bhikku Front and the Chief Incumbent of the Khettaramaya Temple in Godagama, the Ven. Malabe Seelarathana speaks to C. A. Chandraprema about the situation that has come about in the country due to the activities of the Bodu Bala Sena. Q. People in this country have over many decades, seen Buddhist monks engaging in political activities. What is not familiar to the public however is the latest phenomenon of Buddhist monks behaving and speaking like thugs in public in full view of TV cameras. If we take the behaviour of Galagodaatte Gnanasara, people would be horrified to see such behaviour in a politician much less a monk who wears the robe of the Buddha. What view do you hold on this? A. The biggest disaster that has befallen the Buddha Sasana in recent times is this organisation known as the Bodu Bala Sena and this monk known as Galagodaatte Gnanasara. I don’t regard him as a bhikku. The Buddha has preached that a bhikku should be disciplined. Bhikkus can be in politics and monks should stand up for the national interest but there is a way in which these things should be done. We can see that these individuals are motivated by narrow considerations of personal gain. The question is, whose power do these bhikkus use to behave in such a shameful and unacceptable manner? We can clearly see that some unseen hand is at work - that is why these bhikkus are behaving like rastiyadukarayas. Senior monks are silent on this issue. Many of them are used to leading a quiet life and engaging in religious affairs. But now things have come to a pass where we cannot be silent any longer. When we look at the manner of speech and behaviour of this monk, he acts like a thug not a bhikku. Q. In your view, from where does this monk derive the strength to disregard centuries of tradition and public opinion and behave just as he pleases? A. He has the blessings of the government. Without that he would not be able to behave in this manner. We suspect that the defence secretary is involved in this. Q. The Defence Secretary has said very clearly that he has nothing to do with the Bodu Bala Sena and that he would resign from his position if anybody proves that he has any connection with the BBS. A. Then how is it that this monk is moving around in SUVs with tinted glasses with security personnel and throwing his weight around and threatening people? When we were in General Sarath Fonseka’s election campaign, we had to give statements to the police about the speeches we made exposing corruption in the government. Ven. Watareka Vijitha’s meeting was disrupted and he was threatened and almost assaulted by these monks. Vijitha Thera may have his shortcomings, but he is a bhikku and nobody has a right to disrobe him - not even the Mahanayakes. Who is he (Ven. Gnanasara) to say, Take off his robe and dress him up in a sarong? Vijitha Thera was remanded but the law is not applied to this monk (Ven. Gnanasara) who has unleashed so much mayhem. It is this unseen hand that gives him strength. Q. All this started after these monks went to Norway. The Norwegian national who facilitated the trip had told ministerRajitha Senaratne that after returning from Norway Ven. Ganansara had wanted to meet him. They had met and in fact decided to work together for national reconciliation and minority rights. According to the information you have, what do you think this connection is? A. It is clear that these people are working with some support from Norway. Rajitha Senaratne has explained this well. But, in the context where the government is losing support among the Buddhists, they have created these extremist organisations to shore up their support by portraying the minorities as enemies. Today, the government does not have the minority vote. I think these people are going to contest the next election on the ruling party ticket. Before this, we saw the Hela Urumaya coming forward, selling our Buddhist flag, and our Valampuri. They created a situation where bhikkus in this country were referred to as ‘hakgedi’. The Hela Urumaya destroyed the respect the people had for the robe and the Buddhist flag. After going into politics, what have these people done for the Sasana? They only ended up enjoying the perks of office and are today leading luxurious lives. The Bodu Bala Sena is also trying to get into parliament and enjoy all the perks. It is to defend this corrupt government that they are doing all this. Q. Though you say that the Bodu Bala Sena is trying to protect the government, Ven. Gnanasara spoke of the president in the most disparaging terms at the Aluthgama meeting. He even wondered aloud whether the president had a brain inside his head because he had appointed a Muslim as the Minister of Justice. He said the Sinhalese did not have a leader. He does not even refer to the president by his title but by the term of Maha-unde. Gotabhaya and Basil don’t even have names but are referred to generically as Maha-undege parapura. Gnansara says he can overthrow as well as create governments. When you look at the disparaging manner in which he refers to the leaders of the government, do you seriously think he is working with the government? One would think they are trying to bring down the government not shore it up. A. It is true that they refer to the president disparagingly as Maha-unde and the brothers as Mahaundege parapura. He may also say that the president does not have a brain. Such statements do not do much harm. But, they never say that the Rajapaksas are corrupt. Well, if the government is not behind the BBS, then arrest Ven. Gnanasara and show the public where they stand without just getting the CID to record statements. They can go to the Internet and download video clips of his speeches and action can be taken on that basis. Given the statements that he has made, he should be in. Even the president is not uttering a word about this. Q. The president has also said in public that even though people say that these extremist groups are being sponsored by the government, that they have nothing to do with them. A. In that case, he should mention the Bodu Bala Sena and Ven. Gnanasara by name and say that he has no connection with them. Q. The Defence Secretary has already done exactly that. The Defence Ministry spokesman, in fact, went to the extent of producing several photographs which were at the root of the rumours that the government was backing the BBS and explained that these were taken at a function organised by the Ven. Kirama Wimalajothi where Ven. Gnanasara and other BBS monks were present and that these are being continuously used to establish a link between the government and the BBS. With all that, do you still believe that the government is behind these hooligans? A. My question is why did the government wait so long? They should have made these explanations when these incidents first began. Azath Salley was remanded within hours of allegedly making a provocative statement. So, why did things take so long with regard to the BBS? Can you and I invade a ministry the way the BBS has done? We would have been arrested and remanded. Not a single monk has been arrested for invading that ministry. I have to tell the government that they cannot deceive the people with such statements. Q. Because of the activities of these monks, the good name of Sri Lanka has been sullied in the international arena. The minorities today are living in fear in the south. Even during the war the minorities were perfectly safe in the south – it was only in the north and east that they faced danger. Today, the minority communities that live in the north and east are at peace whereas those living in the south are living in fear. The government has been brought into disrepute. The reputation of the Buddhist dispensation is in tatters. So, how can the activities of these organisations benefit the government? A. This individual (Ven. Gnanasara) does not behave like a bhikku. The damage done to the Sasana is very serious. A monk can’t be a thug. Today, monks are being criticised everywhere. According to the Buddhist teaching, the mere sight of a bhikku should be auspicious. Today, however, when people see a bhikku, they have to run away because the monk may be coming at them with a club! Bhikkus should not be building the physique but the mind. What these monks are doing now is striking fear into the minds of the public by their manner of speech and behaviour. So, they are doing enormous harm to the Sasana. The world now sees the bhikku as a thug and a terrorist. Those who brought about this situation is Galagodaatte Gnanasara and the Bodu Bala Sena. All these unpleasant happenings are due to the fact that the law is not being implemented. Q. When you speak to other bhikkus, what do they say about the activities of the Bodu Bala Sena? A. Ninety percent of the bhikkus don’t approve of their activities. Today, parents don’t ordain their sons in the required numbers. The reluctance on the part of concerned parents to give their sons to the Sasana will only increase when they see bhikkus behaving in this manner. The Buddhist public are revolted at what they see going on. The Mahanayake theras should awaken to this danger. They have remained quiet long enough. We have to protect the Sasana. If the Sasana is protected, the Buddhists will be protected and the country will be protected.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 08:20:59 +0000
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