Sri Lanka’s Violent Buddhists

Buddha once asked his disciples to go and spread his message which is sweet at the beginning, the middle and the end, for the benefit and happiness of the human kind. The teaching of The Buddha is known as Dharma, the word used in India for “nature”. No one needs a struggle to tell about the nature. It can be said it in any way you like and in any language and using any media. Buddhism is a portable religion can be adapted to any society and culture. Buddha was very liberal in teaching his religion. He told in many ways to accept whatever you believe. Don’t accept because it was told by your teacher, your ancestors, was written in a book, and so forth.
Illusion of a God or a creator breeds fantasy, which leads to a fanatical society. By understanding the natural phenomena’s and human behaviors, in near future people will beginning to understand that, this is not a work of a creator but implications created by our own behaviors’.
Instead of making a struggle, just spread his message clearly and simple. Happiness will follow.

I still enjoy the wisdom of the, perhaps mythic, Indian prince, Sidhartha Gotama, yet hate the notion that maybe he was deified by followers, who, seemingly didn't understand a word he said. If so, and Sidhartha could somehow know that his wise, kind notions are now buried `neath a pile of hateful ritual, he'd probably be flipping in his hidden grave.
Still, maybe we shouldn't be surprised to learn that all religions are about mindless, mind control, even Buddhism?

No one who reads this article should be surprised. Intolerance of various kinds is growing in this world. Religious intolerance is usually the most vicious. Why is this happening now? Well the world is getting crowded and people are pushing up against other groups more than in the past. Previously many of these groups lived in isolated areas of their country but with population increase it is harder to be isolated. Religious fanaticism is spreading through SE Asia, but we only hear about it occasionally when the NYTimes or some other papers do an article about it.

Moving the problem to another country is NOT the solution. Soon they will be a problem in their new country. Please note the article in todays NYT about the problems with Muslims in Sweden. Sweden used to be more tolerant but as they began accepting so many Muslim asylum seekers from Syria, Somalia etc. Very often asylum seekers make little effort to assimilate but rather re-create their culture in their new home. Local people resent it and trouble follows.

It is the same phenomenon in Sri Lanka - they are rubbing up against another group with a different cultural view. Is there a solution? I am not sure there is.

But let us not make this America's problem. Let organizations like the UN go and deal with. They have lots of agencies making lots of money so we must make this a UN problem but under no condition should it be an American problem.

There are and have always been extremists sectarian bigots in every faith.

From Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Mormons, Shinto, Daoists, Sikhs and animists our planet has been bathed in human blood and wasted treasure in the name of some fearsome vengeful judgmental deity or deities.

No more Amun- Re nor Zeus nor Jupiter nor Odin nor Marduk nor Qeatzlcoatl to blame.

Religion will be the death of us all.

God (and Buddha), please protect me from your followers.

Buddhist monks self immolation were iconic pictures of the Vietnam war. It comes as a surprise that such apparent harmonious and peaceful religion has turned vicious and violent in places like Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

In the next piece covering Buddhist militancy, the NYT could provide an extended background analysis to understand why such peaceful religion has turned violent. Is it a phenomenon similar to islamism getting into politics?

While it is true but the Buddhist canon is peaceful. In the Judeo-Christian bible, love thy neighbor as thy self, is an extreme peaceful statement that has been ignored by many.

Sri Lanka’s (Ceylon) problems are not different to those of former British “colonies” colonized by Indians. The British Empire in fact was a British-Indian Empire when it comes to tropical British dominions from Fiji to Guyana. The locals are even if they are the majority are controlled by the Indians.

BBS extremism is contrary to Buddhist ideals. The Buddha preached the middle way.

BBS extremism is contrary to Buddhist ideals. The Buddha preached the middle way.

This article places too much generalisation and emphasis on Buddhism. These violent monks you describe, who have beaten up another monk, are clearly not Buddhists. They are simply individuals who have discovered that they possess more of a following and a more powerful voice by donning on a long saffron robe. This robe does not make them buddhist, nor does it make them monks- it is a simply a suit of armour that they are using to wage their extremist war.

Yes, Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country, but the image you have extrapolated from the BBS of the Buddhist people of Sri Lanka is far beyond the bounds of statistical inference. I have faith in humanity, and therefore I have faith in the Sri Lankan people under good governance to eradicate all forms of extremism under every palm and coconut tree of that beautiful island.

I wish the author while talking of "Sri Lanka's Violent Buddhists" should have touched upon the causes and effects for the raise of Buddhist Power Force (BBS). Without this reference any argument will be incomplete.

BBS drew its oxygen from the hate politics of anti-Brahmin movement in Tamil Nadu joining hands with LTTE, whose aim was to establish independent Dravidistan comprising of the present Tamil Nadu and Northern Sri Lanka to end the alleged Brahmin dominance in the Tamil society and government. The early demands of this movement were social equality, and greater power and control. However, over the time, it came to include a separatist movement, demanding a sovereign state for the Tamil people. The movement claimed that the non-Brahmin Tamils were the original inhabitants of the Tamil-speaking region. The Brahmins, on the other hand, were described not only as oppressors, but even as a foreign power, on par with the British colonial rulers.

Fortunately for India and Sri Lanka there is identity crisis among the Dravidian Party promoters.“Today, the 100-year-old Dravidian movement is struggling to remain relevant. It has become socially, culturally, historically and spiritually a failed movement. Like all failed movements it lives in desperation. And like all desperate entities it seeks violence and hatred to justify its existence.” – S. Aravindan Neelakandan author of Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines

So if Buddhism is being so besmirched, why doesn’t the Dalai Lama speak up?

Buddha was a Hindu
Christ was a Jew
Religion is the opiate
That man recreates
Every millennium or two!

Sri Lankan rulers and Burmese Democratic Junta have created an atmosphere of fear of extinction of Theravada Buddhism. Buddhist monks have thrown Buddha’s teaching like life of extreme frugality, non-violence, abstinence from substance abuse etc. out the window.
The Secretary General of the Lankan Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Buddhist monk Gnanasara Thero goes about in chauffer driven cars and is a whiskey connoisseur. He was convicted for driving without licence under the influence of alcohol. He is virulently anti-Muslim. It is suggested that he is being used by interested businessmen to wrest out Muslim owned businesses and ventures. Most orthodox Lankan Buddhists reject BBS but the Lankan rulers, high-up armed services, police personnel and judiciary attend BBS functions. The Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa (US Citizen) shouts meals to BBS from 5-star hotels. Lankan rulers deny connection to BBS but these days BBS is very very very quiet because they have been told to. By the way BBS stands for Buddhist-Sinhala-Only Lanka.
BBS admire Burmese Buddhist monk Wirathu and he was the chief guest at a recent BBS convention. Wirathu is also anti-Islam and openly encourages violence against Burmese minorities – Rohingyas in particular. The cover of 01 July 2013 Time magazine “The face of Buddhist terror” is about Wirathu. . Wirathu says that Obama is “tainted with black blood”. Wirathu is a prized darling to the Burmese Junta.

"Unless it is challenged, this mindset will pose a far greater danger to Sri Lanka the the blows of thugs."

And also to the legitimacy of and reverence for Buddhism itself.

The betrayal in Sri Lanka has been going on for decades now. It is up to the international community, as well as the Buddhists themselves, to repudiate it. The same with the cancer in Thailand and Myanmar, especially the last with a substantial Muslim minority.

Of course, these so-called radical monks are really the puppet of their governments. The latter use the former to do their dirty work of racial cleansing. If they look at what happen in the Middle East, tribal warfare disguise as sectarian violence never work. It only guarantees mutual annihilation.

The article used the word 'confounding' since Buddhism preaches non-violence, but it didn't mention the religion is also cultural. For example, it Thailand many kids become monk for a short period of time. And previously in Tibet it was a way out of poverty by sending children to monasteries. While religion does get passed along - Catholic parents send their children to Catholic schools and Christian Sunday schools - it takes on a different dimension when the purpose of the school becomes more political than religious as witnessed with the religious schools in Pakistan where children are indoctrinated and brainwashed to hate other cultures more than to love their God.

There are genuine religious teachers out there. For example the Dalai Lama goes so far as to employ the Chinese lineage to revive the Tibetan nun tradition. So, it is not just about what religion but it is about what gospel it is preaching.

As far as so-called peaceful religions, Christianity's founder was the prince of peace, preaching love. The US, as a largely Christian country, is nevertheless the most violent and heavily armed country in the world, when you include our invasions, our armed forces and militarized police, and all the armed and dangerous citizens dispensing justice more or less at random, making these Buddhists look like rank amateurs. Because US democracy is the best that money can buy, I think we are in a good position to criticize other countries' political systems, but I would leave religion out of the equation.

SL is a failed state from year 1 of independence as regards governance. It has been on an escalating journey of governance failures resulting in the wholesale adoption of PTA imported from former S.Afrika and adoption of a constitution sans rule of law, justice and a propensity to commit mass crimes against its own so-called citizens particularly minorities. Sadly hope had died long time ago and it's a free wheeling state where the ends justifies the means in what is an overtly racist state under the PTA!

Vietnamese and Japanese do not seek revenge for past American war on them. Simply because Buddhist do not believe in endless revenge mentality of the theist countries.

It seems every country in South Asia is under threat from fundamentalists.It is unfortunate that the politicians in every country is taking advantage of the religious sentiments poor and lower middle class voters in these countries.The rich are not worried about democracy and most of them do not even vote.Religion is like Opium

The atrocities of "paid" and "motivated" journalists knows no bound!! In particular, these types of so-called Journalists from the Third World, would literally write anything to "please" their perceived masters, the idea and the motive is how to ingratiate someone in such countries who might help him/her to come abroad! Shame on such writings and writers! The Only exception seems to be writers from the Islamic countries, who would generally not write anything against any kind of Islamic persecution and zealotry.

Buddhist are no different from any other religion. They All bear arms & do battle for their beliefs. Only two religions have never borne arms: Jehovah's Witness & Mennonites. However Mennonites did support the wars indirectly by driving the ambulances which took the wounded to hospital, had them fixed up to go back & fight again.

Oh, the 3rd religion that never got involved in it's nation's politics or wars was the primitive Christianity, before the Formation of the Roman Catholic Church way back in the First Century.

The paid "journalists " and corporate media are in the process of manufacturing consent that Srilankans are primitive .
Srilanka elected a woman as their leader 50 long years ago that was the first time in this world.
They assimilated all tamil estate worker slaves that were brought by colonial terrorists .
All are given free education,free health care .
Muslims in SL ,sizeable number is getting Arabized by our biggest ally Saudis.
They create more and more mosques , promote big families go against the culture against family planning etc.
Muslim poor are growing in numbers a system that is much more benevolent than any in the region can't keep going.
Srilankns are a loving kind nation. Very inclusive, not like India or USA .
Here a man was throttled to death for "illegally selling cigarettes.
Media is shameless .
The conspiracy is to destroy Srilanka ,then India and get the chain reaction going to China.
mind your own business.

The writer of this letter has not fully grasped the reality of BBS which consists of a few monks and laymen who have mainly been formed by Gotabaya Rajapakshe, brother of Mahinda Rakjapakshe, in order to safeguard the present government. Their main duty is really not to speak for the protection or propagation of Buddhism. What they really do is safeguarding Mahinda Rajapkshe from all types of protests which arise both within and outside the country. In their activities, they attack not only Muslims or Tamil but also Sinhalese. Therefore, this organization is better named as thugs in yellow robes to protect the current government.

Sri Lanka has joined South Asian club where religious
extremism and revisionism are leading to tyranny against
the minorities. BBS, violent Buddhist group, has link
with the similar group in Myanmar(Burma). Buddhist
violence has been going on for many years. No religion
is peaceful despite the claims to the contrary. Capitalism
and socialism don't offer any peaceful alternative. Violence
is just part of acquiring power and sustaining it. In terms
of group sociology, "us" and "they" divide result in discrimination and violence- by product of Neolithic
age that is only 10,000 years old. May be in another
10,000 years humans will evolve culturally to become
peaceful if we can survive climatic catstrophe.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country, it is unfortunate that this island nation is now taken over by religious extremists. The Sinhalese (74%) constitute the major ethnic group; the Sri Lankan Tamils, who inhabit the north and east form 12.6% and the group known as Indian Tamils (tea plantation19th century migrants) 5.6% of the population. While Muslims constitute the third largest ethnic group (7.4%), there are also small minorities such as Burghers and Malays. All the major groups in Sri Lanka belong to a similar ethnic mix of migrants from various parts of India, especially South India, to which there have been Southeast Asian, Arab and European admixtures. In spite of this, each ethnic group today has a distinct identity with strongly held myths of origin; the Sinhala believe that they are Aryans from Bengal, the Tamils claim pure Dravidian origin, and the Muslims aspire to decent from Arabs. However During the colonial period, they all lived peacefully. The ethnic conflicts started only after the British left. In asserting a Sinhala identity and in legitimizing Sinhala control of the country's polity, the leaders of the Sinhala revivalist movement reconstructed an image of the Sinhala past using many elements of the 'origin' mythology. Such a revivalist ideology attempted to established a Sinhala - Buddhist hegemony of the island antagonistic to non-Sinhala, non-Buddhist groups. Lord Buddha would not like these religious conflicts. Violence has no place in Buddhism.

I would like to add a comment about Beruwala incident that has been mentioned in this article. It is no secret that there is a US backed war crimes investigation brought against Sri Lanka. However, the relationship that Sri Lanka has with the Arab nations have been very strong, this unjust war crimes investigation had been condemned by many of the Arab nations.

The majority of Sri Lankans believe that an external element influenced few thugs to create riots in Beruwala to tarnish the friendship of Sri Lanka with the Arab nations. The investigations that have been conducted after the dust settled revealed that only a handful of thugs have initiated the incident, and it has been well-planned within. One such investigative findings is that most of the shops burnt have been made empty in advance - but huge sums of insurance claims have been made.

Unfortunately, when the truth started to appear, external political meddling has shut-down the truth coming out - but the damage has already been done.

The truth be told that Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus are well protected in Sri Lanka, and peacefully co-exist. The external forces who are self-serving, and having their own agenda interfere with this peaceful co-existence. Unfortunately, many journalists who are into 'band-wagon' writing jumps into writing damning articles without doing their proper research. Such journalism is cheap, and irresponsible.

Readers beware!

This article does not reflect the ground realities of Sri Lanka, and full of misinformation. This is a good example of a journalist 'writing to the gallery' to make a living.

The whole Watareka Vijitha attack incident that this writer has written to open up this article to set the mood, was proved that self-inflicted. Probably the author may know about it, as it was widely published, but seems to be conveniently ignored. Readers beware - and please use simple web search to find about it.

The B.B.S is not anti-Muslim. They have repeatedly mentioned it many times - but such announcements conveniently ignored by B.B.S bashers, because it does not fit in with their agenda. B.B.S always maintained that they exists to protect Buddhism and rights of the Buddhists from in-justice it faces in the hands of the extremist religious and political groups - these include the hardline Muslim extremism and Jihadism that are raising its ugly head in Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is highly targeted by ISIS and AL Quaida influenced Muslim extremism. They are raising their heads in many parts of Sri Lanka, where Jihadism is promoted and extremist Muslim groups arming themselves as a part of their world-wide, well-networked, and funded Muslim extremism causes.

Sri Lanka battled a 30 year war with Tamil extremism that was mainly foreign sponsored and funded. Thousands of livelihoods were destroyed in the past, but now Sri Lanka is looking forward to a brighter future.

The BBS is a terrorist organization which harass Muslims in Sri Lanka the international community should closely monitor their moments. They were very silent during the war 30 years. Suddenly after war they are active . Lots of Muslims died for war

If other readers of the NY Times are anything like me, the problem with this op-ed is that we have no background for understanding it. We have been hearing about the Buddhist violence against Muslims in Myanmar, and now the Buddhist violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka, but why?

Why have Buddhist, astonishingly, become violent? What do they say? What are their explanations? Did this violence just fall out of the sky, or are they responding to something?

Come on, NY Times, what is the story???

Where is Aun Sung Sui Chi? Her silence is disgraceful.

Not to be left behind by other so-called religious groups, notably Islamists, these thugs revise Buddhism's image as a peaceful religion. But their actions are not half as original as they may imagine. They are just following a thousand-year old pattern: abusing religion for political ends and for suppressing people of other beliefs. As religion has served since times immemorial as little else but a weapon, and continues to do so, it is time to unmask it as the excuse and superstition that it is.