Colombo, Oct. 19 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka is not the only country that gives Buddhism the foremost place, as other nations that have embraced Theravada Buddhism follow the same approach, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.
He made these remarks at a ceremony held in connection with the unveiling of the pinnacle of the Minindu Maha Seya in Mihintale yesterday.
“In the modern states of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Thailand, we treat Buddhism the same way. We must remember that every religion is protected in our countries and that everyone has the right to practise the religion of their choice, and that no one may be discriminated against on religious grounds.
“Article 9 of our Constitution requires that Buddhism be given the foremost place. That is not something we created; it was agreed upon between the British and the Kandyan chiefs. We did not draft it. When the King of England and Queen Elizabeth II visited the Temple of the Tooth in 1954, this was respectfully acknowledged.
“Likewise, in Thailand, as in Sri Lanka, there is religious freedom, and sovereignty belongs to the people. However, that sovereignty is exercised on behalf of the people by His Majesty the King. Through him, legislative power rests with the National Assembly, executive power with the Council of Ministers, and judicial power with the courts.
“The Constitution requires the King, who exercises sovereignty on behalf of the people, to be a Buddhist. The King acts as a Buddhist, and I believe that, under Article 67, he is advised that Buddhism must be protected and safeguarded.
“So, all our countries are alike. The same is true of Cambodia. We have religious freedom, and we also protect Buddhism. That is why we say we are all one, and we must remember that,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.
“It was in Sri Lanka that Theravada Buddhism began. Following the Third Buddhist Council held at Pataliputra, where the issues that arose at the Second Council were resolved, the great Arahant Mahinda Thera came to Sri Lanka under the guidance of the great Emperor Ashoka and brought Theravada Buddhism to this country.
“King Devanampiya Tissa accepted it, and the Maha Vihara was founded to house the monks who had been ordained. With the Ruwanweli Seya as its principal stupa, this became the main centre of Theravada Buddhism. For more than a thousand years, it remained a centre of learning. It was the first centre where Pali Buddhism was taught, and it was here that the Tripitaka was later written down on palm leaves.
“There were also monasteries belonging to various other sects, but eventually, under King Parakramabahu I, all those sects were unified with the Maha Vihara.
“At that time, our capital was Polonnaruwa, and the main port was Trincomalee. All the leading monks, starting with the Mahasami, worked from Dimbulagala, which was the centre. Monks from Thailand and Cambodia came here to study Theravada Buddhism.
“Buddhism first spread to Nakhon Si Thammarat, and later, when the Sukhothai Kingdom was established, our monks, including the Mahasami who went from Sri Lanka, also travelled to Sukhothai. What most people do not know is that our monks also went to Angkor Wat.
“At that time, the kingdom followed Mahayana Buddhism. They converted the people there to Theravada Buddhism, and because the luxurious lifestyle of Angkor Wat was no longer needed, that kingdom collapsed.
“The monks in Sukhothai later went to Ayutthaya, where ordination (upasampada) ceremonies were held. The famous ordination ceremony at Kalyani during the reign of King Parakramabahu VI was one such ceremony.
“Later, it is said, Sri Lanka lost its ordained monks because of the wars with the Portuguese. During that period, we went to Ayutthaya, met the ‘Lankavamsa’ monks and brought senior monks of that lineage to Sri Lanka. That marked the beginning of the Siam Nikaya and the restoration of the Sasana. Later, two more orders emerged: the Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas.
“After the kingdom and capital moved to Bangkok, Sri Lanka was under British rule. Even so, when Anagarika Dharmapala was campaigning for Bodh Gaya to belong to Buddhists, it was King Rama V who came forward and provided the funds. We must remember to ask whether Bodh Gaya would be in Buddhist hands today had it not been for King Rama V,” he added.
Meanwhile, the United National Party (UNP) said the attack on Buddhist monks who staged a protest demanding the release of Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera demonstrated the Government's objective of transforming Sri Lanka into a non-Buddhist nation.
The party also questioned the failure to involve the Nayaka Thera of the Sri Kalyana Samasiri Sangha Sabha, Ven. Ittapane Dhammalankara Thera, to which Ven. Gnanasara Thera belongs, in discussions concerning the removal of the latter's robes.