Vesak: State must act to protect Buddha Sasana

Never a week without a controversy; when to celebrate Vesak is the latest to be whipped up. Should Vesak be in April or in May is the question. The debate has emerged from the fact that there are two full moons falling within a calender month for Poson. Suddenly, in the very week Vesak is to be officially celebrated in Sri Lanka, questions are being asked – why in April?

Had Vesak, the day associated with the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Buddha been fixed for the full moon day in May (29) there would, no doubt, have been those who would have asked – why in May?

In Buddha’s lifetime there were no such named months and the lunar calendar was based on the cycles of the full moon. Thus, it was not that the Buddha was born, attained Buddhahood, and passed away on the same day, i.e. on April 29 or May 29, but the thrice blessed events of the Buddha’s life on Earth occurred within that monthly cycle. Some could argue therefore, that Vesak ought to be celebrated from one poya to the other during this period, not just on one full moon day.

The older generation will remember when the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was on April 12 and 13. These dates are all based on the Gregorian calendar we use today. After every approximately 70 years, it changes by a day and in some years the traditional New Year would be April 14 and 15. Three hundred and thirty five years ago, Robert Knox referred to this holiday being on April 8 (and March 22 on the Julian calendar). In some thousands of years – if Planet Earth still exists, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year could fall on January 1 and Vesak on Christmas Day. Some advocate a fixed date in April for the traditional New Year irrespective of astronomical computations for this event.

The Government says that the decision to have Vesak celebrations this weekend in April was taken two years ago by a committee of learned senior monks and scholars. The United Nations that now observes Vesak has also fixed today (April 29) as the relevant date, marking it in New York in the General Assembly on May 1 for practical reasons. This has been done in consultation with Sri Lanka, Thailand and Korea.

Last year, too, there was some controversy over Vesak celebrations in Sri Lanka. The Indian Prime Minister was invited as a guest of honour with the Nepal President to open the festivities organised by the Sri Lanka Government. There were those in India and Sri Lanka who questioned their visit, more specifically that of the Indian PM for different reasons, none of it to do with Buddhism.

These controversies may have begun this time round with the Buddha Sasana Minister making a proposal to ban pandals during Vesak. He later said he had been misquoted, but while he makes a point in arguing that the youth in particular treat Vesak as one big ‘bajauwwa’ (tamasha) rather than focusing on Buddhist thought and meditation. He probably didn’t take into account that Vesak is a celebration, not one where the followers of his doctrine need reflect the whole day on a corner-stone of his teachings such as Dhukka (suffering).

The Christian religious hierarchy have had the same experience with Christmas. Nowadays, despite a revival of fundamental Islam, the feasting with Iftar parties that follows the daily fasting seeming to negate the religious teachings associated with Ramadan, has caused concern among certain Mullahs.

There have been many more religions over the centuries than exist today. Those that have faded away over time, may have gone into oblivion, partly because of the lack of public ‘celebration’ of their faiths. Many newer religious sects today play on this ‘celebration’ factor, especially to attract young people not just to keep their flock but also to wean new recruits away from other established religions.

There are, however, larger issues at stake. Very recently, the Maha Nayaka Theras, long criticised for their silence over the growing indiscipline among a few in robes, wrote to the President requesting action be taken against the errant monks.

In the backdrop of various video clips posted on social media and widely circulated around the world showing saffron robed ‘monks’ using uncouth language, spitting venomous remarks against other religions and generally behaving in a manner unbecoming of a member of the clergy, the venerable high priests of the four main Nikayas – Malwathu, Agiriya, Amarapura and Ramannya -- have asked the President to intervene. They state the obvious; that these persons, if they be real ordained monks, or not, were bringing disrepute to the entire order and to Buddhism as a whole.

The Vinaya Pitaka (The Book of Rules for Buddhist monks) is what the Buddha himself espoused to discipline monks through the ages. The responsibility in implementing those rules lay almost entirely with the senior monks. However, there has seemingly been a breakdown in this command structure. Arguably, opening the gates of regular universities to student monks opened the flood gates to this indiscipline.

Some things, however, can only be done by the State. The high priests have asked that monks be registered and special identity cards issued to them so that they can be identified. This way errant monks and pretenders in robes could be then identified.

In their memorandum they refer to the times in ancient Lanka when King Parakramabahu the Great (during the Polonnaruwa period) had taken action to excommunicate miscreant Bhikkhus and when King Keerthi Sri Rajasinha (during the Kandyan period) had taken similar action to preserve the Buddhist Monastic Order and thereby the stability of the Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka.

It seems that the Mahanayake Theras, by quoting from history and themselves having made a move towards cleansing the clergy, have recognized the seriousness the problem of indiscipline has thrown up today.

The conduct of many members of the clergy, from shouting slogans during street demonstrations to breathing fire on partisan political platforms, has been to the detriment of the many pious monks, the image of the clergy, and caused embarrassment to those lay persons who follow the Dhamma.

If the Constitution of this country says that it is the duty of the State to “protect and foster” the Buddha Sasana, whether Vesak is in April or May is not the crux of what is at stake. It is time that the State does what is expected of it – and protect it from the usurpers who exploit the veneration the people have for the Buddha Sasana.