Police Vesak
Vesak is coming. Police is ready. Alcohol is ban in the Vesak week in Sri Lanka. We are ready to hunt down anyone who sell or transport alcohol in Vesak week. We are ready to Vesak.
This whole thing puzzles me a lot. Why we ban alcohol especially on Vesak week? Is that because of 5th precept? Even though 5th prospect is not a rule should oppose by the police, why we only police that? How about other 4? Would Buddha have request for an alcohol ban and religious policing for his birthday?
I have no issue with policing Alcohol as a separate issue. But I cannot understand how we mix that with Buddhism. Especially do we need police to practice Buddhism in Sri Lanka? I know the triple gem - Buddha, Dharma and Sanga. Isn't Buddhism in Sri Lanka using the Police as a fourth gem in Vesak week?
I understand there are good arguments out there. People may get drunk in Vesak week and spoil the party. But if Buddhists get drunk, is that because of so call Buddhists does not understand Buddhist teaching? If it is so, is police the right tool for that? Isn't there already a group call Monks in Buddhism who suppose to teach Buddhism to people who want to learn? If people do not understand Buddhist principles, isn't there something wrong in that mechanism? Shouldn't we fix that first of all instead using police to force us to fake like good Buddhists?
Should we fake ourselves in Vesak week trying to be like good Buddhists? Isn't that a big giant lie? Aren't we all collectively breaking 4th prospect ? Aren't we insulting Buddha and his teaching in this process?
By the way Excise department open a new Vesak hotline, if you know anyone who sell or transport alcohol in Vesak, call 2300170 and put them behind bars.
Happy Police Vesak to all.
This whole thing puzzles me a lot. Why we ban alcohol especially on Vesak week? Is that because of 5th precept? Even though 5th prospect is not a rule should oppose by the police, why we only police that? How about other 4? Would Buddha have request for an alcohol ban and religious policing for his birthday?
I have no issue with policing Alcohol as a separate issue. But I cannot understand how we mix that with Buddhism. Especially do we need police to practice Buddhism in Sri Lanka? I know the triple gem - Buddha, Dharma and Sanga. Isn't Buddhism in Sri Lanka using the Police as a fourth gem in Vesak week?
I understand there are good arguments out there. People may get drunk in Vesak week and spoil the party. But if Buddhists get drunk, is that because of so call Buddhists does not understand Buddhist teaching? If it is so, is police the right tool for that? Isn't there already a group call Monks in Buddhism who suppose to teach Buddhism to people who want to learn? If people do not understand Buddhist principles, isn't there something wrong in that mechanism? Shouldn't we fix that first of all instead using police to force us to fake like good Buddhists?
Should we fake ourselves in Vesak week trying to be like good Buddhists? Isn't that a big giant lie? Aren't we all collectively breaking 4th prospect ? Aren't we insulting Buddha and his teaching in this process?
By the way Excise department open a new Vesak hotline, if you know anyone who sell or transport alcohol in Vesak, call 2300170 and put them behind bars.
Happy Police Vesak to all.
posted by Sam at
2:55 AM
4 Comments:
SAM is quite right. The Lord Buddha was at pains to stress that his principals are neither prescriptive nor proscriptive. It is only as the state has seized the Buddhist philosophy and parceled it with the force of law that its' true meaning has become distorted. Add the ban on the serving of meat in Hotels during the Vesak week to the Alcohol prohibition, and one can see the clear influence of Monks meddling in politics. I fail to understand why a Hotline has not been setup to report "meat-eaters"!
Maybe, given the current situation, there is simply not enough manpower to catch all offenders of those who fail to follow the right path according to Mahinda.
Looking forward to the future, when the situation is resolved and there are vast numbers of surplus security forces, they could be re-deployed as "Muttawas". These are special religious forces found in large numbers in the Middle-East. They are dedicated to upholding moral/religious values as determined by the state. They give no quarter and accept no "under-the-table" relief.
I am not quite sure how such a force might fit in with the current much trumpeted political assertion that Sri Lanka is a Multi-faith Multi-Cultural society. However, the nature of politics well affords itself to constant changes, and indeed many Sri Lankan politicians seem to be issued with poles (at tax payers expense) vaulting-use-of-for. Eat your heart out (as long as it is not meat!) all those who value personal integrity, principles and the general well-being of those around you. Perversely, given the input of Monks in parliament, these values would seem to be totally at variance to the principles of Buddha - but then as everyone says here "This is Sri Lanka - What to do"!!
it's got nothing to do with the 5th precept. the law was made as a response to the public unruly behavior that many people find objectionable during the wesak week.
sri lanka is a buddhist country. who said it's multi-faith?
Yes. Anon. People do bad things. Is it? Word is a sad place. Isn't it? There are so many things we humans finds objectionable. Drunk people, Sick people, Crazy people, Dead people, and Ugly people. A young prince name Sidartha troubled by all that, gave up his rule making powers and found a philosophy name Buddhism. He could a have follow legalism instead, that is already well popular philosophy back then, and most of all he had rule making powers too. He could be the first one to ban alcohol. But he didn't follow legalism. He followed much finer path, Buddhism.
If Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, how come Buddhist find the world is objectionable and use police to oppose them? That is Islam way of life. Buddhist way of life is far more deferent.
You don't believe Sri Lanka is a multi-faith country? Go to a Buddhist temple and count how many None-Buddhist faith base regions we represent and practice inside temples.
Anyway, I guess you miss my point. If people get drunk in Vesak time or any other time - then people do not understand Buddhism. Buddhism already has mechanism to tackle that issue. Fix that instead. There is no what so ever space for police inside Buddhism.
Buddhism show the way how not finds the world objectionable in the first place. That is the beauty of it.
In response to the brave ANON, a quick and snappy answer is Mahinda Rajapakse who is not only the Minister for Religious Affairs but also the Minister for Moral Uplifting. If you have any doubts about the multi-cultural, multi-faith nature of Sri Lanka have a look at the Presidents' New Year speech. Lastly you might care to ask Madame President who is, after all, quite catholic.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home