What is wrong with Sinhalese Buddhists?
Holly tooth relic was brought to Sri Lanka by a woman. A pretty princess she was they say. A strong and fearless woman she was, I think. But let alone having voting rights for the only woman happened to be in the Temple of tooth board, they even do not let woman get closer to the tooth relic anymore.
Sri Maha bodi, the holly tree, brought to Sri Lanka by a woman. A princess turned a Buddhist monk they say. Regardless woman are not welcome to pass the fence around any Bodi tree, a fence that often happened to be made with Gold for some strange reason I don’t understand let alone why we have a fence in the first place.
We don't stop there; our Sinhalese Buddhists go on making new laws in the name of Buddhism and even monks walk in to politics in the name of Buddhism too. I often wonder who is correct, Buddha or our Sinhalese Buddhists. Since Sinhalese Buddhists are often correct, it is safe to bet Buddha was utterly wrong by leaving politics in the first place and becoming a simple monk. He should have stay in the power, and become an emperor like Genghis Khan or at least a government minister like one of those Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, and create all sorts of laws.
Before I get distracted by those hypocrisy business, what I really wanted to talk about is, those two baby elephants that people at temple of tooth snatched last week from their mothers in Pinnawala elephant orphanage and brought to Kandy to be working elephants. It is bothering me. Anyone with a tiny bit of knowledge about elephants knows elephants are highly emotional and have strong and long lasting parent-child relationships. And if those people at temple of tooth have their own children, they should have known how strong that love could be. Even if they don’t have own children for a quick comparison, they could have easily refer any Buddhist teachings widely available on the Internet, that often describe mothers love is the strongest love in the world. Wildlife researchers say all those killer elephants are orphans with terrible childhood memories. Since they are wildlife researchers and research is what they do, we have to believe it is true. But you don’t need to read research papers to understand that, just sit comfortably in a safe place and look form distance at a family of elephants in wild. But sadly, those people at temple of tooth have not done any of that.
News says Elephants mothers at Pinnawala orphanage still crying and injuring themselves, as mammals naturally do when they are emotionally devastated. So does the babies. According to the same news, one baby already broke his tusk. May be they just want to die. This whole incident remind me of the Japanese movie call පුන්චි ඇත් පැටවා , which subtitled by an absolute genius name Titus Thotawaththa.
I do understand Elephants are part of our culture and we need them as working animals and it won’t be a perfect deal all the time. But since we humans claim ourselves better than animals, we should have treated them with little bit more kindness and understanding. May be good people at temple of tooth thought, Elephants may not have souls and they were created for us to use as we wish. If so, they are wrong. James Herriot said "If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans." and James Herriot is right.
If I can, I would like to do terrible things to those people who do terrible things to animals. Or at least force them to sit down and watch පුන්චි ඇත් පැටවා till they cry with self shame.
News Update is here
Sri Maha bodi, the holly tree, brought to Sri Lanka by a woman. A princess turned a Buddhist monk they say. Regardless woman are not welcome to pass the fence around any Bodi tree, a fence that often happened to be made with Gold for some strange reason I don’t understand let alone why we have a fence in the first place.
We don't stop there; our Sinhalese Buddhists go on making new laws in the name of Buddhism and even monks walk in to politics in the name of Buddhism too. I often wonder who is correct, Buddha or our Sinhalese Buddhists. Since Sinhalese Buddhists are often correct, it is safe to bet Buddha was utterly wrong by leaving politics in the first place and becoming a simple monk. He should have stay in the power, and become an emperor like Genghis Khan or at least a government minister like one of those Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, and create all sorts of laws.
Before I get distracted by those hypocrisy business, what I really wanted to talk about is, those two baby elephants that people at temple of tooth snatched last week from their mothers in Pinnawala elephant orphanage and brought to Kandy to be working elephants. It is bothering me. Anyone with a tiny bit of knowledge about elephants knows elephants are highly emotional and have strong and long lasting parent-child relationships. And if those people at temple of tooth have their own children, they should have known how strong that love could be. Even if they don’t have own children for a quick comparison, they could have easily refer any Buddhist teachings widely available on the Internet, that often describe mothers love is the strongest love in the world. Wildlife researchers say all those killer elephants are orphans with terrible childhood memories. Since they are wildlife researchers and research is what they do, we have to believe it is true. But you don’t need to read research papers to understand that, just sit comfortably in a safe place and look form distance at a family of elephants in wild. But sadly, those people at temple of tooth have not done any of that.
News says Elephants mothers at Pinnawala orphanage still crying and injuring themselves, as mammals naturally do when they are emotionally devastated. So does the babies. According to the same news, one baby already broke his tusk. May be they just want to die. This whole incident remind me of the Japanese movie call පුන්චි ඇත් පැටවා , which subtitled by an absolute genius name Titus Thotawaththa.
I do understand Elephants are part of our culture and we need them as working animals and it won’t be a perfect deal all the time. But since we humans claim ourselves better than animals, we should have treated them with little bit more kindness and understanding. May be good people at temple of tooth thought, Elephants may not have souls and they were created for us to use as we wish. If so, they are wrong. James Herriot said "If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans." and James Herriot is right.
If I can, I would like to do terrible things to those people who do terrible things to animals. Or at least force them to sit down and watch පුන්චි ඇත් පැටවා till they cry with self shame.
News Update is here
posted by Sam at
9:10 PM
5 Comments:
I think we should think twice are we doing the correct things ? Incident of baby elephant shows Everything is correct if it done by people who have powers and Srilanken society is in slumber .My point is we should have more powerful civil movements not henchman's movements
De Saram.. Agree with you.
Henchmans accrue power in the absence of a functioning system.. Yes. we need a movement to bring back at least common decency and law and order. I don’t know would the post-war economy would do that or would that make things worst like in Russia.
Anon,
What is your point? Because others do so, they can do it too? Or just because people kill animals, it is alright to do anything else except killing it? Or harming animal for food is wrong, but for religon is correct? What is the point? Please do tell me?
Sam, I completely agree with you. Buddhism and temples are two entirely different things as far as I go. Same about Christianity and churches. The two temples that are in charge of the holy tooth does not have a lot of wisdom and kindness in them. The thing about the baby elephants does not surprise me at all. Loving kindness is a trait in any person who can call himself a Buddhist. This is one of the things that these temples do not have these days.
On a different note absolutely lurrvve James Herriot. His idea of the soul may be a bit wonky but his story telling abilities are the best.
Neat post by the way.
why should a christian worry about it? (i mean the heading haha)
good effort, but thats not a compliment mate
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