Constitution does not help cultivate moral values

Moral values are brought about by moral transformation of individuals from lower self to higher self. If this cannot be done by a religion, then religion has failed. Type of Constitution has nothing to do with it.

2016-10-10

I refer to Kelum Bandara’s  Interview with Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera in the Daily Mirror of October 5, which is a stage-managed one for propaganda purpose. Being a “foremost placed” person, he  enjoys the privilege and the prerogative to express his views. But our counter views, contradictions and rebuttals will not find a place in the pages of this newspaper. Nevertheless, I wish to do so, with reference to a few points expressed by him.

Secular State

He says “ Secularism “will erode moral values of all Religions.” Moral values have already eroded, not under a Secular State, but under a Constitution tilted in favour of a theocratic State. That is under a non-secular State. We have had a Constitution with the ‘foremost place for Buddhism” since 1978 (38 years). Instead of a regeneration and enhancement of moral values, there is a marked degeneracy of moral values, despite the prominence given to the Buddhist religion under a non- secular State. So, his argument is a complete negation of his views.
In the course of 38 years, with the place given to it in the Constitution, Buddhism has failed to uplift the moral values of at least the Buddhist people, if not the non-Buddhists. On the contrary, it is the religious supremacy given to Buddhism in the Constitution, which has caused this moral decay and degeneracy. This encompasses not only the society at large, but visibly the Politicians as a class and the majority of the members of the Buddhist Sangha.
On the one hand governing the country is marred by religious consideration and less on technical, professional and managerial considerations, and on the other hand Religion and their custodians, the Sangha, has lost its piety and become politicized.
In fact Buddhists priests have become leaders of political parties and engaging in street protests and demonstrations than abandoned practising true religion. Politicians spend more time visiting Buddhist temples than attending Parliamentary business. The priests are not holy men, who have renounced attractions of mundane life but overtly express its affirmation in the pursuit power, position, privileges and luxuries of life and act as Chanakyas to political leadership.  The Ven. Thera has shown a strange love for Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, because he favours the inclusion of  the foremost place for Buddhism in the Constitution. Even the devil quotes the scriptures, when it suits him. At other times it is not love but hate of Christians and attacks on Churches and Evangelists for engaging in conversion.

" What the Ven. Thera seek by NRO is the freedom to do whatever we want, such as jettison Human Rights, War Crimes, disregard International Humanitarian Laws, genocide, torture, extra- judicial killings, enforced disappearances, abduction and “white van culture” and murder those critical of government and subvert the Rule of Law, which were the trademarks of the last regime."

The widespread  crimes,  murders, Rape, extra-judicial killings, abductions and killings of  those critical of the regime, like journalists, theft of public funds, bribery and corruption, being partners of drug and heroin mafias, and a host of other crimes and vices have manifold  increased, statistically, rather than enhanced the moral values of the people, contrary to the lofty ideal of the Ven. Priest, who says that a non-secular State will  safeguard and enhance the moral values ,and a Secular State will erode moral values. Constitutions with a religious clause in it, would not create moral values; nor would the absence erodes.
Moral values are brought about by moral transformation of individuals from lower self to higher self. If this cannot be done by a religion, then religion has failed. Type of Constitution has nothing to do with it. Entrenching a religious clause in the Constitution is only to satisfy the supremacist ego of the Buddhist clergy.
Ven. Thera says that there are hardly any secular States. That is because countries with more or less homogenous population do not explicitly state that it is secular. Some are theocratic, and do not say so, like Arab countries. Only countries with complex diversity of races, religions and languages explicitly state it is secular e.g- India. Being so, has the moral values, culture and religion of India eroded?
Despite the complex diversity and Regional States, everyone thinks and behave as an Indian first. This is because of the Constitutional recognition of various States and sharing of political/administrative power. The Ven. Thera says if a Constitution is secular, there is no religion. Nonsense. Does he think that there is no religion in India? Religion occupies a far greater place in India than in Lanka. Because in India, Hindu religion by its nature is not an organized, institutionalized priest craft, like Buddhism in Lanka.

The NRO

Ven. Thera has formed a National Rights Organisation as a ‘counter to Human Rights Organisation.’
This he says is a unique concept. It is a substitute, or supersede or even reject Human rights. Nation’s rights are its Constitution which gives legitimacy to it. It is expressed in its territorial integrity and Sovereignty. National Rights according to him are its’ landmass, people, air space, territorial waters, culture and history.  A  Nation’s sovereignty encompasses all these .Thus a separate  National Rights organization is a superfluity. Then, even Sovereignty is not absolute. It is limited and restrictive. It cannot transcend International Laws, Covenants,  Human Rights Charter of the UNO, which are binding on member Nations. Nations have to forego some Sovereignty for the sake of the world order.
Otherwise world will be a chaotic place. What the Ven. Thera seeks by NRO is the freedom to do whatever they want-such as jettisoning of  Human Rights, War Crimes, disregard International Humanitarian Laws, Genocide, Torture, Extra-Judicial Killings, Enforced Disappearances, abduction and “white van culture” and murder those critical of Government and subvert the Rule of Law, which were the trademarks of the last regime.
The Ven. Thera  seems to be innocent of the truth that the “human being” is the core or heart of all religions. The only goal of all religions is for human perfection and liberation. To subordinate that central goal to a set of insentient national Rights and lower it to a secondary level is a degradation religion.

Buddhism to all

The Ven. Thera’s self-proclaimed and a presumptuous claim  is that Buddhism belongs to all. Not only to the Buddhists. He is equating Buddhism to a universal religion. One can preach for all, but those who accept its doctrines and practise it are only Buddhists and not others.
The Christians, Hindus and Islamists will not say Buddhism belongs to them. That would be a denial of their own  religious beliefs. Ven. Thera is conferring ownership of Buddhism to non-Buddhists. None of the religions , such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, founded by a human personage and on whose authority their religions rests, can claim the status of a Universal Religion.
No religion will accept the authority of a person other than their own. If there is a religion which has the requirements and characteristics for a claim for Universality, it is Hinduism. Because ,Hinduism is based on principles and Eternal Truths and not on a person. It is thus called the Religion of Eternal Truths- Sanatana Dharma.  Only such a religion can belong to all; because it does not rest on the authority of one personality.