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The mind is hard to check, swift, flits whatever it listeth: to control it is good. A controlled mind is conducive to happiness.

- Dhammapada (Cittavagga)

Buddhist reflections on the Sinhala New Year

by A.G.S.Kariyawasam

Buddhism possesses a wonderful capacity to adopt itself to new cultures without causing prejudice to its core teaching. This has been so in almost every country to which it was 'exported' from India its mother country. This has been specially so in the South and South East Asian countries where Theravada teachings hold sway. In the East Asian countries too, despite their Mahayanic beliefs and practices, the basic aim of Buddhism remains intact although it has gone off at a tangent in certain respects. Consequent to this phenomenon, the national festivals of these countries also have assumed a Buddhist garb.

Mahayana countries like Tibet and Japan can claim to be quite rich in this respect. True to this accommodating spirit, in Sri Lanka too the national festival of the Sinhala new Year has become a Sinhala Buddhist festival, while the Tamils observe it with their Hindu features in it. The common origins of the festival for both Sinhala and Tamil people traces itself to its being primarily a solar festival. To the ancient agrarian societies sun and moon were the heavenly bodies closest to their lives and hence they defied them.

In this festival is seen the unique ability of the ancient seers to incorporate nature into the day-to-day activities of the people. This ability was the result of the very extensive knowledge these seers possessed regarding man and nature which knowledge they had acquired through sheer introspection without recourse to scientific and technological devices. Through this knowledge they knew how to harness nature's secrets for the betterment of man by directing him to follow certain practices and regulations as a part of the normal course of their lives without formulating special man-made laws in the form of rules. The Sinhala New Year affords a glaring example for their ingenuity in this respect.

They converted the science of astronomy into an additional science called astrology by relating the behaviour and nature of the members of the solar-system to man's fate in the universe. The effects of sun and moon on man's life were obvious to them, for they saw that without these two heavenly bodies this earth cannot exist with its endless life-systems. This implied that the lesser heavenly bodies in the form of constellations too influenced man. Thus came the science of astrology and the man's horoscope based on it. It is in this backdrop that this New Year displays its applicability to man and his life on earth.

When the ancients divided the eclectic into twelve signs naming them after the constellations, what was stated in the opening para above becomes feasible. Thus this New Year is primarily a solar festival based on the sun's immense value to the agrarian communities of the early stages of our civilisation. The Indians deified and worshipped the sun giving him anthropomorphic form and the practice was observed in Sri Lanka as well as is proved by classical literature, paintings and sculpture. In the paritta book the Mayura paritta is a formula of sun-worship.

Shrines like Irugalkulatilake, Tirukkovil, Tirukotisvaram, Tirukonesvaram also prove this, while the Sripada mountain itself was formerly a site for sun-worship. the elephant rock in Kurunegala also had a separate area allotted for worshipping the sun. This practice got a new value and a dimension with the adoption of the Sinhala New Year festival.

In its zodiacal sojourn when the sun enters what is regarded as the first house Aries from the last house Pisces it marks the end of the previous year and the beginning of the New Year.

This natural event had a welcome coincidence in that its occurrence became simultaneous with the spring time, the best of all the seasons, when the entire atmosphere exhibits a pleasant change from the cold of the preceding winter. Trees become full of sweet-smelling flowers, fruit trees laden with luscious fruits and adding to all this comes the farmer's harvesting season when the granaries become full with newly-harvested grain, Atmospheric beauty coupled with this general prosperity make people happy as man and environment get united to promote pleasant living.

Thus the classical seers have drawn up their astrological calculations by making the best of seasons coincide with the New Year and made it an edifying component of man's culture.

Their objective was to exploit fully the nature's beauty and bounty for the creation of an edifying life style for the greater good of man.

In keeping with this nature's renewal man too was required to renew everything possible for the welcome event. Even the humblest of dwellings gets some kind of renovative treatment, new utensils, at least for the kitchen are purchased, new garments replace old ones thus creating an all-round new look. To crown all this there comes the social-renewal when people renew their relationships by visiting their relatives and friends, even estranged ones, thereby burying their old hatchets. Generally speaking, this becomes an occasion for the Buddhist's wherein they follow the Buddha's advice to sigala to a very high degree.

Thus these New Year customs and rituals have added life and colour to the life-style of the buddhists by providing them with a highly edifying thrust for their emotional lives.

This New Year seems to have originated in India in 78AC with the Saka era begun by King Salivahana, a Scythian ruler. The practice is regarded as having come to Sri Lanka during the Anuradhapura period itself when the kings called themselves the descendants of the solar dynasty originated by Vaivasvata Manu.

However, direct records of the celebration are not available until the 17th century when Robert Knox, who was a prisoner here from 1660 to 1679 refers to it as having been held with royal patronage. Later, two other Britishers also have recorded about it at the beginning of British rule here. First was John Doily, the first Kandyan GA while the second was John Davy, a military medical man, according to whose account the ceremony was held for one week, as it is today, with full royal patronage. The royal astrologer and the physician play important roles here.

The former has to prepare the chart containing all the auspicious moments for the whole series of events while the latter's duty is to prepare the oil and the shampoo for the New Year bath, which is held in high esteem as a measure ensuring good health during the coming year.

These medicinal preparations were done at the Natha Devale and distributed to the Maligawa and the other devales.

A noteworthy difference in this New Year observance between Sri Lanka and the other Theravada countries is that in those countries a greater emphasis is laid on Buddhist observances. In Myanmar, for instance, people completely avoid the consumption of fish, meat and liquor during this period while many people observe the eight precepts as on a Poya day.

Merit-making activities like blood-donation campaigns are also held.

A special Buddhist ritual bserved in Thailand and Laos is the ceremonial bathing of Buddha - statues and the water so used is regarded as sanctified and used accordingly for curative purposes. Special Buddhist processions are also held with state patronage. Ritualistic concession of sins committed during the old year is a custom observed in Cambodia as a means of spiritual purification.

Temple visiting and the offering of sound through record-playing is also observed here. Bodhi Puja also receives a boost during this period.

All told, this New Year is not a 'festival" as such to be enjoyed with food, drink and play, but a ritualistic course of disciplined living based on sound traditional truths meant to give its practisers a renewed vigour for another twelve months of living with less trouble as far as possible.

The rituals of fasting, religious observances, showing respect to elders, purification of a body and mind, working to a highly demanding time-table etc. are all designed to discipline mass for his own betterment, both materially and spiritually.

However, in Sri Lanka, there is a tragic element in it mainly at village level, when some men-folk treat it as a period during which unlimited consumption of liquor is an integral part of it. This evil is so common that this period is characterised as one with increase of liquor-based quarrels leading at times to murders.

This is an aspect that needs total elimination from this otherwise disciplined and pleasant period of living.

Status of women in Buddhism

by D. Amarasiri Weeraratne

I refer to the article in the Buddhist Spectrum of 27/03/02 - DN. Therein the writer has cited ample evidence from the Buddhist Scriptures to indicate the fact that the Buddha elevated the status of women in preaching as well as in practice. These facts are indisputable and we can agree whole heartedly with Mr. Kariyawasam's assertions and contentions.

Not only did the Buddha teach egalitarian values in the treatment of women, he founded the first monastic order of Nuns in world-history. The Bhikkuni Sangha of Nuns he founded flourished in Sri Lanka until about the Cholian invasion of Anuradhapura - AD 1017, after which it dwindled and withered away due to adverse circumstances. But the Bhikkuni Order flourishes upto date in unbroken pupillary succession in China, Korea and Taiwan.

In poor and backward cultures of both Theravada and Mahayana countries women are treated as inferiors and not fit for holy orders in the Bhikkuni Sangha. Thus Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos among Theravada countries have never had a Bhikkuni Order.

In Sri Lanka after the Anuradhapura period it disappeared due to the mixup of Buddhism and Hinduism that followed. The many laws of Hinduism forbid renunciation in holy orders for women. Thus under its influence we never had Buddhist Nuns in Sri Lanka until the British conquest.

Under British religious freedom, civil liberties, and democratic rights the order of Dasa-Sil-Mata Nuns was founded in 1903 by Miss Catherene de Alwis who was ordained in Burma as Sudharmacharini. But in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos there never has been a Bhikkuni Order. In Sri Lanka the defunct Bhikkuni Order was revived on 8/12/96 at Sarnath India under a chapter of the Maha Sangha led by Ven. Mapalagama Vipulasara.

Since then there have been periodical ordinations at Buddha Gaya, and the Raja Maha Vihare, Dambulla. Now there are about 200 Bhikkunis living in Nunneries in Sri Lanka. In Thailand Buddhist feminists are struggling to establish the Bhikkuni Order there. They are facing resistance by the conservative and reactionary hierarchy who are adverse to giving women their due place in the Buddha Sasana.

Thus it will be seen that though the Buddha emancipated women and in His lifetime gave women the religious freedom on egalitarian terms, the Sangha leaders who followed Him did not carry forward the Buddha's enlightened policies towards women. The Brahmins formed the majority of His disciples and they were stupid and ingrained in their cultural milieu. Thus they systematically tried to down-grade the Bhikkunis and keep them subordinate and servile at the first Council they censured Ven. Ananda for pleading on behalf of women to establish the Bhikkuni Sasana. They censured Ven. Ananda for showing the dead Buddha's corpse to women before men.

They drew up Eight Strict Rules called Ashta Garu Dharma and added it to the Vinaya in the name of the Buddha. These iniquitous and humiliating rules were adopted behind the back of Senior Nuns who were praised by the Buddha for their proficiency in the Vinaya. The Vinaya does not recognise Sects. Thus refusing to restore the Bhikkuni Order with the help of Chinese or Korean Nuns is not against the Vinaya. It is due to male chauvinism which is determined not to revive the Bhikkuni Order and give women their due place in Buddhism.

Even though the Bhikkuni Order was revived in Sri Lanka 3 years ago the Mahanayaka triumvirate does not recognise it.

They have called upon the Government not to recognise it. That means none of the privileges given to the monks will be given to the Nuns by way of state support for their education and maintenance of the Nunneries on the same terms as monks. In China, Korea, and Taiwan there are Training Colleges and Universities for Bhikkunis, Sinhalese Bhikkunis are not allowed to preach Dhamma over state radio. The Presidential Commission now sitting to draw up Buddha Sasana reforms does not have a Bhikkuni or Dasa Sil Mata to represent the interests of the Nuns. A lady doctor not proficient in the Dhamma-Vinaya is the sole representative of women in Buddhism.

So although the Buddha emancipated women and elevated their status, the Theravada Sangha carries on anti-feminist misogynist policies.

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