The judicious use of power and wealth

by Afreeha Jawad

Power and wealth contextualised in positive environs could positively impact social well-being. Elaborating on this point in an interview with the Daily News, Venerable Olande Ananda Thera said, "Wealth itself is not a bad idea provided it is directed towards public good. So is power. However, the danger lies in its misuse."

"Money is the root of all evil," he reminded. "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Striking a balance, he also said that getting rich was no pre-condition to moral and spiritual life, while poverty itself with its limited availabilities is no indication of spirituality.

A constant state of wanting more and the fear of losing, he saw as no good sign.

Responding to a question on spirituality, he reminded of how it wasn't the robe that made the Bhikkhu - one of Lord Buddha's expressions in the Bhikkhu Vagga - not to forget the existence of some spiritual laymen itself.

Venerable Olande Ananda Thera firmly believes that a test of one's spirituality lay in how one handled daily problems.

Action in inaction could be both positive and negative. Inasmuch as one could scheme, plot and plan while seated in a place, he/she could also work out self deliverance in that position.

This expression of his led the writer into the mind's duality which when well used reaches sublime heights and when ill used runs into perdition.

A moment of indepth reflection led the Thera into warning people to refrain from absolutising pleasure which otherwise ends in disillusion.

"Beware of what is happening. Distinguish between the relative and absolute. The relative should not be taken as absolute."

He also saw the dangers in craving. "If I get this I'll be happy.

If I see beautiful things I'll be happy. If I eat nice food I'll be happy. Even when I get all these things the craving does not end taking one into wanting more and more," he said.

Seeing the futility of restricting oneself into only listening to Bana he said:

"Bana alone wouldn't help. Bana without Vipassana is useless. The cause of happiness and sorrow both stem from one's mind. Avidya or Moha (disillusion) and Thanha (craving) leads to conflict and suffering. We priests have a major role to play. But then one could take a horse to water but it alone should drink it."

Getting consciousness to steer of disillusion is the understanding into Anichcha, Dhukka and Anaththa, enabling us to see things as they are for what is sense-borne is not reality. To the writer understanding of 'unconditionality' as a pre-requisite to super consciousness, Nirvana, which absolute state knows no thought and concept.

Describing the contemporary era as 'Kali Yuga' or age of materialism Venerable Olande Ananda Thera said it was an age when spiritual people are tested. Seeing it as an age of distortion he said:

"What is right is taken as wrong and straight is crooked. What is night to the Yogi is day to worldlings and what is day to worldlings is night to the Yogi, he said, quoting the Baghvat Gita.

When questioned about the State/Church dichotomy and the need to treat them as distinct entities he recalled his visit to Mongolia where its new Constitution treats the two apart. Buddhists comprise the majority. There's freedom of religion bereft of State sponsorship. The national flag of Mongolia has the 'OM' symbol common to both Hindus and Buddhists.

Venerable Olande Ananda Thera emphasised the need for soul searching on the part of the Sangha and to practice what they preached. "Political leaders and the Sangha can influence and impact people.

Sri Lanka has withstood the viscitudes of time. It will survive," he concluded optimistically.