Honouring Ven. Sobitha
Posted on November 19th, 2015
Dr. Tilak S. Fernando
The editorial of a daily English newspaper in Sri Lanka on 14 November 2015, under the caption Honouring Ven. Sobitha” seemed apt, forceful and conveyed a message to the nation that all those eloquent eulogies and glowing tributes paid to the late monk at the funeral, from a very place the great monk held in contempt, would have disappeared to the skies above along with the smoke that emanated from the pyre as no promises the ‘champions of good governance’ made to the people before the January 08 Presidential election and the August 17 Parliamentary polls to the Ven. Sobitha had not been fulfilled completely at the time of the venerable monk’s demise.
The monk had always emphasised the fact that on the day of his death, he detested pomp and glory but expected only a simple, humble and a modest funeral. As much as the promoters of virtuous governance who backed and supported the venerable monk to dislodge ‘sleaze and exploitation’ that existed and to scrap the Presidency that gave gargantuan powers to a single individual, have so far failed hopelessly to achieve the venerable monk’s aspirations; Along with all such matters, it was heartbreaking that the monk’s last wishes too had to ignored!
It was common knowledge now that ‘Ven. Sobitha Thera had been disconsolate towards the latter stages of his life’, after all his arduous attempts to bring about a good governance remained unaccomplished. This very fact, indeed, may have lead to the monk’s anguish, sorrow and pain that could evidently have heightened and exacerbated of his health.
The late venerable Sobitha Thera should have lived for many more years to come, and seen that all his attempts and dreams of yahapalanaya bore its fruits, which would have given him immeasurable contentment after transforming the whole nation towards a just society.
According to Buddhist beliefs though, let console ourselves in the fact that once born one must leave this impermanent sojourn in human life according to the very laws of cause and effect, while letting those politicians who benefited from his campaign for social justice, out of the hard work done by the late Sobitha Thera in bringing about a change in Sri Lankan politics, at least towards the threshold, harbour a guilty conscience in their heart of hearts for the untimely death of this great Buddha Putra that Sri Lanka ever produced.
Dr. Tilak S. Fernando
November 21st, 2015 at 4:42 pm
Ven Sobhitha did not have a clear political vision. He was like a rudderless boat floating aimlessly when the Catholic Church took him under their guidance.
His early handlers from the Catholic Church were late Catholic – Dr Jayalath Jayawardana and Catholic Ravi Karunanayagam. Since his organisation – Sadharana Samajaya was infiltrated by the likes of Catholic Nirmal Dewasiri and Multi-religious, multi ethnic lot, his use for Sinhala Buddhists ceased to exist. He gave leadership to the disaster that is Yama Palana Administration led by the Catholic Church today.
His unquenchable thirst for prominence and ego led him to betray the Sinhala Buddhist cause. He can never be held in the same esteem in the eyes of the Sinhala Buddhists like Ven Madihe Pannaseeha Mahanayaka Thero nor like Soma Hamuduruwo.
In all likelihood he was blackmailed into what he became at the end of his life.
May he rest in peace is all I can say!