Veera Rathana
Posted on June 3rd, 2019
Senaka Weeraratna
Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera
Thank you for turning the country around.
At a time when leading Sinhalese politicians were not prepared to identify themselves as Sinhala Buddhists, when the Sinhalese were divided on party lines, when leaders were behaving like Ostriches with their heads buried in the sands, promoting multi – culturalism and reconciliation both of which have collapsed like a pack of cards, and when Sinhalese have realized that they have been taken for a ride and deceived by empty slogans and were waiting for a true leader with a back bone to call the shots in the country, you arrived at the right moment to give voice to the Sinhalese and the people all around the country rallied around you saying ‘ At last we have a leader with a moral back bone’.
The result was the resignation of two of the most despised men in the country.
This is a huge milestone in the life of the nation and in your personal life.
You have used non – violence as a weapon and like Mahatma Gandhi have shown its high potential to cleanse and purify society.
Go Forward O Monk.
Teach moral cowards to take pride in our ‘ Rata, Jathiya, Agama’
Senaka Weeraratna
June 3rd, 2019 at 4:52 pm
Ditto (except the Ghandhi part).
Non violence as a political tool was used in Sri Lanka millinnia before the Indian mentioned.
We must all support venerable Rathana on this without playing party politics. We must also stay vigilent about their next moves. My guess is that they will end up with the Opposition at the next election and the opposition will embrace them with open arms and parted legs.
Their crimes must be punished. Resigning from their posts is not sufficient.
June 3rd, 2019 at 5:32 pm
Rathanaya, another crafty and cunning man like Mohandas Karamchand.
A sinner of Buddhism who violated the first precept but followed the Hindu rule of jumping in to the funeral pyre of the husband.
We Sinhalese are doomed lead by cunning and crafty men like Rathana and Sirisena who are lead by India and Indians.
June 3rd, 2019 at 6:52 pm
The discussion between the two parties that were/are ruling the country and the words spoken just before the fast ended is interesting. The ‘MACO’ ,another clown, also miraculously sprung into action to hold ‘elections’ anytime. This fiasco should end and the consequences of the actions taken by the three leaders so far should be well understood by Sinhalas.
Elections should not be held under the present system.
No member of a minority group who will parade as ‘his-worship’ and engage in all sorts of businesses should be appointed to the all important post of governor of western province. It should be given to a Sinhalese.
June 3rd, 2019 at 7:29 pm
Please let me give my two cent’s worth again:
There seems to be an indecent hurry to hold elections and pass the baton to the other group so that it will be business as usual for everybody (the three arms of the government). This is only prolonging the agony of the downtrodden people.
Existing constitution should be discarded and a new one enacted or suitably amended to reflect the rights of majority. For that the prez should take at least one year to do everything that is needed.
June 4th, 2019 at 7:24 am
Christie is talking through his hat.
I split my sides after reading his response to the article.
He is comparing Buddhist monk fasting or sacrificing his life to a Hindu widow jumping into the funeral pyre of the husband.
What absurd nonsense to say the least.
This so-called Sathipooja is a cruel tradition practiced certain Hindu groups which force a woman to jump into the funeral pyre. Some women are drugged before they are pushed into the funeral pyre. This is not sacrifice but murder. (However this is no longer practiced except may be an isolated case).
It has absolutely nothing to do with Buddhism.
NOWHERE IN BUDDHIST TEXTS IS IT STATED A MONK FASTING TO DEATH OR SACRIFICING HIS LIFE FOR A NOBLE CAUSE IS A SIN. How can Rathana’s fasting or his possible death as a result can become sin? Crap.
Exposes only your ignorance of the Buddha Dhamma.
In Buddhism sacrificing ones for a noble purpose is a Bodhisatva concept. There are numerous examples of it in Buddhist literature.
http://www.kidsgen.com/stories/stories-from-buddha/1-7-tales.htm
So is Sinhala historical literature:
https://buddhistpage.com/inspiring-story-of-king-sirisangabo/
Whatever Rathana’s past record was or what his future role going to be is irrelevant. What matters is his fasting led to the resignation of two Muslim Governors and a Muslim Minister and forced the government to expedite investigations. Whether Rathana is cunning and crafty is a different issue.
June 4th, 2019 at 8:38 pm
Yes, thank you Ven. Athuraliye Ratana …. you have OFFSET some of your PREVIOUS SINS (see below).
……………..
We must not forget Ven. Ratana’s role in bringing about the defeat of the Rajapaksa Govt, getting the Yamapalanaya elected, and landing our country ion the current pestilence ridden soup!
Ven. Galgodatthe Ratnasara is DEAD ON TARGET when he says (as I have OFTEN stated ever since Ranata Himi joined Champika Ranawaka and Rajitha Senaratne to split the Sinhala Buddhist vote in 2015), that RATANA Himi together with SOBITHA Himi MUST BEAR a LIONS SHARE of the BLAME & RESPONSIBILITY for the current STATE of our Motherland under the Yamapalanaya.
Their ADDLE-PATED STUPIDITY that destroyed the ONLY REALLY DESHAPREMI GOVT we have had since D.S. Senanayake’s days, is UNPARDONABLE.
However, I AGREE with you that Ratana Himi was VERY EFFECTIVE in leveraging his FAST to OUST the TREACHEROUS Rishard Bathuideen and Governors Hisbullah & Salley that he targeted.
That GAINS Ven Ratana SOME MERIT to OFFSET the GREATER SIN he COMMITTED against the Patriotic People of Sri Lanka when he HELPED to ENGINEER the OUSTER of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and usher in the DISASTROUS Yamapalanaya, but in NO WAY does it WIPE OUT his MASSIVE ORIGINAL SIN!
In view of our RECENT EXPERIENCES in the last 4 decades with the PERSISTENT ENMITY of UNP, the TNA and the Muslim Parties towards the aspirations and inalienable rights of the Sinhala Buddhist People, how could Ratana and Sobitha have made such a DISASTROUS MISTAKE to TRUST our DECLARED ENEMIES and help lead our people astray?
Such STUPIDITY is UNPARDONABLE in my view, and it will take a MANY MORE ACTS OF ABJECT REPENTANCE from Ven Ratana before I trust him to any substantial degree with the future SAFETY & SECURITY of Sri Lanka.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:53 pm
What is meant by ‘Panathi paatha”.
You wish or hope for life. This applies to all living including self.
So, attempting to kill self is a sin according to any religion.
What Rathanaya did is not according to Buddhism.
But it is a different story according to Hinduism where Sati is prescribed.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:37 pm
Is Rathanaya a cunning and a crafty man?
People are emotionally upset due to the acts of a few people in the country may be less than a thousand and at the most 10,000.
It appears they are swayed by money and mislead by wrong religious interpretations and steered by Indian interests.
He choose the moment to hoodwink those emotionally upset to make political gains from the event and repercussions.
His attack was against three individuals where there was no legal action has been taken by the relevant authorities of his own government.
He was instrumental in installing the current regime which was backed by India. He was for a good governance that is a government who carried out the law of the land. Did his government carry out any of the promises.
He is still a member of parliament. He should immediately resign if he is a man of his own political preaching and principles.
His actions had caused more suffering for the masses due to actions taken by the masses.
June 5th, 2019 at 9:33 am
Paanaathi Paatha is to refrain from killing or cause to be killed.
But that does NOT apply to giving your life for noble cause or to save another. That is the Bodhisatva concept. I already gave web links giving example. If you do not know the basics of the Buddha Dhamma do not make nonsensical comments.
Sacrificing one self for a good cause is upheld by any religion and society in general
Whether you see Rathana as a crafty person or not is not my concern
MY PURPOSE IS TO FOCUS ON THE BODHISATVA (BUDDHA ASPIRANT) CONCEPT AND THAT ALONE
June 5th, 2019 at 11:55 am
Christie,
“People are emotionally upset due to the acts of a few people in the country may be less than a thousand and at the most 10,000.”
You seem to have a soft corner for the traitors not ‘Rathanaya’ who suffered for four days even without a drop of water and was rescued when Ven. Gnanasara threatened to march to Colombo. That was the straw that broke the camels back. If not the government wouldn’t have taken any action. The way the Mahanayakas are behaving now the life of Ven. Rathana would have ended on the 4th or 5th day as his breathing was becoming less and less according to the reports. They would not have come to his help.