Sunday Times 2
Selling the soul to deal with Lucifer
All Sri Lankans must be thankful to the Sunday Times for the forthright exposure of the calamity the country is heading for.
The Sunday Times editorial of March 23 brings to the fore a most pertinent question of the Government “nurturing a nation of gamblers”. It warns that “Government is vigorously promoting a culture of gambling without a modicum of respect for the principles of Buddhism it repeatedly spouts during electoral campaigns.” The editorial also reveals inter alia, “In each case, the payment would be Rs. 500 m. a year. The casinos would pay that amount to the Department of Inland Revenue and the online lottery company will channel it to Mahapola. Rs. 500 million, therefore, is the going rate for selling the soul of Sri Lankan Society to gaming.” The lame excuse is that the gambling is for the benefit of the children of under privileged families, through Mahapola Education Fund!!
“Selling one’s soul” takes my mind to Christopher Marlowe’s (1564-1593) Doctor Faustus, which is applicable in all respects to the scenario in Sri Lanka. Marlowe is considered only second to Shakespeare for bringing out universal human character traits through allegorised historical dramas.
Johann Faustus (1480-1538), a German scholar of medicine, law, logic, engineering, and theology, characterised by spiritual dissatisfaction, gives up choosing a respectable career in keeping with his high qualifications and decides to turn to the dangerous practice of black magic. He sends his servant Wagner to summon Valdes and Cornelius, two famous magicians. Valdes warns him that if he were to indulge in black magic he must vow not to pursue any honest means, and also tells him that great things are still possible for someone of Faustus’ standing, on his own merits. Faustus, however, takes to magic. He strikes a deal with Lucifer and vows to give up all that is spiritual and is allotted 24 years of absolute power on earth as payment. After creating a magic circle and speaking an incantation he summons a devil stealthily without the knowledge of Lucifer. He is then met by a devil named Mephistophelis to be his personal aide. Faustus did not like the hideous looks of Mephistophelis and sends him away to reappear in the deceptive form of a friar. Seeing the obedience of the devil, or so he thought, Faustus takes pride in his own skill. Hubris taking the better of him, he tries to bind the devil to his service behind Lucifer’s back, but is unable to do so because Mephistophelis already serves Lucifer, the Prince of Devils. Then Mephistophelis reveals that it was not Faustus’ power that summoned him but that when anyone abjures righteousness, it results with the devil claiming his soul.
In Sri Lanka the Gaming Ordinance was enacted in 1890 to suppress gambling as a crime preventive measure. That gambling leads to rampant crime is true to date. Practical experience of the Police points to the fact that crimes increase whenever and wherever gambling is rampant. A scientific study of comparative figures shows how crime and gambling rise hand-in-hand and conversely how crime figures drop when gambling is eradicated. Now with high profile online gambling to attract the filthy rich, gambling addicted, ‘devil may care’ type of tourists, prostitution too is bound to escalate and corrupt our youth. With that will go all the values that we cherish in our Dharmadeepaya, leading to an avalanche of crimes, while it will be fun to a few.
Sri Lanka has so much to sell to tourism in the way of sunny beaches, cultural heritage (archaeological) sites going back to over 2600 years, tropical fruits, rainforests, wild life sanctuaries, scenic splendors in all parts of the country, religious pageants, ancient dagobas, temples, kovils, shrines and other ancient places of worship. There are numerous just ways by which the state can earn/save money for worthy causes. In this modern age, Sri Lanka can still boast to the rest of the world that this is the country that’s producing world beaters in cricket, against whom there has been no charge of match fixing or any other form of corruption induced by gambling barons. For how long? — is a big question.
If anyone chooses to sell his soul, it is his business. All that others can do is to advise against it. But when someone tries to sell the soul of Lanka, it is a very serious matter that the people cannot remain onlookers. It’s time for people-power to the fore.
(The writer is a retired Senior Superintendent of Police.)