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Asgiriya Anunayake urges critics not to misinterpret his sermon
View(s):Ven Vendaruwe Upali Thera, the Anunayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter, yesterday urged critics not to politicise or misinterpret his Anushasanawa (sermon) given at the almsgiving to mark the 69th birthday of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
In a statement, the Anunayake said it was regrettable that the words ‘Hitler’ and ‘military’ used in his 30-minute long Anushasanwa were being misinterpreted. He said what he said should be taken in the right context.
‘It is like a blind man feeling the elephant’s tail and comparing the elephant to a broom stick,” he said.
The Anunayake said what he meant was that there should be strict policies in the development of the country and his sermon was not a call to engage in acts similar to what Hitler had committed.
‘Even Lord Buddha preached that it was better to die in a battle than live in a defeated manner. By this he did not mean that he condoned war or referred to suicide,” he said.