Overlooking the picturesque Kandy lake, and located in natural surroundings, where the atmosphere is calm and serene, the Budddhist Publication Society (BPS), seems to have the ideal conditions for its task of propagating the teachings of Lord Buddha in form of literature, who also sought the natural surroundings to attain enlightenment.
The BPS focuses on publications representing the standpoint of Theravada Buddhism, the oldest living Buddhist tradition. It is unique, as it is the leading centre for such works in the entire world says its Executive Director T.B.Talwatte, who also added that the society grew due to the strenuous efforts of three Buddhist devotees, way back in 1958.
The beautiful location came into being only in the 1970's, and unto then, this noble work of publishing the gems of Buddhist literature took place in the thickets of the Udawattakele plantation forest, in a meditation centre. As publicity, among the ordinary laymen of this country and abroad increased, publications too increased and now it mainly caters to even an international audience, in more than 90 countries.
Mr.Talwatte explained that among the publications are standard full length books and two categories of periodicals which are published three times a year. They are The Wheel and Bodhi Leaves.
Even though the society faced severe financial set backs, it is financially sound, thanks to the well wishers around the globe said Mr.Talwatte. Housed in spacious quarters, the BPS now employs a staff of 20 people who are well qualified and devoted to the Dhamma.
A large bookshop carrying the full range of publications and other books on Buddhism , a Buddhist library and a small meditation room containing a casting of an ancient Buddha image in classical Anuradhapura style are some of the other features of the BPS.
Mr.Talwatte said that the annual output of new editions reaches a maximum of 40 and the prices range from a mere Rs. 25 to 1500. However he mentioned that the BPS is hoping to further enhance their present type of work, which accommodates works of distinguished Buddhists from around the world.
The Wheel series which is becoming very popular features topics that range from basic Buddhist teachings to Buddhist philosophy, psychology, mediation and the application of Buddhist principles to modern life. The series also includes accurate annoted translations of the Buddha's discourses from the Pali Canon.
Bodhi Leaves which is also equally famous among the locals and foreigners, involves shorter tracts expressing personal insights into the Buddha's Way.
The full length books include standard introductions to Buddhism, translations from the Pali Canon and its commentaries, works on meditation and original contemporary expositions of Buddhist thought.
Based on a principle that Buddhism is not addressed to the east alone and that it speaks directly to the most crucial human concerns and that today it has captured the attention of more and more people in the west, the BPS will continue with their charity striding towards the twenty first century.
There are several matters that affect the Buddhists adversely and so need to be corrected.
The first of them is the lack of a sufficient number of bhikkhus who are worthy of emulation as they were, even fifty years ago. Formerly the village temple was the residence of bhikkhus who followed a truly bhikkhu life. They were therefore able to influence their dayakas to lead Buddhist lives.
Today, many of the bhikkhus are no more than servants of the government and therefore are unable to express any views contrary to those of the government in power. So, many a thing that is proposed to be done by the government against the interest of the Buddhist majority is unopposed by the Sangha as a whole.
Another great drawback of the Sangha is that most of the bhikkhus, both young and old, are supporters of one or other of the political parties in the country. Therefore, they are reluctant to express any view contrary to that of the party which they support. Many a temple is referred to as a "UNP, SLFP or other party temple".
To add to this tragedy the Sangha in Sri Lanka is divided into thirty sects though generally they are supposed to belong to one of three Maha Nikayas viz. Siyam, Amarapura and Ramanna. And of these thirty sects, membership in most of them is restricted to a particular caste or sub-caste. Whilst the Siyam Nikaya admits only persons of Govigama caste, the Ramanna Nikaya, true to the Buddha's teaching and practice admits persons of all castes into its fold. The Amarapura Nikaya adopted the same practice but soon broke up into thirty Vamsa, mainly on caste lines. Some of those sects have happily closed ranks with the result that there are now only twenty-two sections in the Nikaya.
In an effort to put up a united front the twenty two sections have a Committee formed of their Mahanayake Theras and elected one of them as their Chairman and Uttariitara Mahanayake. This union has however not prevented the bhikkhus of the sects who are represented in the said Committee from acting independently. There is also another Amarapura Nikaya, the Kalyana Vamsa, which is independent of the said Committee.
The Siyam Nikaya has six sects. All of them follow a rule that only persons of the Govigama caste can be enrolled in any of them.
These divisions among the Maha Nikayas total up to thirty nikayas (six of Siyam, twenty-three of Amarapura and one of Ramanna). There is no disagreement among them regarding any part or word of the Buddhia's doctrine. They are all followers of the same Theravada School of the Buddha Dhamma (the doctrine agreed upon by the Theras as being the words of the Buddha at the first Sangayana held within three months of the Buddha's Passing Away). There is no disagreement in regard to the Buddha's Dhamma but the Sangha is now divided into sections, admission to each of which is restricted to one or other ¿f the various castes or sub-castes that exist among the people.
This division of the Sangha on caste lines has had a most regrettable effect in that the division of the Buddhists on caste lines has been accentuated rather than tended towards disappearance in spite of the strong condemnation of the caste system by the Buddha. He admitted persons of all castes into his fold and treated them on an equal footing, prince and chandala alike, and assigned seniority on the basis of the date of entry into the Order. He argued untiringly against the observance of the caste system. There are about twelve sermons delivered by him deprecating its observance (See especially the Vasettha, Assaleyana, Vasalaand Agganna Suttas).
The Brahmin teachers were silenced by his arguments. However, a few centuries after his death the Brahmins gradually recovered their hold on the masses and finally about the 7th century AD the influence of Buddhism disappeared from India. The Buddhists of Sri Lanka fell under the influence of the Hindu priests. So we have to this day a Sangha who pay a high regard to the caste system in spite of the strong condemnation of the system by the Buddha.
The Hindus believe in the system as a doctrine of their religion. The Vedas say that the Brahmins are born from the mouth of Brahma, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs and the Shudras from his soles. The Buddha silenced his critics by asking whether any person could be born from these parts of the body.
In South India caste is related to occupation and graded according to the importance and estimation of each occupation in the eyes of the people. The regrettable fact is that once a family has been graded as belonging to a particular caste that family does not get reclassified as belonging to a higher caste even if the family has begun to follow an occupation of a higher grade.
This condition obtains in the Sinhala caste system too. Owing to this Buddhism is supposed by many non-Buddhists to uphold casteism just like Hinduism. The Sinhala laity, specially the urban middle classes, are however gradually ignoring caste differences. In the villages, girls and boys of many castes mix up in the schools and there are no hide bound caste prejudices even among the elders except in the case of marriage. But though they meet on equal terms in social and economic activities, for religious observances they prefer to attend the temples occupied by bhikkhus belonging to their own caste. Bhikkhus themselves prefer the election of dayakayas of their own caste to office in their dayaka sabhas. If bhikkhus are not graded according to caste, the Sinhala people will get over their caste prejudices in double quick time.
It will be seen that what is required of the bhikkhus is the rejection of the caste system. This can only happen by the various branches of the Sangha ceasing to confine enrolment in their Orders to persons of a particular caste. The unity of the Sinhala people of whom the majority are Buddhists will follow in the course of time. It is hoped that every Mahanayaka Thera will take action to abolish the monopoly given to any caste or sub - caste and thereby make a significant contribution to the growth of our people into a nation.
The second great need of the Buddhists is to have a Sangha who will inspire the laymen to be good Buddhists. Time was when bhikkhus led lives of renunciation in accordance with the Vinaya rules. Now only bhikkhus living in aramayas and yogasramas lead such lives. But they do not serve the needs of the people. So besides the bhikkhus who follow the vidarshana dhura (Those devoted to meditation) there are bhikkhus who follow the grantha dhura (the studying of books) who officiate in temples, making offerings etc. and preaching the Dhamma. Today only the senior bhikkhus who have been nurtured in the orthodox tradition lead lives of at least partial renunciation of the lay life. Many bhikkhus work for payment just like laymen. The bhikkhu teacher receiving a salary is not more respected than his male counterpart. If at all, the lay teacher commands more respect although the reverse appears on the surface due to the customary respect for the robe.
If we are to restore the acceptance of the Sangha to their former level we must make the bhikkhu independent in regard to robes, food, residence and illness viz the four requisites of a bhikkhu cited in the Vinaya as cheevara (civara), pindapata, senasana and gilanapratya. Today we cannot expect the bhikkhus to receive all their needs from the dayakayas.
Very few homes can offer pindapata because both husband and wife have to leave home early in the moning to be in time at their places of work. In certain villages there are dayakas who undertake to offer dana on one day of the month, the morning meal or the noon meal, but there are places where there are not sixty families able to afford this expense every month. And there are villages where there is no one who can afford to give dana regularly. So the proper solution of the dana problem would be to supply every temple that has no property of its own and no bhikkhu in paid employment, with a monthly contribution from a central fund set up for the purpose.
Whilst there are poor temples there are also very richly endowed temples. All those endowments have been made to the Sagha and therefore these temporalities are all Sanghika property i.e. property belonging to the entirety of the Sangha.
The State should set up a Central Sanghika Fund with at least 20% of the annual income derived from the property of the well endowed viharas and arrange for monthly contributions to be made to the viharas occupied by bhikkhus who elect to propagate the Dhamma without remuneration from the State. In this way we can have a class of bhikkhus who will stay in the village and serve the people without becoming servants of the government. The Buddha Sasana Ministry should arrange for the proper administration of the fund.
In the early days of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs which, incidentally was started by the late Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, certain temples which had no income in outlandish places were given by the Director of Cultural Affairs stipends to meet the cost of the subsistence of the bhikkhus residing in them. Today we should revive the obligation of the State to look after the bhikkhus who are engaged in spreading the dhamma without any remuneration therefore. This would be protecting and fostering the Buddha Sasana. Bhikkhus not holding salaried posts could be engaged in this work if the cost of their sustenance is met by stipends from the proposed Central Sanghika Fund. This proposal needs elaboration. It could be done if it is entertained in principle by the Ministry concerned.
The proposal will raise the eyebrows of many Viharadhipathi Bhikkhus who are custodians of large temporalities but will give solace to bhikkhus who are in poor areas without the support of rich dayakas. The bhikhus who are looked after in this way should act as missionaries of the Buddha's doctine, visiting the dayakas in their homes regularly to preach the dhamma and also to correct their failures in regard to religion etc. They should be the first to visit Buddhists who become converts to other religions and convince them of their folly. These bhikkhus should be aware of the non-Buddhist influences being exerted on the Buddhists of the areas in which they work and also take action to remedy their grievances arising from the failure to attend to their needs especially on the part of government officers in the locality and take timely action to prevent conversions by meeting the arguments of the converters. Our bhikkhus do not mix with the people and come to know what is being done to convert them to other religions. The bhikkhus who are not in government service should be made competent in preventing conversions.
"The Bhikkhu who delights in heedfulness, and looks with fear on heedlessness, advances like fire, burning all fetters great and small." - The Dhammapada
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