Fragrance of English Rose still lingers

By Upali Salgado

Recently, a group of educated people who styled themselves as "Sinhala Buddhist Nationalists," issued for a strange and unknown reason, their official commission report printed in English. Shortly thereafter, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, delivered at the National Jubilee Celebrations her speech also in English, possibly as a matter of courtesy and good etiquette, as the Chief Guest of Honour was Prince Charles of Britain.

Whilst these happenings took place, there was seen displayed at Dehiwela, an eye catching colourful poster which read: O.L. Tuition English Class Sat 4 to 6 Nihal Sir." The author of the poster had not failed to recognise the teacher, addressing him as "Sir"! Was he trying to regain lost ground when such respectful forms of address are today seldom heard amongst youth - except for the usual "Machchan" or "Yakko"? The poster also signified the swing of the pendulum, - the keenness there is to study English (The language of the "Kaduwa", as it was once called), and to prudently recognize that English is an international vehicle of communication, besides to us who live in a muti-racial society, an official "link language."

Alfreda de Silva, a well-known writer in a recent article said, "This year has dawned with wonderful news for our children. They will now return to the learning of English as a classroom subject in year one." She continues, "The enormous importance and value of children of various nationalities being linked together in English classes and sharing their tradition and life styles were facts that seemed to have been lost sight of, for a long time." So it appears that, today once again we are valuing what the Brtisher left behind.

When English is the language of the Britisher, it would be interesting to note whether they as colonial master who had a mercantile outlook contributed to Buddhist research and helped the spread of Buddhism. Also whether in other ways their benevolence and inert interest pervaded the fields of social welfare and education.

Buddhist Renaissance

In July 1825, the Buddhists who resided on the Maritime Provinces cemented an important and historic event with the British when Governor Chalmers issued a special proclamation and placed his official seal on an Act of Appointment of the Mahanayake of the Amarapura sect at Welitara, Balapitiya, thereby recognising the Upasampada given at the Swarna Guha Sima, Amarapuradesh, Burma. Hitherto, there was only the Siam Nikaye at Kandy. When the Amarapura Nikaye was recognised its position was strenghened and enabled the monks to spread Buddhism to distant parts of Lanka. With this event, it paved the way for a Buddhist renaissance, spearheaded with the arrival of Henry Olcott and the founding of large Buddhist schools viz., Ananda College, Mahinda College, Galle, Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Musaeus College etc. Many of them had English teachers on their staff.

Soon after 1825 several Western Orientalists arrived in Ceylon, and made close contact with several scholar monks, to learn at their feet what the Buddha taught, and also Pali and Sanskrit. Some of the Gurus were the most Ven.Rajaguru Waskaduwe Sri Subhuthi Mahanayake Thera, the Ven. Yattaramulle Dhammarama Maha Thera, the Ven Aluthgama Seelakkande Nayake Thera, The Ven. Ratmalane Dhammarama Mahanayake Thera and the Ven Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera. Britishers, Robert Caesar Childres, Prof. T. W. Rhys Davies, Mrs. Caroline Rhys Davies, Miss Mabel Rickers, Governor Robert Chalmers, F. L. Woodward (who was Principal of Mahinda College, Galle), eventually left behind a volume of valuable Buddhist literature, notably a Pali Dictionary, English translation of the Mahavamsa and the Chulavamsa; The Samyuttara Nikaya and the Anguttara Nikaya & Teetas, the Theragartha, and the Therigartha, several Jataka stories, a Sanskrit Dictionary in addition to valuable Buddhist literature in translations for the London based Pali Text Society which opened the "Windows of the East" to the Western world. Others, Prof. Wilhelm Geiger, Oldenburg and Viggo Fansball, the last named who lived in Copenhagen made close contact with scholars of Ceylon to leave behind for posterity their valuable efforts.

To assist them in their work there also lived many lay scholars namely, Mudaliyar W. F. Gunewardhane, James de Alwis, D. M. de Z. Wickremasinghe, Mudaliyar A. Mendis Gunasekera, D. B. Jayatilleke, Mudaliyar Adrian Cornelius Wijesinha and A. D. Jayasundera.

Archaeology

In the field of archaeology, when the Venerable Naranvita Sumanasara Thera (who lived in a bullock cart with only a mongrel for company) was clearing the reptile and scorpion infested jungle around the Ruwanweli Maha Seya to restore it, H.C.P. Bell, CCS, Ceylon's first Archaeological Commissioner and his Assistant, S. Montague Burrows provided meagre finances. At that early age the Dept. of Archeology was in its infancy and had a poor budget and no trained manpower. Later, before Paranavithana took over it was left to Archaeologist Hocart to do what little he did at Mihintale and Anuradhapura. It is also to be mentioned that, it was Sir William Gregory who spearheaded the idea to build a majestic looking Colombo Museum. Codrington wrote a critical History of Ceylon.

The fact that Britishers gave patronage to Buddhist activities in the South, is evident when one sees the British (Victorian) Coat of Arms displayed (in cement) at the entrance to several important Vihares - Kandy Vihare, Aluthgama; Shaila Bimbaramaya, Dodanduwe and at the Dickwella Temple. British Governors also bestowed crown land to temples, charity signifying their goodwill. The Yatala Viharaya near Tissa is one of them.

This story would be incomplete if no mention is made of Britishers who worked with dedication for the upliftment of social welfare. Miss Evelyn Carney who cared for the house of joy at Talwa, Miss M. O.M. Carter who looked after the deaf and blind at Ratmalana for long years; F. G. Stevens, a PWD. Engineer started the first boys Scout Troop at Christ Church School, Matale in 1912 and the Movement was later assisted by C. Brooke Elliott K. C., L.A.A. Hayter and Godfrey Fawcett. Another much loved Englishman was Mr. Freeman, who represented the poorest of the poor of the NCP, was elected to the State Council. Mr. Freeman was once returned to the Anuradhapura seat uncontested! In the field of education, Anglican schools were founded.

They did produce a few of our better known Nationalists..... To guide them, were Frazu of Trinity, Warden Stone of S. Thomas' College, R. L. Hayman PhD of S. Thomas', the Rev. Cartmen of Wesley, Bradby of Royal College, Miss Rita and Gwen Opie and later Miss M. E. Simon of Ladies College and Miss Allsop of Fergusons Girls' School, Ratnapura. As teachers they moulded character first, and had no parochial outlook. It was to them a labour of service and love.

The Rev. W. S. Senior who was Vice Principal, Trinity College, Kandy (1906) fell in love with Lanka and left a parting request that on his death in England, his ashes be buried at St Andrew's Church, in picturesque Haputale, overlooking the Uva Downs. He wrote a beautiful poem "The Call of Lanka"; which spells out the love Britishers had for our Pearl of the Orient. The first two verses of his soul electrifying poem are:-

"I climbed o'er the crags of Lanka
And gazed on her golden sea
And out of her ancient places
Her soul came forth to me
"Give me a Bard" said Lanka
My Bard of things to be"
"My cities are laid in ruins,
Their courts through the jungle spread,
My sceptre is long departed
And a stranger Lord instead
Yet," Give me a Bard", said Lanka
I am living, I am not dead."

It appears, the fragrance of the English rose is yet in the tropical air - whether it be in the Archives of Temples, in the cricket fields all over, or in tea plantations of chilly Haputale where the Britishers lived -Norwood, Glenanore, Adisham, Roehampton, Netherbeys, Highcliffe and Arcadia.

More Plus