Trilingual inscriptions from Lanka

[nanda chandran]

Lance Cousins writes :
>Actually 'Hindu' temples are all over. I suspect that there is (or was) no
>particular problem with either this or Buddhist monasteries. There is a lot
>of objection to the use of American fundamentalist money to build churches
>and schools etc. and 'purchase conversion'.

Ofcourse, Christian missionary activity outside education and social
welfare, is not kindly looked upon anywhere in the subcontinent. And the
move by the US to set up a military base in Lanka did not go well with
India. Indira Gandhi organized and funded the Tamil secessionist movement to
subvert any such moves by the US.

I was born and raised in Madras and am familiar with the Tamil world view.
They would respect the Buddhists for what they are, but any attempt to
belittle their faith would make them go ballistic. And those SinhAlese I've
met and quite a few of them were Buddhist bhikshus, don't think much of the
religion of the Tamils. So I definitely don't subscribe to the "all was well
until 
", theory.

And the predominant feeling of the Lankan Tamil Community (again of those
whom I've met), is that there was a state sponsored attempt to culturally
cleanse Lanka of Tamil influence.

>Again, the problem was that Sinhalese wanted to see their own language
>brought back to use in their own land. This was a very natural and
>legitimate objective, but it brought very serious problems for the Tamils.
>I think the first thing that is needed in such a case is to recognize that
>the problems are real and difficult. If you sweep aside the difficulties,
>you will end up looking for scapegoats.

Nobody is ignoring the difficulties. Ofcourse, the SinhAlese wanted their
language as the main language of the land. Legitimate objective? There is no
way that the Tamils would give up their language. In the first place they
have great pride in their language and literature. Secondly its religious
implications are too acute, for them to just let go of it.

One thing to be understood is that though they would coexist together
comfortably in most circumstances, both peoples pride themselves on their
own culture and looked down on the other.

>Again, I think this reification of the difference is a gross
>oversimplification. I suspect that most Tamil rulers in ancient Ceylon
>(i.e. before about 1,000 A.D.) and many since would have supported both
>Buddhist and Shaiva, etc.  activities. Most Sinhalese kings certainly
>offered worship to the gods.

To offer worship to the Gods means nothing. Buddhism wasn't born in the land
and didn't even come during the life of the Compassionate One. It came
through Ashoka and was assimilated with the local culture of the land. How
much effect it had on the local practices, needs deeper analysis - for eg :
it doesn't seem to have affected the culinary habits of the Sinhalese - even
the bhikshus are meat eaters.

And contrary to all the beliefs that Buddhism and Jainism held great sway in
Tamil Nadu in the past (again the reason as mentioned above - and animals
are sacrificed to the Gods even today in Tamil Nadu), theistic worship seems
to have always been in vogue with the Tamils. And can one ignore the
intensity of dislike in the works of the bhakti saints against the nAstikas?

That there would not have been a friction due to this divergence in world
view, is not plausible.

And also observe the political influence of the Buddhist priesthood in
Lanka. 'Julius' Jayawardhane converted to Buddhism to take on the top job in
Lanka.

>Anyone who has spent time on the ground in the island will know that there
>are all sorts of religious activities in which both Sinhalese and Tamils
>participate together.

Spent time when? Fifteen years back?

Currently, Tamil population in Sinhalese areas is miniscule. And from what I
hear, a good part of the Tamil area in Lanka for the past few years have
been heavily dotted with mines - either by the army or the rebels.

Religious activities where both the Tamils and the Sinhalese participle
together - in Lanka?


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