Chief monk brutally murdered with swords

[Ensapa]

Here is some sad news

Chief monk brutally murdered with swords
Monk and neighbours were involved in a land dispute around the temple
By Correspondent
Published Friday, February 08, 2013

Series of clashes between a chief monk and the neighbours on land dispute around the temple ended up when the chief monk was brutally murdered in Moratuwa.

A group of four persons had broken into Sunandopanandarama Vihara, in Egoda Uyana, Moratuwa, on Sunday, February 3, around 9:00 in the night, and attacked Ven. Matigahathenne Wimalawansa Thera, the chief incumbent of the Vihara, who later succumbed to several serious stab injuries.

So far, Moratuwa Police had identified four suspects. During the police investigations, it had come to light that a long-drawn-out land dispute had cost Thera his life.

The police suspect the chief incumbent was murdered by alleged unauthorized settlers in the temple land behind the Vihara. According to police, the suspects had visited the temple a few days before the incident and had got involved in an altercation with an 18-year-old monk (podi hamuduruwo), who was watering the plants, and even assaulted the monk.

The chief incumbent, who had witnessed the incident, had lodged a complaint with the Moratuwa Police. When the Ven. Thera returned to the temple after lodging the complaint, two individuals who are suspects in the murder, along with several others entered the temple premises and attacked the vehicle of the Thera. Thereafter, they dragged the driver of the vehicle out and assaulted him, according to the police. One assailant then pulled the chief incumbent by his robe and attacked him with a sword. The Ven. Thera tried to escape the assailants, after receiving a sword injury to his head. However, he fell on the ground, and the assailants started attacking him ruthlessly with the sword, police revealed.

Eye witnesses

According to eye witnesses, the assailants then removed Thera's robe and wrapped their weapons in it, before leaving the temple premises.

Subsequently, the residents in the area and the driver of the temple took the critically injured Thera to Panadura Hospital in the same vehicle he had gone to the police station earlier. While the chief incumbent was being admitted to the hospital, Ven Liyangahawala Gnanarathana Thera, another monk attached to the temple, went to the police to lodge a complaint. A few minutes later, the driver of the temple received a telephone call from the Panadura Hospital informing him that the victim had passed away. Hospital sources revealed that the cause of Ven. Thera's death was excessive bleeding due to severe stab injuries to his chest and face caused by sharp weapons.

Later, two suspects in connection with the murder were shot dead in Bandaragama by unidentified persons.

The chief incumbent of the Sunandopanandarama Vihara was engaged in a lot of social work.

Ven. Gnanarathana Thera, recounted the incident to the media: "Around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, our podi hamuduruwo was watering the plants. It was at that time this murderous gang barged into the temple. As they entered, they shouted at our podi hamuduruwo. Among the thugs there were two fearsome murderers who had built unauthorized shelters in the land belonging to the temple. There are six such unauthorized shelters at the temple land at the moment. We have, along with Ven. Wimalawansa Thera, lodged 11 complaints against them to the police so far, but no action was taken because these murderers were asked to settle in the temple land by a powerful politician in the Moratuwa area. This politico is responsible for the series of events up to the murder of the Thera. Moreover, our complaints to the police too had been suppressed by this same politico. He is a pest, not only to our temple, but also to all the temples in the district. Three months ago, Ven. Wimlawansa Thera, who was killed by these murderers, went to the police over the land dispute and the politico and his gang attacked the Ven. Thera inside the police station. At that time too the politico encouraged the murder gang and obstructed the legal process," the Thera alleged.

Political patronage

He said: "I was inside the temple when this murder took place. As the two murderers entered the temple premises and started attacking the vehicle and Ven. Wimalawansa Thera, I telephoned the police. The murderers entered the temple premises after planning well. And they executed their murder as planned. The main reason behind this murder is the opposition mounted by our Ven. Thera against the unauthorized erection of houses in the temple land. One salient fact in this regard must be revealed to the media; that is, murderers like them who enjoy political patronage, are exploiting that to the maximum advantage. This incident is no exception. Hence, it is the duty of the Moratuwa Police to arrest the local politico, who is linked to this murder.

"As Buddhist monks, we also request the President of the country to shun such political rogues from society, and enforce the law against the murderers, otherwise the fate that befell our Ven. Wimalawansa Thera today, can befall another Ven. Thera tomorrow. As Buddhist monks, we are hoping that the law shall take its course."

When the residents of the area heard of the news of the murder, they were provoked so much that they demolished the unauthorized shelters in the temple land. The residents expressed their views to the media as follows: "Among all the chief incumbents of the temple, it was Ven. Wimalawansa Thera who made the most valuable contribution to temple activities during his 20 years there. He was the only chief incumbent who renovated and re-built the temple that was in a dilapidated condition. These murderers are drug peddlers, and we as the residents of the village will campaign against them."

Meanwhile, Moratuwa Additional Magistrate, Purnima Paranagama, ordered to remand the suspect, Deputy Mayor, Municipality, Moratuwa, Sujith Pushpa Kumara, until 14 February, when he was produced before the courts by police in connection with the murder.

[WisdomBeing]

This is very sad.. more for the perpetrators to have killed a member of the sangha. Murder already incurs hugely negative karma but the karma accrued from killing one of the three jewels is incredibly negative because of the object of the crime. It may not appear to be one of the 5 heinous sins* outwardly but what if that chief monk was an arhat or a buddha, then the repercussions would even be greater. These murderers acted from ignorance, greed and anger - the three delusions. Two suspects killed in vengeance - also from anger.. so much spiralling negativity. We are truly living in degenerate times.

*Five heinous sins
1. Killing one's mother;
2. Killing one's father;
3. Killing an Arhat;
4. To wound the body of the Buddha;
5. To destroy the harmony of the Sangha

[fruven]

We can see that karma manifests in different ways for the victim and victimizer. Even though the chief monk has practiced so many good deeds in this life he has to suffer from the consequences of past karma manifesting in this life preventing him from doing more good works and benefiting others. Thus negative karma do become an obstacle in pursuing Dharma. For us lay people who are accumulating mostly negative karma in our lives we cannot imagine how much of our past negative karma and when it will come back, ripen and prevent us from doing our practice. The fact that we are still able and living is the only consolation. If the negative karma is so huge that it is life threatening our only hope for gaining merit only in this life as a human being would be dashed. Therefore count ourselves lucky and pray that all practitioners and monks and nuns would be protected always so that we can have the chance to continue practicing benefiting others always.

[brian]

This is sad sorry, how can one be so senseless murdering a holy monk? Monks, being a sangha (would not harm others) is of no harm to others and that makes me wonder why would this guy murder a harmless sangha? Can one's anger be boiled over to this extend? Even at the cost of over a land dispute. This is super sad... Especially for the murderer, killing a holy sangha creates severe bad karma!

[rossoneri]

This is truly sad as the chief monk is contributing so much in that area. Is it because of the negative karma which the people in Moratuwa accumulated which stopped them from receiving the teachings of the Buddha or is it because the chief monk's students broken promises which lead to the manifestation of this brutal killing of the chief monk. I felt so sorry for Him as he has been doing so much for the Dharma, but why it has to be this way. Another perfect example of degeneration. Om Mani Padme Hung

[sonamdhargey]

This is unbelievable. Monks getting murdered especially in such a manner is really disturbing. The so called politician was taking advantage of the monk and plant thugs in the Temple's land to aquire the land. I'm sure this politician has personal interest to land grab forcefully from these harmless monks as this monks, making them easy targets. The politician and the assailants will suffer heavy karmic consequences as they killed a Sangha who has benefitted many.

[Big Uncle]

This is the sign of our times. We have less and less regard for the 3 jewels now especially in places where the Dharma had been entrenched for generations. Less and less people understand the importance of the Dharma and have even lesser regard for the Sangha. Less and less people are wanting to be monks because of the immense distractions that are prevalent in today's society. Such cases of monks being disrespected and hurt would be more and more common place in the future. We will also hear of monks who are not celibate and have their robes on just to make a living. All these are the sign of our degenerate times.

[apprenticehealer]

This is so shocking and most distressing !!
What has the world become , when there is no longer respect for human lives and for other people's property, especially a temple and the sangha.
There is so much heavy negative karma that would have been accumulated by so many people involved in this case - the murderers, the politician, the police, the persons who killed 2 of the murderers - all due to greed, power, ignorance, disrespect , attachment.
And what negative karma the Venerable had brought forth from previous lives that in this lifetime, despite all the good he has done , still had to go through such a terrible death.
The villagers too, did not have the merits or karma to further benefit from the Venerable's teachings .

[Jessie Fong]

It is atrocious to even think that some people could go to this length to take the life of a monk.  The murderers are thugs.  The villagers know them as drug peddlers.  Obviously they could not care less whether it was a layperson that they killed or a member of the sangha.  They were only interested to get rid of the person who was in their way.  Senseless.

[DS Star]

This incident is really shocking, the incumbent Chief Monk's murderers are thugs who were so daring to attack the monks in broad daylight because they enjoyed political patronage.

The fact that the incident caused public's outrage and that the murderers were shot dead later showed the master mind i.e. the Deputy Mayor started to feel the pressure and tried to destroy any evident connecting to him.

I see that the Chief Monk did not die in vain. His death had caused the villagers to finally take actions to fight the drug lords and thugs.

I believe the Chief Monk is a Bodhisattva in this sense; his death had started a new chapter for people there, now they want to protect the monks because they have benefited a lot from the monks and the temple's social works. The good will always prevail...

[psylotripitaka]

When we read stuff like this, do we stop to think: 'I will lead all living beings to temporary and ultimate liberation from from suffering' followed by placement meditation on either the thought or the feeling it evokes?

If not, we need to start stopping to take a moment to do that. Please take a moment now to do that.

Kinda makes you feel like "Grandpa Shugden" doesn't it!

[bambi]

Such sad karma! As usual, we would always blame the other party for what has happened yet at the same time, we should try to understand the cause and effect that lead to such a disturbing murder.
Whatever we feel, we must also hope that what they have done, they sincerely regret it and never repeat it.
May Ven. Matigahathenne Wimalawansa Thera have a swift rebirth and continue to turn the wheel of Dharma in every life!

[Benny]

Such horrible violence , looks very suspicious too especially when both the suspected murderers were shot dead right after the crime. Looks like their karma caught up with them super fast . But the real perpetrator or master mind behind this crime is still not brought to justice. I personally do not think that this is the end of the dispute. We should all dedicate our prayers to swift resolution of the dispute and all guilty parties be brought to justice.

[pgdharma]

Such brutal act! The thugs are so daring and have no fear of any consequences of killing a member of the sangha. Well indeed, their karma caught up with them super fast as two of the suspected murderers was shot dead.

The entire dispute between the chief monk and the hut dwellers had been a long time issue and it should have been the duty of the police to intervene to ensure peace between the two parties. It appears that the police, as usual, were hamstrung by the political influence parties and failed to provide protection to the individuals. If such protection was provided this brutal assassination of the chief monk could have been avoided.

[jessicajameson]

What struck me when I read this was:

1. The people in the area did not have the merits for such a holy man to live in their area, and to receive the Dharma.

2. Ven. Wimalawansa absorbed the negative karma of all those in his area, or all of his students.

It is very sad to read that this chief monk was the one that benefitted the community the most.

"Among all the chief incumbents of the temple, it was Ven. Wimalawansa Thera who made the most valuable contribution to temple activities during his 20 years there. He was the only chief incumbent who renovated and re-built the temple that was in a dilapidated condition. These murderers are drug peddlers, and we as the residents of the village will campaign against them."

I feel for what will happen to the community now. The negative repercussions from killing the chief monk is worse than killing a thousand fishes in the marketplace everyday.

@WisdomBeing What are the repercussions from committing one of the 5 heinous crimes?