Sri Lanka President wants to Cancel Hindu Ritual due to Buddhist Relic Expositio

[Ensapa]

I know that the Buddha stopped animal sacrifices in India during his time, but banning and canceling a hindu ritual as a president...infringing on the religious rights of others is...not really a Buddhist thing at all. The Buddha convinced the hindu priests with compassion and logic, instead of banning it outright. What do you think? is his actions correct in banning the rites of another religion?

Sri Lanka President wants to Cancel Hindu Ritual due to Buddhist Relic Exposition
Thu, 30 August 2012 02:27

(NIDAHASA News) President Mahinda Rajapaksa request to cancel ritual animal sacrifices of Munneshwaram Hindu temple especially during Buddhist Kapilavastu relic exposition, Presidential Spokesman Bandula Jayasekera said.


The ritual animal sacrifices have been held by Munneshwaram Hindu temple for centuries. but last year a group led by Buddhist monk started protesting against the ritual and a government minister along with his supporters descended on the temple, and took away the animals brought there for the annual sacrifice ritual.

Minister Mervyn Silva has again threatened a repeat of his act this year, but the district court in Chilaw ordered that no protest demonstrations. The order came in response to a complaint filed by the Chilaw police.

Kapilavastu relics, a bone fragments a Buddha which is considered sacred by Buddhists, has been brought to Sri Lanka upon a request of president Rajapaksa and being exhibited for few weeks around the country.

Hindu is the religion of ethnic Tamil minority in Sri Lanka were ethnic Sinhala Buddhist majority holds higher political influence.

On 2008 Rajapaksa's government defeated LTTE, a group fought for a separate homeland of ethnic Tamil ending the three decade long civil war.

[Jessie Fong]

If the government of a country has allowed freedom of religious practice, they should not ban/cancel any ritual associated with it. If that ritual is part of that religion and it is banned/cancelled, then the process itself is not complete, thus the ritual cannot be carried out.

It amounts to banning that religious sect from practicing in that country.  It would fare better if the government had actually studied the details involved in any religious ritual and see if there could be other replacements.  Example : instead of actually sacrificing an animal, could it be replaced by a mock-up of an animal?

[bambi]

Instead of banning the celebration, they should just push it to another date. The practices have been around for many years and they should be respected for it. They should have education for these people to teach and let them know the benefits. Probably they can all protest with prayers dedicated to the animals instead?

By the way, what happened to the freedom of religion practices? They want to be another Dalai Lama and CTA? 

[Ensapa]

Instead of banning the celebration, they should just push it to another date. The practices have been around for many years and they should be respected for it. They should have education for these people to teach and let them know the benefits. Probably they can all protest with prayers dedicated to the animals instead?

By the way, what happened to the freedom of religion practices? They want to be another Dalai Lama and CTA? 

To be very honest, Sri Lanka has been quite disappointing, especially from the way that they dealt with the Tamil Tigers back then. The Tamil Tigers appeared only because the Sri Lankans suppressed the freedom of the Tamils to learn their own language and practice their own religion. And they were brutally squashed and the Sri Lankans did not do anything to negotiate with them as they were too afraid of sharing their homeland with anyone else. Next came the destruction of mosques, and the harsh punishment against some french tourists kissing the Buddha statues, and now this. I dont think they are doing a good job of representing Buddhism and as a Buddhist country either. Perhaps that is why they are barely growing at this moment. I do feel sad and disappointed when i encounter news like these...its like...where has the Dharma gone? What happened to Dharma practice? The Buddha never told anyone to suppress religious rites, he convinced them not to....sigh.

We all need to put more effort into applying the teachings or we'll end up like them.

[sonamdhargey]

As a President of a country, especially if he is a so called Buddhist, he should welcome and promote religious freedom because it will create harmony in his country. People accepting each other faiths and believes have far reaching effects of peace loving and harmony society. One who bans, and forbid other religious rituals to be held, are more of a selfish act which can lead further inter faith conflicts.

He as a President, to promote no killing of animals, he should educate his citizens as a whole not just targeting the Hindus to have better way or find an alternative instead of sacrificing animals.

If this goes on like what Ensapa have listed, The country will have conflicts for a very long time to come.

[dondrup]

Can vegetarians ban or stop the meat eaters from consuming meat?  No.  Meat consumers have their freedom to eat what they want.  Similarly, Buddhists are totally against animal sacrifices.  Can Buddhists ban or stop other faiths like the Hindus from sacrificing animals?  No.  Hindus have their religious freedom to practise animal sacrifice. 

The Sri Lankan president should be more sensitive to the minority Hindus because it is totally against religious freedom to ban or stop the Hindus from conducting their centuries-old ritual animal sacrifices.  The newspaper said the president “request to cancel”.  Hence it seems like the president has not yet actually cancelled the ritual.  Like Ensapa had said, the Sri Lankan President and the government should convince the Hindus with compassion and logic why it is not appropriate to sacrifice animals.

[Tenzin K]

Being the government of the country what important is harmony. The government should respect the culture and believe of their people.  This is how the people will support and respect the government.

No doubt I strongly agree with the action for not killing the animals but as the leader of the country must look for a bigger picture to get the people of the country to be united and harmony. They are no way to be able to please everyone but must find the middle way to compromise. Promote the value of humanity and respect of each other.

[Ensapa]

It just gets worse from here...seriously? I dont remember the Buddha making an edict for hindu temples to stop sacrifices. Yes, it prevents killing, but doing it by force is not the Buddha's way. It just makes Buddhists look fanatical. Great job in saving those 700 goats, but doing it by  force is just not Buddhist to start with.

Buddhist party for ban on animal sacrifices

4 September 2012

A political party formed and led by Sinhala Buddhist monks is pushing to ban animal sacrifices in the country.
Fuelled by a row over a mass animal sacrifice that was scheduled to be held this week by a Hindu temple in Munnesaram, Chilaw, 70km north of Colombo on the West Coast of Sri Lanka, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) announced that it will bring an act in parliament to prevent animal sacrifice and ‘torture’ in the country.

The party has already brought in a draft act in the parliament for animal welfare.

Sri Bhadra Kali Amman Kovil has come under attack for its annual mass sacrifices of goats and fowl. Buddhist as well as Hindu priests, animal rights activists and politicians have repeatedly condemned the mass sacrifices, while others feel that the sacrifice, regardless of faith should be allowed on the basis of religious freedom. Appealing to the temple authorities to halt the animal sacrifices this week, the All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) stated that animal sacrifice or any form of cruelty to life is considered ‘an act of sin’ and unacceptable in the Hindu religion.

The temple authorities agreed to temporarily suspend the slaughter of animals following a request by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to defer the ritual until the exposition of the relics of Buddha brought in from India is completed.

The Kapilavastu relics arrived from India on a request by President Rajapaksa to Indian Premier Manmohan Sing and will be displayed at a Buddhist temple in Southern Sri Lanka until September 17.

The controversial Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva, who ‘rescued’ 700 goats slated to be slaughtered at the same temple last year, has vowed to end the ritual.  A proportionate number of the minority Tamils and majority Sinhalese live in Chilaw. Since the threat by the Buddhist clergy to incite ?mass protests against the sacrifice, the Chilaw court on Tuesday banned all protests in the vicinity of Hindu temple. ?     

[Benny]

It is in my opinion that there is nothing wrong in planning to pass lesgislature to ban animal sacrifice in a democratic country like Sri Lanka , as long as the due process of the law is respected and adhered to.

It is reported said that a political party is formed and led by buddhist monks with its main agenda in bringing about a ban to animal sacrifice or cruelty. sounds very normal in any democratic soceity.

Laws are passed all the time all over the civilised world due to the might of the democratic process where the majority of a particular nation through their elected representatives in Government makes the decision to legislate laws that best serves the majority's interest.

As long as no laws are broken in this process I dont see why anyone should complain. For example the banning of blood sports such as cock and bull fighting ( pun intended ) for the prevention of cruelty to animals is already quite accepted today as a norm. I am sure initially many whose livelihood depended on it made alot of fuss but in the end the law is the law. If you disagree go move to another country or you can try form a government to pass laws.

[Ensapa]

It is in my opinion that there is nothing wrong in planning to pass lesgislature to ban animal sacrifice in a democratic country like Sri Lanka , as long as the due process of the law is respected and adhered to.

It is reported said that a political party is formed and led by buddhist monks with its main agenda in bringing about a ban to animal sacrifice or cruelty. sounds very normal in any democratic soceity.
I dont see a political party made up of protestants demanding an end to the worship of Virgin Mary and an end to the Vatican, and actually going into Catholic churches to bring down the statue of the Virgin Mary and declaring the churches as heretical, so in that aspect I dont find it normal. Reason: it has now become a religious issue. If it was done on neutral or humanistic grounds, it would have been fine but not when they drag Buddhism into the picture.

Laws are passed all the time all over the civilised world due to the might of the democratic process where the majority of a particular nation through their elected representatives in Government makes the decision to legislate laws that best serves the majority's interest.

As long as no laws are broken in this process I dont see why anyone should complain. For example the banning of blood sports such as cock and bull fighting ( pun intended ) for the prevention of cruelty to animals is already quite accepted today as a norm. I am sure initially many whose livelihood depended on it made alot of fuss but in the end the law is the law. If you disagree go move to another country or you can try form a government to pass laws.
Laws are not broken, but given their conflict with the Tamils in the past, the ban is just another extension of that. If an animal rights group stopped the animal sacrifices, or other hindus request them or Buddhists request them with, say, a hunger strike, it would have been so much more meaningful than a law or a ban.

I do  agree to some extent with your points, but when a monk has to form a political party to 'get the message through', something is obviously very odd with the picture. Leave the secular to the laypeople or educate them to do so. This should not be a religious issue as it drags Buddhism down into the pond along which is unnecessary.

[Ensapa]

Here are some insights from the group that lobbies to ban animal sacrifices. I do kinda find them interesting...

Animal Sacrifice “Barabric offensive ritual in the name of the Religion must stop” – Hemantha Warnakulasuriya; Munneswaram Kovil case
Posted on September 7th, 2012
By Mike Andree Courtesy The Island
The Chilaw police filed a new report, before District Judge Jagath Kahandagamage, alleging that there was a likelihood, in the near future, that a ‘bili puja’ (animal sacrifice) would be performed at the Sri Badhrakali Amman Kovil where hundreds of animals, especially goats would be slaughtered. The news that the puja, involving animal sacrifice, would take place would lead to many Buddhist and other organisations protesting.

The police report further stated that the animal sacrifice was in direct contravention of the Fauna and Flora Act where slaughter of animals is an offence. Police sought an order from the Court, under 106(5) of the Criminal Procedure Code banning the slaughter. The ASP of Chilaw E. S. Dayaratne and Manoj Ranagala, OIC Chilaw appeared in support of the application.

 President’s Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, appearing for Rev. Omare Kassapa Thero, said the reason for the application, by the Chilaw Police, was due to the fact that Rev. Kassapa Thero had made a complaint to the police stating that the chief priest had made a public announcement that they would perform the ritual after the sacred Kapilavasthu relics leave the shores of Sri Lanka. Dr. A. I. Kamaladasa, the renowned dermatologist, had inquired from the Chilaw Pradesheya Sabha Chairman whether he had issued a temporary license under section 17 of the Butcher’s Ordinance to perform Animal Sacrifices for Religious purposes.

The Chairman had very clearly stated that he had not issued one and neither had the Chief Priest of the Kovil made an application seeking permission to perform the said Puja. The Chilaw Police had recorded a statement and affirmed that no such application was ever made and that it was a ritual performed at the Kovil from the time of Ravana. Would that give sanction to any person to abduct the wife of another under the guise of Religious procedure, Counsel Warnakulasuriya asked. He then referred to Article 14 (1) (e) of the Constitution where one is guaranteed the right to practice his religion, but Article 14(7) states that it would be subject to “to such restriction as may be prescribed by law in the interest of national security, public order and protection of public health and morality”.

 He said there had been many instances in the world where religious practices had been restricted or banned by law, for instance, the Sati sacrifices, made by a widow jumping on to the funeral pyre of her husband and child marriages, the forcing of the child, in the event of the death of her grandfatherly like husband, to remain a widow in a special house, imprisoned as result of the interpretation of Vedhas and in the Middle East, very few countries practices stoning to death of adulterous women and chopping the writs of thieves according to the dictates of Religious beliefs.

Even in India, in Kujaraho and Konrak, which depict the most naked exhibition of explicit sexuality, as decreed in the Tantric Buddhism, where the sect of the Tantric Mahayana Buddhists, believes one way of attaining niravana is over indulgence in sex and worldy pleasures which would make them lose the temptations. This is not practiced anywhere. When one, specially women and children, sees a goat brought and its head being chopped off and the blood drains and soils the earth, it would gravely injure their mental health and would even make them feel killing is fun.

 There has been a sinister attempt by some to state that the Butchers Act does not have any application as the act deals with not only killing of an animal, but with a person who enters the trade of selling the meat. But, they have conveniently and cunningly avoided the interpretation given to a butcher. The Butcher, is any person who kills an animal or sells its meat. And a licensed Butcher is person who has obtained a license from the appropriate authority to kill and sell the meat of an animal. Any person inside the kovil, who kills an animal in the plain and simple meaning of the Act, is a Butcher, whether he sells or engages in the trade of the selling of the meat. Butcher’s Ordinance and section 17 proviso is applicable to any person whether he is a priest or any other person employed by the priests to kill. Therefore, it is incumbent that they should obtain a permit or a licence from the appropriate authority. Otherwise, he is committing an offence under the ordinance. No one can commit an offence in the name of any religion, he said.

Counsel Warnakulasuriya then submitted two affidavits from the Chief priest of the adjoining Kovil and said this was not religious practice according to Hinduism, a religion of Ahimsa. Section 4 of the Cruelty to Animals Act clearly states that killing of any animal in an unnecessary cruel manner shall be punished with a fine. The whole macabre ritual comprises of wanton cruelty to appease the Gods or the Demons. The blood should ooze out and in the case of cocks and hens, the killing is committed by dashing the live bird on a rock, the scream that emanates engulfs the Kovil and would appease the Gods. It is not how the Police could measure the cruelty, the whole ritual and appeasement of God depends upon the cruel manner in which the animals are killed.

The whole ritual is barbaric inhuman and ghoulish. We have lived with a 2,500 year culture of ahimsa, whether we are Buddhist or Hindus. This ritual ignores the cultures of Hinduism and Buddhism and treats with contempt the morality and rights of freedom of our cultures, both Sinhalese and Tamils.

District Judge Jagath A. Kahandagamage said that he will make an order on September 11, 2012

ASP E. S. Dayaranta, in response, said he wholeheartedly agrees with the submission made by the learned President’s Counsel.

President’s Counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, with Nihal Sumanadeera, Manori Wickremanayake, Miss Imali Jayakody and Jayampathi Charitha appeared for Rev. Omare Kassapa Thero.

Chilaw ASP E. S. Dayaratna with Manoj Ranagala appeared for the Police.

Courtesy: The Island ( Sept. 7, 2012)

[Aurore]

There are animal sacrifices all around the world and petitions are taking place to stop such act with no results. I am sure many of you have signed up petitions against animal cruelty. I see animal sacrifice as animal cruelty too!

I am sorry to say this but if I have the power to stop old traditions like the Sri Lanka's President, I would do the same. Of course I believe in violating other people's believes and religion. Cancelling a ritual that will not bring good to these people but more harm and negative karma I don't see it as wrong.

Read part of the article below and click the link for more.
250,000 animals were sacrificed during a Hindu festival in Nepal? Imagine that? To grant wishes? Why not sacrifice yourself to get your wishes fulfilled?

The world's biggest animal sacrifice began in Nepal today with the killing of the first of more than 250,000 animals as part of a Hindu festival in the village of Bariyapur, near the border with India.

The event, which happens every five years, began with the decapitation of thousands of buffalo, killed in honour of Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.

With up to a million worshippers on the roads near the festival grounds, this year's fair seems more popular than ever, despite vocal protests from animals rights groups who have called for it to be banned. "It is the traditional way, " explained 45-year old Manoj Shah, a Nepali driver who has been attending the event since he was six, "If we want anything, and we come here with an offering to the goddess, within five years all our dreams will be fulfilled.".

Read more here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/24/hindu-sacrifice-gadhimai-festival-nepal