This is how it should be done. One of the problems, though, is that in this particular instance, there are some who are teaching silly Dhammas, that’s true, but they also seem to be, from what I can tell, perfectly sincere and honest and in fact quite admirably dedicated; they’re confused, but honestly so. While on the other hand, there are many “orthodox” monks who are corrupt, interested in only money and fame, even though they may say and do the right things in public. Who, then, gets to discipline who?
4 Likes
I’m not sure if the outcome of the meeting held for comments on the draft of the bill has been shared in this forum. Suffice to say that it was a clear reflection of the heterogeneity of the Sri Lankan Sangha: the opposition to the bill was as prepared, meticulous and vocal as the support. At the end it was concluded that the current draft of the act required major changes, especially the sections related to crimes and punishments through the justice system, which would need to be replaced with a process that is in alignment with the Vinaya.
I don’t think anyone who aligns themselves with traditional Theravada (as the proponents of the act do) can accuse the venerables who opposed the act of being ‘corruptors’ of the sāsana: many of them were not only well-versed and trained in the tradition but also serious practitioners, such as Ven. Sudhīrānanda Mahāthera and Ven. Maggavihārī Thera, who represented the Galdūva/Nā Uyana forest monastic institutions.
For the sake of transparency: I have been a vocal opponent of the act for a while, and I am not an adherent of the Theravada commentarial tradition:
5 Likes
Perhaps one of our Sinhala speaking forum members can share any interesting information in this video. Here is a google translate of the video description:
A recording of the conference held at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall on August 5-7, 2021 to discuss the proposed Tripitaka Conservation Bill. This is the recording of the first half of the 5th day.
There was a scholarly discussion and the Venerable monks and lay scholars were present to present their views. There have been exchanges for and against the bill.After considering all the issues raised, the Hon’ble Presiding Council has decided that due to this Act, the final decision on the Tripitaka will be vested in a civil court which is unfavorable to the Sasana. A committee has been appointed.
More information on the proposed bill can be found on the Facebook page below.
1 Like
Sri Lanka imports groundbreaking fertilizer from India:
“Nanoparticles are promising candidates for implementation in agriculture. Because many organic functions such as ion exchange and plant gene expression operate on small scales, nanomaterials offer a toolset that works at just the right scale to provide efficient, targeted delivery to living cells.[3] Current areas of focus of nanotechnology development in the agricultural industry include development of environmentally conscious nanofertilizers to provide efficient ion, nutrient delivery into plant cells, and plant gene transformations to produce plants with desirable genes such as drought resistance and accelerated growth cycles.[4] With the global population on the rise, it is necessary to make advancements in sustainable farming methods that generate higher yields in order to meet the rising food demand. However, it must be done without generating long-term consequences such as depletion of arable land or water sources, toxic runoff, or bioaccumulative toxicity. In order to meet these demands, research is being done into the incorporation of nanotechnology agriculture.”—Wikipedia
Anybody cheering for government telling people which translations to follow has my commiserations and seeing how they made their bed i will let them sleep in it.
Why not develop siddhi or do something otherwise awe-inspiring and use that to pry people away from wrong view…
I assume that we are nearing the end of the dispensation as far as the attainments in the human realm go. Looks like the aryasangha is maybe down to single digits and that most are and will be staying silent.
There are probably some people who will attain fruitions near or at the moments of death and of those some will come back to the human realm due to their bad fortune and some good people might take a human birth being ‘with eyes to see’ in the future as well.
Many good people will probably go to heaves and attain fruitions there instead before maybe falling down again.
Thus there might still be some aryans for generations to come but i think they will be next to none much like it is now.
This question from earlier in the discussion refers to developments in the fertilizer situation.
I’ve restored your post, and edited it with a link to the query that you were answering. Please remember to do similar yourself next time; it helps everyone. 
@paul1 Perhaps the fertilizer stuff could be discussed in a new thread. It really doesn’t have anything to do with the main thing we are discussing in this thread, ie the policies around Dhamma and the Sangha.
1 Like
That’s incorrect, Sri Lanka is heading to a dictatorial situation and understanding the motivation for the Tripitaka bill is benefited by examining allied issues which have the same origin, ie not from a government but from the views of a single person.
That’s terrifying, this “monk” is a criminal who has been peddling hate for years. He should be disowned by the Sangha in Sri Lanka, not appointed to lead a committee on law reform.
5 Likes
I always thought being arrested, charged and convicted would lead to automatic disrobing?
Then there is the whole issue of leading judicial reform commitees…
1 Like
Yes, you’d think.
Years ago I discussed this monk with a monk who knew him personally. He is just what he appears to be.
I mean, that is dubious for a monk at the best of times.
1 Like
I believe the Vinaya only allows for Parajikas and voluntary disrobals, no?
For example: If the Thai military government throws me in prison for being a loudmouth democrat with insufficient respect for their Glorious King and forces me to “disrobe,” I believe the Vinaya counts that as just some people stealing some cloth, right?
But that said, inciting hatred and violence and looting certainly breaks the spirit (and perhaps even the letter) of the Parajikas against stealing and instructing others to kill, so…
Somehow, conservative governments never seem to have a problem with monks “getting political” when their politics align with theirs. 
Very interesting… Wonder why that is…
2 Likes
As I mentioned in this thread:
2 Likes
Thank you @Snowbird for clarifying why disrobing might not be an option.
But Vinaya rules aside, as a minority, these “monks” were the subject of much fear and dread. It might seem an odd statement to those not on the receiving end of their actions or among kind and compassionate monastics like those here , but it was a very real experience for many. This was all I saw of Buddhism at that time. 
These individuals seem untouchable and beyond the law. Any politician can latch onto them to promote hate but can’t be held accountable 
. I know it’s not black and white situation( historical reasons etc) but still it is very difficult for me to comprehend in 2021 why it’s never truly addressed….
Re judicial panel
Possibly cheaper than hiring a law expert Bhante 
( I don’t mean to make a joke, but trying to bring some levity to a very ominous situation )
2 Likes
Could you explain this? The only listed criminal offense described so far is contempt of court, so I think more context would be very helpful in understanding.
I didn’t mean this monk per se, rather the role of the Buddhist clergy in nationalistic politics in Sri Lanka in general.
2 Likes
For those unfamiliar, here’s an academic article from 2013(!) introducing the BBS and the “nationalistic politics in Sri Lanka in general” —
1 Like