P.D. Areyaratne.
To keep the Dhamma alive through the coming generations, it is most essential to find ways to make the teaching meaningful to the younger generation. Given the way Buddhism in Sri Lanka exists today, it seems to me that an educated young person will see in it little more than a system of rites and rituals, useful perhaps as a reminder of one’s ancient cultural and ethnic identity, but with very little relevance to their present concerns. The youth are the ones who will have to see that Buddhism serves the next century and that it will be able to offer its rich insights and spiritual practices to the global community.
When we look at the way of life gaining ascendency in this country today, it seems that the true Dhamma is rapidly losing its influence. There are plenty of temples; gigantic Buddha images looking out on us from the hills and roadways, and “Pirith” chanting is broadcast daily in all the major towns.
But life inspired and guided by the Dhamma, based on moral rectitude, on loving kindness and compassion, on respect and care for others, is on the decline.
To prevent the Dhamma from disappearing, radical and far-sighted steps will have to be taken, and I believe the main responsibility for this falls on the Sangha. If the Sangha has the insight and courage needed to take the steps required, the sasana can recover its strength. If it does not act boldly, with wisdom and courage, the decline is likely to continue.
It is futile, to keep on harping back to the injustices committed against Buddhism during the colonial period, or to indulge in the fantasy that the rest of the world is involved in a conspiracy to undermine the Sasana. Most of the measures recommended by the Buddhist Commission in the late 1950s have been implemented, and today Buddhism enjoys a favoured place in the life of the nation.
To keep the Dhamma alive through the coming generations, it is most essential to find ways to make the teaching meaningful to the younger generation. Given the way Buddhism in Sri Lanka exists today, it seems to me that an educated young person will see in it little more than a system of rites and rituals, useful perhaps as a reminder of one’s ancient cultural and ethnic identity, but with very little relevance to their present concerns. The youth are the ones who will have to see that Buddhism serves the next century and that it will be able to offer its rich insights and spiritual practices to the global community.
Success in keeping Buddhism alive will require that the true spiritual essence of the Dhamma be extracted from its often constricting institutional embodiments. Above all, this task demands that the Dhamma be treated not as a basis for ethnic identity or cultural pride but as a living path of spiritual development and personal transformation that touches our most fundamental attitudes, goals, and values. It is only where the Dhamma is appropriated in such a way that it will serve to heal the wounds in our own minds and hearts the deep hidden wounds of greed, hatred, and delusion. And it is only by healing the wounds within, that we can face the momentous task of helping to heal the wounds of the world.
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