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Raiding wild elephants and barking village dogs - II
June 25, 2025
|The Island
My rough English version of what General Ratnayake uttered in Sinhala does not at all do justice to his smart observation. I'll explain this in a while. Let's first take a look at the background to the event (namely, Charles Thomas's Sihinaya programme at the Padeniya Purana Rajamaha Viharaya held on May 17, 2025).
The Mahanayake Thera's letter mentioned above was sent to the Viharadhipati of the said Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Katumuluwe Sumanaratana Thera, just over a month previously. Let's wind back a little.
The Most Venerable Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, the Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya in Kandy, directed an official letter, a formal injunction, to Venerable Katumuluwe Sri Sumanaratana Nayake Thera of the Padeniya Purana Rajamaha Viharaya at Padeniya about this programme scheduled to be conducted there on May 17, 2025. Now, what did the Mahanayake Thera write to the chief incumbent of the Padeniya Purana Rajamaha Viharaya? The following is my translation of the Mahanayake Thera's letter dated April 15, 2025 (a photo-copy of which was published in Lanka Leader on May 27, 2025):
"It has been brought to our notice that preparations are being made for a special programme to be conducted, in this holy month of Vesak that commemorates the Three Cardinal Events of the life of the Sammasambuddha by a person named Charles Thomas at the Padeniya Purana Rajamaha Viharastanaya, which belongs to the Malwatte Chapter and is at present under your incumbency. This person Charles Thomas has been accused of unethical conversion of Buddhists. We have also been made aware that the local Buddhist public have expressed strong displeasure at this event.
"Therefore, we hereby notify you to call off the proposed programme, and to refrain, in the future, from organising similar events with this person that are likely to cause public agitation."
Signed/Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera
The Mahanayake/Malwatte Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya
(Please note the use of the 'royal We' in this document, which is normal in official communications issued by the Mahanayake Thera; 'We' in this context is used not to show plurality, but authority.)
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