Rehabilitating the Lion of Lanka

on David Hewavitharne, who later became the famous Anagarika Dharmapala, was born in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on September 17, 1864. David Hewavitarne was at the beginning of Sri Lanka’s difficult transformation from a British monarchical colony to an independent sovereign republic in 1972.

- ROHANA R. WASALA

When the American theosophist, retired military officer, lawyer and journalist Henry Steel Olcott arrived in Colombo in May 1880, David was hardly sixteen (so would have been included among today’s youngest Gen Z’eers in the impossible event of his having been born 161 years later than he actually was, but would have been miles ahead of most of them in his awareness of the necessity of positive social change and reform in accordance with the country’s national genius). Steel Olcott catalysed the work of the native pioneers of the Buddhist revivalist movement like the prominent Buddhist prelate Mirisse Revata and scholar monk Hikkaduwe Siri Sumangala. In the contemporary environment of imperial subjugation and suppression, their exertions would have achieved nothing much without the American’s involvement. The English proficient young David assisted Olcott as his translator.

At this time of fast receding Dharmapala memories, I was moved to write this tribute to the great patriot, social reformer, and Buddhist missionary, by a casual insulting remark that a deputy minister of the current JVP/NPP government (a Colombo district MP) made about this revered national hero, during a recent YouTube chat program: the viciously ignorant minister belonging to the Millennial Generation (in his forties) said that Dharmapala made protesting noises against the well-to-do of the time because he envied them their comfortable lifestyle!

For the information of interested young Sri Lankans who may not know (for no fault of theirs) about Anagarika Dharmapala’s background, I'd like to quote the following paragraph from the brief biography of Anagarika Dharmapala ‘FLAME IN DARKNESS’ (Triratna Grantha Mala, 1980) compiled by Ven. Sangharakshita, an Englishman, who edited the ‘Maha Bodhi’ journal of the Maha Bodhi Society of India founded by Anagarika Dharmapala, for fourteen years (presumably in 1940s and ‘50s):