• TOURISM & CULTURE
  • ADVERTISEMENT

Latest News

  • A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara
  • State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year
  • Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists to visit Pakistan
  • The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Buddhist Festival in Hanoi
  • Patanjali’s ‘Coronil’ medicine for Covid-19 in Presence of Union Minister Harsh Vardhan
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
  • BUDDHIST HISTORY
    • BUDDHISM MESSAGES
    • Message by PM Narendra Modi
  • BUDDHIST CIRCUIT
  • BUDDHIST MONKS
  • MONASTRIES
  • BODH GAYA
  • MCLEOD GANJ

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Reaffirms Buddhism as “First Among Equals” in Country’s Constitution

Oct 10, 2017 developer3.matrixwebstudio BREAKING NEWS, TOP NEWS Comments Off on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Reaffirms Buddhism as “First Among Equals” in Country’s Constitution


By Shyamal Sinha

Ranil Wickremesinghe. From NewsIn.Asia

Theravada Buddhism is the religion of 70.2% of the population of Sri Lanka. The island has been a center of Buddhist scholarship and learning since the introduction of Buddhism in the third century BCE producing eminent scholars such as Buddhaghosa and preserving the vast Pāli Canon..
Buddhism should be considered the “foremost” religion alongside a guarantee of equal rights for all faith traditions, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in an address last week. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Association of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Speakers and Parliamentarians in Colombo on 4 October. (Daily Mirror)

Wickremesinghe was reitierating Article 9 of the Sri Lankan constitution, which states: “The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).”

Since taking power in 2015, Sri Lanka’s government has set itself the task of drafting a new constitution, the deadline for which has been pushed to January 2018. However, an interim report submitted to Sri Lanka’s Constitutional Assembly by the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly of Sri Lanka on 21 September has raised questions about the “foremost” status of Buddhism. The two provisions offered in the report change “The Republic of Sri Lanka” to simply “Sri Lanka,” offering no guarantees of patronage specifically from the government. This implies the removal of “the republic of” Sri Lanka as a responsible stakeholder in the country’s protection of Buddhism. “Thus the meaning it will then convey is that although in Sri Lanka Buddhism has the foremost place, the Government of the Republic of Sri Lanka is not obliged to treat Buddhism as being given the foremost place,” argues an editorial by Courtesy Ceylon Today (Lankaweb).

Most of the island’s influential Buddhists oppose the proposed provisions and have been making their discontent heard since July. The opposition, led by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, said in July that demonstrations would be held across the island if the government pressed ahead with the new provisions. On 29 September, the Buddha Sasana Karya Sadaaka Mandalaya questioned the wording of the proposed provisions, arguing: “It is not clear as to this applies in this situation when other religions are not subjected to discrimination even now.” (Daily Mirror)

Complicating the stakes in the interim report are ideas about moving towards a New Zealand-style system of proportional representation and constituencies, reconciliation between Sinhala and Tamil Sri Lankans, and seeing off a resurgence of Sinhala nationalism. Just last week, authorities arrested seven people for storming a UN safe house for Rohingya refugees who had fled Myanmar.

Seen in this light, Mr. Wickremesinghe’s words on 4 October were nothing new, but a repetition of his assurances for wary Buddhists. At the heart of this semantic debate is the apparent contradiction of having a “favored” religion while allowing equal rights for all faiths. Yet Buddhism is the spiritual tradition that has anchored the traditional identity of the Sinhala majority, and is already deeply embedded in the country’s politics. Sri Lanka has chosen only Buddhists for the post of president and prime minister since independence from Britain in 1948. Many Buddhist monks are members of the Constitutional Assembly.

Despite Mr. Wickremesinghe’s attempt to emphasize the “oneness” of Sri Lanka, reaching a settlement that eases the concerns of the island’s Buddhist leaders seems necessary and inevitable.

Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation, with the Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 3rd century BCE. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with Burma and Thailand.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

  • tweet
Withdraw Tibetan rehabilitation policy or face dire consequence: war cry of self styled outfit in Arunachal Pradesh Five-Fifty Forum to Discuss the Shaping of Tibet’s Political Future

Related articles
  • A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara
    A national-treasure pagoda at...

    Mar 02, 2021 Comments Off on A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara

  • State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year
    State Vesak festival to be held in...

    Feb 27, 2021 Comments Off on State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year

  • Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists to visit Pakistan
    Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists...

    Feb 25, 2021 Comments Off on Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists to visit Pakistan

  • The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Buddhist Festival in Hanoi
    The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara...

    Feb 23, 2021 Comments Off on The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Buddhist Festival in Hanoi

More in this category
  • A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara
    A national-treasure pagoda at...

    Mar 02, 2021 Comments Off on A national-treasure pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site opened in Nara

  • State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year
    State Vesak festival to be held in...

    Feb 27, 2021 Comments Off on State Vesak festival to be held in Jaffna this year

  • Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists to visit Pakistan
    Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists...

    Feb 25, 2021 Comments Off on Imran Khan invites Sri Lankan Buddhists to visit Pakistan

  • The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Buddhist Festival in Hanoi
    The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara...

    Feb 23, 2021 Comments Off on The annual Quan The Am (Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva) Buddhist Festival in Hanoi


VIDEO NEWS

WEEK IN VIDEO

BUDDHIST CUISINE

  • Buddhist Cuisine-5

    Buddhist Cuisine-5

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-4

    Buddhist Cuisine-4

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-3

    Buddhist Cuisine-3

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-2

    Buddhist Cuisine-2

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Buddhist Cuisine-1

    Buddhist Cuisine-1

    Aug 01, 2019

Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum

Intl Chanting Ceremony Bodhgaya 2019

gallery img (60)
gallery img (47)
gallery img (35)
gallery img (15)
gallery img (38)
gallery img (49)
gallery img (41)
gallery img (27)
gallery img (58)
gallery img (55)
gallery img (53)
gallery img (51)
gallery img (50)
gallery img (46)
gallery img (44)
gallery img (43)
gallery img (42)
gallery img (40)
gallery img (37)
gallery img (33)
gallery img (32)
gallery img (31)
gallery img (30)
gallery img (29)
gallery img (26)
gallery img (24)
gallery img (23)
gallery img (22)
gallery img (21)
gallery img (20)
gallery img (19)
gallery img (18)
gallery img (17)
gallery img (16)
gallery img (14)
gallery img (13)
gallery img (12)
gallery img (11)
gallery img (8)
gallery img (6)
gallery img (5)
gallery img (4)
gallery img (2)
gallery img (1)
gallery img (62)
gallery img (28)
DSC_0180
DSCF7503
DSCF7483
DSCF7475
DSC_0077
DSC_0130

GALLERY

  • Ven. Lama Lobzang -15 January 2016

    Ven. Lama Lobzang -15 January 2016

    Jan 16, 2016
  • Launch buddhisttimes.news at Greater Noida

    Launch buddhisttimes.news at Greater Noida

    Jan 16, 2016
  • Buddhism in Japan

    Buddhism in Japan

    Jan 15, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Jan 09, 2016
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015
  • Dec 30, 2015

Weather

+39
°
C

+39°
+27°

Bodh Gaya
Saturday, 30

See 7-Day Forecast

NOTICE

  • Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, Former Personal Physician to the Dalai Lama, Dies
    Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, Former Personal Physician to the Dalai...

    Nov 27, 2019 Comments Off on Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, Former Personal Physician to the Dalai Lama, Dies

    By  Staff writer Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, 1927–2019....
  • Former Rigpa Head Sogyal Rinpoche Passes Away in Thailand
    Former Rigpa Head Sogyal Rinpoche Passes Away in Thailand

    Aug 29, 2019 Comments Off on Former Rigpa Head Sogyal Rinpoche Passes Away in Thailand

    By Staff Writer On behalf of all members of the...
  • Passing of World-renowned Scholar Jao Tsung-I Mourned
    Passing of World-renowned Scholar Jao Tsung-I Mourned

    Feb 07, 2018 Comments Off on Passing of World-renowned Scholar Jao Tsung-I Mourned

    By Staff Writer On behalf of all members of the...
  • Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche Dies
    Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche Dies

    Feb 17, 2017 Comments Off on Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche Dies

    Respected Tibetan Teacher Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche On behalf...
  • Condolence message on the demise of Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi NayakeThero
    Condolence message on the demise of Ven. Anamaduwe Sri...

    Jun 27, 2016 Comments Off on Condolence message on the demise of Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi NayakeThero

    Ven. Anamaduwe Sri Dhammadassi NayakeThero General...

Inauguration

  • Inauguration 7

    Inauguration 7

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 6

    Inauguration 6

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 5

    Inauguration 5

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 4

    Inauguration 4

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 3

    Inauguration 3

    Aug 01, 2019
  • Inauguration 2

    Inauguration 2

    Aug 01, 2019
Copyright budhisttimes.news 2019-20 | All Rights Reserved
Developed & Maintained By Shyamal Sinha Web Design Delhi Web Design Agency in Delhi Web Desinging Services in India Best Website Portfolio Creative Website Desinging Agency in Delhi Web Desinging Comapny India Custom Web Application Development Comapny Wordpress Website Designing Logo Desinging in Delhi Internet Marketing Company Mobile Application Development
  • TECH & SCIENCE
  • BUDDHIST ART/MUSIC
  • UPCOMING PROGRAM