“Mettha, Karuna, Muditha, Upeksha should be practiced to promote peace”: Prof. Nimal de Silva

Buddhism should not be looked at as a religion but as a philosophy and a mind-based science for the good of all mankind. Irrespective of any religion everyone should be encouraged to study this philosophy and science. Buddhism could also be described as a philosophy of nature. I think every Lankan should study Buddhism on these grounds – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Surya Vishwa

Anything that will enrich the mind of a child up to adulthood to be kind and compassionate should be incorporated into the education system, aligned with anything that makes a child question, says Prof. Nimal de Silva, renowned scholar/veteran theory and practical based knowledge specialist on Lankan heritage. 

He points out that questioning and acceptance go hand in hand for a Buddhist and that we must have a system that totally stops the vices such as envy and jealousy coming into the education system; namely ragging. Ragging prevents unity among students and divides on basis of class or language spoken, etc., he notes. He also highlights that Singhala is a civilisation and not just a race. We feature below a detailed interview with Prof. Nimal de Silva who has held many prestigious positions such as being the Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and supervised many PhD. programs on Archaeology and Traditional Heritage, being instrumental in initiating a postgraduate program on Heritage Studies. He has served as the senior professor in the Faculty of Architecture in the University of Moratuwa, and the was director for the Centre for Heritage and Cultural Studies as well as the National Design Centre.

As Chairman the Urban Development Authority for nearly four years he initiated the declaration of Colombo Fort as a conservation area. As Chairman of the National Design Centre, he promoted traditional craft persons and their skills drawing on his inherited in-depth knowledge on arts and crafts. He has served as the Director Conservation in UNESCO Sri Lanka Project of the Cultural Triangle. Pertaining to the Maligawa Complex in Kandy he was responsible for the conservation of related historic buildings, the Devala Complex and the Malwatta Vihara and Asgiriya Vihara Complex. He has used Lankan heritage for promoting cultural cohesiveness. He personally collected the shreds of the stained glass windows at St. Paul’s Church in Kandy that was totally destroyed by the LTTE bomb blast and restored it to perfect former order, being subsequently honoured by a special thanksgiving Mass by the Catholic clergy affiliated to the church. 

He has authored around 14 books relating to Lankan culture and heritage. In this detailed interview he covers a vast dimension of points connected to history and heritage and its relevance to the present for the upholding of peace and tolerance. Following are excerpts:

Q: There are many theories on heritage. How would you describe the word ‘heritage’?

 Heritage means all what you have inherited from earth to your personal genes. Heritage has two basic parts; 

Natural heritage and cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is also divided into two as intangible and tangible.

All tangible heritage objects are created to support and fulfil intangible heritage requirements. Tangible heritage can be movable or immovable.

Q: You are from a family of traditional medical experts. Could you elaborate?

 My grandfathers and great grandfathers were Singhala Vedamahttayas. They treated the sick without any fee. They were given a bulath atha and kevili bandesiya for the new year. My maternal great grandfather knew five languages; Singhala, Pali Sanskrit, Tamil, and English. He knew Sinhala Vedakama, Astrology, Manthra Sasthra and was also a musician who wrote and staged plays. In the 1870s villagers in Southern Province started building new Buddhist viharas creating a great demand for artists to do temple painting for which he has established a

school of painting with two traditional masters. Heritage scholar, L.T.P. Manjusri has identified them as Welithara Sittara Paramparawas.

As children every day morning we had to take lunukenda before having any breakfast. On the very few occasions sickness overcame us, my parents called Piyasiri Vedamahattaya, one of our relatives who was the last one in our family to practice traditional medicine. He never asked

a fee and whatever our parents gave he accepted without even looking at what was offered. Overall, my parents knew all basic treatments. My mother was an expert at this and she would narrate the Sinhala poetic version of how the cure is described traditionally when administering the cures.

Q: You look so much younger than some of your students who are retired professors in their seventies! What’s your secret?

 I follow my traditional lifestyle I grew up in, in the South of the country (Boosa). I believe the mind and our worldly actions are inter-connected to the final outcome of one’s physical health. I follow the Dhamma. In all the official positions I have held I have not taken even a single cent outside my salary. 

Generally, I eat all tun velama buth (all three meals rice), have a peaceful mind and aware of pera pin ethi bava (past merit) and keep awareness at all times on the consequences of each and every one of my actions. 

Q: You are known for political impartiality. Your comments?

 I have held many positions under many governments and I have exercised my duties impartially doing justice to my country. 

Q: Have you ever been overwhelmed by any entity?

 No.

Q: Could you comment on what we should be mindful of today when putting our medical heritage in practice?

 During the colonial occupation we were brain-washed and convinced that what is Sri Lankan – local or traditional are inferior and no good. They will teach what is good and bad. The elites and the English-educated swallowed it. For any traditional thing to be accepted it has to be proved to the west using western science. Ingutu, kottamalli veniveigeta that we used for thousands of years is being analysed even by our universities to prove it to the west. What for? We were trained and taught to reject and have doubt on our traditional knowledge systems.

Q: Could you comment on the similarities or differences between Indian Ayurveda and Sri Lankan Deshiya Chikitsa (Singhala Wedakama)?

 As far as I know Ayurveda and Desiya vedakama are basically based on similar principles. But our Lankan medical system is simple and with a lot of speciality and family based with many variations. We are yet to do a systematic compilation of traditional medical practices currently prevailing in the country. If we compile our traditional medical systems, we would be in a 

position to create a unique Hela medical system. We have not done this for seven decades.

Q: Generally it looks as if we are tourists in our own country..

 No there is a difference. The foreign tourist knows our culture better than us. 

Q: Could you speak of your knowledge of the Chinese example of using traditional medicine alongside modern treatments?

In China one fifth of the world population practice their own Chinese medicine but advance their medical production system and research. They have a well-advanced packaging and marketing system. More than everything Chinese have confidence in their medicine. 

Q: You maintain that ‘Singhala’ is a civilisation… Could you elaborate?

 In my studies I have realised that Singhala is not just an ethnic group; it is a civilisation. Singhala is a civilisation. There were non-Sinhala kings who ruled Sri Lanka due to various invasions by Chola, Pandeyas and Kalinga from neighbouring territories. Our kings gave their sisters and daughters in marriage to foreign royalty (India and Malaysia, etc). The last four Lankan kings were all from India.

King Nissankamalla and Sahasamalla of 12th century were of Kalinga origin – Kalingas extended to Malaysia which was then Buddhist. Also, a significant number of soldiers of neighbouring armies settled in Sri Lanka and some members of our ancient armies which went to fight in those lands also settled in those places. 

For example, Eelavam is a social group that had left Sri Lanka around the 13th century and settled in Kerala. They were said to be Singhalese soldiers who were sent by Lankan kings to Kerala to support a Kerala monarch in an internal war effort.

Professionals such as craftsman came here and some of them settled for good. During the Gampola period all the queens were brought from India. Gampola Lankathilaka Viharaya and Gadaladeniya Viharaya were designed by Indian architects and craftsmen. Same with the Natha Devala of Kandy and the Adhanamaluwa (cremation ground of Royalty) where all the architecture has Indian influence. Keerthi Shri Rajasinghe of Nayakka dynasty joined the Dalada Perahera with the Devale perahera. Many Singhala chieftains were against this. 

However, we know that this king is credited with the revival of Buddhism and literature in Sri Lanka. It is he who invited Bhikkus from Siam (current day Thailand) to facilitate the renewal of the higher ordination of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. What I am trying to say is that whoever came to this land, whether king or commoner, embraced Singhala as a civilisation. It also has to be said that whatever the interwoven history and close proximity with India, the Sinhalese stood their own as a distinctly separate entity. 

They carried forth the Singhala civilisation and its identity because this was enshrined within the people of the country which had built up the framework of this civilisation for thousands of years. After Buddhism was introduced to the country, the Dhamma was strongly integrated and carried forth as part of this civilisation. 

One must realise Singhala Language has continuously lasted over 2,300 years. It has lasted with a written script, a grammar and inscriptions and all kinds of literature. 

The long history of Singhala civilisation is unique in the world. Other civilisations lasted comparatively a much shorter span such as Greek, Roman, Mayan, and Harappan. 

Where Indian history was concerned it was not seen as one country as we see it now; it was then so many territorial units with different monarchs. The difference between Sri Lanka and India during ancient times was that when Mughal invasions happened in Indian territories the religion and the culture totally changed. This did not happen in Lanka. 

The Muslims mainly came here as traders. They were peaceful, got married to Singhalese women and adapted to the Singhala customs. Their attire and diet got localised and they were never disloyal to the country they settled in. 

Q: How can Singhala civilisation be upheld in the current multi-cultural society for the purpose of bringing communities together? 

 Patriotism and nationalism is not communalism. There is Jathikawadi and Jathikabedawadi. We must understand the difference. The Singhalese, as we can see from the many acts of ancient Singhala kings, were a race which was accommodative of those of other beliefs and traditions. They were a humane race. They were not a race that propagated violence though their ancient armies were known to be powerful. 

That is why in all of the long history of the Singhalese you only hear of one war major ethnic based war – against Chola invader Elara. Before Elara there were two Chola horse merchants Sena and Guttika who sat on the throne in Anuradhapura. Dutugemunu united the country. Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa were run by Cholas. Kalinga Magha from South India was the most destructive, burning all the Ola leaf manuscripts and destroying places of worship. Around the 12th and 13th century while a lot of invasions happened, Ruhuna remained independent and from there Singhala kings came and conquered the Cholas from time to time. Vijayabahu the 1st conquered the Cholas and took over the country. The important thing is that the heart of the country remained the same. In India Maharajas became overrun by Sultans and the religion/cultural identity/architecture changed in the kingdom. Here it did not. 

But a key aspect of our Buddhist civilisation is freedom. Ancient Lankan kings had granted the freedom to any foreigner settling in the country to follow his own religious path and this never affected the identity of the country. 

Q: Could you explain about the Buddhist heritage of Lanka and Hindu influence?

 Hindu gods gradually crept into Sinhala culture mainly from the Gampola time. Upulavana was a highly popular local deity replaced by Vishnu. The local Kataragama god was replaced by Skanda kumara which is a South Indian god. Thereby Hindu gods came to light. Siva came in and also the veneration of Kali. The Makara Thorana (carrying the motifs of the architecture of the Singhalese) which was covering the door way traditionally, was placed behind the seated Buddha statue and all Hindu gods put alongside so that when worshipping Buddha all these gods were worshipped. All this began during this Gampola. Singhala is not Indian. There is a strong cultural difference. Singhala culture started revolving around Buddhism but even before Buddhism we had maintained our identity as Yakhshas and Nagas which has up to some level maintained right throughout to date.

Q: How do you think Buddhism can be used for unity instead of division?

 Mettha, Karuna, Muditha, Upeksha should be practiced to promote peace and social harmony. This is a very important aspect that should be remembered. 

Buddhism should not be looked at as a religion but as a philosophy and a mind-based science for the good of all mankind. Irrespective of any religion everyone should be encouraged to study this philosophy and science. Buddhism could also be described as a philosophy of nature. I think every Lankan should study Buddhism on these grounds. 

Also, Buddhists should be encouraged to study other religions. Buddhism tolerates and questions. Therefore, it will be important for all Buddhists in this current age, to study other religions for the purpose of upholding peace and unity in the country. In the school curricula this should be incorporated. I have proposed this to the committee that is looking at education reforms in Sri Lanka. 

Anything that will enrich the mind of a child up to adulthood to be kind and compassionate should be incorporated aligned with anything that makes a child question. Questioning and acceptance go hand in hand for a Buddhist and this should be the case for the nation. Also, we must have a system that totally stops the vices such as envy and jealousy coming into the education system through ragging. Ragging prevents unity among students and divides on basis of class or language spoken, etc.