Discipline in Buddhist monastic community must come from within

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday that necessary laws will be enacted to ensure the maintenance of discipline among Buddhist monks.

He said that, at the request of the Mahanayake Theras, the Government is taking steps to amend the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance No. 19 of 1931 (Vihara and Devalagam Act) and re-establish a ‘Dharmadhikaranaya’ — a body with authority to handle disciplinary matters concerning Buddhist monks. The President made these remarks while addressing the State Vesak Festival, which commenced in Matara.

Vesak this year comes at a time when Buddhists in Sri Lanka have been called upon to do some serious soul-searching amidst recent high-profile allegations against several Buddhist monks, including one allegation of child sexual abuse against a senior monk. These incidents have led to public discourse on the breakdown in discipline among members of the Buddhist clergy in the country.

The breakdown in discipline in the country’s monastic order is not entirely new. Historically, there have been times when the monastic order in the country nearly collapsed due to indiscipline among members of the Buddhist clergy. There are at least two recorded instances where it was found that there were no qualified monks to perform Upasampada, or the higher ordination of monks, in the country, which led to Buddhist monks coming from Burma (Myanmar) in 1697 and Siam (Thailand) in 1753 to re-establish higher ordination in the country. It was through such interventions that Buddhism continued to flourish in Sri Lanka uninterrupted for over two centuries.

Buddhism enjoys State patronage in the country, which places a greater burden on the Buddhist clergy in particular to ensure that those within the monastic order maintain the highest standards of discipline and guide the country on the right path.

Unfortunately, what has been happening of late is a growing number of illegal activities involving members of the Buddhist clergy, including child abuse, illegal encroachment of land and, most recently, the attempted smuggling of drugs.

Given the influence that members of the Buddhist clergy wield in the country, political and public officials tread carefully in dealing with cases involving monks. While the law applies equally to all in the country, there are allegations that cases involving them are often hushed up.

The President’s remarks that laws will be enacted to ensure discipline among Buddhist monks are welcome, but it is a tricky area given that the Buddhist clergy are likely to be heavily divided on such an issue.

There have been previous attempts to amend the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance, but due to the failure to reach a consensus among members of the Buddhist clergy, the colonial-era law remains unchanged.

Government intervention, even with the blessing of the Mahanayake Theras, is unlikely to gain much support and could face opposition not only from some sections of the clergy, but from the public as well.

Discipline within any religious order must come from within, and there is little that new laws can do. The Vinaya Piṭaka lays down the rules that apply to the Buddhist monastic community. They must be strictly implemented by the relevant monastic orders to deal with those who break the Vinaya code. Parliament can enact laws, but how these laws are adhered to is entirely in the hands of the Buddhist clergy. In a week that is most sacred for Buddhists around the world as they celebrate Vesak, both Buddhists and members of the Buddhist clergy in the country need to look inward and commit themselves to the teachings of Lord Buddha. That means not shielding wrongdoers even if they are in robes, and confronting uncomfortable truths.