ISSUES

A southern Buddhist in a northern Island

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

News of his death was not unexpected. It was known for quite some time that the Viharadhipathi of Nagadeepa Vihara, Jaffna, Venerable Brahmanawatte Dhammakiththi Tissa Mahanayaka Thera was ailing. Many Tamils from the northern island of Nainatheevu (Nagadeepa) visiting Colombo had been calling on him in recent times. It was well known among the Nainatheevu people that their beloved "samy" or "periyasamy" as he was known was on his death bed. He passed away at the Colombo National Hospital on April 15 which incidently was the day of his birth too.

Even though his funeral could have been held in Colombo or his native place Balapitiya, the remains of Venerable Rajakeeya Panditha Brahmanawatte Dhammakithi Tissa Mahanayaka Thera, the chief incumbent  (Viharadhipathi), Nagadeepa Purana Raja Maha Viharaya were cremated under state patronage at the Adahana Maluwa of the same viharaya. This was in deference to the preponderant wishes of the people of Nainatheevu. This was indeed appropriate because the Mahanayake Thera had spent an unbroken 55 years in Nainatheevu.Vast crowds comprising clergy and laity of all four major religions in the country attended the funeral. The people of Nainatheevu paid their tribute in a fitting manner and also as a token of their esteem showered hospitality on all the mourners who gathered in the small island.

Although I am not from Nainatheevu I was quite sad when I heard of the venerable priest's demise. I had first seen him when first touring the island as a child with my family. Later I had met him on a few occasions when visiting friends in Nainatheevu. I had also met him accompanying Sinhala friends from the south as an unofficial guide. The most treasured memory was however a long discussion and short interview I had with him in 1981 when I was acting for some months as the northern correspondent of the Virakesari.

Vibrant relationship

He was truly a remarkable man who blended with his surroundings and established a vibrant relationship with the people. He was a true disciple of Lord Buddha because he did not play 'politics' in any way and was only concerned with preaching the dhamma and maintaining a Buddhist presence in an island associated in belief with the Buddha. Those unfamiliar with the recent history of Sri Lanka may wonder as to why this makes him remarkable. Several Buddhist priests have been living in the north-east. Some have even been killed. So what's special about this priest?

I regard him as unique because he was unlike many 'politicised' Buddhist priests who regarded themselves as 'missionaries' regaining the Sinhala Buddhist heritage from an alien environment. The Buddhist renaissance in many parts of the north-east was in many ways a political project. In the perception of those minority communities inhabiting those areas it was part of what they regarded as 'colonisation' aimed at altering the demographic patterns of the region. Many priests maintained close links with the police and armed forces and were often in practice agents of the state rather than followers of a great soul who spurned the trappings of state power.

Many Buddhist priests were at the forefront of this 'colonisation' process too. A notable example being the Ven. Dimbulagala Thero who in association with state officials tried to settle Sinhala colonists in the Manthurai aaru (Maduru-Oya) region. It was this fear of 'Sinhala-Buddhist expansion' that triggered off a desperate yet thoroughly notorious response among some Tamils. In ill-advised pre-emptive bids they cut down Bo trees. A more extreme act was the destruction of ancient Buddhist sites by Tamil militants.

All this was due to a faulty understanding of Buddhist history and archaeology. An observation made by Dr. Susantha Goonetilleke more than 20 years ago illustrates this tragedy vividly. This was in a follow up interview I conducted for the Virakesari after reading an article by him in The Lanka Guardian. I write from memory and am not sure of the exact words but the essence of what he said was this.

Commenting on archaeology in the country he said that the Sinhalese were wary of vertical excavations and the Tamils were suspicious of horizontal excavations. The Sinhala people liked all discoveries pertaining to the Mauryan era but did not like deeper excavations going beyond that into the megalithic period. This was because of a faulty notion that the discovery of a civilisation existing in the pre-Mauryan period would undermine the claims of a 'Buddhist' heritage in the country. So they would like 'vertical' excavations to stop at the Mauryan period and not proceed beyond. The Tamils on the other hand were worried about Buddhist sites and shrines being discovered in the north-east. This was because it was erroneously believed that proof of a Buddhist presence in the north-east eroded Tamil rights to habitation in those regions. This was because in the Sri Lankan context it was believed that Buddhism was linked only to the Sinhalese. So the Tamils would not like 'horizontal' excavations to extend into the north-east. They would like all excavations to be limited to the provinces outside the north-east.

Lack of knowledge

These fears and concerns were due to lack of knowledge Dr, Goonetilleke said. The Tamils had at one point of history been Buddhists and the discovery of Buddhist links was not something to be resented. Likewise, the Sinhala people need not worry about a pre-Mauryan heritage. Dr. Goonetilleke contended then that more and more archaelogical discoveries and related research may reveal that both the Sinhala and Tamil people along with those inhabitants of South India could all be of one stock.

The reason for recalling this is to emphasise the mutual suspicion and hostility prevailing between the Sinhala and Tamil people on the question of a 'Buddhist presence' in the north-east. It is against this backdrop that I refer to the Venerable Brahmanawatte Dhammakiththi Tissa Mahanayaka Thera as a refreshing exception. This southern Buddhist priest spent the greater part of his life in a northern island and endeared himself to a people different in race and religion. Furthermore, he was able to do this in a political atmosphere that had turned overwhelmingly hostile in recent years. He was able to live in Nainatheevu not because of naval protection alone but more due to the everlasting goodwill and amity he fostered.

This Mahanayaka Thera of the Amarapura Mulawanshika Nikaya was born in Brahmanawatte, Balapitiya in 1915. His parents were Migalahandige Richard de Silva and Lakdu Layanhamy who decided to admit their youngest son to the sasana. Accordingly the Mahanayaka Thera entered the bhikkhu order under Thotagamuwe Pagnamoly Tissa Nayaka Thera at Ambalangoda Randombe Maha Chetiya Pirivena. He completed his studies at the same pirivena.

He got through his matriculation along with his erudite contemporary, Venerable Professor Walpola Rahula Thera. In 1939 he went to Jaffna and joined the Victoria College at Chulipuram. (the alma mater of Appapillai Amirthalingam). He taught Sinhala and learnt Tamil there. He was very proficient in Tamil and later wrote many books and booklets on Buddhism in that language. A few years later after the demise of the chief incumbent of the Nagadeepa Vihara Ven. Randombe Somasiri Tissa Thera, the Ven. Dhammakitti Tissa Nayaka Thera succeeded him.

Rich in folklore

The Nainatheevu island has an area of nearly six miles. It is a few hundred yards from the Kurikattuvaan pier in Punguditheevu, about 16 miles from Jaffna town. Known as Nagadeepa in Sinhala the island - along with Kelaniya and Mahiyangana - is believed to be one of the three places in Sri Lanka that Lord Buddha visited. It is rich in folklore and legend associated with classical Tamil literature too.

Three of the five great epics of ancient Tamil are Buddhist. One of these is Manimekalai. According to it the chief protagonist Manimekalai visits an island called "Manipallavam." She worships at a Buddhist shrine (putha peedikai) there. There is a spring called "Komugippoigai" in front of it. As a result of her worship a vessel floats to the top of the spring. It is the "Atchaya Paathiram" which grants a never ending supply of food when required.

It is believed that Nainatheevu is Manipallavam. The spring has now dried and is somewhat depressed. It is called "putha pallam" (Buddhist pit) by residents. Opposite in dilapidated state is the ancient Buddhist vihara believed to be the one in which Manimekalai worshipped. That area is still called "putha valavu" or "Buddhist compound" by the people. The present Raja Maha Vihara was constructed later due mainly to the efforts of the Mahanayake.

It was not built on property acquired or seized by the state. Instead it was purchased at a very nominal sum from the "thimilar"(A fishing sub-caste)of the area. As a result of this Ven. Dhammakiththi had a special affinity towards Nainatheevu fisherfolk. He was like a guardian angel to them and prevented them from being harassed by the naval detachment stationed there.

Communal violence

There are many instances testifying to the humanity of the priest. For want of space I will relate three important ones. In 1958 there was no naval post on the island. When the communal violence erupted the navy personnel at Karainagar compulsively evacuated him to the base there. Although the people of Nainatheevu remained peaceful there were a number of people from adjacent islands engaged in trading in the south. Many were affected and were compelled to return home. Some of these people got excited and became a frenzied mob.

They converged on Nainatheevu and attacked the vihara in the absence of the priest. The ancient statue of the Buddha was destroyed by the mob. Had this news spread in the south passions would have been aroused more and led to further escalation of violence. But Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke suppressed the information. Urgent measures were taken to get down an identical statue from Myanmar (then Burma.) It was brought as a replacement. To his eternal credit Ven Dhammakiththi went along with this 'exercise of deception' in the interest of humanity. This remained a secret until Tarzie Vittachi revealed it in his Emergency 58. Also the Karainagar navy later rounded up a number of Nainatheevu people as suspects. The priest however insisted that all be released.

The second incident was in 1986. Nainatheevu had been free of militant violence for long. But then two Tiger recruits from the island laid underwater explosives along the jetty. The wires extended underwater to Kurikadduvaan. Lying in wait there the LTTE men observed Nainatheevu with binoculars. When a naval patrol launch reached the jetty the explosion was set off. Fortunately for the navy it went off prematurely. The pier was destroyed but the naval personnel escaped. The enraged sailors embarked on a shooting spree targeting innocent civilians. The Ven. Dhammakiththi accosted them and flung off his robes saying that he as a Buddhist priest could not tolerate such a sin. The navy calmed down and returned to barracks. A massacre was averted.

The third was in 1990. Nainatheevu has a small Muslim population too. In fact there is a belief that the island derived its name from a well-known Muslim merchant Naina Muhammad who leased the island from the Sethupathy kings of Ramnad in India. The LTTE after evicting Muslims from the peninsula wanted to drive the Nainatheevu Muslims too. The Muslims sought asylum with Ven. Dhammakiththi. The Buddhist prelate ensured that adequate protection be given to them by the navy. He also told the LTTE bluntly that no Muslim would be sent away. The Muslims of Nainatheevu are the only Muslims who continued to remain in the north despite the Tiger expulsion.

Another example of his greatness was when a separate pier was constructed near the Buddhist Vihara. The earlier one was in close proximity to the famous Hindu Temple dedicated to Nagapooshany Amman. The Buddhist pilgrims disembarking would worship at the Amman temple first and then come to the vihara. The new pier meant that Buddhists could immediately go to the Buddhist vihara itself. Ven Dhammakiththi however decreed that all launches with Buddhists should disembark at the older pier first. They should worship as usual at the Hindu temple and then come to the vihara, Afterwards they could embark at the new jetty constructed near the vihara.

The Amman temple chariot festival days and Poson usually overlapped. Ven Dhammakiththi had a lavish feast offering (Madai Paravuthal) at the vihara during the water cutting ceremony. Later this practice was extended to the Veerapathirar Temple ceremony too. During Vesak season there was a dansala that catered more to Tamils than Sinhala people. Buddhist devotees often bring sweets, biscuits and chocolates. The Ven. Dhammakiththi would take them personally in rotation to the gates of the three schools on the island and distribute them amongst the children.

Tower of strength

He was also a financial tower of strength to the people. He would lend them money whenever required, often getting the money from others to help those in urgent need. Yet in keeping with priestly custom he would not touch the money himself and got an assistant to do it. When he purchased anything he would hand over his ola purse to another to get the money out. Whenever the people of Nainatheevu organised a cultural event they would first go to the Buddhist priest for the pioneering donation.

In spite of this intimate intermingling Ven Dhammakiththi never engaged in politics. He remained aloof never attending meetings, though he would participate in literary meetings. He never intefered in politics and was a passive witness to developments. It was this detachment that enabled him to live through troubled times as a southern Buddhist in a northern Tamil island.

There is a jovial view among Nainatheevu people that they are a difficult community to get along with. Former Police DIG Sundaralingam's father, Ramachandra wrote once that Nainatheevu was a good place to be born, worship, die (thondral, valipaduthal, maraithal) but not to live (vaalthal). The Buddhist priest from Balapitiya went against the grain of this homegrown wisdom and lived a full and amiable life in Nainatheevu. He was a unique personality who is irreplaceable. It is with great sorrow that I pay tribute to a Buddhist disciple and a humanitarian apostle.

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