Removing The Sheen From Buddhism

[Husky]

^ That's exactly the Buddhist mentality vis-a-vis Shinto (and Daoism and Bon etc).

And the christian mentality vis-a-vis NW heathens etc and even Hellenismos. (In the end, the laity was all that was left. That's where the word heathen comes from: a reference to the unreached masses of remote corners of the land.)



Says nothing about the accuracy of such mentality.

What looks like superstition to those with a monotheistic tendency, the targeted people *know* to be anything but. So when the aliens tell the heathens thus-and-so about their Gods, the heathens remain silent because they know their Gods are real; that however silly the aliens think their religion is, it is founded on truth: the reason that Shintos - like Daoists - were adamant in not wanting Buddhism to invent bodhisattva and buddha-ising fictions about their Gods was because Shintos find their Gods to be real. But Buddhism wouldn't know that.

(And just for general information for any Hindus who may read this: there are of course "educated" "smart" Japanese people who are still stubborn Shintos.)





Something relevant.

SL adopted most of its various "guardian deities of SL Buddhism" from ... "elsewhere" (other religion). Vibheeshana's popularity caught on among even SL Buddhists temporarily (despite SL Buddhism's inverted spin on the Ramayanam) so that he was on the list at some point, but eventually got edged off - to SL Buddhism's relief. He got replaced in the list of "SL guardian deities" by a popular Goddess among southern Hindus, including the Hindus of SL: Kannagi (whose other names in the Hindu epic Cilappadikaaram include Pattini - for being a virtuous Patni - and Mangala). SL was not unfamiliar to her, but her rise to popularity among SL Buddhists in recent centuries is what made SL Buddhism put Pattini in the shortlist.





The comments at the following link shows where Sri Lankans - including especially SL Buddhists - find the Pattini Amman worship among SL Buddhist laity derives from. And how actual, conscious Theravada Buddhists view the matter.



http://groundviews.org/2011/01/11/female...d-pattini/

The main article says:

in Sri Lanka: she is worshipped by the Hindus of the east and north as Kannaki Amman, but by far the larger numbers of devotees are among the Sinhala Buddhists, from all parts of the island, for whom she is Pattini Amma.

Two things on this statement:

- "the larger number of devotees are among the Sinhala Buddhists" -> maybe that's 'cause there *are* more Sinhala Buddhists in SL than Hindus...

- "[Sinhala Buddhists] for whom she is Pattini Amma" -> Southern Hindus too are familiar with her name of "Pattini", since I *think* that is one of the refs to Kannagi in Cilappadikaaram itself.



Anyway, some of the "35 Comments" at the above link (my own inserts in purple):

yapa

January 11, 2011 • 7:23 am



(Female) “deities” of “Theravada Buddhism”???



Kannagi and Pattini????



Any body who has a slightest idea about Buddhism knows that Buddhism is a philosophy/way of life that that advocates people to rely on their own will and effort to reach at its goal. It never advocate their followers to pray for favours to anybody, deities or whatever it is.



These deities mentioned above really are Hindu deities who got some respect of some of the Buddhists through Hindu influence felt in Sri Lanka. It is natural for any social group to absorb some elements from those come to in touch with it. However, this does not say all the Buddhists believe or follow these deities or these deities belong to Buddhism, and has no any reason to specifically attribute to “Theravada Buddhism”.



I don’t think the writer does not know that Theravada Buddhism is not rituals practiced by average Sri Lankans of Sri Lanka. Buddhism found in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia are also known as Theravada Buddhism. Is the writer saying that Kannagi and Pattini are deities of the people of these Theraravada Buddhist countries as well, if these deities are Theravada Buddhist deities?



Is your notion “everything believed by any of the Buddhist in Sri Lanks is Theravada Buddhism” or “Theravada Buddhism is what any Sri Lankan Buddhist believe”? Can you really identify Theravada Buddhism in this line and is this the correct line for it? Is it what you say is Theravada Buddhism or it is a completely different one? Don’t you think that your definition is one of your own that has no any relationship to acceptance by any school of scholars? Can you show me any accepted definition of Theravada Buddhism found in in any accredited definition at least going close to your notion?



“Aththahi aththano natho, Kohinatho parosiya” Buddhism says.



This learned writer or the panel of editors who chose this to publish in the forum, I cannot think not to know these simple facts. In the light of this I don’t think I am wrong if I am inclined to think that this is a calculated attack having a special target, which I indicated a few days before referring to the recent trend.



Thanks!





sudesh

January 11, 2011 • 7:52 am



This article is misleading people.The God Saman(Sumana saman dewiyo)

is the only Buddhist God in Buddhist literature.There are other gods but not exact names and information.But God saman plays a major role and he is considered as the protector of Theravada Buddhism in sri lanka.And God Paththini clearly is a Hindu concept which merged with Buddhist culture in Kandy era.

You may see both Buddhist Tamil and Hindu people worship God Paththini but not God Saman.Because God Saman is only related to budhist culture and literature.

BTW “Pattini is considered the goddess of fertility and health” this concept came from Egyptian myth Taweret.Do a little research before you post online articles. (Lots of religions all over the world have Goddesses of fertility and health, not just Egypt.)

thanks

sudesh





Amarnath

January 11, 2011 • 10:16 am



Yapa and Sudesh,

don’t get so upset about that article. The writer is very clear in what she has written. She is not writing about Buddhist philosophy as preached by Gauthama Buddha, that has no relevance in society and even to Buddhist monks, any more. The writer has focused on the type of Buddhism that is commonly practised by every citizen who claims he/she is a Buddhist, goes to temple and worships the Bo tree, the Buddha statues and all the Hindu Gods in the temple. Its the practising Buddhism that is being written about, not what is wholly restricted to academia for library value.

Amarnath



Reply

(The gradual reversion of all "laity" acquired by Buddhism. Happens in the rest of Asia all the time.)





chandula kumbukage

January 11, 2011 • 11:45 am



Dear Sharni,



Beautiful photography. Let me give a small suggestion to your title. Instead of “Female Deities of Theravada Buddhism” I suggest you title it as “Female Deities of Theravada Buddhism”. Because, although Sri Lanka follows Theravada Buddhism, in practice it follows “Sinhala Buddhism” as mentioned by prof.Gananatha Obeysekara.



It is true that with the arrival of Arahath Mahinda, Theravada Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka and remained the dominant Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka. However we cannot rule out the influence of Mahayana and Hindu traditions into Buddhism of Sri Lanka. For instance, worshiping the tooth relic is a practice influenced by Mahayana tradition. Similarly deities such as Katharagama, Vishnu, Natha and Pattini were worshiped by Buddhists under the influence of Hindu traditions. Therefore it is correct to mention that what is practiced in Sri Lanka is “Sinhala Buddhism” combined with Theravada, Mahayana and Hindu traditions.



Godess “Pattini” is popular among Sinhala Buddhists. Therefore it is more correct to title this article as “Female Deities of Sinhala Buddhism”



Reply





Sam

January 11, 2011 • 2:12 pm



“worshiping the tooth relic is a practice influenced by Mahayana tradition”

This is wrong. Lord Gautama Buddha clearly admired worshiping relics (Dhathu wandanawa). He asked the followers to make stupas in commemoration of Buddhas, Arahaths and Chakkawatti Kings.





Sharni Jayawardena

January 11, 2011 • 12:30 pm



The point I am making here is that the Theravada Buddhist tradition, unlike the Mahayana or Vajrayana traditions, is inclined not to venerate female deities. I have not tried to examine the nature of Buddhism here, and do not dispute the fact that Buddhism does not advocate prayers for favours from “deities or whatever it is”. I am focusing here on an aspect of Buddhist practice, rather than Buddhist philosophy, in the context of Sri Lanka.



It is a fact that Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, almost without exception, have designated places of worship for a range of deities. The Goddess Pattini is one of them. That she is considered the goddess of ‘fertility and health’ can be validated by talking to any of her devotees; where the concept originated would certainly be a point of interest but not relevant to the brief introduction I have provided to contextualize my photographs.



Reply





Sri Lankan

January 11, 2011 • 2:01 pm



Kannagi/Pattini is NOT venerated by other Theravada Buddhists such as those in Myanmar/Thailand/Cambodia. This is particular to Sri Lankan Buddhism, and that too it is a minority among the Sri Lankan Buddhists who worship/venerate the deity. It is no doubt the influence of Tamil Hinduism. A more appropriate title would be “Female deities of Sri Lankan and/or Sinhala Buddhism: Kannagi and Pattini”



Reply





yapa

January 11, 2011 • 7:10 pm



“I have not tried to examine the nature of Buddhism here, and do not dispute the fact that Buddhism does not advocate prayers for favours from “deities or whatever it is”.”



Then what was your purpose of naming it “Theravada Buddhism”? Don’t you think you have made a sweeping generalization, to the whole population using a small sample? Don’t you think you have done a massive harm to Buddhism by your negligence or by your calculated attack or what ever you would like to call it? I think you should apologize.



Thanks!



Reply





yapa

January 11, 2011 • 8:45 pm Dear All;



“Can there be anything wrong if She so happens to be a Tamil Woman?”



Not at all, it is the right thing and the truth, they are not Theravada Buddhist deities or Sinhala deities.



However, there is one female deity who is only known to Sinhalese culture, but should not be identified as a “Theravada Buddhist deity” or a “Sinhala deity” with a pre-assumed objective or in haste ” . This is just a female deity mentioned in Sinhala literature, but no prayed for favours, just like the deities mentioned in Buddhist Suttas. Please read the story.



When king Dutu Gamunu was seeking a place to build the “Maha Stupa” he found a place he thought would be proper for the purpose, however, he found an obstacle, a gigantic “Thelambu tree” in the place. Then he also found that there was a female deity living in the tree and requested her to find another dwelling so that he could build the Stupa. However, the deity asked for a favour in return, that the Stupa should be given her name when it is built. The king accepted it and that is how the Maha Stupa became “Swarnamali”.



Wsarnamali Seya or Ruwanmali Seya is still shining in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura, attracting the all respects from the Buddhists and reminding us the name of that deity unique to Sinhalese culture.



But our hasty or what ever writers have no any sense of such deities unique to Sinhalese, but bring forward Hindu deities to discredit an unblemished philosophy that cannot be challenged.



This is how they discuss Theravada Buddhism. When they have no capacity to dive into deep philosophies, and has no good faith in their minds, they insult them with superficial and irrelevant jabberings. Kusal Perera is not an exception.



Ignorants are the bravest! Ignorance is bliss!!



Thanks!



Reply

Concerning the lines made bold just above (as well as some others bits in the quoteblock above):

That post 132 summarised "exactly the Buddhist mentality vis-a-vis Shinto (and Daoism and Bon etc)" also holds here on the Buddhist view of Hindu religion/Gods among the laity, and the Buddhist view on the reversion to Hindu religion of the 'Buddhist' laity.