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Introduction: Buddhism and Social Relations in Contemporary Sri Lanka
- University of Hawai'i Press
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Introduction Buddhism and Social Relations in Contemporary Sri Lanka One evening in late May 2004, I made yet another of countless ascents to Polgoda Vihara: a hilltop village temple in upcountry Sri Lanka. Because of some unforeseen car problems, it was already dark by the time I arrived. Leaving my car by the side of the driveway leading to the temple, I began a brief but tiring uphill walk. As I came around the bend in the road, the temple came dimly into view. To my left, I could see the shadows of about ten to fifteen young novices. They were sitting on the steps that lead up to the temple’s large preaching hall. I could also make out the figure of Upali, one of the principal donors of the temple, seated with the group. As I approached them, I could see that several novices were holding Upali’s arm, a mark of affection that one commonly sees among close friends of the same gender in South Asia. The conversation was light and jovial. They were laughing as Upali was sharing some of his personal stories. I spent some time listening in on the conversation before continuing my rounds. I meandered around the temple’s large living quarters and ran into another key donor chatting amiably with the temple’s head monk, Venerable Narada. Although the atmosphere was relaxed and their conversation informal, their encounter was marked by a greater degree of deference than between Upali and the novices: Venerable Narada was seated on a chair, while the donor, Perera, was seated on a straw mat placed on the ground. Another frequent visitor to the temple—a mildly autistic teenage boy from the village—was next to Perera. He was massaging Narada’s feet with some locally made Ayurvedic oil. Narada’s legs had become quite swollen after a brief, but serious, bout of dengue fever. After paying my respects to Narada and a quick exchange with Perera, I continued my rounds, this time with several young novices in tow. Similar to the young monastics clinging to Upali, these novices held on to my arm as we made our way through the main living quarters. Out back, a small fire was burning and a large covered pot sat on the makeshift hearth. Nearby, a few young novices were playing a game of marbles. A couple other monastics were there, including Suvata—an older man who became a novice a year earlier—and Piyaratana, the temple’s deputy head monk, who was tending to the fire. As I approached the group, Suvata, not wanting to reveal the fact that he and the other novices at Polgoda Vihara1 were about to break the sixth Buddhist precept—prohibiting xxii • Introduction the eating of solid food after midday—fidgetingly told me that they were boiling water for tea. One of the novices holding my arm quickly recanted, to the smiles and laughter of the other monks assembled there, “No we are not. We are cooking rice.” After several long seconds of awkward silence, the deputy head monk reassuringly told Suvata “Don’t worry. He knows us. He is close to us.” After spending another hour or so at the temple, I began to say my goodbyes . Before leaving I confirmed with Narada my intention of returning the following day to conduct interviews. He nodded and said, “No problem at all.” I paid my respects to Narada as he wished me well. It was such visits that caused me to pause and compelled me to reflect on the types of social bonds that exist among members of the Buddhist monastic community (Pali: saṃgha, hereafter sangha) as well as between monastics and laypeople . Although other more ritualized interactions between monastics and their patrons are colored by a greater degree of respect and what might be perceived as “emotional distance,” the laughter and fatherly affection shared between Upali and the novices assembled on the steps to the preaching hall, the amiable and easygoing conversation between Perera and Venerable Narada, the loving behavior of the teenage boy as he massaged Narada’s swollen feet, and the parent-like concern and compassion of the deputy head monk as he stooped over the hot fire and cooked rice for the temple’s hungry novices were all examples of behaviors that are, I came to realize, reflective of complex bonds and affective ties that permeate Buddhist monastic life. The purpose of this book is precisely to examine the types...