Prime Minister D.m.jayaratne said he would take steps to establish a court exclusively to solve the disputes among the Maha Sangha to uphold their dignity and to prevent any possible damage to the Sangha Sasana when their cases were heard in open court.

Addressing a gathering that attended the opening of the two storied living quarters of the monks at Polgasowita Sri Sudharshanarama temple in Homagama, he pointed out that in past the disputes in the temples were sorted out in secret in Uposathagara conference halls without interference of the laymen. The Prime Minister further said “It is sad that nowadays the monks are in the habit of going to court. Uposathagara was the venue of the secret meetings of the Maha Sangha, where controversial issues were sorted out by discussion.

It was a building covered with stone pillars. The laymen were not permitted to enter the premises. This protected the privacy of the Maha Sangha and the Buddha Sasana. However, the many disputes among the Maha Sangha today are taken up in open court.

This would bring disrepute to the Buddhist monks and provide the opportunity for the laymen to criticise the Maha Sangha through mass media, much to the annoyance of more than 133 million Buddhists.

Sri Lanka is the only country where the Maha Sangha has protected Buddhism for more than 2600 years. Survival of the nation depends largely on the Maha Sangha who would come forward in case of any threat to the well being of the nation. With this in view the government had decided to refer the disputes in temples to a separate court.”

Deputy Secretary of the Kotte Sri Samagree Sangha Sabha Ven. Prof. Kotupitiye Rahula, Chief Incumbent of Asgiriya Gedige Temple Ven Wendaruwe Upali, Chief Incumbent of Polgasovita Sri Sudharshanaramaya Wendaruwe Vijitha Thera and Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardene were present at the occasion.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka