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Karma and Politics

Sri Lanka's current political fate is the result of manipulating democratic institutions over the past 40 years to concentrate power. Politicians have lost touch with citizens as they speed through villages in motorcades without stopping to understand people's needs. History shows that leaders who become drunk on power through repressing opposition and amassing wealth for themselves often meet unfortunate ends, as their actions sow the seeds of their own downfall. In contrast, the president of Uruguay, who donates most of his salary to charity and lives simply among the people, is likely to leave office gracefully with a legacy of goodwill rather than instability.

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Thavam Ratna
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202 views5 pages

Karma and Politics

Sri Lanka's current political fate is the result of manipulating democratic institutions over the past 40 years to concentrate power. Politicians have lost touch with citizens as they speed through villages in motorcades without stopping to understand people's needs. History shows that leaders who become drunk on power through repressing opposition and amassing wealth for themselves often meet unfortunate ends, as their actions sow the seeds of their own downfall. In contrast, the president of Uruguay, who donates most of his salary to charity and lives simply among the people, is likely to leave office gracefully with a legacy of goodwill rather than instability.

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Thavam Ratna
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Karma and Politics

E
very country has the government it deserves French-Russian Philosopher
Joseph de Maistre in 1811.
12 Little Known Laws of Karma (That Will Change Your Life)

by Lalith Gunaratne

- on 01/05/2015
Politics the world over is going through its test of
time, as most democratic governments are now influenced either by
corporations or China. These outside interests encourage a concentration
of political power leading to an accumulation of economic wealth, especially
if the Westminster based democracy erodes its checks and balances with

solid opposition parties, independent bureaucracy and a judiciary


complemented by various civil society institutions.
Sri Lankas current fate is a result of manipulating its democratic
institutions and the constitution to meet these influences and to fit
personalities in power over the last 40 years.
Journalist Prasad Gunewardene wrote in Ceylon Today (2014-12-07) about
veteran left wing politician Colvin R. De Silva making a prediction to then
President J.R. Jayewardene Dickie, the day you go, abolish this executive
system and go, because your successors will find it difficult to keep their
political parties united unlike you, and when that happens therell be chaos
in the country. Thats a matter for the future to see like Que Sera, JR had
quipped in a lighter vein. Gunewardene states, true to Colvins words,
President Premadasas UNP split. President Kumaratungas SLFP split. And
today, President Mahinda Rajapaksas SLFP is also in the doldrums.
In this history of time, Sri Lanka continues to play out its political drama and
intrigue with the January 8th, 2015 Presidential elections.
The polls and conversations with many say corruption and the
centralization of power within the Rajapakse family goes against the current
regime. This government ended the most difficult of wars and won
accolades and plaudits as well as censure for it. The condemnation,
especially of the ending of the war put the regime on the defensive.
This may be a reason for their reptilian insensibility in hoarding power and
the wealth needed to sustain them for impunity. However, Karmic laws do
have a way of equalizing the unabated reptilian indulgences.
Ending the war and all the good work to develop infrastructure is losing its
lustre as, if there is no virtue in leadership poor governance, a lack of
discipline, lawlessness and the inability to protect all its citizens. Political
leaders have lost their connection with the people, as the average person
only sees motorcades speeding through their villages and towns. Politicians
rarely stop to ask how they are doing and what they would like their

government to do for them.


Losing touch with the ground realities only destabilizes and divides, as the
core being of the nation disintegrates.
Learning from History
History is a stage littered with stories of the likes of Napolean, Hitler, Stalin,
Joseph Mobotu (Mobutu Sese Seko), Saddam Hussein and so many more,
who may have come to lead with positive intentions and even did good,
later to get drunk with power, losing touch with reality, causing misery for
many with their own fate sealed in the Karma of those actions.
Mobutu with a self perpetuated cult status, concentrated power around him,
ran the Congo (named Zaire by him in 1971) to the ground in his 32 year
reign. Amassing a wealth of over $ 10 billion, he gave meaning to a new
word kleptocracy. Mobutu tyranny left thousands dead, structures of
government crumbled and left the Congo destitute amidst its rich natural
resources.
On May 17th 1997, saw the end of Zaire as the Alliance des forces
democratiques pour la liberation du Congo (AFDL) was welcomed by a
population weary and drained from the reign of Mobutu terror the
Republic of Congo was born again. As Mobutu fled hastily, most of his old
friends ignored him. He died in exile in September 1997 in Rabat, Morocco.
Napolean was a larger than life leader as he took Europe by storm for 20
years from 1799 after the French Revolution. He united Europe and
championed the end of feudalism promoting meritocracy, secular education
of the arts and sciences, institutionalizing law and justice and more to lay a
foundation for the modern world. Napolean, the Emperor too fell prey to his
own success and was fallible and mortal like the rest of us as poet Byron
captures in his 19th century poem;
But thou forsooth must be a king,
And don the purple vest,

As if that foolish robe could wring


Remembrance from thy breast.
Where is that faded garment? Where?
The gewgaws though wart fond to wear,
The star, the string, the crest?
Vain forward child of empire! Say
Are all thy playthings snatched away?
Stories of these leaders give us an idea of what can happen to our own, but
no one can predict the future.
Dependent Co-Arising
The very Buddha Dhamma Sri Lanka protects provides clues to what may
come in its political future through the teachings on Karma. This precious
wisdom tells us that all things arise in dependence upon multiple causes
and conditions. The nature of causalitythe way one thing leads to
another, continually change and condition each other in interconnections in
this web of life.
The Samyutta Nikaya adds;
According to the seed thats sown,
So is the fruit you reap there from,
Doer of good will gather good,
Doer of evil, evil reaps,
Down is the seed and thou shalt taste
The fruit thereof.
This wisdom emerges as one sits quietly in meditation and a realization that
going against laws of nature is not sustainable.
A Shining Light in Uruguay
Ironically, in todays cynical world of politics, there are good stories.
This good story is about the last hero of politics, Jos Alberto Pepe
Mujica Cordano, President of Uruguay (3.3 million people), who is described

to be the worlds poorest president, as he donates some 97% of his


monthly US $12,000 salary to charities that benefit the poor and small
entrepreneurs in his country.
He lives his life in peace without much fuss on his wifes small farm in the
outskirts of the capital Montevideo. In his stable is his own 1987
Volkswagen Beetle.
Mujicas way of life may sound surreal for modern political leaders, but how
sensible it is as he is content with the adequacy of what he has. Being
amongst his people he does not have to fear them nor carry the burden of
being protected from them.
No wonder The Economist named Uruguay, the Country of the Year in
2013 and is regarded as one of the most liberal and socially developed
nations in the world. I can wager that Mujica, who seems to live the Noble
Eightfold Pathway of the Buddha, will leave his office gracefully at the end
of his term with a legacy of goodwill and happiness, and not a burden of
instability and violence on his people. That is good Karma.
We will see what Karma awaits Sri Lanka on 8th January.
Posted by Thavam a

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