| by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
( October 30, 2013, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) This morning, I received advice regarding the destruction of Kali Amman Temple in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. It is very saddening to read about such barbarism. Mother Kali is common to Tamils as well as Sinhalese in Sri Lanka.
Even if one true devotee feels the pain – the return karma would be physical. Karma happens naturally and unless we raise our expressions to the higher level, we are seeking return at the physical level. As per Hindu belief – Holy Mother is personified as Kali, Lakshmi & Saraswathi depicting Physical strength, Money wealth and Education respectively.
In Jaffna those who use their physical strength worship Mother Kali. We take care of a Family Vairavar-Kali temple in Northern Sri Lanka and I feel strongly protected by Mother Kali. I believe that I am protected from physical violence due to my faith in Mother Kali. When we believe, we naturally invoke those powers.
Even though the Sri Lankan Constitution recognizes Buddhism as the first religion, majority race in Sri Lanka are actually so only in name. True Buddhists would seek the path of non-violence. By making Buddhism the first religion in Sri Lanka, the Government has placed on itself, the responsibility to lead Buddhist citizens to consciously follow in the path of Buddha. When one acts violently – in an area without specific responsibility – the return is at that level – one to one. But when one acts violently in an area where one has position duty - the return is raised to that level. When the violence is natural to the person or the act hurts a person committed to non-violence – the return is exponential. That was how I saw the karma of the Vice Chancellor University of New South Wales who failed to protect my work return through the Governing Council resulting in the dismissal of the Vice Chancellor. Likewise Mr. Howard who was then the Prime Minister was present with the American President during the 9/11 experience. Those who raise their work genuinely to that level will recognize the return karma as observers. We then know that our Energies have added themselves to produce that return at the appropriate time.
To my mind, the Tamil Tigers chose the title Tiger due to their physical approach to the ethnic problem. Many rural areas in Northern Sri Lanka were strongly influenced by the Tamil Tigers because they were naturally driven by physical level returns. These folks need not necessarily identify with the LTTE’s goals. They just feel comfortable with the physical level actions and reactions. They conclude and act before conflict could be raised to the intellectual level. To the extent they were deprived of educational facilities and / or economic opportunities – they would be right and hence their strong devotion to Mother Kali.
Mother Kali’s Consort is Vairavar – the Protector and is the deity of armed forces. The destruction of Kali temple therefore is damage of the armed forces protecting that area. Given that Tamils are now not retaliating at the physical level – Buddhists are killing their own Protecting Forces. That is how karma happens once we do our duty. We just need to observe and not compete with the Buddhists – seeking an eye for an eye. Once we start retaliating we stop raising ourselves to the higher level to observe. Let’s observe. Some of us have sacrificed enough to find higher solutions.
 This morning, I received advice regarding the destr...){kind=link}