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Gross groveling to a politician and delaying a most deserving Bhikkhu
I am well aware that this utterly disgraceful fiasco I mean to write about has been exposed more than a week ago and many know the full story. 
MTV Channel news in both languages also relayed a message from him in which he said there was no necessity to conduct an inquiry into the incident, leave alone punish people. “Instead the Sri Lankan government can conduct an inquiry on how they can have a better country with more forgiveness.” He also said mistakes will be made. So here for me is the crux of the matter. A mistake was made at Katunayaka Airport that caused him to miss his flight and delayed him by 12 hours. Unlike us Sri Lankans to whom time does not seem to matter and we take delays and standing around almost as a given, foreigners – even monks – have busy schedules and keep to them.
My last Sunday’s column was one of admiration, praise and gratitude to Ajahn Brahm and those who organized and facilitated his very busy nine days in the Island, helping us to better understand the Dhamma and also meditate. I am going against his and the Buddha’s teaching of being mindful and forgiving. But I am unable to put the shame and yes anger, aside. As a persistent woman, I will have my way and write about the BIA debacle.
What I read in a newspaper item was this: “Despite initial reports that Ven. Ajahn Brahm had been delayed at the BIA due to the presence of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardane at the
airport, sources clarified that the delay was due to Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. …. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had left the VIP lounge with an airport official. The airport official had then forgotten to assist the thera. The thera had been kept waiting for 12 hours.
“Meanwhile, the Presidential Secretariat has sought a report from Airport and Aviation (Sri Lanka) Ltd, (AASL), for delaying Singapore bound Ven Ajahn Brahmavamso at the BIA for 12 hours reportedly due to the negligence of airport officials, official sources said.” “We will handle the incident officially as a minister was also involved and will make a statement to the media in a few days, an AASL official said.”
And the statement, dated 1 June 2023 issued from Colombo, went thus: “Sri Lankan Airlines would like to clarify that a story currently circulating on social media about the airline mishandling the travel of Ven Ajahn Brahm is completely false. The Ven Ajahn Brahm was booked on a different airline when the unfortunate delay occurred at the BIA in the early hours of 31 May 2023. Sri Lankan Airlines, however, promptly stepped up and went beyond to help Ven Ajahn Brahm find an alternative flight. SL Airlines therefore reiterated that the Ven Thero was not originally booked to travel to Bangkok.”
Gaping holes could be picked in the statement. The announcement to be valid and accepted should have given at least bare details of the ‘different airline’ that Ajahn Brahm was supposed to have taken and what his destination was. Also the official report states that “a story currently circulating on social media about the airline mishandling the travel of Ven Ajahn Brahm is completely false.” Note that please. Now it is known that airport officials came to the VIP lounge and conducted Nimal Siripala de Silva to the plane that was being boarded and grossly overlooked conducting the Ven Thera to the same plane on which he was booked to travel.
Maybe there was no tom tom beating procession escorting the Minister of Aviation but we can be sure there was plenty obeisance and groveling before him. That is the way of this country and its officials. It was said by Ajahn Brahm that noting the time, he enquired about his flight and then an official conducted him, only to find the doors of the plane he should have been taken to much earlier, closed. Hence his having to wait 12 hours at the airport with, we are sure, a disruption to his travel plan to Australia where his busy schedule too would have been disrupted.
To add insult to injury, I heard on MTV news on Monday June 5, the Head of the Airport and Aviation (Sri Lanka) Ltd, make an announcement about this incident. Not a word of apology to the monk; at least I heard none. The entire gist of his pronouncement was that the delay was NOT due to PM Dinesh G’s travel to Bangkok.
Then two women fed me more info. Nimal Siripala de Silva had arrived with a larger entourage to travel to Bkk, so to accommodate the Minister, Ajahn Brahm’s booked seat was pilfered, one said. The second commented that before plane doors are closed, seats are checked and if a passenger or passengers is/are missing the airport is contacted from the plane. Ajahn B’s seat was occupied, apparently!
Here is a world renowned and universally respected monk receiving piffling attention at our premier airport when all officials are duty bound and morally obliged to treat everyone with utmost courtesy and unfailing service. Due to two political bosses passing through and the customary abjectness of our people, a holy person who had given of himself to fulfill a crowded schedule of religious service to us, was neglected, overlooked and thwarted in his booked flight. Further, he had to while away half a day merely because of the carelessness, or misdeed, of officials.
Others’ opinion
For interest’s sake I googled opinions on Ven Ajahn Brahm since we admire him greatly and I wished to access other comments, if given. Here are three references I culled: “Ajahn Brahm co-founded (with Ajahn Jagaro) Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine. He literally contributed to the building of this monastery as he built most of the structures with his own hands alongside his fellow monastics.”
“He is an authentic master on the more cheerful end of the spectrum.”
“I owe him a huge debt of gratitude. He helped me discover Buddhism.”
“He seems to be the sort of monk I would enjoy a beer with.” (!)
“I have been following Ajahn Brahm since 2004. His kindness and wisdom really shaped my perspective on life and my practice. I love, appreciate and respect him. He is doing so much good for the world and for Buddhism.”
“I applaud his bravery in ordaining bhikkhunis even at personal cost.”
The first bhikkhuni Ajahn Brahm ordained
Ayya Vayama, who was a ten preceptor under Ayya Khema at Parappuduwa Nuns’ Island which a few of us would visit frequently, became a much respected friend of mine. She would stay with me when she needed to get her visa extended in Colombo and then later whenever she visited SL from the UK or Perth. Most unfortunately she came down with a neurological disorder after she was a recognized teaching/meditating Bhikkhuni. The last time she visited SL, she was wheel chaired by her caring friend, Bhikkhuni Seri. We kept in touch via email until she died on November 20, 2021. She was the first ten preceptor given higher ordination by Ajahn Brahm.
Here below is her account of how she was almost forced (with a broad smile of course) to take over the supervision of the construction of a nuns’ monastery in Perth and be its head, by Ajahn Brahm through the Society he headed.
“I write as the senior Nun of the yet to be built Nuns’ Monastery, having recently accepted the invitation of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia… Though I am still a nun without a nunnery in the material sense, my heart is full of joy and gratitude for the work that has already been done on this project by so many ….offered funds for the Society to purchase the 583 acres of bushland at Gidgegannup. As an ongoing reminder of its true purpose, we have named it Dhammasara – the Heartwood of the Dhamma, a synonym for Nibbana, after a simile used by the Buddha. So, Dhammasara will be a place to practice for the attainment of Nibbana, It will primarily be for Theravadin Nuns and women who want to train to become Nuns…
I ordained as a ten preceptor nun in Sri Lanka in 1985 with Ven Piyaratana, the Chief Monk of Polgasduwa Island Hermitage, as my Preceptor, and Ven Ayya Khema as my Teacher.
I lived at Parappuduwa Nuns’ island and in several towns in the south of the country during my ten years in Sri Lanka. At the invitation of Ven Ajahn Sumedho, I spent a year at Amaravati, his monastery in England. In 1997, I returned to Australia. My deepest aspiration for this life is to attain Nibbana, and to assist others towards fulfilling their potential. So being part of this project also allowing me to express my life’s purpose, I feel immensely blessed.”
I must add here that until Dhammasara was part completed and other women moved in, Ajahn Vayama lived all alone in the vast acreage of woodland in Gidgegannup, her home a caravan.
In Sri Lanka
I have written about Ajahn Brahm earlier, and in one of those I mentioned some of our monks who have done much more than Ajahn Brahm to get us Buddhists on the correct path, teaching the pure Theravada Dhamma. We revere them and bless them all for the service they rendered to Buddhism and thus to us trying to follow the Buddha’s Teaching. Remembered by me are Ven Theros Narada, Piyadassi, Madihe Pannasiha, (Prof) Dhammavihari, Mettavihari, Vajiraramaye Nanasiha, Thalalle Chandakitti and the forest residing Uda Eriyagama Dhammajiva and Damita who translated excellently Ajahn Brahm’s answers at the BMICH.
We hope they have always been treated with due respect by the government and govt officials. We are certain people respect them; and their silvath reputations are totally unblemished by the misbehavior of certain persons donning yellow robes for convenience /clout or to please big wigs. Our Sangha is truly a continuation of the Sangha the Buddha founded six centuries ago.