Should one, by accident or misfortune, come to believe that after four centuries of liberation from the crowns of the dominant Germanic powers of Portugal, the Netherlands, and England, we merely exchanged one form of subjugation for another under an Indian crown, a profound restraint of spirit becomes necessary. Curiosity, in this domain, demands silence. To seek further without discretion is to invite peril.
In such a discovery, neither the legal structures of Sri Lanka nor its political authorities, officials, or even personal companions can be relied upon to deliver justice or solace. The seeker quickly learns that truth offers no guarantee of protection.
Without patience, maturity, and disciplined restraint, one may find oneself transformed—through the machinery of law and public discourse—into a criminal, a religious transgressor, or an antisocial figure, irrespective of actual conduct. Reputation becomes malleable in the hands of institutions and narratives.
The media, ever eager for spectacle, may hasten to brand the dissenter a fraud. Simultaneously, networks of opportunists emerge, ready to attach themselves to one’s name. They cloak themselves in divinity, meditation, miracles, unseen forces, and political rhetoric. It becomes irrelevant whether one stands apart from them, belongs to them, or rejects them entirely; association is imposed regardless.
There comes a day when the “five great views” appear unquestionably true. Another day arrives when they seem entirely false. Eventually, one confronts a moment when they appear true once more. By then, however, the realization may arrive too late.
Even the Guru Mushtiya proves susceptible to similar reinterpretation and adjustment.
I sometimes imagine a future community that may one day emerge from these tensions. Yet I live with the awareness that all phenomena are impermanent and that all constructions—social, political, and intellectual—are destined to dissolve.
If one lacks the patience and inner resilience required to endure prolonged periods of disillusionment and hardship, it may be wiser to withdraw from the study of history altogether. Do not dwell upon such histories; instead, attend to the care of your own life.
