Communism

President Jayewardene who fervently believed in socialistic democracy had a well known dislike for communism though he was well versed in its theories and practice, substance and nature of communism. One of the reasons that could be added to this dislike was the fact that its theory was basically opposed to the doctrine of Buddha's teachings for which the President had great respect. This is evident in the manner in which he analyses the Great Teacher's doctrine and the teachings of Karl Marx.

In his critical essay 'Buddhism and Marxism 'President Jayewardene succinctly and clearly explains the essences of their teachings. The Buddha wants, he says, man to understand the phenomena and the relationship between man and his environment. Happiness to his way of thinking comes not from outside, from a hostile world, but from within. Suffering (Dukka) is man's own creation. It is not a quality of the external world, nor is it the effect of the external world upon one's self.

Marx on the other hand, emphasizes the economic structure that surrounds man. Change that structure he says and the man automatically changes. Marx's disciples are not interested in changing the nature of the mind of man. The morality of human existence and ethical conduct are of no concern to them. Since the goal is not ethical even violence is justified and is considered the only method of changing the society.

President Jayewardene's line of argument is adequate testimony to believe that he despised materialism advocated by Marx or Lenin. Lenin said "Overthrow the capitalists, crush the resistance of these exploiters with the iron hand of the armed workers. Smash the bureaucratic machine of the modern state and you will have a mechanism of the highest technical equipment, free from the parasite capable of being wielded by the united workers themselves who will hire their own technicians, managers and book-keepers and pay them all ordinary workmen's wages".

'Today I accept', said President Jayewardene, 'and the world of free men and women accept, that the people by their own decisions should be free to choose the forms of government they wish to live under. It is democracy that permits freedom of speech and expression including publication, assembly, association, occupation and movement'.

Karl Marx's declaration, in derision of this principle, states that under 'Imperialist domination the oppressed were allowed to, once every few years, to decide which particular representative of the oppressed class should misrepresent them in Parliament!'

'Changing the economic environment that surrounds man alone will not change his thinking or his nature' concludes President Jayewardene ' I believe that the means adopted to reach the ideal state must be a pure object. General destruction of life however small cannot be justified merely because lives are sacrificed in order that generations unborn may live in a socialist state. I will not use human beings as tools in revolutionary struggle by appeal to class hatred and jealousy. I would rather that without violence in deed or word they attain a socialist goal through the constitutional and legal powers which democracy rests in its representatives'.