Acknowledgement

These documents articulate an action-reflection movement in a rural area in Sri Lanka where Buddhist-Christian-Marxist dialogue was combined with collective farming.

Sevaka Yohan Devananda does most of the actual writing but it is essentially the articulation of a community experience, the outcome of a dialogue with the people.

It all began with the founding of Devasaranaramaya, a Christian monastery on indigenous lines, by Yohan Devananda in association with a group that was committed to explore new styles of life and witness based on indigenous values but relevant to a new age. Dialogue with the people around led from analysis of religious doctrine to serious political concern and study of land reform, which in turn led to the founding of a collective farm.

This movement first became known when Devananda's interpretation of the 1971 Insurrection in Sri Lanka was published abroad. The present Bishop of Winchester, then Canon John Taylor, General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society, published the verse section of it with the C M S News Letter and the press section of it was published by Sir John Lawrence in Frontier. A Thai translation of it was published by Sulak Sivaraksa in Thailand and recently the complete English version has been published by Gazelle Books Co., P.O. Box 21267, Nairobi, Kenya. An extract from this interpretation, which was entitled "Violent Lanka", is included among the documents presented here.

A series of "Socialist Parables" was written by Devananda and published in "Satyodaya", a journal edited by Fr Paul Caspersz, S.J. at a renewal centre in Kandy. These are published here under other titles. Also included are a series of Current Comments that were also published in that journal.

A previous collection of documents was published in mimeograph form for a Seminar at the Sociological Faculty of the Peradeniya Campus of the University of Sri Lanka. Several documents from that collection are included here.

The context of this whole movement is a Sinhala village area and the language used is the Sinhala language, which is spoken by. the majority of the people in Sri Lanka. All meetings are held entirely in Sinhala. The majority of people both at meetings and in the collective farm itself are Buddhists – many of them influenced by Marxism, especially the youth. English documents are available as part of the exchange and spread of ideas.

Devasaranaramaya and the Devasarana Collective Farm extend their thanks to all those who have participated in the action and reflection that is articulated in these documents and in the exchange and spread of ideas that accompanies it. There are many both in Sri Lanka and abroad who are interested and involved in the Devasarana Development Movement. We trust it is solidly based on the rich human resources of youth, mainly, and also peasants at grass-roots level in Sri Lanka, though it cannot be called a mass movement. We are particularly grateful to Buddhists in the area, including Bhikkus in surrounding Temples, who have extended cooperation and support. Encouragement and support has also been received from the Church both in Sri Lanka and abroad. Then, it may also be mentioned that since we aim at being a radical movement there has also been opposition from various quarters!

Any of the material in these documents may be used without permission, with acknowledgement.

D.A. Ariyadasa Yohan

Devananda Devasarana

Collective Farm Devasaranaramaya

Ibbagamuva N.W.P. Sri Lanka.

May 1st 1976