Japanese Responsibility, Rescue of Asia:
A man took action in the end of the 19th century to bring Buddhism back, which declined to the brink of extinction under the colonial rule of Great Britain. His name was Anagarika Dharmapala, who is called Sri Lanka's founding father.
He was born in a deeply religious Buddhist family, but was named David under then strong influence of Christianity. He hated his name and changed it to Anagarika Dharmapala. Anagarika means "priest" and Dharmapala means "guardian of the law".
He first visited Japan in 1889, when the ceremony of promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan was conducting. I'm sure he looked and felt the fetal activity of modern Japan.
He visited Japan again in 1892 and 1902. Two months before his third visit, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance had already been signed. He made a comment about the role of Japan as a member of Asian countries. He insisted that Japan should save all the Asian countries, in the midst of agony, of being colonized and wipe racial discrimination out.
Two years later, Japan waged war against one of the superpowers, Russia, and beat it down. The people in Sri Lanka got carried away to hear the news of annihilation of Russia's Baltic Fleet, which had just passed by their island to attack Japan. His comment: It's the best news in our history. You might not be aware, but Japan brought us back from the brink of death. (next page)
(Vocabulary)
Anagarika Dharmapala (1864‐1933) スリランカ建国の父
decline to the brink of extinction 消滅寸前まで衰退する
father of his country / founder father / founding father 建国の父
pious / deeply religious 敬虔(けいけん)な, 信心深い
guardian of the law 法の番人
promulgation / promulgate (法律・規制など) を公布する, （公布して）施行する
the Constitution of the Empire of Japan 大日本帝国憲法
fetal activity 胎動
modern Japan 近代日本
the Anglo-Japanese Alliance 日英同盟
annihilate 〈敵など〉 を全滅させる, 絶滅させる 〈相手〉 を完全に負かす
Baltic Fleet バルチック艦隊
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