Analysis: Buddha vs. Shiva minus 8

Imagine a team of Buddhists mediating in a conflict between one particularly hardnosed bunch of Christians on the one hand and an equally tough-minded Jewish sect on the other. Imagine further that the leader of the latter group indulged in a curious form of superstition thus violating the First Commandment.

Something like that is currently happening in Colombo. Norwegians, who almost by definition are Protestants, act as arbiters in the peace talks between two ethnically and religiously altogether different sets of Sri Lankans, who have shared their island, formerly called Ceylon, for thousands of years.

There is the Sinhalese majority, which dominates the island nation's government. The Sinhalese speak a Sanskrit-based tongue that is related to the Indo-Aryan group of languages. They adhere to the Theravada branch of Buddhism known in other parts of Asia, such as Thailand, for its great gentleness. It emphasizes renunciation and the effort to attain enlightenment.

However, Theravada Buddhist from different regions in Asia often wonder about their Sri Lankan brethren's militancy, which occasionally manifests itself in violent demonstrations, attacks on Christian and Muslim sanctuaries, and a bigoted attitude against the other party in this conflict, the Tamils living in the island's North and East.

The black-skinned Tamils speak a Dravidian idiom unrelated to Sanskrit. It also has a different script. More importantly still, most Tamils are Hindus. Buddhism is an offspring of their religion. But Hinduism, like all other faiths, has many branches. Sri Lanka's Tamils are by and large Shiva worshipers. And Shiva is the destroyer in the Hindu trinity that also includes Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the sustainer.

It so happens that a growing movement among Hindus believes that the universe has moved from the eon of the sustainer Vishnu to the eon of the destroyer Shiva, who is to be assisted in his work by humans so as to enable Brahma to recommence the cycle of creation.

This movement is by no means representative of the Hindu majority, which generally respects all faiths. However, Shiva worshipers range from the radical VHP organization backing the most powerful party in India's governing coalition to the lethal Aum Shinrikyo sect in Japan that defines itself as neo-Buddhist but nonetheless serve Shiva believing that he has called upon its members to help him in the universe's destruction. At least that's what two of the sect's top leaders told this correspondent in a series of interviews several years ago.

One of the world's most dreaded servants of Shiva is Vellupillai Prabhakaran, 49, leader of the Tamil Tiger guerillas who have been fighting the Sri Lankan government for 18 years, committing acts of terrorism every bit as atrocious as those perpetrated by al-Qaida and radical Palestinian groups.

Former women guerillas, who were trained to be suicide bombers, told this correspondent that Prabhakaran always has a picture of the goddess Kali carried before him wherever he moves in the jungle. This beautiful black deity, whom Hindus revere as Shiva's wife, plays a dual role in their pantheon: She brings blood, violence and destruction to humans. Yet she is also the giver of new life, which makes her a potent idol for guerillas and terrorists fighting for what they think is a just cause.

To cope with this exotic spiritual scenario must be daunting enough for the Nordic mediators currently going back and forth between the factions in Sri Lanka. But now figure in this complicating factor: According to Thomas Savandaranayagam, the Catholic bishop of Jaffna, who knows Prabhakaran well, the Tami Tiger leader is also a numerologist, who goes to great lengths to avoid the unlucky number eight in the conduct of war -- and presumably peace.

This is why his entire army, the LTTE, is structured along multiples of 15, Tamil Tiger defectors and captives report. For no matter how often you multiply this figure, you never come up with an eight.

Hence the smallest LTTE unit consists of 15 men or women. The equivalent of a platoon is 30 strong. There are also units of 45, 90 and 135. Tamil Tiger bases are made up of bunkers each of which is located precisely 15 meters from each of its neighbors and 135 meters from the command post; 135 is a multiple of 15.

Wednesday, the Norwegians are expected to meet with the Tamil Tiger leadership. It may sound silly, but Wednesday is the 12th day of the 11th month. Add up the two or deduct one from the other, and while the result is not a multiple of 15, there is also no eight in sight.

Not that one wants to be superstitious, but after 18 years of warfare who wouldn't be grateful for good auspices?