SRI LANKA
Back in the agency, it was in a slow decline, Ian Batey the original energy behind building it so successfully and establishing great creative standards had retired, had come for a visit and was upset at what he saw, there were politics at play and he didn't like much of the work and what the agency was becoming, especially on his baby Singapore Airlines.
I am not a 'practicing' Buddhist, but I have huge respect for what he 'gifted the world' and how so many statues etc seemed to be able to express the sublime peace he radiated, again like a tuning fork to our own potential to find peace that within ourselves.
Sri Lanka sounded good. It was, and in many ways came I felt like I was being introduced to Buddha physically, piece by piece.
Along with the 'pieces' in Myanmar, there are acclaimed revered 'relics' of the Buddha's body throughout the island we were to 'meet' on our visit .
We flew into Colombo and stayed in the Gaulle hotel, a beautiful grand hotel from the colonial times that was starting to show it's age.
The room where Queen Victoria had stayed was still preserved in original condition. We spent the next night in a colorful Moroccan style hut on the beach front, and then set off to explore the island. As the civil war in Sri Lanka had recently finished we were free to travel the part of the island which had previously been prohibited.
From Colombo to the sacred city of Anuradhapura, home to the earliest documented Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, Thuparamaya.
Its' building dates to the introduction of Buddhism to the island, and is said to enshrine the right collar-bone of the Buddha.
We paid our respects, circled the temple three times as is the custom.
Would you go out of your way to visit a tree?
We did.
The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred Bo tree, in the Mahamewna Gardens in Anuradhapura, said to be the closest authentic living link to Gautama Buddha, it is also the oldest human-planted tree in the world with a recorded history. It was grown from a branch brought to Sri Lanka from the tree the Buddha had sat under meditating and gaining enlightenment. Buddhist monks surrounded the tree chanting and reciting mantras on the way to their own enlightenment
I carefully scooped up several of the heart-shaped leaves which, along with the roots and fruits of the tree , are reputed to cure illness and ailments, which I later gave to several of the Buddhists I knew in Australia, and carefully gold leafed the one I kept for myself. .
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Elephants in close to their natural state lived at an elephant orphanage, and as we arrived a busload of native Sri Lankans also arrived and were in awe of these magnificent creatures which they had had no contact with before. No elephant rides for tourists, just natural habitat and nice interactions with the staff who cared for them.
We immersed in the largest and best -preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, the Dambulla Buddhist caves, featuring statues of Gautama Buddha There are centuries old paintings of the Buddha's life on the walls , and I felt like I was walking through a larger than life comic book of beautiful illustrations showing each chapter of his life.
Again, I could not help imaging the energy and 'vibrations' present when the caves were being created.
Merged seamlessly into its environment on the side of a mountain, from a distance I could barely make out the eco-friendly Kandalama Hotel, from the surroundings . Once there, the feeling of being embraced by nature was warm and welcoming.
Set high in the mountain, near Dimbulla. vines tumble down from above disguising it as part of the landscape and frame expansive views over Kandalama Lake and ancient elephant trails. Cheeky monkeys clamber up and down the vines checking out the visitors seeing what you have to offer. Untouched rock formations were integrated within the hotel, making it feel even more part of the environment and the simple, yet elegant interiors of the rooms didn’t distract attention from the views of Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress declared by UNESCO the 8th wonder of the world. I believe the wonderful Sri Lankan menu we feasted on should be declared the ninth wonder.
There are four 'giant' statues of the Buddha in different postures carved out of the same giant rock, in Polonnaruwa. The four statues represent four different postures of Buddha, and different stages in his life. The four statues are considered among the finest ancient Sinhalese carvings, said to be the best of their kind all over Asia. The most beautiful carving of the Buddha towered over us, standing with arms crossed in front of his chest, wo meditating Buddhas, and the lying Buddha, also known as the sleeping Buddha. This area is rich in Buddhist history and there are many other sites and remains of ancient temple to be explored.
The tooth of Gautama Buddha, one of the most sacred relics, sent from India in the 4th century, was installed in a temple in Kandy .The Sri Lankan king, appealed to the Indian Emperor Asoka at the time to send relics of the Buddha as there were no Buddha relics in Sri Lanka, a deeply devout Buddhist country.
We arrived in time at The Temple of the Buddha's Tooth for the Nightly ceremony where the tooth was brought out from its space and allowed to be paraded to the public amidst much chanting and ringing of bells, again a very 'immersive' experience.
Each of these places, and others we visited had much so history and stories we were happy to listen to..We left after driving through the beauty of the country and indulging in the delicious Srilankan food feeling very fullfilled.