Spiritual ecstasy in Kandy and a death in Rome

Sri Lankans have been in spiritual mode since April 18, the first day of the special exposition of the tooth relic of Gautama Buddha to the public.

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The exposition of the tooth relic will continue till April 27 (Sunday).

Those who have been lucky to get a glimpse of the relic have expressed sheer joy. For most of these devotees, whose ambitions were met, it was a once in a lifetime achievement.

This writer uses the word ‘achievement’ because those unenlightened beings out there would prefer to cling on to happy memories rather than meditate and let go of worldly belongings.

Samsara (the continuous circle of birth after death) is long and pursuing religion is a long journey where religious aspirants must take small steps. Hence, it’s essential to nurture one’s spiritual goals at regular intervals. From this perspective, taking a few days off to wait in a long queue and await your turn to pay homage to the Buddha has to be acknowledged as a good idea.

This whole arrangement for the public exposition of the revered relic was the brainchild of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The President received the patronage of the Asgiriya and Malwathu temples in Kandy for this purpose.