There is something purely magical about Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka on a Poya (Full Moon) night. It's the sight of people dressed in white meditating near the Bodhi tree, the smell of incense, the light of oil lamps, and the cool and gentle breeze.
Some seek merit and blessings in this life, others focus on attaining higher levels of consciousness, while people like me just enjoy the enriching cultural experience. My favourite activity is to gently place lotuses in front of the statues of the Buddha.
These traditions were brought to this blessed island from India more than 2,000 years ago. I wonder if the now-vanished Buddhist temples in Kerala had the same aura and ambience as Sri Lankan temples when India was mostly Buddhist.
It's amazing how many times I have come to this island and enjoyed the Buddhist culture and traditions, yet I have never once set foot in Bodh Gaya and some of the other important Buddhist sites in India. What am I waiting for?
Some seek merit and blessings in this life, others focus on attaining higher levels of consciousness, while people like me just enjoy the enriching cultural experience. My favourite activity is to gently place lotuses in front of the statues of the Buddha.
These traditions were brought to this blessed island from India more than 2,000 years ago. I wonder if the now-vanished Buddhist temples in Kerala had the same aura and ambience as Sri Lankan temples when India was mostly Buddhist.
It's amazing how many times I have come to this island and enjoyed the Buddhist culture and traditions, yet I have never once set foot in Bodh Gaya and some of the other important Buddhist sites in India. What am I waiting for?
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