An Opportunity to Give Back
Nawamuni temple, under restoration. There is a large stupa in the center surrounded by 8 smaller stupas. When I began to plan this itinerary in Galle, I wanted to learn as much about the culture as possible. I was thrilled to see an excursion which involved not only temple visits but the ability to go to a local school and bring gifts for the children.
Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country and there are many temples throughout. This temple is called Nawamuni, "nawa" meaning 9 and "muni" meaning Budhha. It's the temple of 9 Buddhas (actually stupas). Each temple has a story and this one pertains to a wealthy lady who did not have any children. She yearned for kids and visited fortune tellers and astrologers. She was told to seek out a special astrologer who was visiting from India. In doing so, she learned that this was her karma. She had done "bad things" in her past life and her misfortune in this one was a result of those actions. She was told to build as many stupas as possible. A stupa is a mound-like structure that contain sacred relics of Budhha or other saints and is used as place for meditation and worship, The astrologer told her that people would pray at these stupas and she would receive their blessings.
Unfortunately, the lady who built the temple died without having any children, but this temple is a place of worship today, especially for those wanting blessing for their unborn child or for fertility issues. With all the prayers of the people who worship here, it is said that this lady must have many children in her next life.
Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country and there are many temples throughout. This temple is called Nawamuni, "nawa" meaning 9 and "muni" meaning Budhha. It's the temple of 9 Buddhas (actually stupas). Each temple has a story and this one pertains to a wealthy lady who did not have any children. She yearned for kids and visited fortune tellers and astrologers. She was told to seek out a special astrologer who was visiting from India. In doing so, she learned that this was her karma. She had done "bad things" in her past life and her misfortune in this one was a result of those actions. She was told to build as many stupas as possible. A stupa is a mound-like structure that contain sacred relics of Budhha or other saints and is used as place for meditation and worship, The astrologer told her that people would pray at these stupas and she would receive their blessings.
Unfortunately, the lady who built the temple died without having any children, but this temple is a place of worship today, especially for those wanting blessing for their unborn child or for fertility issues. With all the prayers of the people who worship here, it is said that this lady must have many children in her next life.
As part of the temple, there is a preschool for kids 3-5yrs old that was built a few years ago. It is funded by the monks of the temple and the teachers that work here do so as volunteers, although I'm told there is a "foreigner" living in Galle that provides a stipend/salary for living expenses to these teachers so they can continue to help the children. This school is specifically for the poorest children in the village who could not otherwise afford to get an education.
When I had asked Charith what to bring for the kids, he took me to a local "superstore", one that has everything from food to furnishings (think Target). He told me that the monks provide the basics for the children but donations from visitors are always appreciated. The children's mothers take turns providing lunch for the entire class, school is held Monday-Friday for 3 hours a day. This brought back memories of when my boys' were in kindergarten and the parents rotated snack duty for the kids. Charith then helped me pick out drawing books, colored pencils, erasers, small pencil sharpeners and a local chocolate that resembled M&Ms. Who doesn't love chocolate!
The preschool itself looks very similar to the ones back home, except the children are all in uniforms and the facilities are not as modern. They sit at desks and the walls are decorated with all of their art. The teachers invited me to the school exhibition, showcasing the kids' work, in a few days but unfortunately I will already be on to my next stop. The children were working on what looked like tissue art when I arrived. They must know that visitors mean goodies because they were squealing and coming up to the windows to great us.
It gave me such pleasure to be able to hand my bundle of small tokens to each child. I was surprised at how patient and well mannered they all were, sitting quietly at their desk until it was their turn, then standing to accept the gifts and saying THANK YOU after receiving them. It brought to mind my own kids and their preschool days. I looked into the innocence of their eyes and marveled at how happy and appreciative they are with something so basic, something we take for granted back home. It really puts things into perspective.
Having the opportunity to see the children and stop to just give back for a moment was the highlight of my trip thus far. I'm feeling blessed and so grateful for all that I have and all that my husband and I are able to provide for our children. This experience brought tears to my eyes and such joy to my heart.
The preschool itself looks very similar to the ones back home, except the children are all in uniforms and the facilities are not as modern. They sit at desks and the walls are decorated with all of their art. The teachers invited me to the school exhibition, showcasing the kids' work, in a few days but unfortunately I will already be on to my next stop. The children were working on what looked like tissue art when I arrived. They must know that visitors mean goodies because they were squealing and coming up to the windows to great us.
It gave me such pleasure to be able to hand my bundle of small tokens to each child. I was surprised at how patient and well mannered they all were, sitting quietly at their desk until it was their turn, then standing to accept the gifts and saying THANK YOU after receiving them. It brought to mind my own kids and their preschool days. I looked into the innocence of their eyes and marveled at how happy and appreciative they are with something so basic, something we take for granted back home. It really puts things into perspective.
Having the opportunity to see the children and stop to just give back for a moment was the highlight of my trip thus far. I'm feeling blessed and so grateful for all that I have and all that my husband and I are able to provide for our children. This experience brought tears to my eyes and such joy to my heart.
Rumassala & Yatagala Temples
There are too many temples to count in Sri Lanka, but the two most notable ones in this region are Rumassala and Yatagala. Like all the places of worship here, each one has a story.
Rumassala
It is believed that Rumassala sits on what is a mountain that is a piece of the Himalayas in India. The monkey God, Hanuman, was carrying this mountain back to help heal the wounded God Laxman. The herbs needed to treat Laxman's injuries could only be found in the Himalayas. Apparently, during this journey three parts of this mountain dropped in Sri Lanka, the largest of which is where Rumassala was built. The vegetation in the area has 152 different herbs that are used in Ayurvedic medicines. Charith tells me this has been documented by the local university.
He then leads me to the stupas and shows me how to worship the Buddha statues that are in the four sections of the stupa. Each section shows the Buddha at a different stage of his life. You are supposed to offer flowers at each statue and pray. There is also a building that houses all the gifts from the various countries that have paid homage here and it's also where the sermon is delivered by the disciples of the Japanese monk who created this place. Inside you can see the Japanese drums and the seating area used for this ceremony.
He then leads me to the stupas and shows me how to worship the Buddha statues that are in the four sections of the stupa. Each section shows the Buddha at a different stage of his life. You are supposed to offer flowers at each statue and pray. There is also a building that houses all the gifts from the various countries that have paid homage here and it's also where the sermon is delivered by the disciples of the Japanese monk who created this place. Inside you can see the Japanese drums and the seating area used for this ceremony.
Yatagala
Yatagala is a 2300 year old temple that has a 1000 year old Bodhi tree (Bo tree as it's called locally) on its premises. It's called the "rock temple" because part of it is built amongst a rock. The large population of monks that reside here meditate within the caves that are created from the rocks. Charith once again leads me through the prayer and worship rituals. He has brought a basket of flowers as offerings and places a small bundle in my hand at each point of worship. Charith also shows me how to light the oil lamps and go around the Bo tree as we worship together. Charith had asked me if I would like to have a blessing from one of the monks. Of course I jumped at the chance-I could use all the blessings I can get.
The blessing consisted of the monk chanting while he tied a white string around my right wrist. Charith then directed me to give the monk a small bag of gifts which he had brought on my behalf, and bend down to touch his feet. At this point, the monk once again gave me some blessings and the ceremony was complete.
I am fascinated with Buddhism. I asked Charith if he could set up a discussion with one of the monks who spoke English because I would love to learn more about this religion. This is one of the benefits of a butler, he can essentially make anything happen. Unfortunately, as hard as he tried, he couldn't find an English speaking monk for me so I asked my questions and the monk that provided the blessing for me answered in Singhalese, translated into English by Charith. There's always something lost in translation, so after a few basic questions, I decided to seek my answers elsewhere.
The other benefit of having Charith along is that he's giving me incredible insight. He has been guiding me every step of the way, explaining the rituals and sharing stories about his family and how they pray. This makes my experience to these temples so much richer. Had I just chosen to come on my own, I wouldn't have gained as deep an understanding of local customs. I would have been like the other tourists that come through, take some pictures, then head on to the next site.
The blessing consisted of the monk chanting while he tied a white string around my right wrist. Charith then directed me to give the monk a small bag of gifts which he had brought on my behalf, and bend down to touch his feet. At this point, the monk once again gave me some blessings and the ceremony was complete.
I am fascinated with Buddhism. I asked Charith if he could set up a discussion with one of the monks who spoke English because I would love to learn more about this religion. This is one of the benefits of a butler, he can essentially make anything happen. Unfortunately, as hard as he tried, he couldn't find an English speaking monk for me so I asked my questions and the monk that provided the blessing for me answered in Singhalese, translated into English by Charith. There's always something lost in translation, so after a few basic questions, I decided to seek my answers elsewhere.
The other benefit of having Charith along is that he's giving me incredible insight. He has been guiding me every step of the way, explaining the rituals and sharing stories about his family and how they pray. This makes my experience to these temples so much richer. Had I just chosen to come on my own, I wouldn't have gained as deep an understanding of local customs. I would have been like the other tourists that come through, take some pictures, then head on to the next site.
Seeing Similarities In Our Differences
Through the temple visits and time at the preschool, I kept thinking how similar yet different we all are. This is the beauty of travel. It gives you the opportunity to go to far off places and yet still feel at home. It was easy to make a connection with the Singhalese people, even with the language barrier. We all pray to a higher being, whether we call him Buddha, Jesus, or Guru Nanak. The kids in Galle do art and learn just as our kids do back home. We are all ultimately trying to provide for our families and make a difference. If you look beyond the facade of the homes and the living styles, we are all connected as humans.
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