Belief or the way they live it ~ Cukraus

Religion plays a significant role in, let me say, every Sri Lankan life. At least I felt it strongly. There is someone or something above us, which gives cheerful moments and helps to fight with badness and overcome it.

Retained culture

Be religious here is important, even more than I thought. There is at least one temple in each street, nearly in every bus you can find small Buddha statues hanged above the front window, and even in super crowded busses Please will stand up and give front seats for monks. And if you are a girl, don’t even think about a free seat next to a monk, because you are not allowed to sit; only man are can, if a monk is willing to share a seat. Easy to notice, sometimes strange to understand. But writing all about that indeed means writing about Sri Lanka’s culture and major part of its uniqueness and difference we all are looking here.

Sri Lanka has a great over 2 500 years old history. Not so much has been changed so far. If we talk about rituals and religious awareness lots of things remain. Like office shifting rituals which are based on rituals and basically untouched ageless traditions.

After a little bit more than one month of my staying in Sri Lanka, we had to change our office place. It was done because former landlord decided to live there and didn’t want to rent a house for a company anymore. Looking from a broader perspective, new place is bigger and more suitable for a company which does not stuck with current conditions and dream about better future.

Traditional rituals

It’s was a Monday. Office shifting day started really early. 5.58 in the morning we had to enter the place. And this time wasn’t just an invention of someone. No, this time was selected according to horoscopes. In Sri Lanka everything or mostly all things are done according the Sun and Moon. To be more precise, those horoscopes are far from ours, because everything is based on birth time, but not date. Even I Don’t know whether I am Taurus (according to western horoscope tradition) or something else. And it’s pretty difficult to say, because of time zone difference.

Anyways, for office shifting ceremony, all girls wearied saris, men were in suits. We came early and as it was said, 5.58 am. entered the place.

Each of us lighted the lamp with oil. Another entering tradition is to boil milk. In a small fire bowl with milk is boiling. It takes some time until milk runs out. But this is a part of all rituals. Sri Lankans do believe that running milk cleans the place from bad spirits and shadows.

There are more rituals for house cleaning and avoiding badness. Usually for such occasions coconut shells are burned. It’s necessary to steam all rooms and places people gonna work. It, once again, helps to keep office house clean from the badness and can bring luck.

After traditional breakfast, Sri Lanka national anthem and other traditional small rituals, 3 monks came. We laid down on palm trees rugs and listened their mantras. Once they finished, asked everyone to come to wash their hands and gave wristlet form string. A long string was folded 7 times. Monk put a knot on it and tight on your hand. This string becomes powerful and can protect you from the badness.

Poya day

Poya day is a free day in Sri Lanka, which happens every month. Poya means ‘fool moon’. So during fool moon no one is working, everyone is going to temples, praying, thanking for every day`s miracles and asking for a better life for all and each of us.

Every Poya you can see a religious parade where all goods from temples are shown to society. Mostly all bigger temples have at least one elephant. For them Poya is a working day. They go out to the streets, dressed in colorful costumes. After them Kandyan dancers are singing and dancing on their way.
Last Poya day we had an opportunity to experience that all in Kandy city. So far it was one of my best experiences her. And photos speak about it more that words. You can just take it off if you don’t like it anymore. Once it is threadbare, you can hang it on the tree. People truly and honestly believe in it. And as a foreigner, I really feel something spiritual in temple: so peaceful, so relaxing, so silent. I guess everyone need time for themselves. Buddhist temple is definitely is a place to stay with yourself.

I will never act as local here. I look to those things from a bit different perspective than they do. Nevertheless, every experience alike this gives you some thoughts about the life you really want to live, conditions to change or maintain challenges to take and people to appreciate.