Sri Lanka It's Happening

June 21, 2005

Lord Buddha attained enlightenment while seated under a Bo tree. Sri Lanka being buddhist country, Bo trees are held in the highest esteem. All other trees are cut down for any reason and for no reason.

Vesak is the day that the Lord Buddha was born, Attained enlightenment and died. We celebrate the even by cutting down thousands of areca nut trees to make vesak pandals.

According to the official version of the history of Sri Lanka, Buddhism first arrived here with Ven. Mahinda at the time of the great king Ashoka. On Poson. That holiday is celebrated today. When the actor who played Ashoka in the film by that same name, buddhist fundamentalists threw a bomb at him.

Ven. Mahinda is said to have met then Sri Lankan king at a forest near Anuradhapura, and gauged his intelligence by asking him a series of questions pointing to a Mango tree. (These events occured at a place called Mintale, part of the Sri Lankan culture vulture circuit). You might think the forests around Anuradhapura are held sacred. There aren't any forests left in anuradhapura.

Posted by raditha at June 21, 2005 9:55 AM