Classes, Dances, and a Healing Ritual

---

CLASSES, DANCES, AND A HEALING RITUAL

Time to be serious students again. Today we got more immersion in Sri Lankan history and culture with Prof. K.N.O. Dharmadasa, and a taste of myths and rituals with Prof. Udaya Meddegama, a man with infectious enthusiasm. We were shown ancient books written on strips palm leaves, held together by string that ran through two punched holes. One of these books was filled with tiny, neat writing in Sinhala. I would love to be able to read it!

In the afternoon, we had a real treat, as the Kandy Dancers came to our Bungalow for a private performance. We arrived in time to see the dancers creating a clay deity image and adorning it with flowers. These dancers perform local songs and dances for tourists on a regular basis, and they take part in the public religious festivals and processions. They are especially well-known for their drumming. The drumming was exciting to hear, as we were very close to the drummers. The dancers wore elaborate costumes, and used gestures that were unfamiliar to me, but enjoyable to watch. The healing ritual which we participated in was, by necessity, a shortened version, as the actual ritual takes place over many hours or even days. In place of an actual patient, the dancers "healed" those of us who were sitting in the front row. Part of the ritual included being tapped on the head with a cut-open lime. We never did ask exactly what role the lime played.

In the evening, we headed into Kandy to visit the Temple of the Tooth. The tooth is one of Buddha's teeth, retrieved from his funeral pyre by his disciple Ananda. This tooth has been stolen, hidden, reclaimed, and displayed in several temples. It has played a major part in Sri Lankan history, and of course is an incredibly sacred relic of Buddha. Pilgrims journey to Kandy because of this tooth. Today, the tooth is held with a nested series of caskets, some of which are made of gold. The tooth itself is not actually displayed, but on special occasions, the casket is shown. As with all of the temples and kovils we visited, we removed our shoes before entry. We also purchased some blue lotuses for a few rupees from one of the many venders in front of the temple.

Inside the temple, we enjoyed the artwork, and I puzzled over the ceremony that was in progress. In always strikes me as very strange, this accepted combination of religious observance and tourism. Here we were, not Buddhists, not really understanding what was going on, just watching the faithful at their worship. And you pay admission for this. How odd. I felt the same way at an ornate Catholic Church in Mazatlan. In the Coptic Church in Cairo, the priest actually gave us communion. And the Islamic Mosques in Egypt are also open to paying tourists. So this isn't unique to Buddhism, or to Sri Lanka. Still. We stood around listening to a lot of drumming and chanting, while people wandered in and out of an enclosed area; some were dressed as monks, but some had everyday clothes on. A mystery. Eventually, the audience, including us, were herded up some stairs. At one point the line went past a chamber with a monk inside. I had just long enough in front of the monk to hand him my lotuses, and to barely glimpse the inner shrine. Then it was down the stairs and out into the night. I watched people lighting coconut-oil lamps; many tiny flames danced in the darkness. I left the temple with a feeling that I had missed out on a deeply spiritual experience, simply because I was unprepared, and unaware of exactly what was happening.

---