The Pearl of the Indian Ocean, the site of Adam's Eden, the source of gems for the Roman Emperors, a preaching post for Saint Paul and possibly Saint Thomas, the jewel in the crowns of three European empires, home to three earthly races and many mermaids - Lanka, Taprobane, Zeilan, Ceylon or finally and simply the resplendent land - SRI LANKA.
I am only one of the many to be attracted, fascinated and finally bewitched.
The first task that Gautama Buddha undertook after becoming the enlightened one was to teleport to the middle of this island to settle a conflict among the indigenous people and gift to the island the first of his relics - a great lock of his hair. This was the first of three flights he made here during his lifetime, so it was understandable that the island became a bastion of Theravada buddhism that some call the Buddha's Buddhism.
Despite all the efforts of the saints - Gautama, Thomas, Paul and streams of proselytisers -Catholic, Dutch Reform, good old C of E and a highly respected clutch of Theosophists, the original spirit inhabitants still haunt the forests and frequently possess the villagers both old and young alike.
Perhaps it's no accident that the island is a busy intersection for spirit traffic. Carl Jung discovered that the point above our planet where birthing and departing souls manifest is high above this sparkling island beacon. Perhaps Arthur C Clarke knew it as a worm hole and made Sri Lanka his home to be close to this entrance to the cosmos.
Foreign visitors have been frequent - as it stands a gateway between the West and East. The sea lanes made it an inevitable resting place on the way to Cathay, the East Indies and Australasia. Visitors have been as famous as Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Sinbad, Vasco de Gama, Chang Ho, Mark Twain, Jung, Donald Friend or as little known as immigrants to Australia, like my grandmother on her way from Dublin, my great uncle on a troop ship, my great aunt on a nursing ship (both headed for Gallipoli), my mother's brother returning from his education and ordination in Rome and me - who first came by accident and returned again and again by impetuous intention.
On my frequent visits, I have taken photos, painted, jotted down impressions, recorded tales from friends and tried to make my experiences of this land visible. This blog is my salute to this shining land.
