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Buddhism is integral to who the Sinhalese are as a people and they take it very seriously indeed so its important to show some respect when visiting a temple but don’t let this put you off, Buddhism is an open religion, you will be welcome and the locals will not be looking to catch you out and any honest mistakes are politely overlooked. In large temples, which you may visit as part of an organised tour simply follow the crowd and you should be fine, but in a small local temple you will be a point of interest so it’s useful to learn a little etiquette. Don’t enter a temple in beach wear (would you go into a church with your backside hanging out?) Remove your shoes and hat. Walk round the central features in a clockwise direction. Images of the Buddha and Monks are shown the same respect that would be shown to the Buddha himself, so it is important not to deliberately turn your back on either and you should ask before taking photographs. If you speak to a Buddhist Monk you aren't expected to know the intricate ritual and particular terms of address applied by the Sinhalese, you can address him as Sadu or ‘Reverend’. Don’t attempt to shake hands unless one is offered. If you want to go the whole hog you can bend down and touch his toes before coming up with your hands together but this isn't expect of a foreigner. Off the beaten track you probably won’t be asked for a donation but one will be appreciated and will earn you merit so ask if there is somewhere you can make the donation, there’s usually a box in the shrine room, if there isn’t offer your notes to an attendant (in front of the monk) or directly to the monk with both hands to show that it is freely given. Evangelical organisations are currently attempting to convert the people to Christianity and this doesn’t go down too well in the Buddhist community so any respect you pay to Sinhalese culture during your visit will be genuinely appreciated and this is as true in the temple as anywhere. Leave a Comment
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 No nose pics - so here's some
blokes on a train by MaxusLeave a Comment
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Buddhist Monks have a special place in Sinhalese society and should be treated with respect, tourists or introduced. When you do speak try not to be too familiar and always show deference for the Monk and what he represents.
Young women should be particular careful of getting too close to a monk, this is not quite as sexist as it might appear, women play a full part in Buddhist observance but the monk should avoid distractions, including sex, so a young woman sitting next to a Monk on a bus for instance is a no-no.
Having said this, Monks are not meek in the western sense of the word nor are they as shy and retiring as they might seem. Some senior Buddhist clergy are heavily involved in national politics; they are fiercely proud of their tradition and are by no means a soft touch.
The more senior the Monks the more comfortable they can appear in dealing with outsiders and they will often have connections with Buddhist communities in the west. Incidently, once you become friends with a Monk the formality stops but its still good to show respect in public.
Anyone is welcome to visit a Buddhist temple, if this is new to you please read my tip on the subject. Leave a Comment
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Diversity is the name of the game in Sri Lanka and this is certainly true with regards to faith. Take the small town of Rakwana for example, in addition to the Buddhist and Hindu Temples there is a Mosque and two Churches (one Anglican and one Roman Catholic).
Approximately 69 percent of the Sri Lankan population is Buddhist, 15 percent Hindu, 8 percent Christian, and 8 percent Muslim.
Buddhists tend to live in the west and south of the island and the Hindus in the north. Other areas are often mixed but individual villages or neighbourhoods tend to be one religion or another, for example, Negombo is predominantly Christian, Beruwala Muslim and Bentota Buddhist. People do mix, a Buddhist friend of mine recently became engaged to a Christian boy, they are both Sinhalese (other matches are not so common) for the most part there is a symbiotic relationship between faith and cultural identity in Sri Lanka.
In the west, Hindu Gods are often worshiped in a special area of Buddhist Temples, this is not the case in certain parts of the north. Visitors are welcome to attend Christian services (if you are there at Christmas midnight mass can be magical) and you are also welcome at Buddhist Temples, there is sometimes a different approach at the Mosque.
Off the beaten track you can take a guess at the religion of the village you are passing through by the animals running around the place, if it is just hens and the odd dog you are likely to be in a Buddhist area, goats usually means Muslims and if there are pigs there are Christians around somewhere.
If you want to know more about religion in Sri Lanka have a look at the U.S. State Department website below. Leave a Comment
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 Beetle on Sale by Maxus
It is popular with some Buddhist Monks (who are not supposed to drink alcohol or smoke)Observant Monks do not eat after midday and this stuff suppresses the appetite. I have spent some very mellow evenings chewing beetle with the monks in Sri Lankan Temples.
I was told it can be addictive and if you are not used to chewing this stuff it has an effect on the inside of your mouth similar to paint stripper. If you do decide to try it you should do it with someone who knows what they are doing as there is something of an art to it. The leaf is no big problem but the paste is strong and you only need the slightest smear on the leaf, you should not try the paste without the leaf. Leave a Comment
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 How to spend a poya day! by mafi_moya
I tended to spend most poya days either at the beach or at a party. Both involved lots of alcohol and a very long day. The general attitude is: we should be at work today but we're not so let's celebrate like it's our only day off all year! When poya falls is entirely dependent on the moon so people get extremely annoyed when it falls on a Sunday, which they would normally have off anyway! Leave a Comment
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 Posen Poya at Aluthgama by Maxus
The most important Poya overall is Wesak Poya (in May) which celebrates the day on which by tradition the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and died (or passed into nirvana). The importance of other Poya Days can vary from area to area and visitors to west coast resorts near Kalutara and Aluthgama should watch out for the Posen Poya during June.
During the most important Poya days Buddhists will decorate their temples, streets and houses with lanterns, free food and drink is distributed to travellers (including tourists) and the celebrations go on well into the night often for days on end. In towns there are dazzling electrical tableau’s or ‘pandles’ each carrying a message outlining the long term benefits of living a good life
Holidays in remainder of 2008
May 20 Tuesday 2008 Day following Wesak Full Moon Poya Day*†
June 18 Wednesday 2008 Poson Full Moon Poya Day*†
July 17 Thursday 2008 Esala Full Moon Poya Day*†
August 16 Saturday 2008 Nikini Full Moon Poya Day*†
September 14 Sunday 2008 Binara Full Moon Poya Day*†
October 01 Wednesday 2008 Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day)*†
October 14 Tuesday 2008 Vap Full Moon Poya Day*†
October 27 Monday 2008 Deepavali Festival Day*†
November 12 Wednesday 2008 Il Full Moon Poya Day*†
December 09 Tuesday 2008 Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day)*†
December 12 Friday 2008 Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day*†
December 25 Thursday 2008 Christmas Day*†
* Public Holidays † Bank Holidays Leave a Comment
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 Trying to practice my Sinhala,
badly! by mafi_moya
First of all it's very hard, harder than most. Secondly, it's pretty much useless when you leave Sri Lanka and it's not even the sole language of this tiny island - you could also learn Tamil if you wish. Thirdly, it's easy to get by without it here. But anyway, here are a few basics to get you started...
Ayu Bowan is a quite formal greeting and despite it being the first thing you'll see in "guidebook Sinhala" it's not really used much. You're more likely to hear "halo" as a greeting. Similarly, va stoothy means thankyou, but again it's not really used that much and is a bit formal.
oh - yes
nae - no
hari hari - everything's ok, no worries
nam mokkada - what's your name?
mage nam... - my name is...
kohomadha - how are you?
meeka keeyada - how much is this?
eka, deka, tuna - one, two, three
eka - can be used for: the, this, that, those
nattan - certainly/of course
mokkad - what?
mame enggalante - i'm from england
ade, hete - today, tomorrow
Hope that helps a bit!! Leave a Comment
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Can you pat your stomach and rub your head at the same time? ok, can you say yes while you're shaking your head from side to side? Well in Sri Lanka you have to.
Unlike in the West where a nod of the head means yes and a shake means no, here they just wiggle. A slow relaxed wiggle of the head means yes, a quicker harsher wiggle means no. It can be quite disconcerting at first when you're speaking to someone and all you get in response is their head wiggling from side to side as though they're disagreeing with you - all as they're smiling politely.
You soon get used to it. In fact you get used to it so much that you'll find yourself doing it without even noticing. Oh yes you will, I guarantee it! I only realised when I went back to the UK and got lots of very puzzled comments as to what on earth I was doing! Leave a Comment
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 by mafi_moya
Which is why, sat on rocks by the sea all around the country, you'll see hundreds of couples sat together, usually under cover of a large umbrella. Coming from more liberal countries it's quite a sweet sight (aah the romantic in me is coming out!) Of course most couples are just talking and getting to know each other without the hassles of parental interference - but some take the chance to, ahem how shall I put this, get to know each other on a more intimate level. So just be careful not to stare too much! Leave a Comment
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