No Wonders in the Holy Land | A Stay in Sri Lanka

Kandy, an ancient capital of Sri Lanka.
It was the final capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom, which ruled the country before it became a British colony.
It is a place that serves as a spiritual anchor for the people of this country.
Among its sites, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, said to house the tooth of the Buddha, is the holiest site in Sri Lankan Buddhism.
There are three worship times a day called 'pooja,' where people offer their prayers with great devotion.

Following the lead of the locals, we also participated in the worship dressed in white and barefoot.

At 9:30, drums began to resonate with a unique rhythm: tan-tan-tan-tan-tan-tara-tatta.
Traditional instruments, shaped like trumpets or flutes, played a melody that felt truly sacred.

People held up flowers and fruits, forming lines.
There was a line for those wishing to pray right up close to the container holding the tooth relic, and another for those praying in front of the offering table. We joined the flower offering line.

As I listened to the echoing sound of the drums, I broke into a cold sweat. Suddenly, I started feeling extremely unwell. It felt as if my internal organs were sinking, losing the battle against gravity, in sync with the sound of the drums.
My head was spinning dizzily.

It would be a huge nuisance if I collapsed in such a crowd. I managed to maintain my composure and reached the offering table. I offered the lotus flowers we had purchased and pressed my hands together.
When I closed my eyes, my mind went blank, and I felt as if I had entered a 'zone.' From that point on, I remember everything as vividly as if it were in slow motion.

If I were to search for words to describe the indescribable feeling at that moment, it might be 'peace.'
My heart relaxed, and I took a breath, thinking, 'It was such a long way to get here.'
I thought I was referring to the distance from the entrance to the altar where I stood, but it also felt like the journey from Japan to Sri Lanka, and perhaps even the path of the 26 years I have lived so far.
It was a long way, wasn't it? Once I thought that again, a few smooth, non-viscous tears fell. I had found peace standing in this place. It was like a small child who, after falling down, was fine when alone but burst into tears the moment their mother showed them kindness.

When the tears stopped and I opened my eyes, the heaviness in my body had vanished. Wait, actually, I felt incredibly light.
I felt strangely refreshed. What is this sensation? It was a feeling I had never experienced before.
It was as if I had been reborn into a state with no damage.

Reborn. The moment I thought that, I got goosebumps.
Coincidentally, that day was my birthday. I was born on this day 27 years ago.

I felt as if the first chapter of my life had somehow ended and the second chapter had begun.
It is a strange sensation, but it might mean something. A mix of acceptance and disbelief left me feeling dazed for a while.

Lily, who had finished her prayers and returned, pointed to a man standing by the offering table and said, 'That man said we should stay here a little longer.'
'Is something going to happen?' 'I don't know, but he said to wait.'
I decided to stay there for a few minutes, thinking, 'Well, let's wait then.'
Then, the sound of the drums grew louder with a 'da-da-dan,' and a crowd of people surged forward.
I was pushed and swept away by the wave of people. *Mugogo...* As a short person, getting swallowed by a crowd abroad is seriously dangerous. I found a gap where I could breathe and popped my head out with a gasp.

I heard my husband's voice from behind. 'Shio! Look ahead, look straight ahead!'
I looked ahead as he said. A small door behind the offering table slowly opened, and a golden Buddha statue appeared from within. It shone so brilliantly that I wondered if it was emitting light itself.
I heard that the golden container holding the Buddha's tooth is at the feet of the statue, but I couldn't see that far due to the distance. But perhaps that was for the best. I couldn't have kept looking at that golden light forever. It was too intense for a human body.

The door to the room where the Buddha statue is enshrined is usually closed, opening for only a few minutes during worship hours. However, the door is very small, and only those directly in front of it can see the statue.
With about 2,000 people gathered and unable to move freely, whether you can see that sight depends entirely on the luck of being carried by the crowd. Only about 20 to 30 people can face the Buddha statue while the door is open.

The fact that I ended up directly in front of the door just as it opened while being swept by the crowd is almost a miracle.
Why did the man who said 'you should stay here' choose to say that to Lily out of such a large crowd? Even our location and timing were such that if we had been off by a few meters or a few seconds, we wouldn't have been there.
I thought that perhaps we had been called there.

Even after leaving the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, I felt great. My body felt so light.
I told everyone what had happened earlier.
Husband: 'She's getting all spiritual again~'
Lily: 'It's funny how Shio's complexion is so much better.'
Augusta: 'Does that mean you have the makings of a shaman??' (I don't)
Three different reactions. My, what a unique group they are.

But I truly believe that I was only able to come here because of these members.
Because I now understand the meaning of these words I read in a biography of the Buddha when I was a child.

If the 'cause' is our individual existence and the 'conditions' are the days we have accumulated until now, I don't think I could have been here today if either were missing.

Small miracles have piled up to create today.