Page 57 - Inside Sec 1_มาตลังกา.indd

66 MÆT LANKA

Several sorts of sweets had also been offered,
And the food, which smelt good, was tasty.
There were also banners, flags of victory with brilliant colours,
Bottles of aromatic oil, pure white and red sandalwood. (Verse 111)

Offerings were gathered in iron trays
That were bought for the occasion.
The food was tasty and flavour filled the surrounding area,
Everything was chosen and prepared with the utmost care. (Verse 112)

It is not granted to every faithful, either he lives far away, or because he has no
means, to visit a sacred site, especially if there is a relic of the Buddha. When the oppor-
tunity arises, he often gives his most precious possession.

Those who were motivated by a strong faith offered precious stones
And valuable rings to the Buddha’ s tooth.
Others gave silver coins of rupees, golden and silver flags
While thinking that in this world nothing was permanent and that everything could
change. (Verse 115)

After a large donation, the faithful made vows, not only for themselves but also
for the others. It is Mettæ or “ Benevolence ”, a recurrent theme in Buddhist texts. The six
following stanzas give an idea of wishes made by our group of pilgrims while they
prostrated themselves in front of the Tooth-relic of the Buddha :

« Our desire was to attain the Nirvæ◊a.
May we escape the Circle of rebirths and reach the Supreme Bliss.
For that purpose, we are ready to convey the merits that we won
1
To the divinities watching the shrine, to the deities of the whole world, to Indra , to
2
Brahmæ , (Verse 117)
5
3
4
« To Yama , to Næga, to Garu∂a , to the Serene ¥Âvara ,
And to the Goddess of the Earth. May Gods remember our donation,
May the fire and water be witnesses of our merits,
6
May the clerk of the God of death note our good deeds on a golden sheet. »
(Verse 118)

1
Indra is the king of the thirty-three gods in the Tævatiμsa Heaven.
2
Brahmæ is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimºrti, the others being ViÒ◊u and Åiva.
3
Yama is the God of death.
4
The Garu∂a is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist
mythology.
5
¥Âvara is the name of Åiva, the supreme god in the Hindu tradition.