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68 MÆT LANKA

Thanks to our merits we could see it
And perform good deeds. Another day and it would be closed. (Verse 126)

According to tradition, the doors opened once every three years.
As we were coming from far away, we could not know it.
The opening days were planned in advance,
Only forty days, after which no one could see the holy relic. (Verse 127)

When we went to our devotions, it was the last day.
Thanks to our merits, added to those, innumerable, of the Ruling Prince,
We could see the Tooth-relic.
The next day, it was over. (Verse 128)

The High dignitary, who ruled the land of Lanka,
Congratulated us, saying that we were good people
And that our merits allowed us to honour the sacred relic
Kept in a palace surrounded by a stone wall and gates with seven locks. (Verse 129)

The Governor invited the pilgrims to his home and offered them a lunch com-
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posed of chosen dishes. The monks blessed him by reciting the Jayamaßgala Sutta .
After the meal, the governor led his guests around the residence and showed them all the
treasures, among which a tiara with by precious stones, a coat embroidered with
golden thread and a pair of jewelled slippers. At the sight of such wonders the narrator
declared :

« I found myself thinking that if someone was adorned with this suit, he could fly.
It’s like he was the Serene Indra being surrounded by gods and goddesses. »
The governor flooded us with questions,
Asking if the country we lived in was similar to his own. (Verse 134)

The monks of Keng Tung asked the governor if, during the blessing which they
had given him, the prayers in Pæli were similar to those recited in Lanka. The governor
answered that the Pæli formulas were the same :

The rhythm was not different from that of Lanka.
He said to us that he was very happy, as if he had ascended the Tævatiμsa Heaven.

Inspired by a faith he had in us, monks of Keng Tung,
He invited us to stay in his country. (Verse 138)

In the conversation that followed, the governor told the monks that in the past
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people in the “ wrong view ” (Micchædi††hi) came to Lanka. It was the era of Kaliyuga .
They destroyed everything, including the sacred scriptures. Monks coming from the
Continent were invited to the Island :