Bridges of dialogue during the Buddhist festival of Poson Poya
On the day that marks the arrival of Arahant Mahinda Thero in Sri Lanka, Christians and Tamils also organised special "dansala", free food, to celebrate the festival. One group made a significant step by handing out coconut saplings, which will bear fruit over the years.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – The Poson Poya festival is of great significance in Sri Lanka, as it marks a series of major religious events in the country's history.
This day commemorates the arrival of Arahant Mahinda Thero on the island and the birth of the Sri Lankan nation as a centre of Theravada Buddhist philosophy and tradition.
Like on the day of Wesak Poya, Sri Lankan Buddhists offer various types of food and drink for free (dansala).
Arahat Mahinda's arrival in Sri Lanka triggered a spiritual awakening and profound social transformation, which went far beyond its religious significance.
According to his teaching, it is important to see “what is meaningful as meaningful, and what is meaningless as meaningless.”
Based on this, several Christians joined Buddhists to celebrate Poson Poya this year. The Piyavara collective organised a plant dansala in Kalutara on the evening of Poya day.
“Buddha taught that those who plant flower gardens, fruit gardens, and natural forests, and build bridges, water tanks, and ponds, will receive more blessings day and night,” explained Mahinda Namal, one of the promoters. “So, this year, instead of filling the stomach with a meal, coconut saplings were distributed, to grow day and night for many years and bear much fruit.”
Conducted in the villages of Katukurunda and Kalamulla, this special dansala coconut saplings distributed to 150 families.
Theja Silani, a Buddhist member of the Piyavara youth club, told AsiaNews that she had never seen such a dansala during her childhood, but after joining the Piyavara Collective she learnt many important things about the environment.
Three women religious were invited to this event. Venerable Dhamma Ratsini Bhikkuni of Waskaduwa Kavidhaja Buddhist monastery was the guest of honour, while special guests were Nushka Sadhardheen, a member of the Mawlawiyya Sufi order, and Sister Claudia, a Holy Family nun.
Another significant event for the Poson Poya was held in the small town of Malinboda and featured a group of young Tamils who organised a tasty rice dansala.
“There are about 25-30 of them, from the mountainous areas, relegated to the margins and labelled drug addicts or alcoholics. We wanted to give this [action] social value,” Fr Jeevantha Peiris told AsiaNews.
“They prepared for about a month, offering themselves, and asking for help from other people. The Buddhist nun who lives in the area was invited and the religious rituals were celebrated at noon,” Fr Jeevanth explained.
“The dansala then went on until 6 pm. This is a first in Malinboda, a village in Kegalle District, Sabaragamuwa Province. Young Tamil Catholics and Hindus together with Buddhists gathered to build this kind of unity and faith and organise something so beautiful. A foundation has been laid and as a priest, I am happy about it,” the clergyman added.
.png)
