Savoring Sri Lanka

Learning lessons happens so easily, when we are open to listening. This past Seollal (Lunar New Year), I journeyed to Sri Lanka with an open heart.

Covering an entire island’s sites, heritages, cultures, religions and other delights is impossible to do in only a week. Still, I saw and learned three simple lessons.

First, go, and, at times, rest. In Kandy, I witnessed the hidden beauties within the Royal Botanical Gardens, providing more insights into the horticultural environment of the island and even around the world. I examined the chambers where the Tooth Relic lies, seeing how India’s Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamala brought over with what Buddhists believe to be a part of the Buddha’s enamel.

In addition, I climbed up to stand at the feet of the largest-standing Buddha statue in the world, less than two miles away from my accommodations, with sculpted stages of the Buddha’s life. I also received explanations for how Sri Lankans worship as Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Experiencing Sri Lanka’s four main religions and their practices broadened my knowledge, without compromising what I personally believe as the Truth.

On the other hand, seeing the sites with heat registering above 26 degrees Celsius (above 80 degrees Fahrenheit) every day in the middle of February drained my energy. I kept myself hydrated with water while learning. But I found that I also learned while resting on my bed or in a chair, reading. And I had a safe environment to learn when not exploring Kandy, on top of a hill at the Theological College of Lanka, where Christian pastors are being trained for future ministry.

I always love seeing the sites abroard and l love to read books about the places that I am currently seeing, so I saw Kandy by doing both. In Kandy, I knew that after some time, I needed to stop, process what I saw and appreciate where I went and where I was going. I rested, and I never regretted that fulfilling choice.

Second, walk around. In Colombo, I stayed at the Clock Inn Colombo, an excellent hostel along the Galle Road. The downtown hostel is five minutes away from the Laccadive Sea, with waters from the Indian Ocean. After a brief evening stroll on my first evening there, I realized that I could walk to all the locations I desired to go. And as a result, I saw so much of Colombo’s city life, with a fantastic map, a bottle of water and freedom from the legendary tuk tuks.

Now, do not get the wrong idea. Sri Lankan tuk tuks are fairly inexpensive vehicles for making one-way trips or even full-day adventures enjoyable, with drivers normally speak moderate levels of English. But for me, I enjoyed my Colombo experience so much more by using my two feet rather than three wheels. If you go like me through any Sri Lankan terrain on foot, wear sunscreen and a hat, especially from 12 to 6 p.m. any day in any season. Your skin will thank you by not transforming to rose crimson shades, like mine did for one week.

Third, be flexible to learn and joyfully appreciative what you experience. With such openness, I saw more of Sri Lanka on its terms, not mine. In life, I can set strict and serious objectives to achieve. While visiting Sri Lanka, I left such objectives on vacation.

Therefore, I was available to say “yes” when my Kandy host and my Colombo hostel offered me last-minute and excellent opportunities for me to learn about Sri Lanka. What they offered aligned perfectly with my intentions for studying, giving me healthy doses of the 101 courses and more advanced insights I desired to know about Sri Lanka.

I better understood and responded correctly when Sri Lankans used a head nodding which appeared to be a “no,” but actually was a respectful and cheerful “yes.” Eating with one’s hands actually saves on utensil usage and provides a better overall digestion of curries over rice, because no one can or should shovel such tasty cuisine into the mouth. One must take his/her time. The Sinhala language is printed first, with Tamil as second and English as third, while everyone in Sri Lanka is typically proficient in two languages, and possibly in all three.

Learning is what we should be doing, every day, at work or on vacation. So after reading this recent adventure, may you likewise make this day as much of an adventure as possible, by going, resting, walking and always being open.