ANICCASIGHT: A Temple That Runs A Medical College

Dharmaduthashrama Maha Vihara is an heritage old temple in Colombo. It is unique as the temple premises not only possess a Dharma School of Sri Vajiragnana, it also runs the Indigenous Ayurvedic Medical College. The temple locates at Sri Vajiragnana, Mawatha in Colombo, at the center of Muslims community.

The huge entrance metal gate of the old temple

The Sri Lankan typical surrounding white walls and lamps.

The classic windows of the temple building.

The roof, old designed eaves and a standing lamp.

The bell tower arch and the building of dormitories and classrooms.

The flourishing Bhodi Tree and altar are at the upper terrace short distance from the bell tower arch.

Buddha images are enshrined at all directions, circling round the tree.

The interesting Moon stones found in front of the Bhodi Tree Image House and at the Stupa.

Lighting a lamp, meal offering or feeding an animal are some the most meritorious deeds in Buddhism.

We were offering Puja to Buddha in the main shrine hall. Meal offering to Buddha should be done before noon. The difference in Sri Lanka when making offering is that the chanting was allowed to transmit loud throughout the area by public addressing system like loud speaker.

The white stupa is said to have some relics enshrined in it.

An Indigenous Ayurvedic Medical college is attached to the temple. Students of the college paid homage to Buddha enshrined at the Stupa, before commence the class. Ayurveda is a traditional science of natural healing and preventative approach to good health and wholesome, popular in Sri Lanka and South India.

Due to the great Muslim community around, Buddhist devotees hardly come here to do volunteering work or offering Dana. Monks usually have to prepare their own food with materials supplied to temple.

The dining hall is a new structure and it is able to adapt to a number of 100 monks.

Before we leave Sri Lanka, we offered a lunch Dana for the 30 monks who lived here to cultivate or study.

Monks are seated to receive the Dana.

Sadhu to the young Sami who instead of receiving the Dana, are helping me to offer the food to other individual monk.

When doing Dana, this is the tradition way of transferring the merits to our love ones who had passed away. The water was poured gradually and slowly into the cup until it overflows while the monks are chanting sharing merits verses.

We shared the merits which we accrued through Meal Offering to the Sangha, to our demised parents, relatives, friends and all suffering living things. May they rejoice with the merits and have a good rebirth.

Among the Sri Lanka food, buffalo made yogurt is the most favorite food items to offer to monks.

We love its red rice, wheat bread with its non-spicy dhall

Some unique fruits that grown within the premises. The brownish pink fruit is actually the same fruit as Shi-jia (Buddha's Head) in Taiwan and as Nona in Malaysia but they are in green color with patches on the skin. The equatorial fruit turns soft when its ripe and there are bunches of white fresh with black seeds. The sweetness have taste of sour but not too difficult to eat.

These little green fruits are rather tangy and bitter in flavor but after chewing for some time, it becomes licorice in the taste bud. It is the best food to keep ones awake while driving.