I’m flying in with my family.
Will be going to the International Institute of Theravada to pay respects to Venerable Subhuti and Ven. Maggavihari and hopefully have a Dhamma discussion with them.
Also visiting the holy sites in Anuradhapura.
If anyone would like to meet up I can go Colombo or Kandy or other places also.
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Well … I’ll be there. It will be nice to meet with you. 
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Please post pictures 
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I met with venerable Subhuti yesterday at the International Theravada Institute.
Such an impressive vihara and filled with young, energetic intelligent bhikkhus, 82 so far and it only opened less than 3 years ago.
I had the opportunity to listen to an excellent lecture by the Venerable Maggavihari on kalapas and the lakkhana rupa. Very worthwhile!
More to follow…
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Coming in we noticed elephant droppings on the road and miles of high electrical fencing: wild elephants roam the area.
Ven. Subhuti introduced me and my family to the very venerable Devananda, the senior Bhikkhu. He speaks excellent English and we had a discussion about the different ways to nibbana.
He instructed my children on the panca sila. Now Anna (4) is telling her siblings not to lie and always tell the truth.
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@RobertK , Nice to see you at IIT. Actually, it was really only open to the public for enrollment in December 2022. About 1 year ago. This is just the start of the second year.
They first broke ground on November 2019 with the donation of 6 kutis… The block I live in.
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That’s a great picture! Thanks for sharing! Are there any more?
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My chidren, taken at the Ruvanwiliseya I think.
on the beach in Nilambe…
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Awesome! Are there any areas that are associated with Buddhaghosa that you got to visit?
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We drove past the Mahavihara.
We also spent some time at the Mahabodhi tree in the Mahamevnāwa park., a very nice area.
Nearby is a statue of Sanghamitta - she was the arahat who carried the sapling from the original tree in India.
In the Mahavamsa it states about the time when Mahinda first brought the Dhamma to Sri Lanka:
But the Queen Anulā, who had come with five hundred women to greet the theras, attained to the second stage of salvation. And the queen Anulā with her five hundred women said to the king: “We would fain receive the pabbajjā-ordination, your Majesty.”
The king said to a thera, “Bestow on them the pabbajja!” But the thera made answer to the king: “It is not allowed to us. O great king, to bestow the pabbajjā on women. But in Pataliputta there lives a bhikkhunī, my younger sister, known by the name Saṅghamittā. She, who is ripe in experience, shall come hither bringing with her the southern branch of the great Bodhi-tree of the king of samaṇas, O king of men, and (bringing) also bhikkhunīs renowned (for holiness); to this end send a message to the king my father. When this therī is here she will confer the pabbajjā upon these women.”
(Mahāvaṃsa ch. XV
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Awesome! Im happy for you that you had a great trip!
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