The Spirit Seeker
Samarakone Bandara
Samarakone Bandara performs poojas and other rituals at his devalaya in Kandy. He reflects on his life as a kapuwa, his years living in the forests of Sri Lanka, and the journey that eventually brought him back to Kandy.
The kapuwa mahathya told me that he feels most at home in the forest, where the spirits dwell. Before moving to the small devalaya beside a Buddhist monastery in Kandy, he had spent years travelling around the country, often living alone in the jungles among the elephants.
For a time he settled in Trincomalee, living among the Tamil community there. When the war intensified in the 1980s, the villagers advised him to leave for the safety of Sinhalese areas. They believed in the powers of the kapuwa and said their swami had even brought rain for them, but insisted he should go. Reluctantly he returned to Kandy.
His present devalaya stands beside a Buddhist monastery and attracts a steady stream of visitors. Inside, the colourful interior is filled with murals of gods and bhikkus, and the objects he uses for his rituals. People come seeking help with many kinds of troubles: infertility, illness, work or family matters. The principled kapuwa listens patiently but refuses requests that might harm others.
He told me that he once left another devalaya dedicated to the goddess Kali because he did not agree with the practice of animal sacrifice. Sitting with him in the shrine, it was easy to see why people trusted him. He had the kindest face. As I left, I wondered whether he still longed for the forests where he once felt most at home.
Kandy
July 5, 2011
Transcript and translations
Language
Subjects discussed
"We all have an eye that can see into three worlds"
I can feel when the power comes into my body. When I see the peacock, I know that it’s the god Kataragama. At first I see the peacock coming from a distant mountain towards the devalaya. When it reaches the devalaya, it is so large that it covers the whole place.
If it’s the god Kataragama, I can see him when I do this. A spark flies from his palm into my eyes. After that I don’t know what I am saying or doing. I can only hear the sound of a bell ringing. I don’t know what people ask me or what my replies are. If it is the god of Aluthnuwara then a cock comes. For the god Suniyam, it’s a horse. If it’s the gurula, then I know that it’s God Vishnu. We know which god it is from the animal, the vehicle of that god.
We all have an eye that can see into the three worlds. But when you stay in human society this third eye is blinded by lust and hatred, greed and envy. Just as the bright sun is hidden by a rain cloud, this third eye becomes clouded.
You can’t see what I speak of through your physical eyes. They can’t even dream of a faraway world. Your physical eyes have no value as they can only see what’s near. You can see with your third eye, and that eye can be cleared if you retreat into the jungles, where the elephants roam. You have to retreat into the jungles like the Vanni, Trincomalee, Mahiyangana and Kurunegala. There are fewer people in those areas and the power of the gods are stronger there.
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