Note 18 — Chapter III · COLOMBO

One is loth to think of dishonesty and violence as possible in connection with such offerings. But the following paragraph from the ‘Ceylon Observer,’ April 12, 1891, exemplifies a curious phase of fraud:—

‘Scene at a Buddhist Temple.—Last evening there was a gathering of people at the Buddhist temple at Kotahena; and the proceedings of the evening terminated by one of the Buddhist priests being assaulted and robbed. As is the custom on such occasions, a number of flower sellers assembled outside the temple premises and put up stalls on the roadside for the sale of flowers, water-lilies included. These are purchased by the motley crowd who assemble at the temple, and offered at the shrine of their god.

‘It appears that some persons, after presenting their offerings, took the flowers back to the stalls and resold them. The Buddhist priests, incensed at the deceit practised, and the indignity offered to their leader, took immediate steps to denounce the practice by beat of tomtom, and to warn the assembled multitude that a repetition of such conduct would not be tolerated.

‘Shortly afterwards a bully of the Kotahena district, Swaris by name, who is also one of those “ill-omened birds of prey” who infest the courts, with five others of his kin, rushed into the temple premises and gave Janananda Unnanse a good beating, finally stabbing the yellow-robed gentleman with a knife in his right arm. The culprits walked away, but before doing so helped themselves to the poor priest’s yellow robes, two in number, some other clothing, and a large sum of money.

‘The Unnanse charged the offenders this morning before the police court.’

A curious illustration of the spirit of meanness in regard to offerings is the common saying with regard to any beautiful flowers growing hopelessly out of reach, ‘I offer it to Buddha!’