Kalugala Aranya With meditation in mind
Source:Sundayobserver
It is not an exaggeration to say that Buddhism is more close to nature such as trees, forests, rock boulders than any other religion because the thrice of Gautama Buddha’s birth, Enlightenment and passing away occurred in natural settings.
The Buddha paid gratitude to the ‘Asathu Bo Tree’ without blinking almost one week, which supported him to gain Enlightenment. The details of the Parileeya forest and the rock boulder of Gigjakuta are included in the life story of the Buddha exemplifying the closeness of the Buddha life to nature. Secluded forests had been selected by monastic bhikkhhus to practise meditation in the Buddha’s time.
‘Vipassanadhura’ monastic bhikkhus select secluded forests to practise meditation even today, 2,600 years after the passing away of the Buddha. There are a number of forests spread across the country where monastic bhikkhus congregate to practise meditation and reflect upon life.
I had a long-cherished dream to visit one such place called the Kalugala Aranya Senasanaya (forest hermitage). So, I jumped at the opportunity when my younger brother offered to organise a trip. The Kalugala Aranya Senasanaya is in a 175-acre restricted forest reserve. It is said that this forest patch belonged to the Sinharaja forest reserve in the past.
Reaching the Kalugala Aranya is not an easy task. The motorable road is available only up to a village called Gurulubedda at Baduraliya. Before proceeding to the Baduraliya town, there is a road to the right indicating ‘Kalugala Aranya’. Drive nine kilometres along this carpeted road and take the 2.5km foot path under the forest canopy to reach the Aranya.
Secluded place
Aranya is a Buddhist term used to denote a place away from human habitation where bhikkhus can engage in meditation. Aranya has a symbolic and literal meaning. Not only does it refer to being removed from populated areas, but also being located in a right environment for meditation – secluded and pleasing to the eye. The Kalugala Aranya is surrounded by a rain forest, so it is an ideal setting.
Although the forest-dwelling bhikkhus cherish their seclusion, many devotees, some from as far away as Kandy and Anuradhapura, make the arduous journey to the Aranya – founded in the 1940s by P. Samaradivakara Ralahamy, a renowned philanthropist of the area – to offer alms.
There is a two-leg journey to the hermitage – one by road and the other an adventurous one by foot. The area is full of streams, waterfalls and greenery. There is a heavy rainfall in the area, making the environment green and luscious.
The sometimes slippery, muddy 2.5km trek to the hermitage reveals many earthly treasures. Colossal trees and vines, contrasting small plants, varied wildlife, insects, streams and waterfalls are just a handful. This hike is especially recommended for the traveller with a keen eye for small creatures. Bugs, crickets, worms and small creatures rest on the foliage. Beautiful butterflies demonstrate their erratic, yet graceful fight.
A part of the path has been cleared through human footsteps alone; a part has moss covered steps. There are probably about 400 cement steps in all. Fallen logs, small streams and boulders impede the smooth flow of the path. The wooded area is surrounded by spectacular scenery and involves crossing of water paths. As rain is an everyday affair in the mountainous valley, the foot paths turn into water ways making the journey harder.
Wilderness of Sinharaja
As we walked up hill, we realised that we were now entering the wilderness of the Sinharaja Forest. Climbing moss covered cement steps took us into a natural setting of trekking in the wilderness.
After a while, the faint sound of a stream was heard in the distance. As we climbed higher, it transformed into a roar. Arriving at a narrow bridge, we decided to rest for a while and observe the crystal-clear water flowed rolling through stones underneath. On a sunny day, the stream is an ideal place to bathe. There is a breathtaking waterfall a few metres from the bridge, engulfed by an unimaginable amount of greenery.
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Eventually, we reached the main Aranya premises after walking and climbing the mountain valley. At the entrance, we found the caretaker and his office of the hermitage offering instructions to the visitors. A broad yellowish building with a kitchen and a resting hall offers accommodation for devotees to spend the night and make the bhikkhus’ Heel dane (breakfast) in the early morning and Daval dane (lunch). The devotees try to make as little noise as possible, for they do not wish to disturb the bhikkhus in meditation. As we walked pass the main kitchen, we arrived at the much-awaited place with peace and harmony. As we arrived, our minds took us into a different world. The place is an ideal setting for meditation.
Meditation area
Almost all the Buddha statues and other structures at the hermitage are built on solid rock. As we passed the Bo tree, we arrived at the main meditation area, a building with an open space, especially made for meditation. At the centre of the meditation hall, there is a Buddha statue and a human skeleton. Bhikkhus are not to be seen except during their lunch hours.
When we visited the hermitage, there was a large crowd of devotees preparing mid-day Dane for the bhikkhus. Once the dana is cooked, the devotees have to take it to the Dana shalawa (alms hall) which is around 100 metres away from the kitchen, where the dana is ready to offer to the bhikkhus.
The time was 11 am. It was a rare sight to see the six bhikkhus clad in dark brown robes walking silently down the pathway on pindapatha for mid-day dana. They came in single file, one after the other, each carrying an alms bowl. They moved in to the Dana salawa and patiently let the devotees serve the dana into their bowls. Then they retired into the alms hall a little distance away and sat down to partake of the food they had been offered.
The kutis, the usually freestanding buildings that house the bhikkhus, are, in this instance, caves. Not accessible to visitors, these caves are where the bhikkhus lead quiet lives in meditation. But they do come to the main building (dana salawa) to take alms every morning which is the only time the devotees can see them.
We visited several cave shrines and a magnificent dagaba which was built using granite blocks and several places of interest spread across under the forest canopy linked with neatly built paths and steps in the Aranya.
After spending a while absorbing the tranquility and beauty of the Aranya and the surrounding area, we needed to head back, Westward. On the way we realised we felt deeply moved by our experience, almost totally removed from the rest of the world.
