“THE STORY OF THE SONG” by Des Kelly

The story of the song, it is, and the story of the song, it will remain. One of the most traditional Buddhist “processions” held in “our Island Paradise” every year.

I am really at a loss, as to who “wrote” the “original Sinhala version, don’t even know if it was ever recorded, so decided that “this writer” would give it a go.

This said, I have the utmost respect for Prince Siddehartha Gautama (The Buddha), Here was a Man who could have lived a life of absolute luxury, yet, gave up everything, wealth, “titles”, even himself, as Jesus Christ did, in another Country, much later, to try everything that was humanely possible to do in order to make a sordid Planet Earth, a better place to live in. In so doing, the Buddha attained “Nirvana” just as Christ rose to Heaven on the Sunday, following the tragically sad “Good Friday” .

“The Procession” in Sri Lanka, every August, pays it’s respect to this wonderful Man, who tried to show us the negativity of “life” complete with all the “Human illnesses, the pain & the suffering” every one of us go through during our short stay on Earth. He cast away Regal-Robes, donned the simple ” Saffron” ones to sit under what is now known as the “Sacred Bo-Tree” to meditate on what HE could do, to try & STOP as much of the unnecessary grief we all suffer at one time or another.

I have always loved “reading”, read volumes on the life of The Buddha, still keep reading, whenever I get the chance, & am also privileged and honoured to write the lyrics to “The Procession”. The “Story of the song”, tells it all, my friends.

Desmond Kelly.

Star of eLanka.

(Editor-in-Chief).