The Sacred Tooth Relic

A million troops stand guard
Over the sacred Tooth Relic -
Forest forces in green camouflage
With saffron flowers paying homage !
Thoughts of compassion waft in the air
The scent of flowers spreads afar;
With folded hands in salutation,
Thousands file past the sacred relic,
Reciting stanzas of the sacred texts,
Making innermost wishes for emancipation
From many a Samsaric ill that assails
Their mortal lives, evanescent, soulless:
“These flowers of fragrant scent
And pleasing hue, I do offer to Thee,
Free of defilement, worthy of offerings,
Free of evil doing even in secret,
The fully enlightened, who proclaimed
The Noble Path to liberation of beings;
Blessed with eight supernatural powers
Observing highest conduct of Supreme Beings,
Of noble manners and pleasant walk,
Traversing the blissful Nibbanic Path,
Knower of the reality of mind and matter,
Unsurpassed in taming beings,
Teacher of Gods and men, who,
by own efforts realized
The Four Noble Truths and
The Noble Eight Fold Path, and,
Vanquishing Mara’s vicious forces,
With boundless merits of Parami,
Dammed the Samsaric flow
And reached the deathless state;
These flowers that fade as this body of mine
I do offer in Thy honour Lord ! By this merit

- E. P. Wickremasekera

Bath

Two giants
Trudged along
On a dusty path
Oppressed by the heat and insects
Suddenly they happened
Upon a pond of mud
A spray of mud covered the giants
Cooling the giant bodies
Chasing away the insects
The giants resumed their walk
Along the path
Greatly relieved
Because of the mud bath!

- Nillasi Liyanage