Resourceful reminiscences of a traveller monk to Tibet
 There is a genre of writing known as travelogue or travel writing. In
order to help those who have not travelled much, those who travelled
keep notes and journals. These notes and journals in turn enhance in the
moulding of an interest in areas such as cross cultural studies,
comparative religious studies, comparative folklore and historical
studies. The 481-page long work of Venerable Pandit Missaka Kamalsiri
Thera titled as Mihindugiren Hima Girata (subtitled as 'Reminiscences of
a Pilgrim Monk', Sarasavi 2011) is not a mere collection of travel notes
of places, people and events.
This narrow border of reminiscences is transcended by the knowledge
transmission from past to present, in the manner of enveloping quite a
number o material drawn from history, geography, archeology, religion,
philosophy and above all the personal touch of humane observation.
Though indicated as a collection of reminiscences of a pilgrim monk,
most conventional barriers are lifted to present a journey into mankind
in 49 chapters each containing a poetic title and an epigraph.
In the first instance the author monk attempts to recreate the region
of Himalaya as laid down in the ancient Buddhist texts and as pronounced
by the Buddha. Gradually the reader comes to know that the region of
Himalaya (Himarata as was known in the past is a vast area covering a
not only a range of mountains but also several culturally dissimilar
countries like Tibet, Nepal, China and parts of India).
 The travel interest in the mind of the author monk had been inborn as
a result of his keen interest in the textual knowledge which eventually
had been transferred into a knowledge seeker attitude. He had been
tutored on such aspects great masters or teachers, great seats of
learning in various oriental countries and of poets and arts as crafts
which has resulted in seeing the reality via two journeys.
The first layer of writing rests on the places of stay leaving his
home country, Sri Lanka. Then he comes to know of the significant places
and people who live there. There are quite a number of dialogues that
ensue between the traveller monk and those whom he meets. These
dialogues resemble mini narratives which contain grains of insights
triggering from the basic living standards to the levels of thinking on
philosophic matters.
The opening chapter is like a prologue of the entire compilation,
where a panoramic vision of Himalaya is presented. For a moment the
reader forgets the identity of the monk writer as he visualises himself
as a character among the rest of the people who live in vivid places and
vivid cultures. The emphasis in all the chapters as laid in the search
for something that is latent and uncovering of information.
As the writer jots down certain details of the events of his
travelling process, he tries to shuttle from the present moment to
certain moments of his past, recalling stories and legends. One such
legend relating to Himalaya as seen through Vessantara Jataka is laid in
chapter two. In chapters three and four where the writer monk had the
privilege of staying is one centre known as Tusita. This centre happens
to be a focal point for his relaxing, writing and thinking. He is seen
practising yoga and other forms of meditation.
The reader gradually comes to know finer details pertaining to that
subject. Quite a number of rituals adhered to by people in various
communities are introduced. Though a reader may have come to know of
Dalai Lama position in the spiritual sector, the author monk gives
certain inner details as regards the origins of the order and their
links to the religious factors that cover the regions visited by him.
What is indicated about the concept of Dalai Lama is the power inherited
by them through masses to obtain protection for their living conditions.
Quite a number of fascinating legends pertain to the lives of Lamas
are laid down. One of the most striking factors in the work is the
observation of the intermixture of vivid cultures known to the occident
as cultural pluralism. As a reader I found the notes on the aspects of
Theravada, Mahayana, Tantrayana and Zen quite interesting.
Reference is made to great masters of the orient who transmitted the
respective subject to the posterity through their seats of learning. One
significant factor that enables the mere border of travelogue is the
laying down of human interest stories the author comes to know. One good
example comes from Chapter 21, where a meditative, wise prisoner is seen
tortured by a prison guard, who fails to understand the inner layer of
wisdom of the prisoner. But on realizing how stupid and cruel one can
be, the prison guard leaves his job and disappears from humans. I was
moved by the humane story which is narrated as a true story.
An attempt has been made by the author to depict the nature of the
free mind and the mind full of fetters. The free mind is meditative and
if cultivated could reach the state of bliss unengaged by the common
masses. The author too observes the behaviour patterns of people whom he
meets in his pilgrimage. Some people are humanistic, but never propagate
themselves.
All in all as a reader I found that the work is a lesson to other
travel writers who are fond of exhibiting and exaggerating areas of
narrow threshold interest to their readers.
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