Buddha relics

The two pieces of Buddha Relics are in the centre of this capsule

I've had an awesome weekend. Never expected it to be this interesting. On Saturday morning, my wife and I were at the Penang international airport to meet with a group of people that were returning from Sri Lanka with a precious item: Buddha Relics that had been gifted to the Nandaka Vihara Meditation Society by a temple in Sri Lanka.

Already, when we arrived there, there were several others who had arrived slightly before us. The Chief Monk of the Nanaaka Vihara, some other monks there as well as lay people. Mostly dressed in white as this was the normal attire devotees used to wear about 2,500 years ago in the presence of the Buddha. Now that the Buddha Relics were making its way to Penang, we also had to be appropriately dressed, as if we were going to greet the Buddha himself. 

The significance of the occasion was not lost on the airport authorities, They allowed the arriving party to pass through the VIP Lounge and then, when the doors finally swung open at 9.27am, the Nandaka Vihara vice-president, Kok Fa Chu, received the gift from Sister Pauline. Immediately, it was passed to the Abbot, Ven Dhammasubho. The devotees swarmed around him to pay respects to the Relics, clasping palms and bowing to the object in obeisance. 

Two Indian men who had previously watched from afar suddenly came forward and after bowing before the Abbot. reached out to gently touch the tray. They understood the significance, seeing so many monks around. Probably, having this opportunity to be so close to the Buddha Relics on the eve of their Deepavali celebrations would mean a lot to them. The Abbot then led the small procession to a waiting car.   

Back at the Nandaka Vihara, preparations were underway to prepare the place for the arrival of the Abbott and the Relics. The long wait ended at about three o'clock. Again, the Abbot led a procession, a much longer procession on home soil, to the meditation hall. He then proceeded to encapsulate the Relics before transferring it to a specially decorated dais or stupa which had been prepared for the occasion. The ceremony concluded with a meditation and chanting sessions.