At four am on a serene Monday morning, some youth from Colombo left on a five hour journey to Ambagaswewa, located in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, a city that oozes with the rich history of Sri Lanka. The youth arrived at the forest monastery where a recently built kutiya (lodging) constructed for a monk to peacefully engage in meditation and spiritual activities protected from the harsher aspects of Mother Nature, was being inaugurated. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of the leaves, and the chirping of the birds as soft gusts of wind blew past and green vistas could be seen for miles around, a far cry from the bustling city life they were accustomed to.

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During the five month period of construction, many people from several parts of Sri Lanka became a unified unit as they contributed to the building with money, necessary items or manpower.  With Swami’s Grace, some youth of Colombo were also able to take part by residing in the monastery for a few days, helping to carry the building material to the site, which could only be accessed by narrow footpaths through the forest. They also donated the necessary paint for the building as well as a tank to store the water for the monk’s daily needs.

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The inauguration was blissful, as the monks gave a spiritual sermon to the gathered people and gave merit to all those who contributed, which enveloped everyone present with a feeling of pure happiness. Sending a silent prayer to dear Lord, thanking him for giving such a divine opportunity, the youth then left for Colombo, their faces adorned with a sweet smile of contentment and their hearts filled with nothing but gratitude.