Daily NEWS Srilanka

It is reported of a certain Engineer who has come to this country from a European land, Austria for that matter had after gaining realisation of the Buddha dhamma is dwelling at Awkana Rajamaha Vihara by engaging in meditation by cleaning up the vihara premises including the

The subject, Joseph Pritzer by name is a technical engineer. He is 51 years old and when he had for the first time came on a tour to Sri Lanka in the year 1988 when 29 years of age with his wife and children had paid homage to sacred shrines in Sri Lanka and the Awkana Buddha statue too which is a special creation of its type sculptured in stone had gripped his heart with absolute devotion, he remarked. Later, he had toured this country on several other occasions with his wife and children and on every such occasion he had made it a point to pay homage to Awkana Vihara and had met the Nayaka Thera of the vihara and received his blessings. Subsequently, he had come here once more with his wife in December, 2016 and after returning to his country had in August, 2017 returned to Sri Lanka all by himself and met the incumbent of Awkana Rajamaha Vihara.

He had on his permission thus lodged there and it is he who cleans up the entire vihara premises daily from then onwards. He gets up early morning at 6.00 and has made it a practice to engage in meditation in front of the Aukana stone image of the Buddha from that time till 10 o'clock and from 2.00 in the afternoon till night-time.

This is what Joseph Pritzer said in relation to his love for Sri Lanka and the honour towards Buddha dhamma: "I was born in a European country. When I first came to Sri Lanka with my family, a spiritual feeling enveloped me when I set my eyes on the Awkana statue. From then onwards I came to Sri Lanka from time to time and pay homage to that statue. What I saw during that time was that school children and elderly devotees who come to see the statue throw about things like polythene and plastic at the vihara premises and thus make the place unclean.

Sri Lanka is a charming country ... there's minimum harm through weather in the country, a land that has a world heritage ... a land that is high in hospitality. I make a request from Sri Lankan society to be born in a country like this and to dedicate themselves in safeguarding such a heritage.

This time I arrived in Sri Lanka and obtained permission from the nayaka thera of Awkana Vihara to engage in meditation. In the process I attend to cleaning and removing the garbage piling up daily at the vihara premises. I see that activity as a kind of meditation. It's a very meaningful kind of activity. This statue is an object belonging to all of us. Towards the end of this year I hope to go back to my country. But whenever I get an opportunity throughout my lifetime I have dedicated myself to visit Awkana Vihara and engage in paying homage and in cleaning activities."

Mahesh Wijeysuriya -- Anuradhapura