Big Buddha & Little I: my inspiration from Buddhism. Written by bunpeiris.
Robert Knox, escaping in 1679 from a long captivity among the Sinhalese, had brought home stories of “a world of hewn stone pillars” he had passed during his flight through Anuradhapura. His narrative was printed in 1817. Nearly a century & a half after Knox’s journey, a pioneer officer, Lieutenant Mitchell Henry Fagan of the 2nd Ceylon Regiment, forcing his way through almost impenetrable undergrowth in 1820 had come face to face with a colossal statue gazing out at him from the foliage: Gal Vihara.
A colossal figure of Buddha cut from a granite wall was most serenely gazing at him from out of the foliage. "I cannot describe what I felt at that moment," he wrote. Neither could I when I first saw the great statues at the tender age of 8. It was like dream that you dream when just about to wake up. And you wake up with the dream & still on a cloud. But the upright Big Buddha most definitely smiled at me. Am I dreaming? No, Big Buddha smiled again.

Since then, for a decade, I had been traveling yearly with my maternal grandfather who used to take all his relations & friends numbering around 30 for pilgrimage of fortnight at his expense on yearly basis during his prosperous days. Imagine 4 a.m. Lakshpatiya, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, late 1960s, young & old relations & friends all in full swing, pilgrim mode, spellbinding stories of village serpent medic Grand uncle Romeal (still tall and as straight as an arrow in Clint Eastwood style), Pol mal (coconut fronds), Ebert Silva passenger bus, Buddhist Homage Gathas (Thunyam sarane), large metal cauldrons & large clay pots, stuff & goods, baskets & sacks, dhal & dry fish, spices & local Palm honey sweet. How do you begin to write, how do you end writing ... I have no idea.
My father (Baminaheennadige Donald Benedict Peiris, Lakshapatiya Rd., Moratuwa read "THERE'S A KIND OF HUSH" in www.bunpeiris.com) had been warning my maternal grandfather against excessive advertisements. Headstrong & flamboyant to the boot, my maternal grand father (Prangige Silmon Peter Peiris Gunaratne, Lakshapatiya, Moratuwa) had a devil may care attitude & paid scent respect to book keeping. Somebody had been following his two page advertisements in newspapers, musical advertisement at 11 am on Radio Ceylon: Aswaya gone tik tik. (then kids hit song Come’n Let’s ride the horse) Kumara Shanthiya (meaning Blessings to the Prince in Sanskrit) sure-fire Ayurvedic medication syrup of infants, toddlers, the tender young for all stomach upsets. The high flying stalwart was destined, most unfortunately, to have his wings clipped.
Another decade later, the greatest spoil sport of all time, Department of Inland Revenue of Ceylon made Ayu. Dr. Prangige Silmon Peter Peiris Gunaratne of Sri Vijaya Oushada Shalwa (Shri Vijaya Medical Hall, next to Vijitha Cinema, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka) bankrupt. How the mighty have fallen! Like an enormous tree that gave shade to all who came. My flamboyant philanthropist grandfather who had a couple of 1 Shri licence plate British made Austin Cambridge cars & a sizeable property of lands & houses lost all. The concept of Sri Lanka Holidays commenced forming in the hearts of hearts.
Another decade later when I remarked I would love to set up luxury tour operations to draw in foreign tourists to show off my land & name the tour package Peter Peiris Fortnight, my father chuckled that my maternal grandfather would turn in his grave: his was charity pilgrimage with no pretensions of comforts at all; my dreams were of luxury travel with a view to profit. Not exactly, this is Sri Lanka Holidays, the Total Holiday Experience, I protested. I went on pushing my point. All the same, it’s a fair deal, I take my country to them, or rather bring them to my land, I argued. I reveal for them to revel with Sri Lanka Holidays. The concept of Sri Lanka Holidays commenced simmering in my mind.
In time, my grandfather was to provide me the inspiration to compose 108 web page website on Sri Lanka with great emphasis on the numerous Buddhist cultural attractions of the Island.
Unlike the German tourists, the British tourists seek for touring holiday packages with cultural orientation. After all it was them who rediscovered the lost cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa & Sigiriya of Sri Lanka Holidays.
I am still striving to get a steady stream of British tourists. Everything will be fine in another couple of years: Riolta Lanka Holidays presents Sri Lanka Holidays Peter Peiris Fortnight. We reveal for you to revel with SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS.

It is not up to you to finish the work. But neither are you free not to take it up. (Avot 2:16)