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Let the wise man live In the flower of his village, Like, the bee, gently taking honey, But harming neither colour nor scent
The Dhammapada,
The Path of the Doctrine, c. 3rd century B.C
One of the underlying aspects of the Buddha's teaching was that man should live in harmony with his environment. It is a philosophy which is exemplified throughout the secular and religious architecture of Sri Lanka. The architects of ancient Lanka chose to work within the environment, designing and shaping it to their needs, rather than imposing themselves on it.
How did these principles help create a new way of looking at the world and how did they foster a new way of looking at the environment? Did it indeed create an art and an architecture which was more sensitive to the environment, a world in tune with the elements?
If you can understand the painting you can see into the mind of the society which created it
Ananda Coomaraswamy
An enormous crag, soaring above the plains of the North Central Province, for a brief period in the 5th century (473-491 AC) Sigirya was one of the most beautiful and splendid of royal cities; at once fortress, palace and citadel.
Nihal Fernando and SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda,
Eloquence in Stone, The Lithic Saga of Sri Lanka (Studio Times, 2008)
A Gigantic Work of Art
The Story of Sigiriya
Acombination of rock, boulders, water, stone and brick, Sigiriya is a carefully thought-out work of Landscape Art, which fuses the natural elements with the built environment. At its very heart is its principal adornment, the great rock. There are many different aspects to the site which are not widely known. Not only does it house one of Oldest Gardens in the world, it features the Earliest Securely Dated Paintings in Sri Lanka. It also possesses some of the Earliest Graffiti anywhere in the world. In haunting and beautiful Poetry, these verses captures the atmosphere of Sigiriya through the eyes of its visitors.
Combining History, Poetry, Drama, Art, Maps and Plans, Audio-Visual and Digital Technology, we enable visitors to explore and experience the art, landscape and history of this gigantic work of art, in a way which has not been done before.
The Living Treasure of Memory
The Architecture of the Mind
Meditation Monasteries of Sri Lanka
To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others. You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself. Peace comes from within.
Gautama Buddha
You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself
Seeking for the inner truth, for thousands of years the Meditation Monasteries of Sri Lanka have married the landscape with the mind. Created for retreat and meditation, these monasteries are serene and beautiful places, enriched with plants and wildflowers, water, rocks and trees. Water trickles down the hills, the wind rustles gently through the trees and the air is full of birdsong.
An expression of the Art of Mindfulness, the intention was to concentrate on a particular thought, to achieve a clear, calm mental and emotional state. The aim was to balance nature with symmetry. This was the Architecture of the Mind.
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