You are 75% Percent Sri Lankan!

Dr. Lionel Mandy

I was born and raised in the United States. I am not Sri Lankan. I knew little of Sri Lanka beyond stories from some of my students at my university. Late in 2010, my relationship with Sri Lanka changed.

I was a professor at California State University, Long Beach. In 2010 I was awarded a Fulbright Senior Scholarship by the U.S. State Department to teach in the Masters in Philosophy (MPhil) program in Clinical Psychology at the University of Colombo. Once done and after returning to the US for a year, I retired from teaching in the US and focused on living in Sri Lanka. I had a number of reasons to do this.

I am a traditional or spiritual healer. It was obvious from my first days in Sri Lanka that Sri Lankans respect healers and have faith in traditional healing methods. Each time I go to Sri Lanka, my goal is to heal more people. My healing comes free of charge- but donations are always welcome so that I can continue my work.

Sri Lanka has thousands of indigenous healers. They may be Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, or Muslim, monks or priests, or practitioners of Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani, Hela (traditional Sri Lankan), and a variety of other forms of healing. Some of these forms of healing are thousands of years old. I have traveled all over the country to meet the healers, interview them, learn from them, and heal them. I printed a book containing interviews of 80 such healers. This book is not for sale: I gift it- in English, Sinhala, or Tamil- to anyone who asks for it and will pay for the shipping (if you want a book, email me at [email protected], or look for a link to "Books" on this website). I have gifted almost 1000 copies of this book in its three languages to the National Library of Sri Lanka. This book, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, is being distributed to libraries across the island in the language appropriate to that area. Anyone who can get to a library can read one.

Another major area of research interest in Sri Lanka is the ongoing evolution of the descendants of enslaved and/or colonized African peoples who were brought to Ceylon by their Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and/or British colonizers. Much of their history was distorted. Present-day Africans did not know much about their ancestors or history other than what they had been told by their elders. I fixed all that. I created a website that houses their history and current status, and highlights their communities and their unique cultural expressions. Please visit the website: www.afrikansrilankans.weebly.com . There you will find the story, many photos, and links to other sites. I told each community what I learned. I will continue this research each time I return….

Sri Lanka is a beautiful tropical island, so traveling around to visit various places is always a joy. I have visited many Buddhist temples, including those at Anuradhapura, Kataragama, and Polonnaruwa, and the Dambulla Caves- important spiritual sites with great spiritual energy and beautiful statues, structures, and ceremonies. I have also visited many Hindu temples or kovils. My favorites are the Nallur Kovil in Jaffna, the Muniswaram Temple in Chilaw, and the Koneswaram Kovil in Trincomalee (especially when the monkeys take over that place!). I have visited and prayed/meditated at these sites and many more, much to my great joy. I have also visited many mosques, including the oldest one, Al Abrar Mosque in Beruwala on the west coast, among others. And who can leave Sri Lanka without visiting St.Anthony's church in Kochikade? All are sacred places for worship.

The ocean you ask? It's all around the island. Trincomalee has great beaches, as does Batticaloa in the east. Also on the east coast, I love to visit friends in the small surfing town of Arugam Bay- though I do not surf. On the south coast, great beaches abound. My favorites are in Mirissa and Galle. On the west coast, Hikkaduwa in the south and Kalpitiya nearer the north are my favorites. In the far north, I like to visit Jaffna (the food is outstanding!), and particularly the islands- Delph and Kayts are my favorites.

The local food is always great. I spoil myself, then diet a bit, then spoil myself again. If you like rice and curry, or string hoppers and curry, this is your destination.

The quality of the scholarship produced by Sri Lankan intellectuals is high. When I taught at the University of Colombo, the students were bright and dedicated, and faculty were all very bright. The libraries are excellent- whether in Colombo, Peradiniya and Kandy, Jaffna, or elsewhere.

Warm weather? Choose the coast. Cooler weather? Choose Kandy, a cosmopolitan city, or Nuwara Eliya in the mountains. Over the years, I have made friends in all these places, so I just have to choose where to go that serves my purpose or my fancy. There will be friends to help me- I have no language skills.

Sri Lanka is a very spiritual place. I especially notice it in the villages. There is slower pace of life and I can enjoy the natural landscapes I encounter and the kindness and gentleness of the people.

Go and see for yourself. You won't forget all the joys you will meet there.

If you go often enough, people will 'adopt' you. Then it may too be said of you- "That one is 75% Sri Lankan!"

Lionel Mandy, Ph. D., Psy.D., J.D.
Fulbright Scholar and Lecturer Emeritus
California State University, Long Beach
[email protected]