The Meaning of Karma

On yesterday's tuktuk ride from Mirissa to Unawatuna, we had a very pleasant conversation with our driver. His English was a bit difficult, but with a lot of effort and good will, we managed to communicate quite well. He told us about his family and his four children, who are all now attending higher school or studying. For him, it is actually an expensive affair, as about half of his monthly income as a tuktuk driver is invested in the further education of his children. Without a doubt, the right decision for him, because he wants his children to have a better future. For example, his two daughters would have 'much better chances of finding a decent husband if they are educated and finish their education career before the age of thirty.' 'After that, it becomes difficult,' he said, 'who wants a woman over thirty.'

In fact, the role of women here is still difficult. Theoretically, it has improved significantly in the past few years and women could do whatever they want. But practically, it is still very male-dominated. And if you get a deeper insight, you will realize that most men do not want this situation to change.

Sina has also noticed this frequently in the past few weeks. I, as a man, am always addressed first before they shake hands or greet the lady. In restaurants and pubs, about ninety-nine percent of the staff are men. The same goes for taxi or tuktuk drivers, as well as public transportation employees, such as bus or train operators. You hardly ever see local female beachgoers. And if you do see them, like on today's holiday, they are wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts.

Holidays are indeed a phenomenon. As I understand it, Saturdays and Sundays are also holidays - days without work - at least for those who can afford it. On such days, the majority of male Sinhalese meet with their friends and drink, smoke, but also play music, dance, and laugh. It's almost excessively cheerful but still polite, inviting, and never crossing any boundaries.

But let's get back to the tuktuk driver, because the most interesting part of our conversation is yet to come. At some point during the ride, I asked him if there is open crime in Sri Lanka, like theft or something like that. 'Of course,' he said, 'but that creates bad karma.' And at that moment, he pointed to a woman with a disability on her foot and said, 'You never know what or how you will be reborn in the next life.' For him, the worst form of reincarnation would be as an animal, for example, as a dog coming back to earth. That's why he tries to keep his karma in balance and if possible, 'always do good things.'

I was so stunned by his gesture towards the woman with a disability that I let the conversation run out a bit, saying, 'we have a saying: As you shout into the forest, so it echoes back.' I'm not sure if he understood the meaning, but he nodded understandingly and continued driving.

We arrived after a good hour's drive in Unawatuna. Or not really in Unawatuna, but more in the mountains of Unawatuna, right in the jungle, not far from the beach. Amazing - a treehouse in the middle of the jungle. Pure nature all around, birds, monkeys, squirrels, small monitor lizards.. No idea what else, but really an oasis and absolutely beautiful. We probably saved the best for last. Here we will be able to recharge our energy before heading back to Colombo and the long journey back to Germany.

What was it about the karmic account again? Because just before we arrived at the jungle hotel, our tuktuk driver handed me the phone again and said, 'here, a lady wants to speak to you.' Our host mother from the hotel in Mirissa was on the phone. She said we don't have to pay for this ride, she would like to cover it. The reason for this was that when we left, I had given her some advice on how they might improve their online reviews and how she could better deal with the current situation of having a construction site right next to her hotel.

Nice reaction from her. We say thank you very much and can highly recommend Beach Mirissa (even without the ride reimbursement). ;)

But we would also like to highly recommend the following website to you: https://www.dogcare-clinic.com/. We visited it today. The DCC is an association founded by a German veterinarian who has managed to work wonders here. As mentioned in the conversation with the tuktuk driver, it is mainly the street animals in Sri Lanka that live at the bottom of the hierarchical chain of Buddhist coexistence. It is estimated that there are about 40 million stray dogs on the island, most of whom lead their lives under the most adverse conditions. According to an employee of the clinic, it is mainly the dogs and cats (along with the women) who have hardly any rights. A shocking statement... But after three weeks of traveling around this beautiful country, unfortunately, we can confirm it. Everywhere you see sick, injured, or deliberately disfigured creatures who are just waiting for salvation.

During our visit, we were warmly welcomed and immediately taken by the hand and led through the clinic grounds. It was absolutely heart-wrenching to see how much dedication and commitment is put into fighting windmills here. There were about 240 dogs alone on the clinic grounds, with fresh amputations, surgical scars, signs of severe abuse, or even spinal cord injuries. Nevertheless, it was not a place of sadness and gloom, but a place full of hope and confidence. Every dog we encountered wagged their tails and were happy to receive a little bit of affection. Despite all the bad things that have happened to these animals, they were still willing to approach us humans with open hearts. Wow... I'm getting teary-eyed again.. Just from writing. Amazing..

Please take a look at the website! You can become a sponsor there, donate money, or purchase some small items from their shop, which ultimately benefit the work of the Doc Care Clinic. We also donated, and we are sure that it is the right thing to do.

The day is now coming to an end, and we are enjoying the last bright hours on our balcony in the jungle. In front of us lies the deep forest, covered with a light veil of rain. The monkeys have passed by our house, and the birds are greeting the night.

I think today was one of those days where we did everything right. I think that's the 'meaning of karma' for us.

See you soon, dear ones. Feel missed, hugged, and kissed.

Sina & Matti

Short note:

After the rain veil came the thunderstorm and a substantial amount of rain. When I sent the post, everything was fine. Half an hour later, we were sitting in the rain and had to pack all our things to change rooms. It's raining everywhere because the monkeys, who always hang around here, have damaged the roof on their way. Apparently, karma has many faces. :)