I have arrived in Anuradhapura, and am finally feeling grounded here in Lanka.

I am going to be spending some time at Islander, an amazing place where Sri Lankans from all areas of the country can come together in a safe space. Islander had a huge role to play when there was nowhere else that people from different parts of Sri Lankan society and culture could safely meet. During the war, Islander was ground zero for peace. Harsha, my host, and Sewalanka, the organization that he founded, are behind it, and so it’s a particularly honorific way for me to be here. I am traveling with some amazing people, including Dharmachari Lokamitra, a Buddhist practitioner who works for the social transformation of Dalits (historically known as India’s “untouchables,” the most subordinated of the Braminical castes). Through his work, over 650 Dalits have found a new life, transformed by the dhamma.

Nirmal, who is my liaison, is helping me make a plan for my stay. Venerable Manjusri Thero, a monk unlike any I have met, is going to be taking me around once Lokamitra and his family head back to India.

We will visit Sri Maha Bodhi, and then Mihintale, and then Wilpattu National Park, and then other historical sites in Lanka. I am starting to get the “I am heading home” feeling.