Pure Inspiration

Ishanka – 80
taller than when I left, but he recognised me instantly and asked
me the usual question about my parents.
Whenever I saw him and he was in a position to talk at length,
he seemed to talk to me about things that were concerning me at
the time - he never failed to astonish me with these comments.
When I visited Sri Lanka in 2004, I met a monk at Kudumbigala
who was one of his caretakers and he told me that Ven
Ñāṇavimala was gravely ill and wasn’t seeing anyone. That was
the last news that I had about him before he passed away.
* * *
I once heard my teacher say that a spiritual friend
(kalyāṇamitta) is one who supports and guides one on the path
to liberation. While I count my friend Ishanka as a kalyāṇamitta,
she, in turn, had the great fortune to be so guided by Ven.
Ñāṇavimala.
Ishanka is not her real name. She wishes to remain anonymous,
so I have used a pen name to narrate her story. Here, she tells
me how, despite being born into a Sri Lankan Buddhist family,
her path to the Dhamma was established only after meeting Ven.
Ñāṇavimala.
Ishanka really found Ven. Ñāṇavimala at a time when her life
was in crisis, and, as is often the case, it is during such times that
the wise turn to spiritual guidance, which she received in
abundance from Ven. Ñāṇavimala over a span of some 20 years.