Relics

A mix of religious observances, rituals and celebrations of the young and old today. I was up in Cork and visited the Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour at the University. It's a travelling collection of ringsels, which are pearl-like objects from the cremated ashes of Buddha's disciples from contemporary teachers who died in recent years back to Shakuyamuni of 563 BCE. I suspended my disbelief and entered into the spirit of it, pouring water on a Buddha statue and contemplating the artefacts. There were longish queues and blessings could be had from a monk. I didn't avail of the blessing, but some had their children and their pets with them for this. I saw many who might scoff at a traditional Catholic version of these relics (myself included) and had to have an inward smile.
Then on to my grand-nephew Oisín's christening in a Catholic church followed by a combined celebration of this and my sister and brother-in-law's 40th wedding anniversary (more old relics) in the most popular and sacred Irish institution of them all, the pub. A few more here.