Prince Charles displays saintly inclinations in Sri Lanka

“Charles queried about the practice of meditation and asked how to become a saint,” said Mahinda Sangarakkitha, the monk who conducted Prince Charles into the temple, rebuilt earlier this century.

“I told him everyone can become a saint if he practices and fulfils the virtues,” Sangaarakkitha said describing the visit as a great honour to the temple.

Prince Charles offered flowers as temple bells were rung while school children dressed in white waved the Union Jack. “His outer looks shows me that he is highly developed mentally,” the monk observed.

He said Charles showed interest in the murals of the temple based onancient paintings. The Kelaniya Temple holds an annual pageant with caparisoned elephants to mark the visit of the Buddha.

Even as Charles spent time looking at murals inside the temple, elite army commandos armed with automatic weapons took up positions outside as part of extraordinary security for his visit.