Buddha’s ‘Blood Relative’ Tolerates His Tattoo But His Officials Can’t Tolerate Buddha Tattoo

Ratcliffe got the tattoo in Burma, and says it was not something he took lightly | Photo BBC

By Colombo Telegraph -March 19, 2013 |

Last June, Pope Benedict XVI met with Sri Lanka’s president at the Vatican. After the meeting PresidentRajapaksa also met ‘Pachcha Sira’ .

Antony Ratcliffe, 42, from Nottingham, was turned back at Colombo’s main airport on Friday for allegedly showing a lack of respect for Buddhism. “I like the artwork in tattoos obviously and, due to my belief in Buddhist philosophy which I have followed for many years, I thought a quality tattoo of the Buddha was rather apt.” he told BBC.

“As soon as he saw it the chief officer went crazy. You could see it on his face, he looked really angry and said I would have to go back to London.They took my passport and held me there for an hour and a half. All the time they were bringing people in to look at my arm, and they were shaking their heads. I was explaining my case, pleading basically, and the chief officer just told me to ‘shut up, shut up’ and he refused to talk to me.” Ratcliffe further said.

In June 2011 delivering the welcome speech during the final of the ‘Ranaviru Real Star reality show contest, where President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest, actor and filmmaker Jackson Anthony has said that the Rajapaksas from Giruva Pattuwa in the Hambantota District are descendents of the Shakya King Suddhodana from Dambadiva and is therefore a blood relation of the Lord Buddha. Therefore, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also a great, great grand son of King Dutugemunu, who is also related to Lord Buddha.