Buddhism and the precepts that underpin it are central to Sri Lankan life and this becomes very evident when one sees the large number of people making offerings or ‘puja’ of lotus flowers at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth near the lake of Kandy.  This gold roofed temple is home to a tooth of the Buddha, the most important Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka.  It is kept in a golden casket within a series of caskets in a shrine, which is only open during ‘puja’ (when offerings are made).  It is a large temple complex with several shrines and temples within it.