Douglas Ranasinghe

An elderly man who regrets certain events in his past life displays his struggle to relieve the bottled-up feelings which had disturbed him throughout his life. Opening with the funeral of the elderly Guneris' wife the film follows the revelation of his past which is filled with a number of tragic events including a triple murder he had committed 52 years ago.

This European thriller, set in Sri Lanka, attempts to expound upon the philosophical implications of life, death, and memory. JB, an academic famed for his studies of oriental culture and alcoholic who has never recovered from his wife's suicide, returns to Sri Lanka to translate a book written on glass. It is supposed to contain Buddha's discourse upon memory. While he is there, an attractive nurse, Julia asks him to assist a young boy who wants to locate his father who is now living in a Tamil-occupied area. The Tamil terrorists will kill any trespassers. Compounding JB's conflict in deciding to go is that his former home where he lived with his wife is in that area. Unbeknownst to him, the boy is really a Tamil spy.

This psychological drama attempts to dwell into the mind of Aravinda, whose Buddhist empathy and detachment are contrasted with his worldly friends and relatives. The English translation of the title, "The Way of the Lotus" implies Aravinda as Lotus-rising above dirt and mud to blossom.