Paritta Or Pirit As A Healing Power

Abstract

Pirit — chanting is a very popular ritual among the Buddhists of Sri Lanka; no important function domestic or social, can be considered complete without this ritual. The essence ofthepiritceremony consists in the ritualistic chanting ofceftain Pali canon, collected and arranged in a particular order in the Catubhäpavü•apäli_ It is, among the common people in Sri Lanka, known as "Pirit— Poti'. The content of the Pirit —chanting varies according to the situation for what it is to be chanted. Suppose, the A Ikulimäa sutta is chanted only in an occasion of blessing to a pregnant. Pirit is very essential ritual in Sri Lanka which starts from the womb and continue up to the tomb and thereafter. Therefore, on one hand, Pirit chanting, is a ritual which can be compared with the Sarpskä•a ritual in Hinduism, and on the other, it is very much popular as a healing power chanted to recover from illness. Pirit is a collective term designating as set of protective chants or runes sanctioned by the Buddha for the use ofboth laymen and monks. As the term itselfdenotes the meaning safety, the ceremonial recital of it is believed to warding offall forms ofvipatti, the even evil influence of planets, spirits, etc. The use of protective spells against various dangers has been a common practice among the Indians from very early times. The Buddha himselfis said to have adopted the practice on several occasions. The public recitation of the Ratana Sutta at Vesali is the best known instance. The Khandha, Atanatiya, and the Metta Sutta have received the sanction of Buddha himself We, therefore, hope to discuss, in this paper, how Pirit is used in Sri Lankan society as a healing power.