Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka

produced by the sonorous and mellifluous chanting adds to the effect of the truths
enunciated. The ceremonial recitation with various ritualistic observances (discussed
below) and with the presence of the Triple Gem in the form of the relic casket
representing the Buddha, the Pirit-Pota representing the Dhamma, and the reciting
bhikkhus representing the Sangha, are additional factors that are regarded as increasing
the efficacy of pirit chanting.
Among the laity of Burma and of Sri Lanka the book of parittas is more widely known
than any other Pali book. Any Buddhist, educated or not, knows what it is and holds it
in honour and respect. Even in ancient times the blessings of the pirit ceremony were
sought in times of national calamities just as in Vesáli at the time of the Buddha. King
Upatissa (4 th century: Mhv xxxvii,189), Sena II and Kassapa V (ibid, li,80; 1ii,80) are three
such Sinhala monarchs who had the ceremony performed under such circumstances.
The incorporation of the item called dorakada@-asna, as shall be seen, shows that it is a
ritual that has gradually been elaborated in course of time.
The simplest form of the pirit ceremony is held when what is called the mahápirita (great
or major pirit)—the Maògala, Ratana, and Metta Suttas and a few benedictory stanzas—
is chanted by a few monks, usually three or four, three times with a break in between.
The three times may consist of the morning and evening of one day and the morning of
the following day, or the evening of one day and the following morning and evening.
The monks are conducted to the particular household and the chanting takes place in
any room of the house according to choice.
The monks sit around a table on which a clean white cloth is spread and flowers and
puffed rice are strewn. A pot of filtered water is also placed in the centre of the table and
one end of a ball of three-stranded thread is twisted around it. The thread then passes
through the hands of the reciting monks and is next held by the person or the persons
on whose behalf the chanting is being done. These would be seated on a mat on the
ground in front of the reciting monks. The water in the pot, designated pirit-water (piritpän),
and the sacred thread (pirit-núla), become sanctified through the chanting and are
used thereafter as a protection against evil. The thread is used by tying a piece around
the arm or the wrist, and the water by drinking it or sprinkling it, according to
requirements. In the simplest form, the ceremony is called varu-pirita or vel-pirita (varu or
vel in Sinhala meaning half-day session) as the ceremony is confined only to a portion of
the day and only the mahápirita is chanted.
But the full-fledged pirit ceremony is a much more elaborate ritual. This also has two
main forms—one lasting for one whole night and the other for one week or even longer.
The former is the more usual form as a domestic ceremony while the latter is held on
special occasions, especially for public purposes. Whatever the form may be, when this
kind of chanting is undertaken, a special pavilion called the pirit maóðapaya is
constructed for the purpose. If the ceremony is to be performed in a private home, this
pavilion is put up in a central room of the house. Generally it would measure about
twelve by twelve feet and is gaily decorated with tissue paper, tinsel, etc. Its roof is
covered with a white canopy from which are hung small cuttings of arecanut flowers,
betel twigs, tender twigs of the iron-wood (ná) tree, etc. Two water pots on which
opened coconut racemes are kept are placed on either side of the entrance. Two lighted
coconut-oil lamps are also placed upon the coconut racemes.
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