On the Pirit Ceremony in Sri Lanka


神谷信明
Nobuaki KAMIYA

Abstract

　　 The sutras recited by monks in communion and in ceremonial surroundings are contained in a Pali work called the Book of the Parittas and in Sinhalese it is referred to as the Piruv ān ā Pot Vahanse. The more elaborate ritual that we see today and the more mundane objectives involved in the whole exercise are obviously very late in origin. The Parittas have been originally recited by the saṅgha for the exclusive purpose of warding off of evil spirits. The earliest recorded evidence for a prit ceremony is the one held in a city called Visāla in India. The deity was suffering from an epidemic and plague and demons gathered there to devour the bodies of people who died of diseases. The Buddha is said to have visited this city in the company of Venerable Ānanda and recited the Ratana Sutta and sprinkled sacred water in the city whereupon the demons were subdued.
So as following I require into the origin of the pirit and the pirit ceremony.

Key words : Buddhism, deva, Pirit