(Mind Frequency) Tibetan Zen sounds to destroy unconscious blockages: heal stress, anxiety, and depression [by the practice of progressive relaxation, letting go, giving, surrendering, turning inward with dispassion and radical allowing rather than resistance and strain].
The practice of "contentment" or santosha in Sanskrit and santutthiin Pali, is counterintuitive as it defuses the situation, the looming threat, the internal monologue of neediness and paucity, replacing it with everything being good right here right now just as it is.
BUDDHIST CONTENTMENT (Pāli santutthi) is freedom from anxiety, wanting, craving, clinging.
It is a wondrous virtue mentioned in many prominent Buddhist sutras like the Metta Sutta ("Discourse on Loving-Kindness"), Mangala Sutta ("Discourse on Blessings"), and so on. In the Dhammapada (Verse 204), contentment is said to be the greatest wealth:
"Health is the most precious gain and contentment the greatest wealth. A trustworthy person is the best kin and nirvana the highest bliss" (based on Bhikkhu Bodhi translation).
In the "Discourse on the Traditions of the Noble Ones" (Ariya Vamsa Sutta, AN 4:28), the Buddha mentions that the noble ones (beings along any of the seven stages* of enlightenment are content with any old robes, any old almsfood, and any old lodgings.
*Yes, seven stages, not four, as detailed in the Vimutti Magga or Path of Freedom, which the Buddha frequently condensed into four main stages, distinguishing various types of stream enterers, popularized by the wider reach of the Vissudhi Magga or Path of Purification).
"Having cast away all deeds (karma),
Who could obstruct one?
Like an ornament wrought of finest gold,
Who is fit to find fault with such a one?" [43] Source
SUTRA: Contentment in the tradition of the noble ones
Dhr. Seven based on a translation by Ven. Thanissaro (accesstoinsight.org), Ariya Vamsa Sutta, "Discourse on the Traditions of the Noble Ones" (AN 4:28)
"There are four traditions of thenoble ones, longstanding, ancient, unadulterated from their inception, free of suspicion, held faultless by wandering ascetics (shramans) and temple priests (Brahmins) who know and see. What are the four?
1. "A [Buddhist] monastic is content with any old robe cloth and speaks in praise of such contentment.*
[*bhikkhu/bhikkhuni (samana) being rooted in the idea of "rag-picker" from the practice of selecting discarded and donated cloth for the stitching of saffron-dyed, patchwork robes and "alms-gatherer" for collecting donated food sufficient for survival in a dana economy such as existed in the ancient world even before "India" or "Great Bharat" came into being, and "wandering ascetic" (wild shaman, pilgrim, shramana) content with any resting place].
"One abstains from doing anything unseemly or inappropriate for the sake of acquiring such robe cloth. Not getting cloth, one remains without agitation. Getting cloth, one uses it without being tied to it, without infatuation, free of guilt, perceiving danger [seeing the drawbacks of attachment or clinging] and discerning an escape from such dangers.
"One avoids exalting oneself or disparaging others on account of such contentment with robe cloth. In this one is skillful, energetic, vigilant, [conscientious and] mindful.
"This, meditators, is said to be a monastic who stands firm in the ancient and original traditions of the noble ones.
2. "Furthermore, a monastic is content with any old almsfood and speaks in praise of such contentment. One avoids doing anything unseemly or inappropriate for the sake of acquiring almsfood. Not getting almsfood, one remains without agitation. Getting almsfood, one uses it without being tied to it, without infatuation, free of guilt, perceiving danger [the drawbacks of being attached or clinging] and discerning an escape from such dangers.
"One avoids exalting oneself or disparaging others on account of one's contentment with any old almsfood. In this one is skillful, energetic, vigilant, and mindful.
"This, meditators, is said to be a monastic who stands firm in the ancient and original traditions of the noble ones.
3. "Furthermore, a monastic is content with any old lodgings and one speaks in praise of such contentment. One avoids doing anything unseemly or inappropriate for the sake of acquiring lodgings.
"Not getting lodgings, one remains without agitation. Getting lodgings, one uses them without being tied to them, without infatuation, free of guilt, perceiving danger [the drawbacks of attachment and clinging] and discerning an escape from such dangers.
"One avoids exalting oneself or disparaging others on account of such contentment with lodgings. In this one is skillful, energetic, vigilant, and mindful.
"This, meditators, is said to be a monastic standing firm in the ancient and original traditions of the noble ones.
4. "Furthermore, a monastic finds pleasure and delight in developing [skillful qualities], finds pleasure and delight in abandoning [unskillful qualities]. One avoids exalting oneself or disparaging others on account of such pleasure and delight in developing and abandoning.
"In this one is skillful, energetic, vigilant, and mindful. This, meditators, is said to be a monastic who stands firm in the ancient and original traditions of the noble ones.
"These are the four traditions of the noble ones, long-standing, ancient, unadulterated from their inception, free of suspicion, understood as faultless by wandering ascetics and Brahmins who know and see.
Be content and bliss you'll find.
"Furthermore, a monastic upholding these four traditions of the noble ones, if living in the east, conquers displeasure [discontent] rather than being conquered by displeasure.
"If one lives in the west...north...south, one conquers displeasure rather than being conquered by displeasure. Why? It is because the wise one endures [remains content through] both pleasure and displeasure."
This is what the Blessed One (the Buddha) said. Having said it, he concluded by reinforcing it more tersely:
Displeasure [discontentment] does not conquer the Noble One.
Displeasure does not suppress. Rather, the Noble One
conquers displeasure by enduring it.
Having cast away all deeds (karma), who could obstruct?
Like an ornament wrought of finest gold, who is fit to find fault?
Even the devas praise such a one, even by Brahma [the Supreme] is one praised.
Yeshe Tsogyal (circa 757 or 777–817 CE) [1], also known as "Victorious Ocean of Knowledge," "Knowledge Lake Empress" (ཡེ་ཤེས་མཚོ་རྒྱལ), or by her Sanskrit name Jñānasāgarā "Knowledge Ocean," or her clan name "Lady Kharchen" [2], attained enlightenment in her lifetime and is considered the Mother of Tibetan Buddhism. She is the highest woman in the Nyingma Vajrayana lineage. Some sources say, as Princess of Karchen, she was either a wife or consort of the Emperor Tri Songdetsen of Tibet [3], when she began studying Vajrayana Buddhism with Padmasambhava, who became her main karmamudrā consort. Padmasambhava is a founder-figure of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered the second buddha of our era [4], an idea that is anathema to Theravada Buddhist accounts of what the historical Buddha taught.
(Tibetan Nuns) Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet takes from Bon shamanism (Himalayan sorcery), Hindu tantra and yoga, and Mahayana Buddhism to form a unique expression of the Dharma so far removed from the historical Buddha's doctrine (Teachings, Dharma) that one might mistake it for Vedic Hinduism with names changed from the traditional Hindu pantheon to Tibetan and Indian figures that rose to importance in history.
In the beginning, in the dreamtime, it might have been that Brahma (the creator god of the Vedas and Hinduism) uttered a word, a sound, an aspirated aum or OM. Or maybe it made this sentence: Let there be light. And that sound was Brahma, the supreme, the alpha and the OMega, the A and the alph'. That's not what happened in the Agganna Sutta, the Buddhist account of "Genesis," the discourse on beginnings, which begins with light. That's because that sutra only deals with life on the origin of life on Planet Earth, not the universe. Here Gaia.com looks into the sacred sound at the beginning of form or what is now called the study of cymatics:
A machine to 'see' sounds (resonant vibrations)?
What if we could suddenly "see" sounds?
Vibration underpins all matter in the Universe.
The CymaScope is the first scientific instrument that can provide an analog image of sound and vibration. The once invisible world of sound is revealed in a myriad of [sacred] geometric patterns. When the microscope and telescope were invented, they opened vistas into realms that were not even suspected to exist.
Sound has been invisible throughout history, except in graphic depictions of conventional acoustics instrumentation.
Now, with the development of the CymaScope instrument, the omnipresent, unexplored realms of sound and vibration are made visible for scientific study and artistic appreciation. (Source: CymaScope via sunnylanblog.wordpress.com)
Gunung Padang: Indonesia’s terraced pyramid and the lost civilization
(Business Hook) Sept. 12, 2025: Gunung Padang, located in formerly Buddhist (now predominantly Muslim) Java, Indonesia, is an ancient megalithic site that has sparked significant debate among archeologists and geologists.
Initially discovered in 1914 and rediscovered in 1979, the pyramid site contains massive stone blocks arranged in terraces, suggesting a complex structure.
(Refugio Tv) Fortress of the Three Guardians, Indonesia?
In 2011, further exploration revealed evidence of human-made layers beneath the surface, dating back up to 28,000 years, far earlier than known civilizations like the Sumerians and Egyptians.
The discovery of advanced construction techniques, ancient artifacts, and possibly mystical properties challenges existing historical narratives and raises questions about the origins of human civilization, making Gunung Padang a key site in rewriting history.
How this content was made: auto-dubbed audio tracks for some languages were automatically generated. Learn more
The first ever scientist to explain how to shift into higher frequencies?
(Video Advice) July 23, 2024: Discover the potential of higher frequencies with Robert Edward Grant, who might be the first scientist to explain this groundbreaking concept. In this enlightening video, distinguished polymath and innovator Grant unveils the scientific methods to elevate our personal frequency and thereby transform our reality.
(PowerfulJRE) May 18, 2024: Terrence Howard is an actor of stage and screen lauded for his work in "Crash," "Iron Man," "Empire," and "Shirley," as well as a musician and researcher in the fields of logic and engineering.
terryslynchpins.com
Top chemist responds to these statements
Terrence Howard explains his √2 comments and other theories
Scientist explains how to levitate objects with sound
(WIRED) Believe it or not, levitating objects aren't just the stuff of yogic powers (siddhis), science fiction, or stage magic shows. There are actually many different forms of objective, demonstrable, replicable levitation, including something called acoustic levitation, which uses powerful sound waves to trap objects in mid-air.
WIRED spoke with a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory to find out how acoustic levitation works and what it's used for.
Acoustic standing waves and the levitation of small objects
By reflecting a sound wave back onto itself, one can secure a standing wave if the distance between the source of the sound and the reflector is equal to an integral number of half wavelengths.
Summary of Real Magic (Dean Radin)
In this demonstration we use 28 kHz ultrasound whose wavelength in air is 1.2 cm. The objects are small Styrofoam spheres, roughly 4 mm in diameter and 1 mg of mass.
Images employing schlieren optics are very sensitive to changes in the density of air, and these changes refract light into the camera.
Note that the little spheres settle down where there are bright bands of light. The bright bands of light in the schlieren images are known to be the result of either increasing or decreasing air pressure with respect to vertical position — in other words, the pressure nodes.
For more information on our schlieren optics set-up, see
sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard...
Although 28 kHz is beyond the range of human hearing, ear protection should be worn whenever attempting this experiment to avoid damaging vibrations in some parts of the ear.
The sound you hear in this video is not ultrasound but rather a subharmonic and is not dangerous to the ears.
The Guardian, 6/29/21; Shinzen Young; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Hacking enlightenment: can ultrasound help us transcend [delusion to reach] reality?
(The Guardian) ARIZONA, USA - Can technology improve the way we meditate? At the University of Arizona, Dr. Jay Sanguinetti and Jewish-American Zen meditation master Shinzen Young are using ultrasound to find out.
They want to improve our ability to achieve mindfulness [being present and accepting the present moment without reacting with clinging to the pleasant, aversion to the unpleasant, or boredom with the neutral] -- as well as enhance our cognition and wellbeing. They believe it could revolutionize the way we treat those with depression and trauma. But as investors from Silicon Valley become interested in the technology, the pair are fighting to make sure the device is used in the right way and for the right reasons.
Video Advice, 10/4/19; Nikola Tesla; Dr. Royal Rife; Dr. Clark; TEXT: Editors, Wisdom Quarterly (Video Advice) Genius Nikola Tesla was right! "We've found the magic frequency" [to cure]!
We've found the magic frequency (This will revolutionize our future! Or it would except that the pharmaceutical companies known as "Big Pharma" and corruptible government officials and health industry regulators who accept financial "contributions," that is, bribes, will not allow any kind of technology to supersede allopathic drugs and enzyme-disrupting poisons, potions, and sorcery, in the biblical sense of potion-making, to take away their "bread and butter," that is, their means of making profits.
The government and AMA, FDA, ADA...stepped right in to stop it. The idea is simple: Learn the frequency of a harmful microbe, and put the opposing frequency into the body. The harmful, parasitic, protozoan "worms" will self-destruct, the body will go through a cleansing crisis, and the individual will be well and healed, cured of disease, easily.
Dr. Rife was destroyed by health care industry.
All physical ailments, however they begin -- psychologically, spiritually, by infection, or however else then attract these parasites. The parasites themselves alone are NOT the cause of disease, but rather it is a weakness -- an immunity issue -- that the parasites then exploit and take advantage of, stealing energy and resources from the host, making it sickly and hoping to only debilitate it not kill it, as that would end their parasitism.
FINE PRINT: Subliminal programs (bit.ly/2z7zyfG). Motivational clothes, be a dreamer (onlydreamersallowed.com). If you struggle and have a hard time, consider taking an online therapy session with partner BetterHelp (tryonlinetherapy.com/videoadvice). Special thanks to Anthony Holland for making this possible (Novobiotronics). Music licensed through Audiojungle. Footage licensed through Videoblocks and Videohive. Caption author (Portuguese) Paulo Salgado.
#Mind Warehouse, July 10, 2018; Crystal Quintero (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly
9 SOUNDS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE
BRAIN TIME ► goo.gl/tTWgH2 Human hearing is a rather strange thing. Most recently, on the Internet, a serious dispute arose over the record with an incomprehensible word: some users heard the name "Yanny," while others heard the word "Laurel." But today we are not talking about audio illusions. Do you know how space sounds? And how do ants talk? Or whales sing? The Taos Hum? In today's video, we have collected for you sounds that you most likely have never heard in your life. So be prepared and do not forget to put on your headphones.
Heal and open third eye in 45 minutes: Powerful pineal gland activation
To open our third eye, we must access our pineal gland. To use it, it must be undamaged. But if it is calcified or damaged, it must be healed to be utilized. The audio track in this video has been referred to by experts as a "grace from the Gods [devas]." Channel Positivity has studied many frequencies that make it possible to work on opening the pineal gland (the third eye). But here is the first feasible frequency that goes above and beyond by also aiding to simultaneously heal the gland. Where many have attempted and failed, this audio track triumphs. Many audiologists have tried to create frequencies that open the pineal gland, but their approach has to date been clouded by the illusion that powerful frequencies and strong binaural beats are the answer. However, it could not be further from reality. The secret here is subtlety. After several months of work by two of Europe's top audiologists, a soundtrack has been perfected. It not only gives an immense sense of relaxation (relaxing the mind to access the pineal gland), it also delivers the subtle frequencies to which the pineal gland will respond. This is done while using a delicate second set of frequencies to heal any damage brought on by stress and/or environmental factors, a process often referred to as de-calcification. The pineal gland is arguably the most sensitive part of the human body, so it responds not to intensity but to the most delicate sounds and frequencies that are within every passing second of this incredible and unique creation. Enjoy what you hear and send in feedback in the comments section below. Spreading light over darkness; raise positivity above negativity.
A.G.S. Kariyawasam, Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka (BPS.lk, Wheel 402,Access to Insight); Bhante, Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly
Golden Buddha atop Dambulla Temple, Sri Lanka (the.redhead.and.the.wolf/flickr.com).
In "Breathe (Reprise)" Pink Floyd sing, "Home, home again/I like to be here when I can...Far away across the field/the tolling of the island bell/calls the faithful to their knees/to hear the softly spoken magic spells." What "spells"?
Sri Lanka hangs off So. India.
There is a magical Buddhist island in the Indian ocean, a citadel of the Dharma set forth in the Buddha's time, holding to the ancient traditions of Jambudvipa ("the Rose Apple Land," which is where the Buddha lived long before there was an "India"). It is shaped like a teardrop off the southern tip of the subcontinent and home to an ancient monastic tradition called Theravada, "the Teaching of the [Enlightened] Elders," the first disciples of the historical Buddha.
Sadly, it was the site of the longest civil war in Asia waged between Hindu Tamil extremists and the abusive Sinhalese majority. There where an ancient form of Buddhism survives -- just as in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and to a lesser extent Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Malaysia -- there are magical incantations chanted, ward spells (pirit) to preserve the people from dangers in the seen and unseen worlds.
(Priyantha De Silva)Seth Pirith, 23 of the most potent pirit chants by a sangha of Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monks: 1. Dasa Disa Pirith, 2. Atawisi Pirith, 3. Jinapanjnara Pirith, 4. Anawum Pirith, 5. Angulimala Piritha, 6. Nawagraha Shantiya, 7. Rathnamali Gatha, 8. Bojjangha Pirith, 9. Ruwanmali Sa Wandhanawa, 10. Dalada Wandana Gatha, 11. Sooriya Pirith, 12. Dhajagga Sutra, 13. Jaya Pirith, 14. Khandha Pirith, 15. Mora Pirith, 16. Sathbudu Wandanawa, 17. Maha Mangala Suthra, 18. Karaniya Metta Sutra, 19. Narasiha Gatha, 20. Wattaka Piritha, 21. Ratana Sutra, 22. Randenee Gatha, 23. Dutu Gemunu Aarakshaka Gatha
The Pirit Ceremony
Famous and much revered pre-Buddhist cave painting from the forests of central Sri Lanka.
Pirit (or paritta) is a collective term designating a set of protective chants or runes sanctioned by the Buddha for the use of both laypeople and monastics. Pirit-chanting is a very popular ceremony among the Theravada Buddhists of Sri Lanka.
As the term itself suggests (paritta = protection), pirit means a safety rune, a ceremonial recital regarded as being capable of warding off all forms of harm and danger (vipatti), including disease, the evil influence of ghosts, spirits, planets, and so on. These may be real dangers to the safety of people and property or superstitions and imagined calamities.
In addition to this curative and positive aspect, pirit is also chanted for the attainment of general success (sampatti,siddhi). In the domestic and social life of Sri Lankan Buddhists, no important function can be considered complete without this ceremony. However, the ceremony may vary from a simple one to something elaborate, depending on the occasion and the status of the sponsor.
The Golden Temple at Dambulla, Sri Lanka
The essence of the pirit ceremony consists of ritual chanting of certain Pali language texts selected from the canonical sutras. These extracts are found collected and arranged in a particular order in The Book of Protections or Pirit-Pota.*
*The Pirit-Pota is also known by the more honorific designation Piruvana-Potvahanse. For an English translation of the most important texts from this work, see Ven. Piyadassi's The Book of Protection (Buddhist Publication Society, 1981).
It is known in Pali as Catu-bhana-vara. It contains 27 extracts, including such sutras as the Jewel, Blessings, Loving-Kindness, Dealing with Ogres (Ratana, Mangala, Metta, Atanatiya), and so on.
The use of protective spells -- variously known as paritta, mantra, rakkha,dharani,kavaca, and so on, each term representing slightly different forms -- against various dangers has been a common practice among the Indians from very early times. The Buddha himself is said to have adopted the practice on several occasions.
The public recitation of the "Jewel Sutra" (Ratana Sutta) at Vesali is the best known instance. The Snake Protection, Dealing with Ogres, and Loving-Kindness discourses (Khandha Paritta, Atanatiya Sutta, and the Metta Sutta) are some protections that have received the sanction of the Buddha himself.
As they generally embody statements of truth as taught in Buddhism, their recitation is regarded as an "asseveration of truth" (sacca-kiriya) whereby evil can be averted. The Jewel Sutra is a good example of this kind of protection. It draws its power by wishing the listeners safety after affirming the excellent qualities of Buddhism's Three Jewels or Gems: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha -- the Enlightened One, the Teaching of the path to enlightenment, and those successfully taught (the "noble" or enlightened community, which is composed of laypersons and monastics who have attained at least stream entry, the first stage of enlightenment).
The ancient Sri Lankan Buddhist Temple of the Tooth is a reliquary of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha's tooth in Kandy with moat next to Borisvoronin reservoir (flickr.com).
The power of virtue (sila) contained in the Blessings Sutra or Mangala Sutta and the power of loving-kindness (metta) contained in the Metta Sutta are two other aspects that make pirit effective.
The power of the sound waves and vibrations resulting from the sonorous and rhythmic recitation and also from particular combinations of certain letters and syllables play a part in exercising this beneficial influence.
The vibrating sound waves produced by the 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 Book of Protections representing the Dharma, and the reciting monks or nuns representing the noble Sangha (community of all enlightened disciples), are additional factors that are regarded as increasing the efficacy of pirit chanting.
Pali language chanting app
Among laypeople in Burma and Sri Lanka The Book of Protections is more widely known than any other Pali language book. Any Buddhist, educated or not, knows what it is and regards it with honor and respect. Even in ancient times the blessings of the pirit ceremony were sought in times of national calamity just as in Vesali at the time of the Buddha (when a great plague was averted by Buddhist monastics sent out by the Buddha to bless an area).
King Upatissa (4th century: Mhv. xxxvii,189), Sena II, and Kassapa V (ibid, li,80; 1ii,80) are three such Sinhalese Sri Lankan monarchs who had the ceremony performed under such circumstances. The incorporation of an element called the dorakada-asna ("message read at the threshold"), as explained below, shows that it is a ritual that has gradually been elaborated over time.
The simplest form of the pirit ceremony is held when what is called the maha-pirita (great or major pirit)-- the Mangala, Ratana, and Metta Sutras and a few benedictory stanzas -- is chanted by a few monastics, 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 monastics are conducted to the particular household and the chanting takes place in any room of the house chosen.
(Electric Samurai) WARNING: Too sexy! New ritual element, a wedding of a Hula Hoop and a GoPro with amazing, if unnecessarily sexy, results! Psychedelic Trance 2014/2015 Mix, Part 1.
Monastics sit around a table on which a clean white cloth has been spread, and flowers and puffed rice are strewn about. A pot of filtered water is placed in the center 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 monastics and is next held by the person or persons on whose behalf the chanting is being done. They are seated on a mat on the ground in front of the reciting monastics. The water in the pot, designated pirit-water (pirit-pan), and the sacred thread (pirit-nula), become sanctified through the chanting and are used thereafter as a protection against evil.
The thread is used by tying a piece around the wrist or arm and the water by drinking or sprinkling it, according to requirements. In the simplest form, the ceremony is called varu- or vel-pirita (varu and vel in Sinhalese meaning half-day session) as the ceremony is confined only to a portion of the day and only the major pirit is chanted.
But the full-fledged pirit ceremony is a much more elaborate ritual. It also has two main forms -- one lasting for one whole night and the other for a week or even longer. The former is the more usual form as a domestic ceremony while the latter is held on special occasions, particularly for public purposes. Whatever the form may be, when this kind of chanting is undertaken, a special pavilion called the pirit mandapaya 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 12x12 feet and is decorated with tissue paper, tinsel, and so on. 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 (na) tree, etcetera. 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 on the coconut racemes.
In the center of the pavilion is a table, usually a round one, on which a clean white cloth is spread. Upon it are strewn puffed rice (vilanda), broken rice (sun-sal), white mustard (sudu-aba), jasmine buds (saman kakulu), and panic grass (itana). These five varieties, known as lada-pas-mal, are regarded as having a sanctifying and purifying power in combination and are therefore used for ritualistic purposes at Buddhist ceremonies.
Enlightened monastics entering at right, statues of first Buddhist missionaries to arrive from India: Ven. Mahinda and his sister Ven. Sanghamitta (Richard Silver/rjsnyc/flickr).
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In the center of the table is the filtered water pot around which the three-stranded sacred thread is twisted. This thread is drawn round the interior of the pavilion, and when the chanting commences it is held by the chanting monastics and given over to be held by the person or persons for whose benefit the ceremony is held.
An ola palm leaf copy of the Pirit-Pota, regarded as more sanctified than a printed paper one, occupies a significant place on the table, representing the Dharma, the second of the Three Jewels. Consequently, while the printed copy is used for reading, the palm-leaf version is regarded as an indispensable item on the table. The other important item brought inside the pavilion is the sacred casket containing the bone-relics of the Buddha (dhatu-karanduwa), representing the Enlightened One. It is placed on a separate decorated table on one side of the pavilion.
In the monastic seating arrangement, two chairs, centrally placed near the table, are referred to as yuga-asana or "seats for the duel." During a greater part of the all-night recital, two monastics occupying these two seats continue the chanting, taking it in relays, instead of the full assembly. A post called indra-khila or raja-gaha is planted securely and fastened between these twin chairs. This post, resembling a mace in more ways than one, is attractively decorated and serves as a symbol of authority and protection for the officiating monastics. This is generally erected only when the ceremony lasts for a week (sati pirita) or longer.
Even when the ceremony is held in a private home, the temple is connected with every stage of the ritual. Temple authorities are responsible for assigning the required number of monastics. On the evening of the day on which the chanting takes place, a few members from the particular household go to the temple in order to conduct the monastics.
They come in a single file procession in order of seniority, attended by drumming. At the head of the procession the relic casket is carried, borne on the head of a layman, under an umbrella or a canopy. The beating of drums continues throughout. As the monastics enter the home, a layperson washes their feet while another wipes them. They walk to the pavilion on a carpet of white cloth (pavada) and take their seats around the table.
The relic casket, The Book of Protection, and the monastics thus come together, representing the Triple Gem: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
(Mahakalu Sinhalayo) Major Pirit (Maha Piritha, මහ පිරිත - තුන් සූත්රය) by Thun Suthraya (MKS)
Before the commencement of the ceremony proper, the usual time of which is around 9:00 pm, the monastics are welcomed and requested to perform the ceremony by being offered a tray in which betel leaves, arecanut, cardamon, nutmeg, and more are nicely arranged, the ingredients being those taken for the chewing of betel nut.
This invitation is usually extended by the chief householder if it is in a private home. Otherwise, some leading lay devotee does it. One of the senior monastics present accepts the invitation on behalf of the entire Sangha and, in order to make the invitation formally valid, a lay devotee repeats the following Pali stanza requesting the monastics to begin the ceremony:
"Please recite the noble pirit for the avoidance of all misfortune, for the attainment of all success, and for the end of all suffering."
Next the senior monastic explains the significance of the occasion in a short address. This is followed by ceremonial drumming (magulbera vadana), as a ritualistic preamble to the ceremony, serving both as an invitation to thedevas and an offering of sound (sadda-puja). The monastics also commence the chanting by reciting a stanza that invites all of the divine beings in the universe to the ceremony:
"May the divine beings of the entire universe come here to hear the good doctrine of the Best of Sages that confers both heavenly happiness and the freedom of nirvana."
From the commencement of the chanting until its conclusion the following morning, the pavilion is not vacated. The major pirit, with which the chanting begins, is chanted in a rhythmic manner by all of the monastics, numbering about 10 or 12, seated in order of seniority. The rest of the discourses are chanted by two or four of them. The ceremony is concluded the following morning with the recital, once again, of the major pirit at which ceremonial drumming takes place once more.
This drumming is also performed at the recital of important discourses like the Set Rolling the True Wheel of the Dharma Sutra (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) and the Dealing with Ogres Sutra (Atanatiya Sutta). Once the chanting is concluded, convenient lengths of the thread, sanctified by the chanting, are cut and tied around the wrists or arms of those assembled. A little of the sanctified water is given to everyone for drinking.
When the ceremony continues for several days, or a week (sati-pirita), the chanting must continue night and day without break. When the set of sutras constituting pirit is completed, chanting is recommenced from the beginning and in this manner they are recited over and over again until the session is concluded. Both to begin and to end the session, the major pirit is recited in chorus by all of the monastics on each day at sunrise and at sunset.
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New ritual elements
Gold leaf coating (VagabondTravels/flickr)
An important ceremony connected with the seven-day and longer pirit ceremony is known as dorakada-asna, which seems to have entered the pirit ceremony during the Kandyan period, 18th century (Ven. Kotagama Vacissara Thera, Saranankara Sangharaja Samaya, pp.118-19).
This ritual involves several stages commencing from the morning of the last day of the pirit ceremony, that is, the seventh day if it is a seven-day ceremony. The first stage is the preparation of the message to be taken to the neighboring temple where the abodes of the devas (deva-layas,deva-statues) are also found. For this purpose several palm (talipot) leaves, on which the message is to be written, are brought to the chanting pavilion in a ceremonial procession and handed over to a monastic who has previously been selected to write the message.
Ancient Greek deva statues (flickr com)
Next, this particular monastic writes down the auspicious time for the "messenger of the devas" (deva-dutaya) to set out to the deva-laya and read it aloud, to be sanctioned by the assembled monastics. Once this is done another monastic, also previously selected, reads aloud a text written in a highly ornate and stilted style, enumerating the temples and deva-layas at which the deities are requested to be present at the pirit chanting that evening.
This text is called the vihara-asna. Until these preliminaries are gone through, the other monastics keep holding the sacred thread. After this, the monsatic who was appointed to write the message begins to write it while the other monastics retire.
The message contains the invitation -- which is a command from the Sangha (sangha-natti) and therefore not to be turned down -- addressed to all of the deities residing at the religious places enumerated in the vihara-asna to come and partake of the merits of the week's pirit chanting.
Dancers? Stilt walkers? (AlisonRyde/flickr)
The message is prepared in quadruplicate. These are then hung on a pole and handed over to a young boy, specially selected for the task and richly attired as befits a messenger of the devas. Mounted on a caparisoned elephant and escorted by men with swords, the boy carries the message in a procession to the deva-laya. This procession is called the devaduta-perahera, "the procession of the devas' messenger," and has many features like dancers, drummers, mask-dancers, stilt-walkers, and so on.
At the deva-laya, the monastics and the deva-dutaya first go near a Buddha statue and pay respects, after which they proceed to the building where the statues of the devas are and chant the Loving-Kindness Sutra (Metta Sutta). The devas concerned are usually Lord Vishnu and the spirit Kataragama (Skanda). This is followed by ceremonial drumming (magul bera) as an invitation to the devas, and next a monastic reads the message out loud.
The four messages are given to the lay officiating priest or priestess of the deva-laya (known as kapurala) to be hung in the four cardinal directions inside the deva-laya, the abode of the devas. These are meant for the Regents of the Four Quarters (the Four Great Sky Rulers or Catumaharajikas -- Datarattha (east), Viruda (south), Virupakkha (west), and Vessavana (north) -- who are requested to come to the ceremony with their assemblies. The procession now returns.
Until the monastics arrive for the pirit chanting, the messenger or deva-dutaya is kept confined and guarded. Once the monastics arrive and take their seats inside the pavilion, a dialogue takes place between the deva-dutaya and a monastic, the purpose of which is to reveal to the assembled gathering that the task of the messenger, which was to invite the devas to partake of the shared merits, has been done and that all the devas have arrived.
Message read at the threshold
Bhumi devas in European art (youtube.com)
The deva-dutaya makes this statement, standing and guarded by the swordsmen, at the entrance (dorakada) to the chanting pavilion within which the monastics have taken their seats. It is this statement of the deva-dutaya which thus comes to be called the dorakada-asna, meaning "the message read at the threshold."
The gist of this statement, written in the same kind of stilted language as the vihara-asna referred to earlier, is that all the devas invited have arrived for the pirit ceremony so that they may dispel all misfortune and bring about prosperity to all.
After the dorakada-asna, another monastic standing within the pavilion reads out a similar text called the anusasana-asna, wherein all the devas assembled are requested to rejoice in (approve of, applaud, laud, encourage) the merits of the entire ceremony. This monastic holds a round-handled fan made of the talipot palm leaf, elaborately decorated, a symbol of authority and high ecclesiastical position.
These three ritualistic message texts mentioned -- that is, the vihara-asna,dorakada-asna, and the anusasana-asna -- were all composed during the Kandyan period, the 18th century, when ceremonies and rituals, especially those connected with the devas, became more popular than during the earlier periods (Ven. Kotagama Vacissara Thera, Saranankara Sangharaja Samaya, pp.118-19).
The golden shores of the Sri Lanka or "Spice Island" (Cyrille Gibot/flickr.com).
It is also worth noting that this ceremony of dorakada-asna, the message at the threshold, has in addition to its religious and ritualistic significance considerable dramatic and theatrical value. For the whole event, from the preliminaries of the morning to the grand finale of the anusasana in the evening, contains much impersonation, mime, and dialogue.
In this connection we may note that as early as the time of Buddhaghosa (5th century A.C.E.), the greatest of all Buddhist commentators, there were Buddhist rituals with such theatrical features as is shown by the "exorcism ritual" of reading the Atanatiya Sutta described in the Commentary to the Longer Discourse (Digha Nikaya Tika iii, 969-70). [For details of the Atanatiya recital, see below, pp.55-57.]
The recital of the "Verses of the Supreme Blessings" or Jayamangala Gatha, a set of eight benedictory stanzas extolling the virtues of the Buddha, may also be cited as a popular custom partly related to the chanting of pirit. This is usually done on important occasions like the marriage ceremony, when setting out on an important journey, or when inaugurating any venture of significance.
This custom is inevitably observed at what is called the Poruva ceremony when, after a couple to be married ascends a small decorated platform (poruva), they are blessed for future prosperity. The recital is usually done by an elderly person who, for the occasion, assumes the position of an officiating priest.
At public functions a bevy of young girls clad in white uniforms also do the recital. The contents of the stanzas recited clearly show that the ritual is intended to bring happiness and prosperity to the persons concerned or the successful completion of the project. Accordingly these verses have come to be called "the stanzas of success and prosperity," Jaya Mangala Gatha, and have become quite popular among all sections of the Buddhists.
While the origin of these stanzas is shrouded in mystery, it can be stated with certainty that they were composed in Sri Lanka by a devoted Buddhist poet. The earliest available reference to them is during the Kandyan period when they are given in a list of subjects that a monastic should study. This shows that they had become well established during the 16th and 17th centuries; therefore, they must have been composed at least a century earlier. These stanzas are regarded as efficacious because they relate eight occasions, each based on a beautiful story, when the Buddha triumphed over powerful opponents.
The chanting of what is called set-pirit by a few monastics at the inauguration of new ventures or at receptions and farewells to important public personages has also become quite common. The chanting usually consists of a sutra like the Mangala, Ratana, or Metta Sutta, and a few benedictory stanzas.
Set-pirit is broadcast by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation every morning as the first item of its program. More
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