16th November 1997

Preaching the pirith power

By Roshan Peiris

The Ven. Telwatte Nakitha, Chief Incumbent of the 97 year old Gothami Vihare believes strongly in the healing power of pirith chanting and his beliefs have communicated to many who seek his help.

"I am totally opposed to operations as a means of saving sick people. I have saved over sixty people on the verge of being operated. I am no magician, I don't practice any sort of exorcist charm. I am a Buddhist and therefore believe totally in the power of chanting pirith and the vibrations that emanate, as well as in Bodhi Pooja."

In Bodhi Pooja, the suppliant walks seven times round the sacred Bodhi tree carrying a clay pot of water and at each round pours the water onto the sacred tree.

"I ask patients from all religions who seek a cure for their ailments to come for a Bodhi Pooja for seven weeks, once a week. They must also come for pirith chanting every day. I must emphasize that one must have faith and Bhakthi devotion.

"I also chant Lord Buddha's stanzas and the Buddu Nava Guna. The vibrations from these are believed to be all powerful."

He took a full bottle of saffron water a month old and said smell it, is there a stale smell? No. That is the power of chanting stanzas." The saffron water is used to bless vehicles just as the pirith water in these bottles blesses people.

"I also chant the Sri Maha Bodhi Stanzas especially for those undergoing a bad period such as Senasura, Ravi, Chandra, Kuja and Brahaspathi. With these stanzas chanted and the power exuded from them it helps to lessen the malaise that a bad period brings on.

Ven. Telwatte Nakitha became a priest at thirteen and taught Buddhism at a school in Habarana.

"One day a demented woman came to the Bodhi tree and behaved as if she was possessed. I felt sorry and so I went to her home and chanted pirith and she was cured."

That, said Ven. Telwatte Nakitha was the beginning of his healing mission. Asked whether Lord Gautama the Buddha advocated this type of healing, he replied that he did. "He too cured all sicknesses. It is even written in this book. He healed with the power of pirith and the holy chanting of stanzas, leukaemia, cancer, stroke, teeth trouble, ear trouble and blood pressure etc.

"There is much power in the chanting of pirith. A man with an inoperable lung cancer was asked not to go to India, but I chanted pirith, for three hours and this man went to Apollo Hospital feeling better. The doctors said that much of the malignancy had left him.

"A woman who had a mastectomy was told to come back for another. I chanted pirith for her until the day she had to leave for the operation. The testing showed that there was no sign of cancer.

"I cured a seventeen-year-old girl of fits and others with high blood pressure and those even with dengue.

"I am not proud of all this. Lord Buddha disliked pride I am humble and with all humility I give thanks to my religion, the strength that comes from chanting stanzas, pirith and from Bodhi Poojas. No matter one's religion but one must come to me with faith in the enormous goodness of pirith and chanting the stanzas of Lord Buddha."

Murals in a mess

Ven. Telwatte Nakitha took the photo- grapher and me to see the samples of Buddhist murals, the Gothami Vihare is famous for.

That much respected artist the late George Keyt painted most of them. To the entrance are two paintings of stylised art by the late Manjusiri, priest turned artist. The imposingly carved door made of sandalwood leads to the shrine. Outside are the murals.

These murals are a vibrant testimony to the culture and heritage of Buddhist art in this country, but one could not help being angry to see that nothing is done to conserve these priceless gifts of history.

Keyt has painted vividly the temptations that Lord Buddha was subject to. There is a mural of Lord Buddha's first sermon and His meditating as a young child. There is also a mural showing the birth of Lord Buddha and another showing the birth of His son Rahula.

Yes, there are many more but this writer felt un-shed tears prick her eyes to see the peeling paintings. What would we leave posterity of these fine Buddhist murals meant for all time, ageless in their value?

"One wonders whether the Keyt Foundation cannot do something and why not?" asked the Ven. Telwatte Nakitha.

How about it Mr. Minister of Cultural and Buddhist Affairs ?

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