Of all Buddhist countries in the world Sri Lanka enjoys the premier position of preserving the pristine doctrine of the Buddha ever since the introduction of Buddhism into this country by Arahat Mahinda and Theri Sangamitta. Besides the immaculate Dhamma preached by Buddha in His lifetime for the benefit and amelioration of gods in heavens and man on earth. He also promulgated or proclaimed incantations called Pirith or Paritta to relieve mankind from fear, hate, anger, suspicion and all other negative emotions and to bless and protect them. Pirith suffused with love and benevolence confers protection.

The chanting of Pirith bestows goodwill and blessings towards all living beings. It ensures the truthfulness of what is spoken by the power of which protection and healing are brought about. In the sacred utterances of Pirith no deities are involved. Buddhism denounces the performance of prayers and rituals to gods for one’s success or salvation. Gods who are believed to be in the heavens are conveniently blamed for calamities that are essentially the work of man, for example the destruction of forest coverage causing a drought. People blame the weather gods for this crisis and appeal for divine intervention. The votive utterance "May the Triple Gem keep you protected or Thunuruwange pihitai" is an invocation on the lines of Pirith. In this instance the wonderful power and goodness of The Blessed One are made to kindle in the heart and mind of the one blessed thus driving out fear, and producing peace, happiness and protection. We have faith in the belief that good actions bring happiness and bad actions evil and unhappiness.

Pirith produces a balmy effect in the mind of foes converting them powerless and harmless. The Buddha in His lifetime made known to mankind several Pariitta Dharma. The magic of Pirith bestows blessings protection on all living beings. The Buddha with His healing touch and with wisdom made words tie mystic knots around us. Once when an epidemic of plague was raging in the city of Veesali the inhabitants of that town sought the help of the Buddha to save them from that scourge. It is said that the Buddha arrived in the city accompanied by His disciple Ananda and taught him the Ratana Sustra and advised Ananda to visit all corners of the city reciting the holy words of the Sutra and sprinkling the holy water or Pirith Paen saturated with the powerful Pirith. As a result rain began to fall on the drought stricken land that within a few days the disease disappeared restoring the health of the people. In moments of vital danger one may receive conceivable help that may assist to overcome an awkward situation. The Buddhists in Sri Lanka have at all times depended on the merits of Pirith which bring spontaneous feeling of peace in time of sickness as well as in other unfortunate circumstances. The Ratana Sutraya written on ola leaf or on a sheet of gold and recited thousands of times and this sheet placed in a case is worn as a talisman to gain protection from all evil especially when astrological predictions on someone’s horoscope foretell bad periods under malefic planets.

In Buddhist scripture we learn of the bandit Angulimala who revelled in killing of humans as much as 999 to obtain their fingers for his necklace. When his own mother was to be the next victim the All compassionate the Buddha in iridescent glory confronted him and brought him to his senses and made him Buddha’s disciple that he obtained the Noble State of Arahathood. Once Arahat Angulimala on his rounds for alms heard the wails of a woman in labour and sought the Master’s aid to relieve her of her suffocation.

The Buddha then taught him the Paritta which is thereafter called Angulimala Pirita and asked him to go to the woman’s house and recite it there. No sooner he did so the woman was relieved. In the Angulimala Sutra there is the pronouncement of the truth that after Angulimala was ordained a bikku he had never killed a living being. The death of a bikku from a snake bite was the occasion for the Buddha to teach the Paritta called Khanda Paritta. Its contents include kindness towards all kinds of snakes and also an appeal against injury and harm from wild beasts. Finally, it expresses the wish that thereby every being will be able to wipe out all ill effects through the immense power of love.