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This Khandha
parittais the Buddhist spell, or wardrune, an example of Apotropaic
Buddhism in Burma. According to the Vinaya pitaka literature in
Cullavagga text (P.101-102), this is allegedly composed by the Lord
Buddha when a certain monk in Savatthi died of snakebite. The Buddha
declared that this would not have happened had that monk let his love radiate
over the four royal breeds of serpents. And all the monks were advised to
protect from snakes by means of love through the reciting of Khandha paritta
which the Lord then composed for them.
The same paritta
is mentioned also in the Jataka stories, the Khandha Vatta
Jataka. According to the story, the Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) was an
ascetic in a previous birth who heard his friend ascetics complaining about the
dangers they encountered from snakes. He therefore instructed them to recite
the spell or wardrune in Pali, known as Khandha paritta.
This paritta is
nowadays recited for protection not only against dangerous snakes, for which it
was originally composed, but even from other frightful creatures as well,
including reptiles, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, lizards, rats and mice.
The peculiar phenpmenon
of this discourse is that Lord Buddha declared openly the power of reciting for
personal safety, for personal preservation, and for personal protection
(Parittam). This paritta sutta is composed of, according to the
Burmese version, eight stanzas in Pali.
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| 59. |
In this scope of (Buddha's)
jurisdiction, everywhere,
always, for all beings,
and by all means, this discourse does prevent (the
disasters).
Oh thou! Let us recite this preventive discourse now.
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| 63. |
All the sentient creature and all
breathing ones,
all beings without exception,
all may see the happy sights,
and may not befall into any sin.
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| 64. |
The Buddha is infinite:
Infinite is the Dhamma;
The Samgha is infinite;
Finite and measurable are creeping things;
snakes, scorpions, centipeds, spiders, lizards and rats.
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