Video : "The Thread of Pirit" - Buddhist Blessing Ritual for Expectant Mothers

by Janaka Samarakoon

Today, I present to you a documentary that I filmed in 2022 in Sri Lanka, specifically in my ancestral village and, more precisely, in the house of my ancestors.

The film focuses on a specific Buddhist blessing ritual, performed for various occasions, including the expectant mother at seven months of pregnancy.

We have also produced an extended version of the same project in the Sinhala language, enriched with the testimony of Mr. Muthubanda Hearath, the ceremony master and lay specialist of the ritual in question. The footage you see here is an abbreviated version.

Pirit (පිරිත), the name given to this ceremony, is the Sinhala word for "paritra," which means "protection" in the Pali language. The recitation of scriptures, known as "Pirit," often takes place at night and lasts for an entire night in its complete form.

For Theravada Buddhists, also known as the "Lesser Vehicle," the ceremony ensures "protection in all directions." According to popular belief, it safeguards the present and future well-being of the unborn baby. By the seventh month of gestation, it is thought that the fetus becomes capable of "connecting" with the external world through vibrations and energies. Hence, throughout the entire night, the words of the Buddha are "made audible" to the baby, fostering an atmosphere of good fortune and blessings for the unborn child.

Primarily performed by monks, the ritual is also carried out by certain authorised laypeople in specific parts of the island. This is the case with the ceremony featured in this documentary.

One of the essential components of the ritual is to "imbue" a white cotton thread with the words of the Buddha recited by the performers. At the end of the ceremony, it is customary to wear a piece of this thread around the wrist or neck as a form of protection. The title of the film refers to this practice. This thread provides "protection in all directions" to whoever wears it.