‘Venerable Nāgasena, it was said by the Blessed One:

“Not in the sky, not in the ocean’s midst,
Not in the most secluded mountain cleft,
Not in the whole wide world is found the spot
Where standing one could ‘scape the snare of death.”

But on the other hand the Pirit service was promulgated by the Blessed One —that is to say, the Ratana Sutta and the Khanda-parittā and the Mora-parittā and the Dhajagga-parittā and the Āṭānāṭiya-parittā and the Aṅguli-mala-parittā. If, Nāgasena, a man can escape death’s snare neither by going to heaven, nor by going into the midst of the sea, nor by going to the summits of lofty palaces, nor to the caves or grottoes or declivities or clefts or holes in the mountains, then is the Pirit ceremony useless. But if by it there is a way of escape from death, then the statement in the verse I quoted is false. This too is a double-headed problem, more knotty than a knot. It is now put to you, and you have to solve it.’

‘The Blessed One, O king, said the verse you have quoted, and he sanctioned Pirit. But that is only meant for those who have some portion of their life yet to run, who are of full age, and restrain themselves from the evils of Karma. And there is no ceremony or artificial means for prolonging the life of one whose allotted span of existence has come to an end. just, O king, as with a dry and dead log of wood, dull, and sapless, out of which all life has departed, which has reached the end of its allotted period of life—you might have thousands of pots of water poured over it, but it would never become fresh again or put forth sprouts or leaves. Just so there is no ceremony or artificial means, no medicine and no Pirit, which can prolong the life of one whose allotted period has come to an end. All the medicines in the world are useless, O king, to such a one, but Pirit is a protection and assistance to those who have a period yet to live, who are full of life, and restrain themselves from the evil of Karma. And it is for that use that Pirit was appointed by the Blessed One. just, O king, as a husbandman guards the grain when it is ripe and dead and ready for harvesting from the influx of water, but makes it grow by giving it water when it is young, and dark in colour like a cloud, and full of life—just so, O king, should the Pirit ceremony be put aside and neglected in the case of one who has reached his allotted term of life, but for those who have a period yet to run and are full of vigour, for them the medicine of Pirit may be repeated, and they will profit by its use.’

‘But, Nāgasena, if he who has a term of life yet to run will live, and he who has none will die, then medicine and Pirit are alike useless.’

‘Have you ever seen, O king, a case of a disease being turned back by medicine?’

‘Yes, several hundred times.’

‘Then, O king, your statement as to the inefficiency of Pirit and medicine must be wrong.’

‘I have seen, Nāgasena, doctors administer medicines by way of draughts or outward applications, and by that means the disease has been assuaged.’

‘And when, O king, the voice of those who are repeating Pirit is heard, the tongue may be dried up, and the heart beat but faintly, and the throat be hoarse, but by that repetition all diseases are allayed, all calamities depart. Again, have you ever seen, O king, a man who has been bitten by a snake having the poison resorbed under a spell (by the snake who gave the bite) or destroyed (by an antidote) or having a lotion applied above or below the spot ?’

‘Yes, that is common custom to this day in the world.’

‘Then what you said that Pirit and medicine are alike useless is wrong.. And when Pirit has been said over a man, a snake, ready to bite, will not bite him, but close his jaws—the club which robbers hold aloft to strike him with will never strike; they will let it drop, and treat him kindly—the enraged elephant rushing at him will suddenly stop—the burning fiery conflagration surging towards him will die out—the malignant poison he has eaten will become harmless, and turn to food—assassins who have come to slay him will become as the slaves who wait upon him—and the trap into which he has trodden will hold him not.

‘Again, have you never heard, O king, of that hunter who during seven hundred years failed to throw his net over the peacock who had taken Pirit, but snared him the very day he omitted to do so ?’

‘Yes, I have heard of it. The fame of it has gone through all the world.’

‘Then what you said about Pirit and medicine being alike useless must be wrong. And have you never heard of the Dānava who, to guard his wife, put her into a box, and swallowing it, carried her about in his stomach. And how a Vidyādhara entered his mouth, and played games with his wife. And how the Dānava when he became aware of it, vomited up the box, and opened it, and the moment he did so the Vidyādhara escaped whither he would ?

‘Yes, I have heard that. The fame of it too has gone throughout the world.’

‘Well, did not the Vidyādhara escape capture by the power of Pirit?’

‘Yes, that was so.’

‘Then there must be power in Pirit. And have you heard of that other Vidyādhara who got into the harem of the king of Benares, and committed adultery with the chief queen, and was caught, and then became invisible, and got away ?’

‘Yes, I heard that story.’

‘Well, did not he too escape capture by the power of Pirit.’

‘Yes, Sir.’

‘Then, O king, there must be power in Pirit.’

‘Venerable Nāgasena, is Pirit a protection to everybody?’

‘To some, not to others.’

‘Then it is not always of use?’

‘Does food keep all people alive?’

‘Only some, not others.’

‘But why not?’

‘Inasmuch as some, eating too much of that same food, die of cholera.’

‘So it does not keep all men alive?’

‘There are two reasons which make it destroy life—over-indulgence in it, and weakness of digestion. And even life-giving food may be made poisonous by an evil spell.’

‘Just so, O king, is Pirit a protection to some and not to others. And there are three reasons for its failure—the obstruction of Karma, and of sin, and of unbelief. That Pirit which is a protection to beings loses its protecting power by acts done by those beings themselves. just, O king, as a mother lovingly nourishes the son who has entered her womb, and brings him forth with care. And after his birth she keeps him clean from dirt and stains and mucus, and anoints him with the best and most costly perfumes, and when others abuse or strike him she seizes them and, full of excitement, drags them before the lord of the place. But when her son is naughty, or comes in late, she strikes him with rods or clubs on her knee or with her hands. Now, that being so, would she get seized and dragged along, and have to appear before the lord?’

‘No, Sir.’

‘But why not?’

‘Because the boy was in fault.’

‘Just in the same way, O king, will Pirit which is a protection to beings, yet, by their own fault, turn against them.’

‘Very good, Nāgasena! the problem has been solved, the jungle made clear, the darkness made light, the net of heresy unravelled—and by you, O best of the leaders of schools!’

Here ends the dilemma as to Pirit.