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"There will be truths, lokasicca (worldly truths), and there will be falsehoods. While the truths are few, doubtless the falsehoods are many. There was one little incident at the time of Buddha. A son was born to a father and a mother. A renowned ascetic told them that the child's life would last only seven days. They asked how they could prolong his life past seven days.
"I don't know," said the hermit, "Go ask Master Gotama. He would know."
So they came to the place of the Buddha. When they told the Buddha of their predicament, he replied, "I will send eight monks. They will circle around the boy and chant the Paritta (protective verses). Go home and get a place ready."
When they had gone home and fixed things up, the eight monks arrived. Circling around, they recited the Paritta for seven full days. On the seventh day, the Buddha came, and great brahmas and devas (gods and deities) followed. Thus, the ogre who was going to eat the child stayed far away and couldn't come near. The ogre could only eat the boy within his first seven days; when the eight day came, he could not no longer eat him. The child was freed from the threat of the ogre. That child lived to be one hundred and twenty. From 'Master Shortlived' his name was changed to 'Master Longlived'."
The lady, her daughter, and the fiancée were all listening intently to the tale Sayadaw was telling. It was a tale which related to their own lives.
Sayadaw continued, "That's a little tale of how chanting the Paritta protected one from harm and allowed him long life. In this case, too, the internal dangers, which can't be seen, are much more fearsome than the external dangers which can. External dangers can only torment us for a single lifetime. The internal dangers, on the other hand, can continue to torment us lifetime after lifetime. When we are doing the work of meditation which frees us from the internal menace of the kilesas (defilements), we will also become free of external dangers. If we cultivate satipatthana (mindfulness) through our first-hand experience of our own mind and body, that experiential Parrita is more potent than the chanted one. Meditation was the Buddha's technique. The Buddha's technique is not mistaken. If there comes to be the Buddha's way and two others, sons and daughters of the Buddha must follow the Buddha's way."
Sayadaw's Dhamma speech became bit by bit more profound. The lady and her party were listening more and more intently. Sayadaw, who uses any means available to attract those who have yet to enter the realm of meditation, had begun once again working to bring people towards the realm of meditation. The author found himself wondering how would continue to bring them in, Sayadaw told this little story.
"Two close friends went on a journey. One was devoted to devâs (deities); the
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