This Sutra has been a favourite among practitioners at the Sangha Gatherings at Gomde Denmark, this is a recording of such a practice session.

It is particularly suitable in the context of the pandemic we are in now, and tells the story of how the Buddha dealt with it in his time.

Invited to visit the city of Vaiśālī, which has been ravaged by a terrible epidemic, the Buddha instructs Ānanda to stand at the city’s gate and recite a proclamation, a long mantra, and some verses that powerfully evoke spiritual well-being. Ānanda does so, and the epidemic comes to an end. One of the mahāsūtras related to the literature of the Vinaya, this text, like other accounts of the incident, has traditionally been recited during times of personal or collective illness, bereavement, and other difficulties.

Find the text here