Numbered Discourses 4.39

4. Situations

With Ujjaya

Then Ujjaya the brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“Does Master Gotama praise sacrifice?”

“Brahmin, I don’t praise all sacrifices. Nor do I criticize all sacrifices. Take the kind of sacrifice where cattle, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, and various kinds of creatures are slaughtered. I criticize that kind of violent sacrifice. Why is that? Because neither perfected ones nor those who are on the path to perfection will attend such a violent sacrifice.

But take the kind of sacrifice where cattle, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, and various kinds of creatures are not slaughtered. I praise that kind of non-violent sacrifice; for example, a regular gift as an ongoing family sacrifice. Why is that? Because perfected ones and those who are on the path to perfection will attend such a non-violent sacrifice.

Horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unbarred’—these huge violent sacrifices yield no great fruit.

The great sages of good conduct don’t attend sacrifices where goats, sheep, and cattle, and various creatures are killed.

But the great sages of good conduct do attend non-violent sacrifices of regular family tradition, where goats, sheep, and cattle, and various creatures aren’t killed.

An intelligent person should sacrifice like this, for this sacrifice is very fruitful. For a sponsor of sacrifices like this, things get better, not worse. Such a sacrifice is truly abundant, and even the deities are pleased.”