Ujjayasutta

Atha kho ujjayo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ujjayo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “bhavampi no gotamo yaññaṁ vaṇṇetī”ti? “Na kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sabbaṁ yaññaṁ vaṇṇemi; na panāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sabbaṁ yaññaṁ na vaṇṇemi. Yathārūpe kho, brāhmaṇa, yaññe gāvo haññanti, ajeḷakā haññanti, kukkuṭasūkarā haññanti, vividhā pāṇā saṅghātaṁ āpajjanti; evarūpaṁ kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sārambhaṁ yaññaṁ na vaṇṇemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Evarūpañhi, brāhmaṇa, sārambhaṁ yaññaṁ na upasaṅkamanti arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā.

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 the worthy 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 don’t praise 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.

Yathārūpe ca kho, brāhmaṇa, yaññe neva gāvo haññanti, na ajeḷakā haññanti, na kukkuṭasūkarā haññanti, na vividhā pāṇā saṅghātaṁ āpajjanti; evarūpaṁ kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, nirārambhaṁ yaññaṁ vaṇṇemi, yadidaṁ niccadānaṁ anukulayaññaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Evarūpañhi, brāhmaṇa, nirārambhaṁ yaññaṁ upasaṅkamanti arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannāti.

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

Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ, Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ; Mahāyaññā mahārambhā, Na te honti mahapphalā.

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

Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca, vividhā yattha haññare; Na taṁ sammaggatā yaññaṁ, upayanti mahesino.

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

Ye ca yaññā nirārambhā, yajanti anukulaṁ sadā; Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca, vividhā nettha haññare; Tañca sammaggatā yaññaṁ, upayanti mahesino.

But the great sages of right comportment do attend those sacrifices that are non-violent and propitious, where goats, sheep, and cattle, and various creatures are not killed.

Etaṁ yajetha medhāvī, eso yañño mahapphalo; Etaṁ hi yajamānassa, seyyo hoti na pāpiyo; Yañño ca vipulo hoti, pasīdanti ca devatā”ti. Navamaṁ.

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.”