Kūṭadantasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato

A brahmin wishes to undertake a great sacrifice, and asks for the Buddha’s advice. The Buddha tells a legend of the past, in which a king is persuaded to give up violent sacrifice, and instead to devote his resources to supporting the needy citizens of his realm. However, even such a beneficial and non-violent sacrifice pales in comparison to the spiritual sacrifice of giving up attachments.

Then Kūṭadanta together with a large group of brahmins went to see the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. Before sitting down to one side, some of the brahmins and householders of Khāṇumata bowed, some exchanged greetings and polite conversation, some held up their joined palms toward the Buddha, some announced their name and clan, while some kept silent.

Kūṭadanta said to the Buddha, “Master Gotama, I’ve heard that you know how to accomplish the sacrifice with three modes and sixteen accessories. I don’t know about that, but I wish to perform a great sacrifice. Please teach me how to accomplish the sacrifice with three modes and sixteen accessories.”

“Well then, brahmin, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Yes sir,” Kūṭadanta replied. The Buddha said this: “Once upon a time, brahmin, there was a king named Mahāvijita. He was rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, lots of money and grain, and a full treasury and storehouses. Then as King Mahāvijita was in private retreat this thought came to his mind: ‘I have achieved human wealth, and reign after conquering this vast territory. Why don’t I hold a large sacrifice? That will be for my lasting welfare and happiness.’

Then he summoned the brahmin high priest and said to him: ‘Just now, brahmin, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind, “I have achieved human wealth, and reign after conquering this vast territory. Why don’t I perform a great sacrifice? That will be for my lasting welfare and happiness.” Brahmin, I wish to perform a great sacrifice. Please instruct me. It will be for my lasting welfare and happiness.’

When he had spoken, the brahmin high priest said to him: ‘Sir, the king’s realm is harried and oppressed. Bandits have been seen raiding villages, towns, and cities, and infesting the highways. But if the king were to extract more taxes while his realm is thus harried and oppressed, he would not be doing his duty.

Now the king might think, “I’ll eradicate this outlaw threat by execution or imprisonment or confiscation or condemnation or banishment!” But that’s not the right way to eradicate this outlaw threat. Those who remain after the killing will return to harass the king’s realm.

Rather, here is a plan, relying on which the outlaw threat will be properly uprooted. So let the king provide seed and fodder for those in the realm who work in growing crops and raising cattle. Let the king provide funding for those who work in trade. Let the king guarantee food and wages for those in government service. Then the people, occupied with their own work, will not harass the realm. The king’s revenues will be great. When the country is secured as a sanctuary, free of being harried and oppressed, the happy people, with joy in their hearts, dancing with children at their breast, will dwell as if their houses were wide open.’

The king agreed with the high priest’s advice and followed his recommendation.

Then the king summoned the brahmin high priest and said to him: ‘I have eradicated the outlaw threat. And relying on your plan my revenue is now great. Since the country is secured as a sanctuary, free of being harried and oppressed, the happy people, with joy in their hearts, dancing with children at their breast, dwell as if their houses were wide open.’

This teaching is shared by the Buddha to a Brahmin who is interested in performing a sacrifice. The Buddha is narrating a forward-thinking social policy plan before answering about the specific question. The teaching continues and can be read in full at https://suttacentral.net/dn5.

As after describing the sacrifice the Brahmin was interested in conducting, the Brahmin kept asking the Buddha if there were better sacrifices that could be conducted that had fewer requirements and the Buddha shared them (ways to acquire merit) in a graded order.

Giving regular gifts to renunciates who have ethical conduct…

Giving a dwelling for any sangha…

When someone with confident heart goes to refuge to the Buddha, to the Dhamma, to the Sangha…

When someone keeps the five precepts…

When someone hearing the true teachings of the Buddha attains the jhānas …

Attains knowledge and vision and liberation.

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