cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/53097658

About Kūṭadanta (A Bloodless Sacrifice). The Brahmin Kūṭadanta wants to hold a great sacrifice with the slaughter of many hundreds of beasts. He appeals (improbably, as Rhys Davids points out!) to the Buddha for advice on how to do this. The Buddha tells him the story of an ancient king and his Brahmin chaplain, who performed a purely symbolic, bloodless sacrifice. Kūṭadanta sits in silence at the end of this narrative, having realised that the Buddha did not say: ‘I have heard this’, and the Buddha confirms that it is a story from one of his past lives, thus technically a ‘birth-story’ (Jātaka). The Buddha then tells of ‘sacrifices more profitable’, that is, the higher benefits as in Sutta 2. Kūṭadanta liberates the hundreds of animals he had destined for slaughter, saying: ‘Let them be fed with green grass and given cool water to drink, and let cool breezes play upon them’. He becomes a lay-follower, and the ‘pure and spotless Dhamma-eye’ opens in him.

- (Summary by) Walshe, Maurice, “The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya”

About Kūṭadanta (A Bloodless Sacrifice). The Brahmin Kūṭadanta wants to hold a great sacrifice with the slaughter of many hundreds of beasts. He appeals (improbably, as Rhys Davids points out!) to the Buddha for advice on how to do this. The Buddha tells him the story of an ancient king and his Brahmin chaplain, who performed a purely symbolic, bloodless sacrifice. Kūṭadanta sits in silence at the end of this narrative, having realised that the Buddha did not say: ‘I have heard this’, and the Buddha confirms that it is a story from one of his past lives, thus technically a ‘birth-story’ (Jātaka). The Buddha then tells of ‘sacrifices more profitable’, that is, the higher benefits as in Sutta 2. Kūṭadanta liberates the hundreds of animals he had destined for slaughter, saying: ‘Let them be fed with green grass and given cool water to drink, and let cool breezes play upon them’. He becomes a lay-follower, and the ‘pure and spotless Dhamma-eye’ opens in him.

- (Summary by) Walshe, Maurice, “The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya”

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/53095678

About Ambaṭṭha (Pride Humbled). Pokkharasāti, a famous Brahmin teacher, sends his student Ambaṭṭha (supposedly fully trained in Brahmin lore) to find out if the 'ascetic Gotama' is the great man he is alleged to be (and if, therefore, he bears the 'thirty-two marks of a Great Man'), Ambaṭṭha, proud of his Brahmin birth, behaves stupidly and arrogantly towards the Buddha, and thereupon learns a thing or two about his own ancestry, besides being made to realise that the Khattiyas (the warrior-noble caste) are superior to the Brahmins. Humbled, he returns to Pokkharasāti, who is furious at his conduct, hastens to see the Buddha, learns that he does indeed bear the thirty-two marks, and becomes a convert.

- (Summary by) Walshe, Maurice, “The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya”

About Ambaṭṭha (Pride Humbled). Pokkharasāti, a famous Brahmin teacher, sends his student Ambaṭṭha (supposedly fully trained in Brahmin lore) to find out if the 'ascetic Gotama' is the great man he is alleged to be (and if, therefore, he bears the 'thirty-two marks of a Great Man'), Ambaṭṭha, proud of his Brahmin birth, behaves stupidly and arrogantly towards the Buddha, and thereupon learns a thing or two about his own ancestry, besides being made to realise that the Khattiyas (the warrior-noble caste) are superior to the Brahmins. Humbled, he returns to Pokkharasāti, who is furious at his conduct, hastens to see the Buddha, learns that he does indeed bear the thirty-two marks, and becomes a convert.

- (Summary by) Walshe, Maurice, “The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya”

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/31880076

This sutta portrays two modes by which the Buddha responded to the controversial issues of his day. The first mode—illustrated by his contribution to the discussion on the ultimate cessation of perception—was to adopt the terms of the discussion but to invest them with his own meanings, and then to try to direct the discussion to the practice leading to the cessation of suffering & stress. The second mode—illustrated by his treatment of whether the cosmos is eternal, etc.—was to declare the issues as unconducive to awakening, and to refuse to take a position on them.

This sutta portrays two modes by which the Buddha responded to the controversial issues of his day. The first mode—illustrated by his contribution to the discussion on the ultimate cessation of perception—was to adopt the terms of the discussion but to invest them with his own meanings, and then to try to direct the discussion to the practice leading to the cessation of suffering & stress. The second mode—illustrated by his treatment of whether the cosmos is eternal, etc.—was to declare the issues as unconducive to awakening, and to refuse to take a position on them.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/31726865

As well as the Buddhism community on lemmy.ml, we have a Buddhism community on the sopuli instance: Buddhism !Buddhism@sopuli.xyz

I have also set up a Thai Forest Tradition community: Thai Forest Tradition !thaiforest@sopuli.xyz

Hope that anyone who is interested strongly in Buddhism, and furthermore who may have interest in the Pali teachings to subscribe to Buddhism, and Thai Forest Tradition for more strong emphasis on the latter. Hope to see you there!

As well as the Buddhism community on lemmy.ml, we have a Buddhism community on the sopuli instance: Buddhism !Buddhism@sopuli.xyz

I have also set up a Thai Forest Tradition community: Thai Forest Tradition !thaiforest@sopuli.xyz

Hope that anyone who is interested strongly in Buddhism, and furthermore who may have interest in the Pali teachings to subscribe to Buddhism, and Thai Forest Tradition for more strong emphasis on the latter. Hope to see you there!

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/31703822

This discourse is one of the masterpieces of the Pali Canon. At heart, it is a comprehensive portrait of the Buddhist path of training, illustrating each stage of the training with vivid similes.

This discourse is one of the masterpieces of the Pali Canon. At heart, it is a comprehensive portrait of the Buddhist path of training, illustrating each stage of the training with vivid similes.

cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/31674902

This sutta—the first of the entire Sutta Piṭaka—introduces the Buddha as a practitioner and as a teacher. Because its portrait focuses on the Dhamma qualities that he exemplifies, it acts as an introduction to the Dhamma he teaches as well.