Sponsoring Sacrifice

SN 11.16 · Yajamānasutta

A pale fallen petal beside a small woodland rain puddle.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.

And then Sakka, lord of gods, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and addressed him in verse:

“For humans, those merit-seeking creatures, who sponsor sacrifices, making worldly merit, where is a gift very fruitful?”
“Four practicing the path, and four established in the fruit. This is the upright Saṅgha, with wisdom, ethics, and immersion.
For humans, those merit-seeking creatures, who sponsor sacrifices, making worldly merit, what is given to the Saṅgha is very fruitful.”

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.