critiques of sacrifice

[Robert Goldman]

An amusing and pointed Buddhist critique of sacrifice, specifically the pitṛyaj•a, may be found in the Pali Matakabhaṭṭa Jātaka where the Bodhisatva himself is the intended sacrificial victim.


On Apr 20, 2010, at 6:11 AM, Michio Yano wrote:

> One of the interesting sources is the Buddhist
> text ZaarduulakarNaavadaana (ed. by 
> Mukhopadhyaya, Santiniketan 1954, page 19),
> where Brahmanical sacrifice is critisized as
> being performed by those who want to eat the
> meat of sacrificail animals.
> 
> lines 15-18:
> na prokSaNair na mantraiz ca svargaM gacchanty ajaiDakaaH/
> na hy eSa maargaH svargaaya mithyaaprokSaNam ucyate//
> braahmaNai raudracittais tu paryaayo hy eSa cintitaH/
> maaMsaM khaaditukaamais tu prokSaNaM kalpitaM pazoH//
> 
> Michio Yano
> Kyoto Sangyo University
> 
>> Dear List--
>> Can anyone recommend primary or secondary literature on critiques of Vedic
>> sacrifice and orthopraxy? I am interested in Buddhist & Jain critiques as
>> well as those from within the Brahmanic fold.
>> 
>> Thanks
>> 
>> Finnian Moore Gerety
>> 
>> doctoral student, Dept. of Sanskrit & Indian Studies, Harvard University

Dr. R. P.  Goldman
Professor of Sanskrit
Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies
MC # 2540
The University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-2540
Tel: 510-642-4089
Fax: 510-642-2409