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Why Buddha praises the vedic Agnihotra as the foremost sacrifice and the Gayatri mantra as the foremost meter in the Pali Canon?

aggihuttamukhā yaññā sāvittī chandaso mukham.

Sacrifices have the agnihotra as foremost; of meter the foremost is the Sāvitrī

"On the Buddha's Use of Some Brahmanical Motifs in Pali Texts"

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  • Your quote is not from theravāda-pali canon.
    – Bonn
    Nov 12, 2017 at 18:02
  • @Bonn Which quote?
    – user5633
    Nov 12, 2017 at 18:03
  • Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ
    – Bonn
    Nov 12, 2017 at 18:04
  • @Bonn when did I say it is from Theravada pali Canon? Are there any mantras in that Canon?
    – user5633
    Nov 12, 2017 at 18:08
  • 1
    I answered below.
    – Bonn
    Nov 12, 2017 at 18:47

1 Answer 1

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Your quoted text is from M.N. Selasutta, that buddha taught to selabrahmaṇa:

aggihuttamukhā yaññā sāvittī chandaso mukham.

Sacrifices have the agnihotra as foremost; of meter the foremost is the Sāvitrī

So, buddha didn't taught veda. Buddha just use selabrahmaṇa's knowledge, veda, to teach him the last line:

puññaṃ ākaṅkhamānānaṃ, saṅgho ve yajataṃ mukha’’nti

Saṅgha is the best foremost of wholesome-mind developers.

This last line is the real buddha's teaching. Your quoted line, veda, was used by buddha just as a simile, as a tool to make selabrahmmaṇa understand the last line.

Your quote is similar: it references an example of brahmaṇa-people's best thing, to show sela-brahmaṇa how the last line is the best. Only that last line is the buddha's teaching; your quote is just a borrowed example, which buddha borrowed from brahmaṇa's veda, to teach sela-brahmaṇa the last line.

How can you teach a new language to a foreigner? You use their already-known language to teach them new language, right? That is what buddha did.

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  • What's the connection with the last line and my Agnihotra quote?
    – user5633
    Nov 13, 2017 at 5:43
  • Your quote is the similar example of brahmaṇa-people's best thing, to show sela-brahmaṇa that how the last line is the best. So, just that last line is the buddha's teaching, your quote is just a borrowed example that buddha borrowed from brahmaṇa's veda to teach sela-brahmaṇa the last line.
    – Bonn
    Nov 13, 2017 at 6:00
  • Buddha has clearly praised Vedic things except animal sacrifices. It's just that you're oblivious to it. You're reinterpreting what Buddha actually meant there.
    – user5633
    Nov 13, 2017 at 6:07
  • No, no where in theravāda tipitaka-pāli and commentary-pāli looks like you said. I recite, memorize, and research tipitaka-pāli for many years. I never saw something like you said. When you use current government-made stuff, it doesn't mean you supporting or agree with this government.
    – Bonn
    Nov 13, 2017 at 6:14
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    @OnkarKarambe Apparently the phrase is used in two or three suttas, including SN 111 and MN 92. Bonn referenced MN 92 (in Pali): here is an English translation of MN 92 if you want to read the whole sutta. The connection is, the sutta says, "[Like] the fire sacrifice is the chief sacrifice ... the Communities of Bhikkhus is the chief to those desiring merit." If he'd been talking with a race-car driver instead of a brahman, he might instead have said "Like the Ferrari is the fastest car" oslt.
    – ChrisW ♦
    Nov 13, 2017 at 8:47

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