Dana versus Yanna

The focus was shifted away from yanna since the Buddha gave primary importance to dana as a means of gaining merit. Nevertheless, it should be made clear that the Buddha did not entirely substitute dana for yanna, but rather dana was moved to a central position for the layman and edged yanna to the periphery. This has been indicated in a stock passage in the Pali canon very clearly: those who have no faith in dana or yanna, or in the results of action, are criticized for their barren and perverse philosophy.^[1] Animal sacrifice was only rejected, sacrifice was not completely abolished, but yanna was now to take a secondary position in the Buddhist scheme of things. Yanna for the welfare of the family is redefined as a perpetual dana.^[2] This has been made very clear by the Kutadanta sutta. The brahmana Kutadanta consulted the Buddha when he wished to perform a large Yanna. The Buddha told him the story of king Mahavijita who distributed gifts instead of performing animal sacrifice on the advice of his wise purohita. After the distribution of the gifts to all the deserving, a sacrifice was being performed by the king without the inclusion of the massacre of animals. The sacrifice was performed using only ghee, oil, butter, milk, and honey. The Buddha identifies himself with the wise chaplain of the past and tells kutadanta that it is better to give perpetual gifts to virtuous recluses than perform sacrifices. The best way is to put up viharas for the sangha, and at the top of the scale comes the observance of the pancasilas^[3], which of course, relates to the cultivation of the mind and therefore to the moral uplift of the individual rather than the means of gaining merit.

However, the Buddha indicated that the best recipient of dana was his own sangha and often described the Buddhist sangha as the ‘peerless field of merit.^[4] The description of siha’s acceptance of Buddhism is a good example of the Buddha’s position on dana. Originally, siha, a Lichchhavi, was a follower of the Jainas but, when he expressed his desire to witch allegiance to Buddhism he was asked to continue giving alms to the Jainas.^[5] This took place because of the Buddha’s recognition of the general need of supporting through alms, in the samana way of life. Given this, it might have seemed unethical to advocate a complete severance of all relations with other religious sects, merely because the teachings of one particular sect were more appealing to a lay follower.

There is some importance in pointing out that the Yanna was specially associated with brahmanas and king in the Pali canon.^[6] They are only depicted as making arrangements for the performance of Yannas. In the opinion of the brahmana Sundarika Bharadvaja the categories of people who made oblations to the Gods were isis, brahmanas and khattiyas.^[7] The dasa-kammakaras are forced to help in making the preparations. They are pushed around, with tears on their faces, and ‘hectored’ about by blows in the process.^[8] On the other hand, the large majority of the people were brought into the orbit of religious experience by the importance given to dana. By feeding a few of the bhikkhus, everyone from the king and the gahapati downwards with the inclusion of the more humble sections^[9] could make a small gift to the sangha. Dakkhina (dakshina) was thereby replaced by Dana as the major link between the religious categories on the one hand and the people on the other. In the Brahmanical system, dana never occupied the central role of Yanna. The Brahmanical religion had Yanna as their core and it was so important in its potency that almost everything including the seasons, creation, and the world itself were founded on the sacrifice. Dana had enormous importance for the layman, and it was only a means of gaining merit available to people leading a lay life. By itself dana would not achieve even as much as the observance of the five silas by the upasaka, and it was certainly not a means to the ultimate goal of nibbana.