<p>The Buddha redefined the term Brahmin :</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Yassa pāraṁ apāraṁ vā pārāpāraṁ na vijjati,</em><br />
For whom the near shore,
the far shore or both do not exist,</p>
<p><em>vītaddaraṁ visaṁyuttaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.</em><br />
free of anxiety,
being detached, that one I say is a brahmin.<br />
<a href="https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Dhammapada/26-Brahmins.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhammapada 385</a></p>
</blockquote>

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2021-08-17T21:45:49.403Z
2021-08-18T09:59:35.450Z
2021-08-18T09:59:35.450Z
Arkaprava Paul
<p>The Buddha redefined the term &quot;<em>yañña</em>&quot; (sacrifice), sometimes spelt &quot;<em>yajna</em>&quot; or &quot;<em>yajña</em>&quot;.</p>
<p>The Buddha discouraged animal sacrifice, human sacrifice, and other extra extravagant ritualistic sacrifices (soma juice drinking etc.), of which I quoted only part of the sutta of <a href="https://suttacentral.net/an4.39/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 4.39</a> below.</p>
<p>The Buddha however praised non-violent sacrifices, which I think refers to giving gifts (or contributing necessities) to family members.</p>
<p>So, it looks to me like he redefined this term from animal sacrifice to giving charity, which is also supported by <a href="https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?page=547" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this Pali-English dictionary entry</a>.</p>
<p>A similar teaching is given in <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn3.9/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 3.9</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Does Master Gotama praise sacrifice (<em>yañña</em>)?”</p>
<p>“Brahmin, I don’t praise all sacrifices. Nor do I criticize all
sacrifices. Take the kind of sacrifice where cattle, goats and sheep,
chickens and pigs, and various kinds of creatures are slaughtered. I
criticize that kind of violent sacrifice. Why is that? Because neither
perfected ones nor those who are on the path to perfection will attend
such a violent sacrifice.</p>
<p>But take the kind of sacrifice where cattle, goats and sheep, chickens
and pigs, and various kinds of creatures are not slaughtered. I praise
that kind of non-violent sacrifice; for example, a regular gift as an
ongoing family sacrifice. Why is that? Because perfected ones and
those who are on the path to perfection will attend such a non-violent
sacrifice.<br />
<a href="https://suttacentral.net/an4.39/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 4.39</a></p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>In <a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn7.21/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 7.21</a>, the Buddha redefined the ritualistic practice of purification by immersion in water, into purification by immersion in virtues.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.ksw0.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sigalovada Sutta</a>, the Buddha redefined the practice of prayer directed in six directions.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-21T19:25:16.963Z
Curious indeed this "ongoing family sacrifice" -- I feel the translation for this has yet to come into its own so to speak/type
vimutti
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2021-08-18T10:10:39.297Z
2021-08-18T10:31:20.340Z
2021-08-18T10:31:20.340Z
ruben2020
<p>It seems a significant and overlooked contribution of the Buddha, his redefining of various terms of his day into definitions more conducive to the ending of greed, ill-will and delusion/ignorance.</p>
<p>What are (all) these redefined terms (if not listed elsewhere)?</p>

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2021-08-17T21:05:28.803Z
maybe an example as the Buddhist take is different: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niyama
vimutti
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2021-08-17T21:58:15.403Z
I think this is too broad, you don't expect to see a complete list in an answer, do you?
Andriy Volkov
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2021-08-18T06:55:49.660Z
@AndreiVolkov It's atypical but occasionally a Stack Exchange site allows this kind of topic (for example [here](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q/244/1097)).
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-21T19:22:05.480Z
Max, yes, words, or termed concepts Buddhism shares with Hinduism but with different meanings. But even more helpful may be such words and terms Buddhism shares with any (major) teaching (systems) that were in significant use during the time of the Buddha. Priority perhaps given to the frequency of such words and terms used by the Buddha and/or the importance the Buddha placed on any of these.
vimutti
<pali><language><three-poisons>
What (spiritual/religious) terms did the Buddha redefine?
# What (spiritual/religious) terms did the Buddha redefine?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-17)

It seems a significant and overlooked contribution of the Buddha, his redefining of various terms of his day into definitions more conducive to the ending of greed, ill-will and delusion/ignorance.

What are (all) these redefined terms (if not listed elsewhere)?

**Tags:** pali, language, three-poisons

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: maybe an example as the Buddhist take is different: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niyama  
> **username_1**: I think this is too broad, you don't expect to see a complete list in an answer, do you?  
> **username_2**: @AndreiVolkov It's atypical but occasionally a Stack Exchange site allows this kind of topic (for example [here](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q/244/1097)).  
> **username_0**: Max, yes, words, or termed concepts Buddhism shares with Hinduism but with different meanings. But even more helpful may be such words and terms Buddhism shares with any (major) teaching (systems) that were in significant use during the time of the Buddha. Priority perhaps given to the frequency of such words and terms used by the Buddha and/or the importance the Buddha placed on any of these.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-08-17. Score: 4

The Buddha redefined the term Brahmin :

> *Yassa pāraṁ apāraṁ vā pārāpāraṁ na vijjati,*  
> For whom the near shore,
> the far shore or both do not exist,
>
> *vītaddaraṁ visaṁyuttaṁ, tam-ahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.*  
> free of anxiety,
> being detached, that one I say is a brahmin.  
> [Dhammapada 385](https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Dhammapada/26-Brahmins.htm)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-08-18. Score: 3

The Buddha redefined the term "*yañña*" (sacrifice), sometimes spelt "*yajna*" or "*yajña*".

The Buddha discouraged animal sacrifice, human sacrifice, and other extra extravagant ritualistic sacrifices (soma juice drinking etc.), of which I quoted only part of the sutta of [AN 4.39](https://suttacentral.net/an4.39/en/sujato) below.

The Buddha however praised non-violent sacrifices, which I think refers to giving gifts (or contributing necessities) to family members.

So, it looks to me like he redefined this term from animal sacrifice to giving charity, which is also supported by [this Pali-English dictionary entry](https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?page=547).

A similar teaching is given in [SN 3.9](https://suttacentral.net/sn3.9/en/sujato).

> “Does Master Gotama praise sacrifice (*yañña*)?”
>
> “Brahmin, I don’t praise all sacrifices. Nor do I criticize all
> sacrifices. Take the kind of sacrifice where cattle, goats and sheep,
> chickens and pigs, and various kinds of creatures are slaughtered. I
> criticize that kind of violent sacrifice. Why is that? Because neither
> perfected ones nor those who are on the path to perfection will attend
> such a violent sacrifice.
>
> But take the kind of sacrifice where cattle, goats and sheep, chickens
> and pigs, and various kinds of creatures are not slaughtered. I praise
> that kind of non-violent sacrifice; for example, a regular gift as an
> ongoing family sacrifice. Why is that? Because perfected ones and
> those who are on the path to perfection will attend such a non-violent
> sacrifice.  
> [AN 4.39](https://suttacentral.net/an4.39/en/sujato)

---

In [SN 7.21](https://suttacentral.net/sn7.21/en/sujato), the Buddha redefined the ritualistic practice of purification by immersion in water, into purification by immersion in virtues.

In [Sigalovada Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.ksw0.html), the Buddha redefined the practice of prayer directed in six directions.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Curious indeed this "ongoing family sacrifice" -- I feel the translation for this has yet to come into its own so to speak/type  

---

