Long ago it had been the custom for men to slaughter and sacrifice creatures when there were matters of going out for trading. They prayed for safety all along the way and success in trade. When they were back, they thanked the nats for their blessing and sacrifices for them. Monks saw it and asked Buddha if such slaughter and sacrifice were of interest as Buddha was staying at Zetawun Monastery. Buddha thought of the past and delivered the Ayasita Batta Jataka.

Long ago, at a village in Kathi Taing, there was a rich man. That man was sitting at the gate of the village, slaughtering creatures and propitiating the Nat of Panyaung tree to be free of all dangers.

The embryo-Buddha was guardian of botany who stood at the fork of the Panyaung tree and told the rich man that he was making the sacrifices to escape from the Samsara and that he should not commit such sin; he should not slaughter and sacrifice creatures; he should endeavour to get away from lives after only by means of good deeds; one who tried to get away from lives after only by means of good deeds; one who tried to get away from Samsara by diversive means was caught by his misdeed; wise men did not try to escape suffering by that means; such attempts to escape from suffering by the foolish were caught in the web.

After hearing the embryo-Buddha guardian of botany, men abstained from killing and built Sila' and religious contemplation to reach higher plans of existence.