Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
VIII. Ānanda Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
VIII. About Ānanda

Sutta 79

Gandha-Jāta Suttaṁ

Scent

Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

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[205]

[1] Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the venerable Ānanda was staying near Vesālī,
in Great Grove,
at the House with the Peaked Gable.

Now the venerable Ānanda went to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.

As he sat at one side he said:

"Lord, there are these three sorts of scents
whose savour spreads along with the wind,
but not against the wind.

What three?

Root-scent,^[1]
heart-wood scent
and the scent of flowers.

These are the three sorts of scents
whose savour spreads along with the wind,
but not against the wind.

Pray, lord, is there any sort of scent
whose savour spreads with the wind,
against the wind
and both ways alike?"

"There is such a scent, Ānanda."

"What is that scent, lord?"

2. "In this connexion, Ānanda,
in whatsoever village or district
there is a woman or a man
who has taken refuge in the Buddha,
Dhamma
and the Order,
who abstains from slaying,
stealing,
wrong practice in sensual lust,
from falsehood,
from addiction to intoxicants
that cause sloth:
who is virtuous,
of a lovely nature,
who dwells at home
with heart free from the taint of stinginess,
who is open-handed,
pure-handed,
delighting in giving up,
one to ask a favour of,
one who delights in sharing gifts with others, -
of such an one
recluses and hermits sing the praises
in all quarters, thus:

'In such and such a village or district
there is a woman or a man
who has taken refuge in the Buddha,
Dhamma
and the Order,
who abstains from slaying,
stealing,
wrong practice in sensual lust,
from falsehood,
from addiction to intoxicants
that cause sloth:
who is virtuous,
of a lovely nature,
who dwells at home
with heart free from the taint of stinginess,
who is open-handed,
pure-handed,
delighting in giving up,
one to ask a favour of,
one who delights in sharing gifts with others.'

Moreover the Devas and non-humans^[2]
sing his praises in [206] thus:

'In such and such a village or district
there is a woman or a man
who has taken refuge in the Buddha,
Dhamma
and the Order,
who abstains from slaying,
stealing,
wrong practice in sensual lust,
from falsehood,
from addiction to intoxicants
that cause sloth:
who is virtuous,
of a lovely nature,
who dwells at home
with heart free from the taint of stinginess,
who is open-handed,
pure-handed,
delighting in giving up,
one to ask a favour of,
one who delights in sharing gifts with others.'

This, Ānanda,
is the sort of scent
whose savour goes with the wind,
against the wind
and both ways alike."

 

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The scent of flowers goes not against the wind,||
Nor scent of sandal, musk or jessamine.||
The good man's scent goes e'en against the wind:||
The savour of the saint goes everywhere.^[3]

 

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^[1] Text should read mūla-gandho.

^[2] Reading amanussā pi.

^[3] At Dhp. 54; JA. iii, 291. Cf. Mil. P. 333 (where the three verses on this subject are quoted), and DA. i, 66.