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9. ÄnandattherapaƱhÄvatthu4.9 The Story about the Elder Änandaās Questions
Na pupphagandho paį¹ivÄtametÄ«ti imaį¹ dhammadesanaį¹ satthÄ sÄvatthiyaį¹ viharanto Änandattherassa paƱhaį¹ vissajjento kathesi.āThe fragrance of flowers,ā this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at SÄvatthÄ« by way of reply to a question which the Elder Änanda asked him.{1.420} marks page 420 of volume 1 of the PÄli Text Society PÄli text.
Thero kira sÄyanhasamaye paį¹isallÄ«no cintesi ā ābhagavatÄ mÅ«lagandho, sÄragandho, pupphagandhoti tayo uttamagandhÄ vuttÄ, tesaį¹ anuvÄtameva gandho gacchati, no paį¹ivÄtaį¹.We are told that one evening, in seclusion, the elder pondered the following thought: āThe Fortunate One spoke of three excellent fragrances: the fragrance of roots, the fragrance of heartwood, and the fragrance of flowers. Each of these perfumes, however,The PÄli says Änanda was secluded and recalls three kinds of fragrance: roots, heartwood, and flowers. The original translation called his seclusion meditation, made the fragrances qualities possessed by the Buddha, and substituted sandalwood for heartwood.
Atthi nu kho taį¹ gandhajÄtaį¹, yassa paį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchatÄ«āti. Athassa etadahosi ā ākiį¹ mayhaį¹ attanÄ vinicchitena,goes only with the wind. Is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes against the wind?ā Then the following thought occurred to him: āWhat is the use of my trying to determine this question all by myself?Änanda initially asks only whether a fragrance can travel against the wind; the original translation also asked here about a fragrance traveling both ways.
satthÄraį¹yeva pucchissÄmÄ«āti. So satthÄraį¹ upasaį¹
kamitvÄ pucchi. Tena vuttaį¹ āI will ask the Teacher, and the Teacher alone.ā Accordingly he approached the Teacher and put the question to him. Therefore it is said:
āAtha kho ÄyasmÄ Änando sÄyanhasamaye paį¹isallÄnÄ vuį¹į¹hito yena bhagavÄ tenupasaį¹
kami, upasaį¹
kamitvÄ bhagavantaį¹ abhivÄdetvÄ ekamantaį¹ nisÄ«di,āNow one evening the venerable Änanda arose from seclusion and drew near to the place where sat the Fortunate One, and when he had drawn near, he paid homage, sat to one side,{1.421} marks page 421 of volume 1 of the PÄli Text Society PÄli text. [29.85] marks page 85 of volume 29 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation. The quoted passage says Änanda arose from seclusion, paid homage to the Buddha, and sat to one side. The original translation called it profound meditation and omitted his homage and seat.
ekamantaį¹ nisinno kho ÄyasmÄ Änando bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca ā āTÄ«į¹imÄni, bhante, gandhajÄtÄni, yesaį¹ anuvÄtameva gandho gacchati, no paį¹ivÄtaį¹.and addressed the Fortunate One as follows: āVenerable Sir, there are these three substances whose perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. What are the three?
KatamÄni tÄ«į¹i? MÅ«lagandho, sÄragandho, pupphagandho, imÄni kho, bhante, tÄ«į¹i gandhajÄtÄni. Yesaį¹ anuvÄtameva gandho gacchati, no paį¹ivÄtaį¹. Atthi nu kho, bhante,The fragrance of roots, the fragrance of heartwood, and the fragrance of flowers. These, venerable Sir, are the three substances whose perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind.
kiƱci gandhajÄtaį¹ yassa anuvÄtampi gandho gacchati, paį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchati, anuvÄtapaį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchatÄ«āti? (A. ni. 3.80)But, venerable Sir, is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes with the wind, against the wind, and both with and against the wind?āāThe original translation repeated āwith and againstā in its question; the PÄli lists with the wind, against the wind, and both.
Athassa bhagavÄ paƱhaį¹ vissajjento ā āAtthÄnanda, kiƱci gandhajÄtaį¹, yassa anuvÄtampi gandho gacchati, paį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchati,The Fortunate One said in answer to the question: āÄnanda, there is a fragrance that travels with the wind, against the wind, and both with and against it.āThe Buddhaās answer also names the three directions: with the wind, against it, and both. The original translation shortened the first part.
anuvÄtapaį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchatÄ«āti. āKatamaį¹ pana taį¹, bhante, gandhajÄtaį¹ā? āYassa anuvÄtampi gandho gacchati, paį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchati, anuvÄtapaį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchatÄ«āti?ā āBut, venerable Sir, what is that fragrance that travels with the wind, against the wind, and both with and against it?ā ā āÄnanda, if in any village or market-town in this world any human being,
āIdhÄnanda, yasmiį¹ gÄme vÄ nigame vÄ itthÄ« vÄ puriso vÄ buddhaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, dhammaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, saį¹
ghaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, pÄį¹ÄtipÄtÄ paį¹ivirato hoti,whether man or woman, seeks refuge in the Buddha, seeks refuge in the Dhamma, seeks refuge in the Saį¹
gha; if he refrains from taking life, from taking that which is not given,
adinnÄdÄnÄ paį¹ivirato hoti, kÄmesumicchÄcÄrÄ paį¹ivirato hoti, musÄvÄdÄ paį¹ivirato hoti, surÄmerayamajjapamÄdaį¹į¹hÄnÄ paį¹ivirato hoti, sÄ«lavÄ hoti kalyÄį¹adhammo,from indulgence in the sensual wrongdoings and from lying, and avoids occasions of heedlessness through the use of liquor or spirits or other intoxicants; if he is virtuous;KalyÄį¹adhammo describes good qualities; the original translation rendered it as a householder living āin righteousness.ā
vigatamalamaccherena cetasÄ agÄraį¹ ajjhÄvasati muttacÄgo payatapÄį¹i vossaggarato yÄcayogo dÄnasaį¹vibhÄgarato. āTassa disÄsu samaį¹abrÄhmaį¹Ä vaį¹į¹aį¹ bhÄsanti,if he lives the life of a householder with good qualities, with a heart free from the stain of avarice; if he is liberal and generous, if he is open-handed,
āamukasmiį¹ nÄma gÄme vÄ nigame vÄ itthÄ« vÄ puriso vÄ buddhaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, dhammaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, saį¹
ghaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hotiā¦peā¦ dÄnasaį¹vibhÄgaratoāāti.if he takes delight in giving, if he is attentive to petitions, if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, in all parts of the world ascetics and Brahmins utter his praise.
āDevatÄpissa vaį¹į¹aį¹ bhÄsanti, āamukasmiį¹ nÄma gÄme vÄ nigame vÄ itthÄ« vÄ puriso vÄ buddhaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, dhammaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hoti, saį¹
ghaį¹ saraį¹aį¹ gato hotiā¦peā¦ dÄnasaį¹vibhÄgaratoāāti.If in such and such a village or market-town either a man or a woman seeks refuge in the Buddha ... if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, DevatÄs utter his praise.
āIdaį¹ kho taį¹, Änanda, gandhajÄtaį¹, yassa anuvÄtampi gandho gacchati, paį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchati, anuvÄtapaį¹ivÄtampi gandho gacchatÄ«āti (a. ni. 3.80) vatvÄ imÄ gÄthÄ abhÄsi āThis, Änanda, is the fragrance whose perfume goes with the wind, against the wind, and both with and against the wind.ā So saying, he pronounced the following verses:{1.422} marks page 422 of volume 1 of the PÄli Text Society PÄli text. The original translation repeated the devasā praise from the preceding paragraph. The PÄli now identifies that conduct as the fragrance that travels in every direction.
54. āNa pupphagandho paį¹ivÄtameti, Na candanaį¹ tagaramallikÄ vÄ; SataƱca gandho paį¹ivÄtameti, SabbÄ disÄ sappuriso pavÄyati. (a. ni. 3.80);The fragrance of flowers goes not against the wind, nor does sandalwood or pinwheel or white jasmine, but the fragrance of the good goes against the wind, the true personās fragrance permeates all directions.The following PÄli explanation of both fragrance verses is not translated in the original translation.
55. āCandanaį¹ tagaraį¹ vÄpi, uppalaį¹ atha vassikÄ«; Etesaį¹ gandhajÄtÄnaį¹, sÄ«lagandho anuttaroāti.Sandalwood and pinwheel also water lily and jasmine, amongst these kinds of good fragrance virtueās fragrance is unsurpassed.VassikÄ« is glossed in the commentary as jÄtisumanÄ, a jasmine. The original translation specified āstriped jasmine.ā
Tattha na pupphagandhoti tÄvatiį¹sabhavane paricchattakarukkho ÄyÄmato ca vitthÄrato ca yojanasatiko, tassa pupphÄnaį¹ ÄbhÄ paƱƱÄsa yojanÄni gacchati, gandho yojanasataį¹,
sopi anuvÄtameva gacchati, paį¹ivÄtaį¹ pana aį¹į¹haį¹
gulamattampi gantuį¹ na sakkoti, evarÅ«popi na pupphagandho paį¹ivÄtameti. Candananti candanagandho.
TagaramallikÄ vÄti imesampi gandho eva adhippeto. SÄragandhÄnaį¹ aggassa hi lohitacandanassÄpi tagarassapi mallikÄyapi anuvÄtameva vÄyati, no paį¹ivÄtaį¹.
SataƱca gandhoti sappurisÄnaį¹ pana buddhapaccekabuddhasÄvakÄnaį¹ sÄ«lagandho paį¹ivÄtameti. Kiį¹ kÄraį¹Ä?
SabbÄ disÄ sappuriso pavÄyati yasmÄ pana sappuriso sÄ«lagandhena sabbÄpi disÄ ajjhottharitvÄva gacchati, tasmÄ ātassa gandho na paį¹ivÄtametÄ«āti na vattabbo. Tena vuttaį¹ āpaį¹ivÄtametÄ«āti.
VassikÄ«ti jÄtisumanÄ. Etesanti imesaį¹ candanÄdÄ«naį¹ gandhajÄtÄnaį¹ gandhato sÄ«lavantÄnaį¹ sappurisÄnaį¹ sÄ«lagandhova anuttaro asadiso apaį¹ibhÄgoti.
DesanÄvasÄne bahÅ« sotÄpattiphalÄdÄ«ni pattÄ. DesanÄ mahÄjanassa sÄtthikÄ jÄtÄti.At the end of the verse many became Stream-enterers and so on, and there was benefit for many people from the Dhamma teaching.
ÄnandattherapaƱhÄvatthu navamaį¹.