2.2. Food and the True Meaning of “Stench”

“Sāmākaciṅgūlakacīnakāni ca,

Pattapphalaṁ mūlaphalaṁ gavipphalaṁ;

Dhammena laddhaṁ satamasnamānā,

Na kāmakāmā alikaṁ bhaṇanti.

Yadasnamāno sukataṁ suniṭṭhitaṁ,

Parehi dinnaṁ payataṁ paṇītaṁ;

Sālīnamannaṁ paribhuñjamāno,

So bhuñjasī kassapa āmagandhaṁ.

Na āmagandho mama kappatīti,

Icceva tvaṁ bhāsasi brahmabandhu;

Sālīnamannaṁ paribhuñjamāno,

Sakuntamaṁsehi susaṅkhatehi;

Pucchāmi taṁ kassapa etamatthaṁ,

Kathaṁpakāro tava āmagandho”.

“Pāṇātipāto vadhachedabandhanaṁ,

Theyyaṁ musāvādo nikativañcanāni ca;

Ajjhenakuttaṁ paradārasevanā,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Ye idha kāmesu asaññatā janā,

Rasesu giddhā asucibhāvamassitā;

Natthikadiṭṭhī visamā durannayā,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Ye lūkhasā dāruṇā piṭṭhimaṁsikā,

Mittadduno nikkaruṇātimānino;

Adānasīlā na ca denti kassaci,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Kodho mado thambho paccupaṭṭhāpanā,

Māyā usūyā bhassasamussayo ca;

Mānātimāno ca asabbhi santhavo,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Ye pāpasīlā iṇaghātasūcakā,

Vohārakūṭā idha pāṭirūpikā;

Narādhamā yedha karonti kibbisaṁ,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Ye idha pāṇesu asaññatā janā,

Paresamādāya vihesamuyyutā;

Dussīlaluddā pharusā anādarā,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Etesu giddhā viruddhātipātino,

Niccuyyutā pecca tamaṁ vajanti ye;

Patanti sattā nirayaṁ avaṁsirā,

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

Na macchamaṁsānamanāsakattaṁ,

Na naggiyaṁ na muṇḍiyaṁ jaṭājallaṁ;

Kharājināni nāggihuttassupasevanā,

Ye vāpi loke amarā bahū tapā;

Mantāhutī yaññamutūpasevanā,

Sodhenti maccaṁ avitiṇṇakaṅkhaṁ.

Sotesu gutto viditindriyo care,

Dhamme ṭhito ajjavamaddave rato;

Saṅgātigo sabbadukkhappahīno,

Na lippati diṭṭhasutesu dhīro”.

Iccetamatthaṁ bhagavā punappunaṁ,

Akkhāsi naṁ vedayi mantapāragū;

Citrāhi gāthāhi munī pakāsayi,

Nirāmagandho asito durannayo.

Sutvāna buddhassa subhāsitaṁ padaṁ,

Nirāmagandhaṁ sabbadukkhappanūdanaṁ;

Nīcamano vandi tathāgatassa,

Tattheva pabbajjamarocayitthāti.

Āmagandhasuttaṁ dutiyaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 242Question
Wild millet, grains of grass and pulse,
young shoots and roots and jungle fruits—
Dharma-gained and by the Peaceful eaten,
they who speak no lies desiring sensual pleasures.

SC 2SC Verse 243But who, eating food that’s well-prepared and cooked
of Sālī-rice, all other things to eat,
delicious, by others donated specially
that one, O Kassapa, is like a carrion-stench.

SC 3SC Verse 244“No carrion-stench is mine”, you say like this,
that it does not apply to you, O Brahma-kin—
while eating sālī-rice, all other things
with flesh of fowls so very well prepared;
the meaning of this, O Kassapa, I ask:
Your food, what sort of carrion-stench it has?

SC 4SC Verse 245Answer
Taking life, torture, mutilation too,
binding, stealing, telling lies, and fraud;
deceit, adultery, and studying crooked views:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 5SC Verse 246Those people of desires and pleasures unrestrained,
greedy for tastes with impurity mixed in,
of nihilistic views, unstable, hard to train:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 6SC Verse 247The rough, the cruel, backbiters and betrayers,
those void of compassion, extremely arrogant,
the miserly, to others never giving anything:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 7SC Verse 248Who’s angry, obstinate, hostile and vain,
deceitful, envious, a boastful person too,
full of oneself, with the wicked intimate:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 8SC Verse 249Those of evil ways, defaulters on debts,
imposters, slanderers, deceitful in their dealings,
vile men who commit evil deeds in this world:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 9SC Verse 250Those people unrestrained for living beings here,
taking others’ property, on injury intent,
immoral, harsh and cruel, for others no respect:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 10SC Verse 251Towards others greedy or hateful—they attack them,
ever on misdemeanours bent,
they go to darkness after death;
such beings as this fall headlong into Hell:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.

SC 11SC Verse 252Not from fish and flesh tasting and not by nudity,
not by the plucking of head-hairs,
nor growing of matted locks,
not by the smearing of the ashes of the dead,
not wearing abrasive skins,
not following sacrificial fires,
or worldly austerities for gaining immortality,
nor mantras, nor offerings,
oblations, seasons’ services
can purify a mortal still overcome by doubt.

SC 12SC Verse 253Who lives with sense-streams guarded, well-aware,
in the Dharma firm, enjoying gently rectitude,
beyond attachments gone, all dukkha left behind,
that wise one’s unsullied by the seen and the heard.

SC 13SC Verse 254Narrator
Again, again the Radiant One this topic taught
to that knower of the Vedas, in those mantras expert,
thus clarified the Sage in verses sweetly-sounding.
Him of no carrion-stench, free who’s hard to trace.

SC 14SC Verse 255Having listened to these verses well-spoken by the Buddha,
free of such stench, all dukkhas dispelling,
he of humble heart bowed at the Tathāgata’s feet
and there and then requested his own Leaving-home.