法苑珠林 71.48

71.48

Third is reprimanding the fault of the desire for scents. People consider attachment to scent a minor offense, but defiled love for scent opens the gate to the fetters; even if one has upheld the precepts for a hundred years, it can destroy them in a single moment. For example, there was an arhat who regularly entered the dragon palace to eat. After eating, he handed his bowl to a novice (śrāmaṇera) to wash. There were a few leftover grains of rice in the bowl. The novice smelled them and found them extremely fragrant; he ate them and found them delicious. He then devised a method and crept under his master's rope couch, holding the legs of the couch with both hands. When the master's time arrived, he entered the dragon palace together with the rope couch. The dragon said: 'This person has not attained the Path; why have you brought him along?' The master said: 'I was unaware.' After the novice received food and drink, he also saw that the dragon maiden's body was upright and fair, with an exquisite and peerless fragrance; his mind became intensely attached and he made an evil vow: 'I will create merit to usurp this dragon's place and dwell in his palace.' The dragon said: 'Do not bring this novice hereafter.' After the novice returned, with single-minded devotion he gave alms and held the precepts, focusing exclusively on fulfilling his vow, wishing to quickly become a dragon. At that time, when he walked around the monastery, water issued from beneath his feet; he knew within himself that he would surely become a dragon. He went directly to the large pool where his master had originally entered, covered his head with his kāṣāya robe, entered [the water], and died immediately, transforming into a great dragon. Because his merit was great, he immediately killed that dragon, and the entire pool turned completely red. Prior to this, the monks and his master had reprimanded him, but the novice said: 'My mind is already fixed; the signs of my mind have already emerged.' He led the monks to the pool to observe it. Such causes and conditions were due to the fault of attachment to scent. Furthermore, there was a monk who was walking in a forest by a lotus pond. Smelling the fragrance of the lotuses, his nose received it and his mind became attached. The deity of the pond spoke to him: 'Why have you abandoned that quiet place for seated meditation under the trees and come to steal my fragrance? Because of attachment to fragrance, all the sleeping fetters will arise.' At that time, another man came into the pond, gathered many of its flowers, dug up and pulled out the roots and stems, leaving them in disarray, and went away. The pond deity remained silent and said nothing. The monk said: 'That man destroyed the flowers in your pool, yet you said nothing at all. I was only walking along the bank of the pond, yet I was reprimanded and accused of stealing your scent.' The pond deity said: 'The evil people of the world constantly dwell in the excrement of sinful defilement, submerged head-deep in impurity; I do not speak with them. You are a good person practicing meditation, yet you are attached to this fragrance, which ruins your good endeavor; therefore I reprimand you. It is like a piece of white cloth, fresh and clean, on which a black stain appears for all to see. That evil person is like a black garment: if one spots it with ink, people cannot see it; who would question it?' Various causes and conditions such as these are called reprimanding the faults of the desire for scents.