翻譯名義集 3.187

3.187

《淨名疏》云：「香是離穢之名，而有宣芬散馥騰馨之用。」《感通傳》天人費氏云：「人中臭氣，上熏於空四十萬里。諸天清淨，無不厭之。但以受佛付囑，令護於法。佛尚與人同止，諸天不敢不來。」故佛法中，香為佛事。如《大論》云：「天竺國熱，又以身臭故，以香塗身，供養諸佛及僧。」《戒德香經》阿難白佛：「世有三種香：一曰根香，二曰枝香，三曰華香。此三品香。唯能隨風。不能逆風。」故今所列，並此三也。

The Commentary on the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "'Incense' is the name for parting from defilement, and it has the function of propagating aroma, dispersing fragrance, and wafting sweet scent." In the Gantong zhuan, the celestial being Fei said: "The foul stench among humans wafts upwards forty myriad li into space. The devas are pure, and none do not detest it. Yet because they have received the Buddha's entrustment ordering them to protect the Dharma—and the Buddha still resides together with human beings—the devas dare not fail to come." Therefore, in the Buddhadharma, incense serves as a Buddhist affair. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "The country of India is hot, and because their bodies have a foul odour, they smear their bodies with incense to make offerings to the Buddhas and the Saṅgha." In the Sūtra on the Fragrance of Preceptual Virtue, Ānanda addressed the Buddha: "In the world there are three kinds of fragrance: first, root incense; second, branch incense; third, flower incense. These three grades of incense can only follow the wind; they cannot travel against the wind." Therefore, those listed now are all of these three kinds.