Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v2.c30.537

v2.c30.537

Bhisapuppha Jātaka (No. 392).—The Bodhisatta was born once as an ascetic, and one day a goddess, having seen him smell a lotus in bloom, upbraided him, telling him he was a thief to smell a lotus which did not belong to him. Near by was a man digging up lotus plants for their fibres, but to him the goddess said nothing. When questioned, her answer was that in a man like the Bodhisatta, seeking for purity, a sin even as large as a hair-tip showed like a dark cloud in the sky. The Bodhisatta, greatly impressed, thanked her.