This file is part of the Bieyi za ahan jing 別譯雜阿含經-Project at Dharma Drum Buddhist College 法鼓佛教研修學院. Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange 蔣經國國際學術交流基金會 Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies 中華佛學研究所. Dharma Drum Buddhist College 法鼓佛教研修學院. Marcus Bingenheimer Editing & Encoding: Jung Hsi-chin 戎錫琴, Shi Zhanghui 釋章慧, Shu Huiyu 疏惠郁, Wang Ruixiang 王瑞鄉, Chueh Hui-chen 闕慧貞 Programming Jen Jou Hung 洪振洲, Marcus Bingenheimer

This is the default header for all files in the database. Files which contain gaiji, however, have an additional CHARDECL section in the ENCODINGDESC below.

The project was conducted 2005-2008. Some minor revisions and additions were done in 2009.

 Dharma Drum Buddhist College 法鼓佛教研修學院. 2005-2009

All texts used with permission. Copyright for the Chinese text lies with the Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association (CBETA). Copyright for the Pāli text lies with the Vipassana Research Institute. Copyright for the Sanskrit text lies with Fumio Enomoto. Copyright for the English text lies with Marcus Bingenheimer. The Tibetan and Manchu texts are in the public realm. The digital edition itself is made available under the LGPL.

If Chinese, the text below is based on the Taishō text from the CBETA-Database (Version Feb.2006). If Pāli, the text base is the VRI Chaṭṭa Saṅgāyana edition (ver.3). If Sanskrit the text base is Enomoto, Fumio 榎本文雄 (1994): A comprehensive study of the Chinese Saṃyuktāgama: Indic texts corresponding to the Chinese Saṃyuktāgama as found in the Sarvāstivāda-Mūlasarvāstivāda literature. Kyoto: Kacho Junior College and other scholarly publications (as referenced). English translations by Marcus Bingenheimer.

This file has been created in the project "A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing" conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies 中華佛學研究所 and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College 法鼓佛教研修學院. The project was funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange 蔣經國國際學術交流基金會. The aim of the project was to produce a comparative digital edition and partial translation of the 364 sutras of the BZA and their parallels. In the original interface, the texts were kept in an eXist database and are realized via XQuery and XSLT as HTML for the online user. The project lasted from 2005-2009.

Changes from the respective text base are usually marked with a RESP="t.100" attribute on the containing elements

Value added:

BZA: New Punctuation. Markup of person and place names. Verse and prose. References to the print edition (Taishō). Corrected characters (according to CBETA).

ZA: New Punctuation. Verse and prose. References to the print edition (Taishō). Markup of person and place names.

Other Chinese: Parallel and not-parallel divisions regarding the BZA marked. Verse and Prose.

Pāli, Sanskrit, Tibetan & others: Parallel and not-parallel divisions regarding the BZA. Verse and Prose. Markup of person and place names. Variant readings.
Ānanda and the three kinds of scent

Translation of BZA 012. First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23-1 (2006).

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying in Rājagaha on the mountain Isigili.

At that time the Venerable Ānanda was resting, when, quietly, this thought arose in him: ‘Once the World-honored One spoke about three kinds of scent: The scents of roots, stalks and blossoms, and that there are no better scents than these. However [he said] these three can [only] be sensed when the wind is right, and can not be sensed against the wind’. Having thought like this, Ānanda rose from his seat, went to the Buddha, and having paid homage to his feet sat to one side. He said to the Buddha: ‘World-honored One! Just now, while I was resting, quietly, this thought arose in me: “Once the World-honored One has spoken about three kinds of scent: The scents of roots, stalks and blossoms, and that these are the best among all scents. However [, he said, ] these could [only] be sensed with the wind and not against the wind”. World-honored One, is there a scent that can be sensed both with and against the wind?’.

The Buddha said to Ānanda: ‘Yes, of course there is. In this world there is a good scent that can be sensed both with and against the wind. And what scent? If there in a village or a town a man or a woman practises restraint, does not kill, not steal, not commit sexual misconduct, does not lie, and not drink alcohol, then all devas and all those having attained divine sight will praise this person. Thus, if in a town or village a man or a woman keeps the five precepts, the scent of the precepts is sensed with and against the wind’.

At that time the Buddha spoke this verse:

Sandal and aloewood / roots, stalks and blossoms: // these scents are sensed with the wind / no one senses them against the wind. // The great man keeping the precepts / his fragrance pervades the world, // his fame fills the ten directions / it is sensed both with and against the wind. // Sandal and aloe wood / the water lily and jasmine; // these scents are inferior / unlike the scent of the precepts. // Those scents / do not reach far; // the scent of the precepts however reaches everywhere / better even than the heavenly scents. // One who takes the pure precepts / untiringly as the basis of his life // abides peacefully without defilements / by correct insight attains liberation. // Though the demons try to find him / they do not know his abode; // this is called the path of peacefully settling / this is the purest path, // forever leaving the many realms / giving up the samsaric worlds. //

When the Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and practised accordingly.