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Gandhatthena Sutta: The Thief of a Scent

Gandhatthena Sutta

Summary: Have you ever wished for a guardian angel to warn you before you do something foolish? Here's one with an important lesson.

SN 9.14 PTS: S i 204 CDB i 303

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

1999-2018

Alternate translation: Olendzki

- Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā-sambuddhassa -

I have heard that on one occasion a certain monk was dwelling among the Kosalans in a forest thicket. Now at that time, after his meal, returning from his almsround, he went down to a lotus pond and sniffed a red lotus.

Then the devata inhabiting the forest thicket, feeling sympathy for the monk, desiring his benefit, desiring to bring him to his senses, approached him and addressed him with this verse:

You sniff this water-born flower that hasn't been given to you. This, dear sir, is a factor of stealing. You are a thief of a scent. [The monk:]

I don't take, don't damage. I sniff at the lotus

from far away.

So why do you call me a thief of a scent?

One who

digs up the stalks,
damages flowers,

one of such ruthless behavior:

why don't you say it of him?

[The devata:]

A person ruthless & grasping, smeared like a nursing diaper: to him I have nothing to say.

           It's you
to whom I should speak.

To a person unblemished, constantly searching for purity, a hair-tip's worth of evil

seems as large
as a cloud.

[The monk:]

Yes, yakkha, you understand me and show me sympathy. Warn me again, yakkha, whenever again you see something like this.

[The devata:]

I don't depend on you for my living nor am I your hired hand.

       You, monk,

you yourself should know how to go to the good destination.

The monk, chastened by the devata, came to his senses.

See also: SN 9.1; SN 9.9.

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Provenance:

The source of this work is the gift within Access to Insight “Offline Edition 2012.09.10.14”, last replication 12. March 2013, generously given by John Bullitt and mentioned as: ©1999 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.

This Zugang zur Einsicht edition is 2013 (ATI 1999-2012).

Translations, rebublishing, editing and additions are in the sphere of responsibility of Zugang zur Einsicht.

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How to cite this document (one suggested style): “Gandhatthena Sutta: The Thief of a Scent” (SN 9.14), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, 18 June 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn09/sn09.014.than.html . Retrieved on 10 September 2012 (Offline Edition 2012.09.10.14), republished by Zugang zur Einsicht on http://www.zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/sn/sn09/sn09.014.than_en.html retreived on: “date”

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