9.
The Discourse on Kinds of Perfumes
80.
Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One -
"There are, venerable sir, these three kinds of perfumes, whose odour goes only with the wind, not against the wind. What three? The odour of roots, the odour of heartwood, the odour of flowers - these, venerable sir, are the three kinds of perfumes, whose odour goes only with the wind, not against the wind. Is there, venerable sir, any kind of perfume whose odour goes with the wind, whose odour goes against the wind, whose odour goes both with and against the wind?"
"There is, Ānanda, a kind of perfume whose odour goes with the wind, whose odour goes against the wind, whose odour goes both with and against the wind." "But what, venerable sir, is that kind of perfume whose odour goes with the wind, whose odour goes against the wind, whose odour goes both with and against the wind?"
"Here, Ānanda, in whatever village or town a woman or man has gone for refuge to the Buddha, has gone for refuge to the Teaching, has gone for refuge to the Community, abstains from killing living beings, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from lying, abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence, is moral, of good character, dwells at home with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, generous in giving, with purified hands, delighting in relinquishment, accessible to requests, delighting in giving and sharing.
"Ascetics and brahmins in the directions speak praise of that person - 'In such and such a village or town a woman or man has gone for refuge to the Buddha, has gone for refuge to the Teaching, has gone for refuge to the Community, abstains from killing living beings, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from lying, abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence, is moral, of good character, dwells at home with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, generous in giving, with purified hands, delighting in relinquishment, accessible to requests, delighting in giving and sharing.'
"Deities too speak praise of that person - 'In such and such a village or town a woman or man has gone for refuge to the Buddha, has gone for refuge to the Teaching, has gone for refuge to the Community, abstains from killing living beings, etc. abstains from spirits, liquor and intoxicants that cause negligence, is moral, of good character, dwells at home with a mind free from the stain of stinginess, generous in giving, with purified hands, delighting in relinquishment, accessible to requests, delighting in giving and sharing.' This, Ānanda, is that kind of perfume whose odour goes with the wind, whose odour goes against the wind, whose odour goes both with and against the wind."
Nor sandalwood, nor tagara, nor jasmine;
But the odour of the good goes against the wind,
A good person pervades all directions." The ninth.