Āmagandhasutta

Sutta Nipāta 2.2

Anthology of Discourses 2.2

Āmagandhasutta

Putrefaction

“Sāmākaciṅgūlakacīnakāni ca,

“The good eat properly obtained

Pattapphalaṁ mūlaphalaṁ gavipphalaṁ;

millet, wild grains, broomcorn,

Dhammena laddhaṁ satamasnamānā,

greens, tubers, and grapes.

Na kāmakāmā alikaṁ bhaṇanti.

They don’t lie to get what they want.

Yadasnamāno sukataṁ suniṭṭhitaṁ,

But when you eat delicious food,

Parehi dinnaṁ payataṁ paṇītaṁ;

nicely cooked and prepared, and offered by others,

Sālīnamannaṁ paribhuñjamāno,

enjoying a dish of fine rice,

So bhuñjasī kassapa āmagandhaṁ.

Kassapa, you eat putrefaction.

Na āmagandho mama kappatīti,

‘Putrefaction is not appropriate for me’—

Icceva tvaṁ bhāsasi brahmabandhu;

so you said, O brahmin only by kin.

Sālīnamannaṁ paribhuñjamāno,

Yet here you are enjoying a dish of fine rice,

Sakuntamaṁsehi susaṅkhatehi;

well prepared with the flesh of fowl.

Pucchāmi taṁ kassapa etamatthaṁ,

I’m asking you this, Kassapa:

Kathaṁpakāro tava āmagandho”.

what do you take to be putrefaction?”

“Pāṇātipāto vadhachedabandhanaṁ,

“Killing creatures, mutilation, murder, abduction;

Theyyaṁ musāvādo nikativañcanāni ca;

stealing, lying, cheating and fraud,

Ajjhenakuttaṁ paradārasevanā,

learning crooked spells, adultery:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Ye idha kāmesu asaññatā janā,

People here with unbridled sensuality,

Rasesu giddhā asucibhāvamassitā;

greedy for tastes, mixed up in impurity,

Natthikadiṭṭhī visamā durannayā,

nihilists, immoral, intractable:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Ye lūkhasā dāruṇā piṭṭhimaṁsikā,

Tough, callous calumniators,

Mittadduno nikkaruṇātimānino;

pitiless and arrogant betrayers of friends,

Adānasīlā na ca denti kassaci,

misers who never give anything:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Kodho mado thambho paccupaṭṭhāpanā,

Anger, vanity, obstinacy, contrariness,

Māyā usūyā bhassasamussayo ca;

deceit, jealousy, boastfulness,

Mānātimāno ca asabbhi santhavo,

haughtiness, intimacy with the wicked:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Ye pāpasīlā iṇaghātasūcakā,

The ill-behaved, debt-evaders, informants,

Vohārakūṭā idha pāṭirūpikā;

business cheats and con-artists,

Narādhamā yedha karonti kibbisaṁ,

vile men committing sin:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Ye idha pāṇesu asaññatā janā,

People here who can’t stop harming living creatures,

Paresamādāya vihesamuyyutā;

taking from others, intent on hurting,

Dussīlaluddā pharusā anādarā,

immoral, cruel, harsh, lacking regard for others:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Etesu giddhā viruddhātipātino,

Greedy, hostile, aggressive to others,

Niccuyyutā pecca tamaṁ vajanti ye;

and addicted to evil—
those beings pass into darkness,

Patanti sattā nirayaṁ avaṁsirā,

falling headlong into hell:

Esāmagandho na hi maṁsabhojanaṁ.

this is putrefaction, not eating meat.

Na macchamaṁsānamanāsakattaṁ,

Not fish or flesh or fasting,

Na naggiyaṁ na muṇḍiyaṁ jaṭājallaṁ;

nudity or baldness, or dreadlocks or dirt,

Kharājināni nāggihuttassupasevanā,

not rough hides or serving the sacred flame,

Ye vāpi loke amarā bahū tapā;

or the many endless mortifications in the world,

Mantāhutī yaññamutūpasevanā,

not hymns or oblations,
sacrifices or seasonal observances,

Sodhenti maccaṁ avitiṇṇakaṅkhaṁ.

will cleanse a mortal not free of doubt.

Sotesu gutto viditindriyo care,

Guarding the streams of sense impressions,
wander with faculties understood,

Dhamme ṭhito ajjavamaddave rato;

standing on the teaching, delighting in integrity and tenderness.

Saṅgātigo sabbadukkhappahīno,

The attentive have slipped their chains
and given up all suffering;

Na lippati diṭṭhasutesu dhīro”.

they don’t cling to the seen and the heard.”

Iccetamatthaṁ bhagavā punappunaṁ,

The Buddha explained this matter to him
again and again,

Akkhāsi naṁ vedayi mantapāragū;

until the master of hymns understood it.

Citrāhi gāthāhi munī pakāsayi,

It was illustrated with colorful verses

Nirāmagandho asito durannayo.

by the sage free of putrefaction,
unattached, hard to trace.

Sutvāna buddhassa subhāsitaṁ padaṁ,

Having heard the fine words of the Buddha,

Nirāmagandhaṁ sabbadukkhappanūdanaṁ;

that are free of putrefaction,
casting aside all suffering;

Nīcamano vandi tathāgatassa,

humbled, he bowed to the Realized One,

Tattheva pabbajjamarocayitthāti.

and right away begged to go forth.

Āmagandhasuttaṁ dutiyaṁ.