Dhammapada verse # 54 ~ 55
花香不逆風，栴檀多伽羅，末利香亦爾。德香逆風薰，彼正人之香，遍聞於諸方。
The fragrance of flowers drifts with the wind
as sandalwood, jasmine of lavender.
The fragrance of virtue o’ersweeps the wind,
all pervasive is virtue of the good.
栴檀多伽羅，拔悉基青蓮，如是諸香中，戒香為最上。
Sandalwood or lavender,
lotus or the jasmine great,
of these many fragrances
virtue’s fragrance is supreme.
☆☆☆
【第54, 55偈的故事】
一天傍晚，阿難尊者獨自靜坐時，想到一個問題：
「草木花根的香從來都是順風飄散，不能逆風送香，難道真的沒有香氣既可以順風飄送，也可以逆風送香嗎？難道沒有瀰散全世界的香嗎？」
佛陀回答道：「阿難！若有人皈依佛法僧三寶，守五戒，慷慨布施，不吝嗇，這種人真正具有德行，值得讚歎。他（她）的聲譽會四方傳播，不管住在那裡，所有的比丘、婆羅門和居士們都對她(她)讚歎不已！」
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to a question raised by the Venerable ânanda.
One evening, absorbed in meditation, Venerable ânanda pondered the following thought: “The Buddha possesses the three perfumes of excellence; namely, the perfume of sandal, the perfume of roots, and the perfume of flowers. However, each of these perfumes goes only with the wind. Is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes against the wind, or is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind?” Then the following thought occurred to him: ‘What is the use of my trying to determine this question all by myself? I will ask the Buddha, and the Buddha alone.” Accordingly he would approach the Buddha and put the question to him. The story goes:
Now one evening the Venerable ânanda arose from profound meditation and drew near to the place where sat the Buddha, and when he had drawn near, he addressed the Buddha as follows, “Venerable, there are these three substances whose perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. What are the three? The perfume of roots, the perfume of sandal, and the perfume of flowers. These are the three substances whose perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. But, Venerable, is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind?”
Said the Buddha in answer to the question, “ânanda, there is a substance whose perfume goes with the wind, a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind.” “But, Venerable, what is that substance whose perfume goes with the wind, that substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind?” “ânanda, if in any village or market-town in this world any person seeks refuge in the Buddha, seeks refuge in the Dhamma, seeks refuge in the Sangha; if he refrains from taking life, from taking that which is not given, from indulgence in the sins of the flesh and from lying, and avoids occasions of heedlessness through the use of liquor or spirits or other intoxicants; if he is virtuous; if he lives the life of a householder in righteousness, with a heart free from the stain of avarice; if he is liberal and generous, if he is open-handed, if he takes delight in giving, if he is attentive to petitions, if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, in all parts of the world monks utter his praise. If in such and such a village or market-town either a man or a woman seeks refuge in the Buddha… if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, deities and spirits speak his praise. If in such and such a village or market-town either a man or a woman seeks refuge in the Buddha… if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, such acts as these, ânanda, are the substance whose perfume goes both with and against the wind.”
「草木花根的香從來都是順風飄散，不能逆風送香，難道真的沒有香氣既可以順風飄送，也可以逆風送香嗎？難道沒有瀰散全世界的香嗎？」
佛陀回答道：「阿難！若有人皈依佛法僧三寶，守五戒，慷慨布施，不吝嗇，這種人真正具有德行，值得讚歎。他（她）的聲譽會四方傳播，不管住在那裡，所有的比丘、婆羅門和居士們都對她(她)讚歎不已！」
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to a question raised by the Venerable ânanda.
One evening, absorbed in meditation, Venerable ânanda pondered the following thought: “The Buddha possesses the three perfumes of excellence; namely, the perfume of sandal, the perfume of roots, and the perfume of flowers. However, each of these perfumes goes only with the wind. Is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes against the wind, or is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind?” Then the following thought occurred to him: ‘What is the use of my trying to determine this question all by myself? I will ask the Buddha, and the Buddha alone.” Accordingly he would approach the Buddha and put the question to him. The story goes:
Now one evening the Venerable ânanda arose from profound meditation and drew near to the place where sat the Buddha, and when he had drawn near, he addressed the Buddha as follows, “Venerable, there are these three substances whose perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. What are the three? The perfume of roots, the perfume of sandal, and the perfume of flowers. These are the three substances whose perfume goes only with the wind and not against the wind. But, Venerable, is there possibly a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind?”
Said the Buddha in answer to the question, “ânanda, there is a substance whose perfume goes with the wind, a substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind.” “But, Venerable, what is that substance whose perfume goes with the wind, that substance whose perfume goes both with the wind and against the wind?” “ânanda, if in any village or market-town in this world any person seeks refuge in the Buddha, seeks refuge in the Dhamma, seeks refuge in the Sangha; if he refrains from taking life, from taking that which is not given, from indulgence in the sins of the flesh and from lying, and avoids occasions of heedlessness through the use of liquor or spirits or other intoxicants; if he is virtuous; if he lives the life of a householder in righteousness, with a heart free from the stain of avarice; if he is liberal and generous, if he is open-handed, if he takes delight in giving, if he is attentive to petitions, if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, in all parts of the world monks utter his praise. If in such and such a village or market-town either a man or a woman seeks refuge in the Buddha… if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, deities and spirits speak his praise. If in such and such a village or market-town either a man or a woman seeks refuge in the Buddha… if he takes delight in the distribution of alms, such acts as these, ânanda, are the substance whose perfume goes both with and against the wind.”
☆☆☆
中文法句出處：《南傳法句經》 了參法師譯
中文故事出處：《法句經故事集》 達摩難陀長老著 周金言譯
