Question
Wild millet, grains of grass and pulse,
young shoots and roots and jungle fruits—
Dharma-gained and by the Peaceful eaten,
they who speak no lies desiring sensual pleasures.But who, eating food that’s well-prepared and cooked
of Sālī-rice, all other things to eat,
delicious, by others donated specially
that one, O Kassapa, is like a carrion-stench.“No carrion-stench is mine”, you say like this,
that it does not apply to you, O Brahma-kin—
while eating sālī-rice, all other things
with flesh of fowls so very well prepared;
the meaning of this, O Kassapa, I ask:
Your food, what sort of carrion-stench it has?Answer
Taking life, torture, mutilation too,
binding, stealing, telling lies, and fraud;
deceit, adultery, and studying crooked views:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.Those people of desires and pleasures unrestrained,
greedy for tastes with impurity mixed in,
of nihilistic views, unstable, hard to train:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.The rough, the cruel, backbiters and betrayers,
those void of compassion, extremely arrogant,
the miserly, to others never giving anything:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.Who’s angry, obstinate, hostile and vain,
deceitful, envious, a boastful person too,
full of oneself, with the wicked intimate:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.Those of evil ways, defaulters on debts,
imposters, slanderers, deceitful in their dealings,
vile men who commit evil deeds in this world:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.Those people unrestrained for living beings here,
taking others’ property, on injury intent,
immoral, harsh and cruel, for others no respect:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.Towards others greedy or hateful—they attack them,
ever on misdemeanours bent,
they go to darkness after death;
such beings as this fall headlong into Hell:
this is carrion-stench, not the eating of meat.Not from fish and flesh tasting and not by nudity,
not by the plucking of head-hairs,
nor growing of matted locks,
not by the smearing of the ashes of the dead,
not wearing abrasive skins,
not following sacrificial fires,
or worldly austerities for gaining immortality,
nor mantras, nor offerings,
oblations, seasons’ services
can purify a mortal still overcome by doubt.Who lives with sense-streams guarded, well-aware,
in the Dharma firm, enjoying gently rectitude,
beyond attachments gone, all dukkha left behind,
that wise one’s unsullied by the seen and the heard.Narrator
Again, again the Radiant One this topic taught
to that knower of the Vedas, in those mantras expert,
thus clarified the Sage in verses sweetly-sounding.
Him of no carrion-stench, free who’s hard to trace.Having listened to these verses well-spoken by the Buddha,
free of such stench, all dukkhas dispelling,
he of humble heart bowed at the Tathāgata’s feet
and there and then requested his own Leaving-home.
snp.2.2 Suttanipata
Food and the True Meaning of “Stench”
- Translator: Laurence Khantipalo Mills
Putrefaction
“The good eat properly obtainedmillet, wild grains, broomcorn,
greens, tubers, and squashes.
They don’t lie to get what they want.
But when you eat delicious food,
nicely cooked and prepared, and offered by others,
enjoying a dish of fine rice,
Kassapa, you eat putrefaction.
‘Putrefaction is not appropriate for me’—
so you said, kinsman of Brahmā.
Yet here you are enjoying a dish of fine rice,
nicely cooked with the flesh of fowl.
I’m asking you this, Kassapa:
what do you take to be putrefaction?”
“Killing living creatures, mutilation, murder, abduction;
stealing, lying, cheating and fraud,
learning crooked spells, adultery:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
People here with unbridled sensuality,
greedy for tastes, mixed up in impurity,
nihilists, immoral, intractable:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
Brutal and rough backbiters,
pitiless and arrogant betrayers of friends,
misers who never give anything:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
Anger, vanity, obstinacy, contrariness,
deceit, jealousy, boastfulness,
haughtiness, wicked associates:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
The ill-behaved, debt-evaders, slanderers,
business cheats and con-artists,
vile men committing depravity:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
People here who can’t stop harming living creatures,
taking from others, intent on hurting,
immoral, cruel, harsh, lacking regard for others:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
Greedy, hostile, aggressive to others,
and addicted to evil—those beings pass into darkness,
falling headlong into hell:
this is putrefaction, not eating meat.
Not fish or flesh or fasting,
being naked or shaven, or dreadlocks or dirt,
not rough hides or serving the sacred flame,
or the many austerities in the world aimed at immortality,
not hymns or oblations, sacrifices or seasonal observances,
will cleanse a mortal not free of doubt.
Guarding the streams of sense impressions, wander with faculties conquered,
standing on the teaching, delighting in sincerity and gentleness.
The wise have escaped their chains and given up all pain;
they don’t cling to the seen and the heard.”
The Buddha explained this matter to him again and again,
until the master of hymns understood it.
It was illustrated with colorful verses
by the sage free of putrefaction, unattached, hard to trace.
Having heard the fine words of the Buddha,
that are free of putrefaction, getting rid of all suffering;
humbled, he bowed to the Realized One,
and right away begged to go forth.