Sutta Nipāta 2-2: Āmagandhasutta

1. Āmagandhabrāhmaṇa: ‘Those who eat sāmāka, cingūlaka, and cīnaka, pattaphala, mūlaphala, and gaviphala (different sorts of grass, leaves, roots, &c.), justly obtained of the just, do not speak falsehood, (nor are they) desirous of sensual pleasures. (238)

2. ‘He who eats what has been well prepared, well dressed, what is pure and excellent, given by others, he who enjoys food made of rice, eats, O Kassapa, Āmagandha (what defiles one). (239)

3. ’(The charge of) Āmagandha does not apply to me,’ so thou sayest, ‘O Brahman (brahmabandhu, although) enjoying food (made) of rice together with the well-prepared flesh of birds. I ask thee, O Kassapa, the meaning of this, of what description (is then) thy Āmagandha?’ (240)

4. Kassapabuddha: ‘Destroying living beings, killing, cutting, binding, stealing, speaking falsehood, fraud and deception, worthless reading, intercourse with another’s wife;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (241)

5. ‘Those persons who in this world are unrestrained in (enjoying) sensual pleasures, greedy of sweet things, associated with what is impure, sceptics (natthikadiṭṭhi), unjust, difficult to follow;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (242)

6. ‘Those who are rough, harsh, backbiting, treacherous, merciless, arrogant, and (who being) illiberal do not give anything to any one;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (243)

7. ‘Anger, intoxication, obstinacy, bigotry, deceit, envy, grandiloquence, pride and conceit, intimacy with the unjust;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (244)

8. ‘Those who in this world are wicked, and such as do not pay their debts, are slanderers, false in their dealings, counterfeiters, those who in this world being the lowest of men commit sin;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (245)

9. ‘Those persons who in this world are unrestrained (in their behaviour) towards living creatures, who are bent upon injuring after taking others’ (goods), wicked, cruel, harsh, disrespectful;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (246)

10. ‘Those creatures who are greedy of these (living beings, who are) hostile, offending; always bent upon (evil) and therefore, when dead, go to darkness and fall with their heads downwards into hell;—this is Āmagandha, but not the eating of flesh. (247)

11. ‘Neither the flesh of fish, nor fasting, nor nakedness, nor tonsure, nor matted hair, nor dirt, nor rough skins, nor the worshipping of the fire, nor the many immortal penances in the world, nor hymns, nor oblations, nor sacrifice, nor observance of the seasons, purify a mortal who has not conquered his doubt. (248)

12. ‘The wise man wanders about with his organs of sense guarded, and his senses conquered, standing firm in the Dhamma, delighting in what is right and mild; having overcome all ties and left behind all pain, he does not cling to what is seen and heard.’ (249)

13. Thus Bhagavat preached this subject again and again, (and the Brāhmaṇa) who was accomplished in the hymns (of the Vedas) understood it; the Muni who is free from defilement, independent, and difficult to follow, made it clear in various stanzas. (250)

14. Having heard Buddha’s well-spoken words, which are free from defilement and send away all pain, he worshipped Tathāgata’s (feet) in humility, and took orders at once. (251)

Āmagandhasutta is ended.