Observations placeholder

The Lotus sutra – translated by Burton Watson

The purity of such a person's nose will be such
that throughout this world
he will be able to detect and identify
all manner of odours, fragrant or foul,
sumana and jatika flowers,
tamalapatra and sandalwood,
the scent of aloes and cassia,
the scent of various flowers and fruits.
And he will know the scent of living beings,
the scent of men and women.

Though this preacher of the Law dwells far off ,
he will detect these scents and know where the persons are.

Wheel-turning kings of great authority,
lesser wheel-turners and their sons,
their ministers and palace attendants-
he will detect their scent and know where they are.

Precious treasures adorning the body,
treasure storehouses in the earth,
jeweled ladies of wheel-turning kings-
he will detect their scent and know where they are.

Ornaments that adorn the bodies of persons,
clothing and necklaces,
all kinds of paste incense-
by detecting these he will know who the wearers are.

When heavenly beings walk or sit,
amuse themselves or carry out magical transformations,
the upholder of the Lotus
by detecting their scent can know all this.

Blossoms and fruits of various trees,
and the aroma of butter oil-
the upholder of the sutra, dwelling here,
knows where all these are.

Deep in the mountains, in steep places
where blossoms of the sandalwood tree unfold,
living beings are in their midst-
by detecting the scent he can know all this.

Living beings in the Iron Encircling Mountains,
in the great seas or in the ground-
the upholder of the sutra detects their scent
and knows where all of them are.

When male and female asuras
and their retinues of followers
fight with one another or amuse themselves,
he detects the scent and knows all this.

On the broad plains, in narrow places,
lions, elephants, tigers, wolves,
buffaloes and water buffaloes-
by detecting their scent he knows where they are.

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Thus extending his awareness
upward to the Brahma heaven,
by detecting their scent, he knows all those
who enter meditation or emerge from meditation.

In the Light Sound and All Pure heavens
and up to the Summit of Being,
those born for the first time, those who have departed-
detecting their scent, he knows them all.

The multitude of monks
diligent at all times with regard to the Law,
whether sitting or walking around
or reading or reciting the sutra teachings,
sometimes under the forest trees
concentrating their energies, sitting in meditation-
the upholder of the sutra detects their scent
and knows where all of them are.

Bodhisattvas firm and unbending in will,
sitting in meditation or reading the sutras
or preaching the Law for others-
by detecting their scent he knows them all.

The World-Honored Ones, present in all quarters,
revered and respected by all,
pitying the multitude, preaching the Law-
by detecting their scent he knows them all.

Living beings who in the Buddha's presence
hear the sutra and all rejoice,
who practice as the Law prescribes-
by detecting their scent he knows them all.

Though he has not yet acquired the nose possessed
by a bodhisattva of the Law of no outflows,
the upholder of the sutra before then
will acquire a nose with the marks described here.