This article focuses on a recurring metaphor for sin in a range of Jain and Buddhist texts. Sin is seen as something physically disgusting and stinking. It is frequently compared to excrement. Descriptions of the human body, which also often stress its foul odor, suggest its invariable connection with sin. The paper concludes with some discussion about the “pure” bodies of perfected individuals, which are more like the bodies of animals than of humans.
目次
I. Introduction: Smelly Sinners 45 II. The Human Condition: Stink and Sin 51 III. The Fragrance of Virtue and Some Conclusions 57
