(55) Sandal-wood or Tagara, a lotus-flower, or a Vassikî, among these sorts of perfumes, the perfume of virtue is unsurpassed.

(29) And ⌈⌈there⌉⌉ I saw aromatic trees exhaling the fragrance of frankincense and myrrh, and the trees also were similar to the almond tree.

(66) Timaeus: For smells arise in the intermediate state, when water is changing into air or air into water, and they are all smoke or mist; and of these, the passage from air to water is mist, and the passage from water to air is smoke whence it is that all the smells are thinner than water and thicker than air. Their nature is made clear whenever there is some block in the respiration and a man draws in his breath forcibly; for then no accompanying smell is strained through, but the breath passes in alone by itself isolated from the smells. So for these reasons the varieties of these smells have no name,

(21) Besides these kinds of wood there is none other that thou shalt place (on the altar), for the fragrance is dispersed, and the smell of its fragrance goeth not up to heaven .

(54) The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor (that of) sandal-wood, or of Tagara and Mallikâ flowers; but the odour of good people travels even against the wind; a good man pervades every place.

(24) For of pleasant odour, which is one thing genetically, there are many specific causes, as frankincense, rose, crocus, styrax, myrrh, ointment. For the rose has not the same kind of sweet fragrance as myrrh.

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS. MUCH-nam'd, and best of dæmons, hear my pray'r, The desart-loving, deck'd with tender hair; Joy to diffuse, by all desir'd is thine, Much form'd, Eubulus; aliment divine Female and Male, all charming to the sight, Adonis ever flourishing and bright; At stated periods doom'd to set and rise, With splendid lamp, the glory of the skies. 8 Two-horn'd and lovely, reverenc'd with tears, Of beauteous form, adorn'd with copious hairs. Rejoicing in the chace, all-graceful pow'r, Sweet plant of Venus, Love's delightful flow'r: Descended from the secret bed divine, Of lovely-hair'd, infernal Proserpine. 'Tis thine to fink in Tartarus profound, And shine again thro' heav'ns illustrious round, With beauteous temp'ral orb restor'd to sight; Come, with earth's fruits, and in these flames delight.

(31) The good Smell in the Herb, which you should now look for in the many Opinions, is only the new Regeneration out of the old corrupted Adamical mixt Man in the Body of Jesus Christ, in the Power of the Holy Ghost, viz. a new Mind towards God in Love and Meekness; which is not set upon Pride, Covetousness, and seeking his own Honour, Credit, and Esteem, nor upon War, or any Manner of Stir, or Insurrection of Inferiors against their Superiors, but grows in Patience and Meekness, as a Grain of Wheat among Thorns, and brings forth Fruit in its Season. And consider, that where there is such Fruit [in thy Mind,] that is born of God; and it is the noble Virtue in that [Man.] Go out from the other Fruit, which teaches Uproars and Dissension between Inferiors and Superiors, for such [Fruits] are Thistles, and will prick and sting [like Nettles.] God will fan his Wheat himself.

(55) And there it is to be proved whether the smell be a good smell or savour, pleasing to man's constitution and complexion, or no: If it be good, then the counsellor bringeth the same to its mother, that the smell may be brought to effect; if it be not good, then is it expelled and thrust away.

(56) And this counsellor of the smell, which is generated out of the Salitter, is also mixed with Mercurius, and so belongeth to the heavenly joyfulness, and is a glorious, excellent and fair fountain in God.

(54) So also in angels and men, the power of the smell riseth up out of all the powers of the body by and through the spirit, and cometh forth at the nostrils of the nose, and is affected with all smells or savours, and bringeth them through the nostrils of the nose, which is the third counsellor, into the head, before the princely seat or throne.

(2) They meditated on the udgîtha (Om) as the breath (scent) in the nose , but the Asuras pierced it (the breath) with evil. Therefore we smell by the breath in the nose both what is good-smelling and what is bad-smelling. For the breath was pierced by evil.

(77) Or if it would by the smelling get a longing or lusting after that which is none of its own. As lord Lucifer did also, who longed after the holy savour or sweet smell of the Son of God, and intended in his elevation and kindling to smell and savour yet more pleasantly.

(98) For the spirit draweth from the head or bud into the blossoms, and the head or bud is formed according to the kind of all the qualities; the astringent quality attracteth or collecteth the body of the bud or head, and the sweet quality softeneth it and spreadeth it abroad, and the bitter quality parteth or distinguisheth the matter into members, and the heat is the living spirit therein.

(15) Brahmin devotees at Vaisali perceived the fragrance and became elated; they praised the rare occurrence. Their chief, called “Lunar Canopy” took eighty-four thousand men to Vimalakirti’s house where they saw many Bodhisattvas seated on majestic lion thrones; they were jubilant and paid reverence to the Bodhisattvas and the Buddha’s chief disciples, and then stood at one side. Earthly and heavenly ghosts as well as the devas of the worlds of desire and of form who smelt the fragrance, came as well.

(56) Mean is the scent that comes from Tagara and sandal-wood;--the perfume of those who possess virtue rises up to the gods as the highest.

The FUMIGATION from every AROMATIC except FRANKINCENSE. TERRESTRIAL Dionysius, hear my pray'r, Awak'ned rise with nymphs of lovely hair: Great Amphietus Bacchus, annual God, Who laid asleep in Proserpine's abode, Did'st lull to drowsy and oblivious rest, The rites triennial, and the sacred feast; Which rous'd again by thee, in graceful ring, Thy nurses round thee mystic anthems sing; When briskly dancing with rejoicing pow'rs, Thou mov'st in concert with the circling hours. Come, blessed, fruitful, horned, and divine, And on these rites with joyful aspect shine; Accept the general incense and the pray'r, And make prolific holy fruits thy care. Next: LIII: To Silenus, Satyrus, and the Priestesses of Bacchus Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LI: To Trietericus Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LIII: To Silenus, Satyrus, an... » Sacred Texts | Classics

(24) And amongst them was a tree such as I had never yet smelt, neither was any amongst them nor were others like it: it had a fragrance beyond all fragrance, and its leaves and blooms and wood wither not for ever: and its fruit ⌈⌈is beautiful, and its fruit⌉⌉ resembles the dates of a palm.

(108) Thou canst kindle wood that it give light, for the water is chief upper regent, or predominant therein; so likewise in all sorts of herbs on earth, wherein the sweet water is predominant.

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS. DAUGHTERS of Jove and Themis, seasons bright, Justice, and blessed peace, and lawful right, Vernal and grassy, vivid, holy pow'rs, Whose balmy breath exhales in lovely flow'rs All-colour'd seasons, rich increase your care, Circling, for ever flourishing and fair: Invested with a veil of shining dew, A flow'ry veil delightful to the view: Attending Proserpine, when back from night, The Fates and Graces lead her up to light; When in a band-harmonious they advance, And joyful round her, form the solemn dance: With Ceres triumphing, and Jove divine; Propitious come, and on our incense shine; Give earth a blameless store of fruits to bear, And make a novel mystic's life your care. Next: XLIII: To Semele Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XLI: To Mises Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XLIII: To Semele » Sacred Texts | Classics