bhisapuppha jātaka
Bhisapuppha Jātaka:The Bodhisatta was born once as an ascetic,and one day a goddess,having seen him smell a lotus in bloom,upbraided him,telling him he was a thief to smell a lotus which did not belong to him.Near by was a man digging up lotus plants for their fibres,but to him the goddess said nothing.When questioned,her answer was that in a man like the Bodhisatta,seeking for purity,a sin even as large as a hair tip showed like a dark,cloud in the sky.The Bodhisatta,greatly impressed,thanked her.
The goddess is identified with Uppalavannā.
The story was told in reference to a monk who was upbraided by a deity in a forest tract in Kosala for smelling a lotus.In great agitation,he went and consulted the Buddha,who told him the above story.J.iv.307ff.