Ud 3.2

Nandasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: “anabhirato ahaṁ, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ carāmi; na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī”ti.

With Nanda

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Nanda, the Buddha’s brother and maternal cousin, informed several mendicants: “I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied. I am unable to keep up the spiritual life. I shall resign the training and return to a lesser life.”

Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “āyasmā, bhante, nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: ‘anabhirato ahaṁ, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī’”ti.

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening.

Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena nandaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi: ‘satthā taṁ, āvuso nanda, āmantetī’”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā nando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ etadavoca: “satthā taṁ, āvuso nanda, āmantetī”ti.

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, “Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Nanda that the Teacher summons him.” “Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Nanda and said to him, “Reverend Nanda, the Teacher summons you.”

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā nando tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Yes, reverend,” Nanda replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, nanda, sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamārocesi: ‘anabhirato ahaṁ, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī’”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

“Is it really true, Nanda, that you informed several mendicants that you are unable to keep up the spiritual life; that you shall resign the training and return to a lesser life?” “Yes, sir,” he replied.

“Kissa pana tvaṁ, nanda, anabhirato brahmacariyaṁ carasi, na sakkosi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissasī”ti? “Sākiyānī maṁ, bhante, janapadakalyāṇī gharā nikkhamantassa upaḍḍhullikhitehi kesehi apaloketvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘tuvaṭaṁ kho, ayyaputta, āgaccheyyāsī’ti. So kho ahaṁ, bhante, tamanussaramāno anabhirato brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī”ti.

“But why are you so dissatisfied with the spiritual life?” “As I left my house, sir, the finest lady of the Sakyan land, her hair half-combed, glanced at me and said, ‘Hurry back, master.’ Recalling that, I am dissatisfied and shall resign the training.”

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bāhāyaṁ gahetvā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—jetavane antarahito devesu tāvatiṁsesu pāturahosi.

Then the Buddha took Nanda by the arm and, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the gods of the thirty-three.

Tena kho pana samayena pañcamattāni accharāsatāni sakkassa devānamindassa upaṭṭhānaṁ āgatāni honti kakuṭapādāni. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ āmantesi: “passasi no tvaṁ, nanda, imāni pañca accharāsatāni kakuṭapādānī”ti? “Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

Now at that time five hundred dove-footed nymphs had come to attend to Sakka, the lord of gods. Then the Buddha said to Nanda, “Nanda, do you see these five hundred dove-footed nymphs?” “Yes, sir,” he replied.

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, nanda, katamā nu kho abhirūpatarā vā dassanīyatarā vā pāsādikatarā vā, sākiyānī vā janapadakalyāṇī, imāni vā pañca accharāsatāni kakuṭapādānī”ti? “Seyyathāpi, bhante, paluṭṭhamakkaṭī kaṇṇanāsacchinnā; evamevaṁ kho, bhante, sākiyānī janapadakalyāṇī imesaṁ pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ upanidhāya saṅkhyampi nopeti kalabhāgampi nopeti upanidhimpi nopeti. Atha kho imāni pañca accharāsatāni abhirūpatarāni ceva dassanīyatarāni ca pāsādikatarāni cā”ti.

“What do you think, Nanda? Who is more attractive, good-looking, and lovely—the finest lady of the Sakyan land, or these five hundred dove-footed nymphs?” “Compared to these five hundred dove-footed nymphs, the finest lady of the Sakyan land is like a deformed monkey with its ears and nose cut off. She doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, she’s not worth a fraction. These five hundred dove-footed nymphs are far more attractive, good-looking, and lovely.”

“Abhirama, nanda, abhirama, nanda. Ahaṁ te pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan”ti. “Sace me, bhante, bhagavā pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānaṁ, abhiramissāmahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati brahmacariye”ti.

“Rejoice, Nanda, rejoice! I guarantee you five hundred dove-footed nymphs.” “If, sir, you guarantee me five hundred dove-footed nymphs, I shall happily lead the spiritual life under the Buddha.”

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bāhāyaṁ gahetvā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—devesu tāvatiṁsesu antarahito jetavane pāturahosi.

Then the Buddha took Nanda by the arm and, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the gods of the thirty-three and reappeared at Jeta’s Grove.

Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū: “āyasmā kira nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati; bhagavā kirassa pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan”ti.

The mendicants heard, “It seems Venerable Nanda—who is both the Buddha’s half-brother and maternal cousin—leads the spiritual life for the sake of nymphs. And it seems that the Buddha guaranteed him five hundred dove-footed nymphs.”

Atha kho āyasmato nandassa sahāyakā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bhatakavādena ca upakkitakavādena ca samudācaranti: “bhatako kirāyasmā nando upakkitako kirāyasmā nando accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati; bhagavā kirassa pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan”ti.

Monks who were his friends accused him of being a hireling and a lackey, “It seems Nanda is a hireling, it seems he is a lackey: he leads the spiritual life for the sake of nymphs. And it seems that the Buddha guaranteed him five hundred dove-footed nymphs.”

Atha kho āyasmā nando sahāyakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ bhatakavādena ca upakkitakavādena ca aṭṭīyamāno harāyamāno jigucchamāno eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi. “Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro kho panāyasmā nando arahataṁ ahosi.

Then Nanda—embarrassed, ashamed, and disgusted at being called a hireling and a lackey—living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” Venerable Nanda became one of the perfected.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “āyasmā, bhante, nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti. Bhagavatopi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi: “nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him: “Sir, Venerable Nanda—who is both the Buddha’s half-brother and maternal cousin—has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. He lives having realized it with his own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.” And the knowledge also came to the Buddha: “Nanda has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. He lives having realized it with his own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.”

Atha kho āyasmā nando tassā rattiyā accayena yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā nando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “yaṁ me, bhante, bhagavā pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānaṁ, muñcāmahaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ etasmā paṭissavā”ti. “Mayāpi kho tvaṁ, nanda, cetasā ceto paricca vidito: ‘nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Devatāpi me etamatthaṁ ārocesi: ‘āyasmā, bhante, nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Yadeva kho te, nanda, anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuttaṁ, athāhaṁ mutto etasmā paṭissavā”ti.

Then, when the night had passed, Nanda went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Worthy sir, you guaranteed me five hundred dove-footed nymphs. I release you from that promise.” “Nanda, I encompassed your mind and knew that you had realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And deities also told me about this. As soon as your mind was freed from defilements by not grasping, I was released from that promise.”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Yassa nittiṇṇo paṅko, Maddito kāmakaṇḍako; Mohakkhayaṁ anuppatto, Sukhadukkhesu na vedhatī sa bhikkhū”ti.

“The mendicant who has crossed over the bog, who has crushed the thorn of sensuality, who has reached the end of delusion, trembles not at pleasure and pain.”