1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then at that time venerable Nanda, the Gracious One's brother, his mother's sister's son, confessed this to many monks:

"I have no great delight, venerable friends, living the spiritual life, I am not able to endure the spiritual life, having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior."

2Then a certain monk went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side. While sat on one side that monk said this to the Gracious One:

"Venerable Nanda, reverend Sir, the Gracious One's brother, his mother's sister's son, confesses this to many monks: ‘I have no great delight, venerable friends, living the spiritual life, I am not able to endure the spiritual life, having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior.’ "

3Then the Gracious One addressed a certain monk, saying: "Please go, monk, and with my word address the monk Nanda, saying: ‘The Teacher, venerable friend Nanda, calls you.’ "

"Yes, reverend Sir," said that monk, and after replying to the Gracious One, he went to venerable Nanda, and after going, he said this to venerable Nanda: "The Teacher, venerable friend Nanda, calls you."

4"Yes, venerable friend," said venerable Nanda, and after replying to that monk, he went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side. While sat on one side, the Gracious One said this to venerable Nanda:

5"Is it true, as it seems, Nanda, that you confessed this to many monks, saying:

"I have no great delight, venerable friends, living the spiritual life, I am not able to endure the spiritual life, having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior.’ "

"Yes, reverend Sir."

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6"But why do you, Nanda, have no great delight living the spiritual life, are not able to endure the spiritual life, and having disavowed the training, will return to what is inferior?"

"As I was leaving from home, reverend Sir, a Sakyan girl, the most beautiful woman in the country, with her hair half-combed, having looked round, said this to me: ‘Master, may you quickly return.’ Remembering that, reverend Sir, I have no great delight living the spiritual life, I am not able to endure the spiritual life, and having disavowed the training, I will return to what is inferior."

7Then the Gracious One, having taken venerable Nanda by the arm, just as a strong man might stretch out a bent arm, or bend in an outstretched arm, in the same way did he disappear from Jeta's Wood, and reappear amongst the Tāvatiṁsa devas.

8Then at that time five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs had come to attend to Sakka, the lord of the devas.

Then the Gracious One addressed venerable Nanda, saying: "Do you see, Nanda, these five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs?"

"Yes, reverend Sir."

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9"What do you think about this, Nanda, who has the most perfect form, is the most fair to behold, is the most pleasing, the Sakyan girl, the most beautiful woman in the country, or these five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs?"

"Like a disfigured monkey, reverend Sir, with its ears and nose cut off, so is the Sakyan girl, reverend Sir, the most beautiful woman in the country, compared with these five hundred celestial nymphs she does not count, she is not even a fraction, she is not even half a fraction, she is not even to be compared! These five hundred celestial nymphs certainly have the most perfect form, are the most fair to behold, are the more pleasing."

10"Take delight, Nanda! Take delight, Nanda! I am your surety for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs!"

"If, reverend Sir, the Gracious One is my surety for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs, I will take great delight, reverend Sir, in living the spiritual life under the Gracious One."

11Then the Gracious One, having taken venerable Nanda by the arm, just as a strong man might stretch out a bent arm, or bend in an outstretched arm, in the same way did they disappear from amongst the Tāvatiṁsa devas, and reappear in Jeta's Wood.

12The monks heard: "Venerable Nanda, it seems, the Gracious One's brother, his mother's sister's son, is living the spiritual life for the sake of celestial nymphs, the Gracious One, it seems, is his surety for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs!"

13Then venerable Nanda's monk-friends accosted venerable Nanda with words about a hireling, with words about a lackey, saying: "It seems venerable Nanda is a hireling, it seems venerable Nanda is a lackey, he is living the spiritual life for the sake of celestial nymphs, the Gracious One, it seems, is his surety for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs!"

14Then venerable Nanda, at his monk-friends’ words about a hireling, words about a lackey, was distressed, ashamed, and disgusted, and while dwelling solitary, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute, after no long time attained that good for which sons of good family rightly go forth from the home to homelessness, that unsurpassed conclusion to the spiritual life, and dwelt having known, having directly experienced, and having attained nibbāna himself in this very life:

"Destroyed is birth accomplished is the spiritual life done is what ought to be done there is no more of this mundane state" — this he knew.

And venerable Nanda became another of the Worthy Ones.

15Then a certain devatā, when the night had passed, having lit up the whole of Jeta's Wood with his surpassing beauty, went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he stood on one side. While standing on one side that devatā said this to the Gracious One:

"Venerable Nanda, reverend Sir, the Gracious One's brother, his mother's sister's son, through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom, dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained nibbāna himself in this very life."

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And this knowledge arose to the Gracious One:

"Nanda, through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom, dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained nibbāna himself in this very life."

16Then venerable Nanda, when that night had passed, went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down on one side. While sat on one side venerable Nanda said this to the Gracious One:

"That, reverend Sir, for which the Gracious One was my surety — for gaining five hundred celestial dove-footed nymphs — I free the Gracious One, reverend Sir, from that promise."

"Nanda, having encompassed your mind fully with my mind, I understood: ‘Nanda, through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom, dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained nibbāna himself in this very life.’

"Also a devatā announced that matter to me, saying: ‘Venerable Nanda, reverend Sir, the Gracious One's brother, his mother's sister's son, through the destruction of the pollutants, without pollutants, freed in mind, freed through wisdom, dwells having known, having directly experienced, and having attained nibbāna himself in this very life.’

"When, Nanda, your mind was freed from the pollutants without attachment, then was I freed from that promise."

17Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

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1Evaṁ 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.

2Atha 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.

3Atha 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.

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

5"Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, nanda, sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamārocesi: 

‘Anabhirato ahaṁ, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī’"ti?

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti.

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6"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.

7Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bāhāyaṁ gahetvā – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ – jetavane antarahito devesu tāvatiṁsesu pāturahosi.

8Tena 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.

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9"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.

10"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.

11Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bāhāyaṁ gahetvā – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ – devesu tāvatiṁsesu antarahito jetavane pāturahosi.

12Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū:  "āyasmā kira nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati; bhagavā kirassa pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan"ti.

13Atha 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.

14Atha 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.

15Atha 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.

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Bhagavatopi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi: 

"Nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī"ti.

16Atha 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.

17Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi: 

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Dutiyaṁ.