Nanda 1—Nanda is reproached (SA-2.5)

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove, the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.

At that time the elder Nanda was always wearing new and spotless robes and carrying the best alms bowls. He gave himself airs and with an arrogant attitude thought himself superior to others. Trying to advance himself, he was saying haughtily: “I am a younger brother of the Buddha, the son of his maternal aunt.” Thereupon a number of monks went to the Buddha, paid homage at his feet, sat to one side and said to the Buddha: “World-honored One! The monk Nanda is always wearing new and spotless robes, is carrying the best bowls. Calling himself “younger brother of the Buddha” and saying he is “the son of the maternal aunt,” he is giving himself airs and treating others haughtily.” When the Buddha heard this, he sent a monk to fetch Nanda. As ordered by the Buddha, the monk went to Nanda and said to him: “The World-honored One calls you!” When Nanda heard this he went to the Buddha, paid homage at his feet and stood to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Is it true that you are wearing new and spotless robes, carrying the best bowls, saying you are my younger brother, the son of my maternal aunt, and behaving haughtily towards others? Is this the case?” Nanda said: “It is true, World-honored One!” The Buddha said to him: “You should not do this. From now on, enjoy living in the forest, among graves, under trees, in worn-out robes, begging for food. If you are my younger brother, born of my maternal aunt, you should practice in these ways, work in this way.”

At that time the World-honored One spoke a verse:

“When will I see /
Nanda enjoying the practice of ascetics,
Living like them in forests /
sitting among graves, begging for food,
in mountains and forests retiring to silent places /
letting go of desire, entering meditation?”

When the Buddha finished speaking this verse, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and remembered it well.

Translation by Marcus Bingenheimer, 2005–8 (minor revisions 2009). First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23.1 (2006). The translations used here were revised by the translator and published in his Studies in Āgama Literature—with Special Reference to the Shorter Chinese Saṁyuktāgama, Dharma Drum Buddhist College, 2010.

Translated from the Taishō text of the CBETA-Database (Version Feb. 2006). All sutta titles added by the translator.

This series of translations were part of the project “A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing” conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies (中華佛學研究所) and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College (法鼓佛教研修學院), funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (蔣經國國際學術交流基金會). The full project, including parallel Chinese, Pali, and Sanskrit texts, is available online here.

Used with kind permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.