Nanda Nandasutta

“Mendicants, you could rightly call Nanda ‘Gentleman’, “‘kulaputto’ti, bhikkhave, nandaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya. ‘strong’, ‘Balavā’ti, bhikkhave, nandaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya. ‘lovely’, ‘Pāsādiko’ti, bhikkhave, nandaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya. and ‘lustful’. ‘Tibbarāgo’ti, bhikkhave, nandaṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya. How could he live the full and pure spiritual life unless he guards the sense doors, eats in moderation, is dedicated to wakefulness, and has mindfulness and situational awareness? Kimaññatra, bhikkhave, nando indriyesu guttadvāro, bhojane mattaññū, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto, satisampajaññena samannāgato, yehi nando sakkoti paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ carituṁ.

This is how Nanda guards the sense doors. Tatridaṁ, bhikkhave, nandassa indriyesu guttadvāratāya hoti. If he has to look to the east, he wholeheartedly concentrates before looking, thinking: Sace, bhikkhave, nandassa puratthimā disā āloketabbā hoti, sabbaṁ cetasā samannāharitvā nando puratthimaṁ disaṁ āloketi: ‘When I look to the east, bad, unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure will not overwhelm me.’ ‘evaṁ me puratthimaṁ disaṁ ālokayato nābhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssavissantī’ti. In this way he’s aware of the situation. Itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.

If he has to look to the west … Sace, bhikkhave, nandassa pacchimā disā āloketabbā hoti …pe… north … uttarā disā āloketabbā hoti … south … dakkhiṇā disā āloketabbā hoti … up … uddhaṁ ulloketabbā hoti … down … adho oloketabbā hoti … If he has to survey the intermediate directions, he wholeheartedly concentrates before looking, thinking: anudisā anuviloketabbā hoti, sabbaṁ cetasā samannāharitvā nando anudisaṁ anuviloketi: ‘When I survey the intermediate directions, bad, unskillful qualities of covetousness and displeasure will not overwhelm me.’ ‘evaṁ me anudisaṁ anuvilokayato nābhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssavissantī’ti. In this way he’s aware of the situation. Itiha tattha sampajāno hoti. This is how Nanda guards the sense doors. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, nandassa indriyesu guttadvāratāya hoti.

This is how Nanda eats in moderation. Tatridaṁ, bhikkhave, nandassa bhojane mattaññutāya hoti. Nanda reflects rationally on the food he eats: Idha, bhikkhave, nando paṭisaṅkhā yoniso āhāraṁ āhāreti: ‘Not for fun, indulgence, adornment, or decoration, but only to sustain this body, to avoid harm, and to support spiritual practice. In this way, I shall put an end to old discomfort and not give rise to new discomfort, and I will have the means to keep going, blamelessness, and a comfortable abiding.’ ‘neva davāya na madāya na maṇḍanāya na vibhūsanāya, yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya vihiṁsūparatiyā brahmacariyānuggahāya iti purāṇañca vedanaṁ paṭihaṅkhāmi, navañca vedanaṁ na uppādessāmi, yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca phāsuvihāro cā’ti. This is how Nanda eats in moderation. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, nandassa bhojane mattaññutāya hoti.

This is how Nanda is committed to wakefulness. Tatridaṁ, bhikkhave, nandassa jāgariyānuyogasmiṁ hoti. Nanda practices walking and sitting meditation by day, purifying his mind from obstacles. Idha, bhikkhave, nando divasaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti; In the first watch of the night, he continues to practice walking and sitting meditation. rattiyā paṭhamaṁ yāmaṁ caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti; In the middle watch, he lies down in the lion’s posture—on the right side, placing one foot on top of the other—mindful and aware, and focused on the time of getting up. rattiyā majjhimaṁ yāmaṁ dakkhiṇena passena sīhaseyyaṁ kappeti pāde pādaṁ accādhāya sato sampajāno uṭṭhānasaññaṁ manasi karitvā; In the last watch, he gets up and continues to practice walking and sitting meditation, purifying his mind from obstacles. rattiyā pacchimaṁ yāmaṁ paccuṭṭhāya caṅkamena nisajjāya āvaraṇīyehi dhammehi cittaṁ parisodheti. This is how Nanda is committed to wakefulness. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, nandassa jāgariyānuyogasmiṁ hoti.

This is how Nanda has mindfulness and situational awareness. Tatridaṁ, bhikkhave, nandassa satisampajaññasmiṁ hoti. Nanda knows feelings as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. Idha, bhikkhave, nandassa viditā vedanā uppajjanti, viditā upaṭṭhahanti, viditā abbhatthaṁ gacchanti; He knows perceptions as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. viditā saññā …pe… He knows thoughts as they arise, as they remain, and as they go away. viditā vitakkā …pe… abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. This is how Nanda has mindfulness and situational awareness. Idaṁ kho, bhikkhave, nandassa satisampajaññasmiṁ hoti.

How could Nanda live the full and pure spiritual life unless he guards the sense doors, eats in moderation, is dedicated to wakefulness, and has mindfulness and situational awareness?” Kimaññatra, bhikkhave, nando indriyesu guttadvāro, bhojane mattaññū, jāgariyaṁ anuyutto, satisampajaññena samannāgato, yehi nando sakkoti paripuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ caritun”ti.