So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Now at that time Venerable Nanda, the Buddha’s brother and maternal cousin, informed several mendicants: Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamāroceti: “I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied. “anabhirato ahaṁ, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ carāmi; I am unable to keep up the spiritual life. I shall resign the training and return to a lesser life.” 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 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.

So the Buddha addressed one of the monks, Atha kho bhagavā aññataraṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi: “Please, monk, in my name tell the mendicant Nanda that “ehi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, mama vacanena nandaṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantehi: the teacher summons him.” ‘satthā taṁ, āvuso nanda, āmantetī’”ti. “Yes, sir,” that monk replied. He went to Nanda and said to him, “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho so bhikkhu bhagavato paṭissutvā yenāyasmā nando tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ etadavoca: “Reverend Nanda, the teacher summons you.” “satthā taṁ, āvuso nanda, āmantetī”ti.

“Yes, reverend,” Nanda replied. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā nando tassa bhikkhuno paṭissutvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Is it really true, Nanda, that you informed several mendicants that “Saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, nanda, sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ evamārocesi: you are unable to keep up the spiritual life; that you shall resign the training and return to a lesser life?” ‘anabhirato ahaṁ, āvuso, brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī’”ti? “Yes, sir,” he replied. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti.

“But why are you so dissatisfied with the spiritual life?” “Kissa pana tvaṁ, nanda, anabhirato brahmacariyaṁ carasi, na sakkosi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissasī”ti? “As I left my house, sir, the finest lady of the Sakyan land, her hair half-combed, glanced at me and said, “Sākiyānī maṁ, bhante, janapadakalyāṇī gharā nikkhamantassa upaḍḍhullikhitehi kesehi apaloketvā maṁ etadavoca: ‘Hurry back, master.’ ‘tuvaṭaṁ kho, ayyaputta, āgaccheyyāsī’ti. Recalling that, I am dissatisfied and shall resign the training.” So kho ahaṁ, bhante, tamanussaramāno anabhirato brahmacariyaṁ carāmi, na sakkomi brahmacariyaṁ sandhāretuṁ, sikkhaṁ paccakkhāya hīnāyāvattissāmī”ti.

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. 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.

Now at that time five hundred dove-footed nymphs had come to attend to Sakka, the lord of gods. Tena kho pana samayena pañcamattāni accharāsatāni sakkassa devānamindassa upaṭṭhānaṁ āgatāni honti kakuṭapādāni. Then the Buddha said to Nanda, Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ āmantesi: “Nanda, do you see these five hundred dove-footed nymphs?” “passasi no tvaṁ, nanda, imāni pañca accharāsatāni kakuṭapādānī”ti? “Yes, sir,” he replied. “Evaṁ, bhante”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?” “Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, nanda, katamā nu kho abhirūpatarā vā dassanīyatarā vā pāsādikatarā vā, sākiyānī vā janapadakalyāṇī, imāni vā pañca accharāsatāni kakuṭapādānī”ti? “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. “Seyyathāpi, bhante, paluṭṭhamakkaṭī kaṇṇanāsacchinnā; She doesn’t count, there’s no comparison, she’s not worth a fraction. evamevaṁ kho, bhante, sākiyānī janapadakalyāṇī imesaṁ pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ upanidhāya saṅkhyampi nopeti kalabhāgampi nopeti upanidhimpi nopeti. These five hundred dove-footed nymphs are far more attractive, good-looking, and lovely.” Atha kho imāni pañca accharāsatāni abhirūpatarāni ceva dassanīyatarāni ca pāsādikatarāni cā”ti.

“Rejoice, Nanda, rejoice! “Abhirama, nanda, abhirama, nanda. I guarantee you five hundred dove-footed nymphs.” Ahaṁ te pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan”ti. “If, sir, you guarantee me five hundred dove-footed nymphs, I shall happily lead the spiritual life under the Buddha.” “Sace me, bhante, bhagavā pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānaṁ, abhiramissāmahaṁ, bhante, bhagavati brahmacariye”ti.

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. 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.

The mendicants heard, Assosuṁ kho bhikkhū: “It seems Venerable Nanda—who is both the Buddha’s half-brother and maternal cousin—leads the spiritual life for the sake of nymphs. “āyasmā kira nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati; And it seems that the Buddha guaranteed him five hundred dove-footed nymphs.” bhagavā kirassa pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan”ti.

Monks who were his friends accused him of being a hireling and a lackey, Atha kho āyasmato nandassa sahāyakā bhikkhū āyasmantaṁ nandaṁ bhatakavādena ca upakkitakavādena ca samudācaranti: “It seems Nanda is a hireling, it seems he is a lackey: he leads the spiritual life for the sake of nymphs. “bhatako kirāyasmā nando upakkitako kirāyasmā nando accharānaṁ hetu brahmacariyaṁ carati; And it seems that the Buddha guaranteed him five hundred dove-footed nymphs.” bhagavā kirassa pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānan”ti.

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 end 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. 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. 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.” “Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. Venerable Nanda became one of the perfected. Aññataro kho panāyasmā nando arahataṁ ahosi.

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: 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: “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 in this very life. He lives having realized it with his own insight due to the ending of defilements.” “āyasmā, bhante, nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti. And the knowledge also came to the Buddha: Bhagavatopi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi: “Nanda has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. He lives having realized it with his own insight due to the ending of defilements.” “nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.

Then, when the night had passed, Nanda went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, Atha kho āyasmā nando tassā rattiyā accayena yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā nando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Worthy sir, you guaranteed me five hundred dove-footed nymphs. I release you from that promise.” “yaṁ me, bhante, bhagavā pāṭibhogo pañcannaṁ accharāsatānaṁ paṭilābhāya kakuṭapādānaṁ, muñcāmahaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ etasmā paṭissavā”ti. “Nanda, I encompassed your mind and knew that “Mayāpi kho tvaṁ, nanda, cetasā ceto paricca vidito: you had realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. ‘nando āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. And deities also told me about this. Devatāpi me etamatthaṁ ārocesi: ‘āyasmā, bhante, nando bhagavato bhātā mātucchāputto āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. As soon as your mind was freed from defilements by not grasping, I was released from that promise.” Yadeva kho te, nanda, anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimuttaṁ, athāhaṁ mutto etasmā paṭissavā”ti.

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment: Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“The mendicant who has crossed over the bog, “Yassa nittiṇṇo paṅko, who has crushed the thorn of sensuality, Maddito kāmakaṇḍako; who has reached the end of delusion, Mohakkhayaṁ anuppatto, trembles not at pleasure and pain.” Sukhadukkhesu na vedhatī sa bhikkhū”ti.

Dutiyaṁ.