The Numerical Discourses

Chapter 16: Putting Out the Fire

1. Nanda

1. “Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī.

2. At the time, Venerable Nanda was staying in Nāgapuṣpa Park[1] near the city of Śrāvastī. While residing in a secluded place, Venerable Nanda had this thought: “It’s so difficult to meet a Tathāgata when he appears in the world. It takes a million eons for him to appear, during which time he truly cannot be seen. It’s just a very long night until he appears. It’s like the time it takes for the udumbara flower to appear. It’s so difficult to meet a Tathāgata when he appears in the world. It takes a million eons for him to appear, during which time he truly cannot be seen. And there are other things that are hard to encounter: All actions coming to a stop, the end of craving without remainder, the lack of defilement, and the complete cessation of nirvāṇa.

3. Knowing this thought in Venerable Nanda’s mind, Māra acting as a god went to the Śakyan woman Sundarī.[2] He hovered in the sky as he called to her in verse:

• “Today is a day for you to rejoice,
  And put on the dress of the five pleasures!
  Nanda has discarded the Dharma robes;
  He’s coming to enjoy himself with you!”

4. The Śakyan woman Sundarī rejoiced and celebrated when she heard what that god said, and she was unable to control herself. She dressed herself up, decorated the rooms of her house, prepared fine seats, and danced to music, just as she had when Nanda lived at home.

5. Then, King Prasenajit was attending a meeting in his discussion hall when he heard that the monk Nanda had renounced the Dharma robes and would return to working for his family. The reason for this was that a god in the sky had told this to Nanda’s wife.

6. When he heard this said, King Presenajit felt aggrieved. He rode his white elephant to that park. Arriving there, he waded into Lake Nāgapuṣpa. Seeing him from afar, he walked up to Venerable Nanda, bowed his head at his feet, and then sat to one side.

7. Venerable Nanda then asked Prasenajit, “Great King, why have you come here looking so affected? Is there some reason you have come here to me?”

8. King Prasenajit replied, “Venerable, you ought to know that while I was attending a meeting in my discussion hall, I heard that the Venerable had discarded the Dharma robes and returned to wearing white clothes. Having heard that, I came here because I was worried about the Venerable. What instruction might he have?”

9. With an easy smile, Nanda then told the King, “Why does the King say this without seeing or hearing it himself? Hasn’t the King heard it from the Tathāgata that I’ve removed the bonds, that for me birth and death is ended, that I’ve established the religious life, and that I’ve accomplished the task? That I truly know that I won’t return to a womb again? I’ve become an arhat, and now my mind is liberated.”

10. The King replied, “I haven’t heard from the Tathāgata that the monk Nanda … has ended birth and death … has become an arhat, and his mind is liberated. The reason I said this was that a god came to the Śakyan woman Sundarī and told it to her. When she heard about it, your wife Sundarī danced, played music, mended her clothes and ornaments, and prepared seats. When I heard about it, I came here to the Venerable.”

11. Venerable Nanda told the King, “Why does the Great King say this without witnessing or hearing it himself? There aren’t any ascetics or priests who don’t enjoy the happiness of respite, the happiness of being well gone, the happiness of the ascetic, and the happiness of nirvāṇa. They don’t contemplate the firepit of lustful desire. It wouldn’t be the case that they would go back to that.

12. “Bones are like a chain, and flesh is like a pile of stones. Like a sword coated in honey, greed brings a little profit, but the trouble later can’t be foreseen. Like a branch broken by an abundance of fruit, like a loan that must be repaid soon, like a jungle of sword trees, like poisonous herbs, or like bitter leaves, flowers, and fruit, lustful desire should be contemplated as being likewise.

13. “It wouldn’t be the case that their minds would be addicted to that. If someone doesn’t contemplate that desire as a firepit … bitter fruit, but they want to cross the flood of desire, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance, they won’t be able to do it. If someone hasn’t crossed the flood of desire, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance, but they want to gain entry to the realm of remainderless nirvāṇa, to parinirvāṇa, they won’t be able to do it.

14. “Great King, you should know that this is surely the case for ascetics and priests who investigate the happiness of respite, the happiness of being well gone, the happiness of the ascetic, and the happiness of nirvāṇa. They understand from their investigations that the firepit of lustful desire is like a chain of bones, a pile of flesh, a sword coated in honey, a branch broken by an abundance of fruit, a loan that’s due, a sword tree, a poisonous tree, or a poisonous herb. They all investigate and comprehend that this is the case. Having fully understood it, they know what produces the fire of desire, and then they surely can cross the flood of desire, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance. They will surely have crossed the flood of desire, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance.

15. “How is it, Great King? What did you see and what did you know when you said that about me? Great King, I’ve now become an arhat. For me, birth and death has ended, the religious life has been established, and the task has been accomplished. I won’t again experience a mother’s womb, and my mind has been liberated.”

16. Feeling joy in his heart, a good thought arose in King Prasenajit, and he said to Venerable Nanda, “I have not even a hair’s breadth of doubt about it. Now that I know the Venerable has become an arhat, I must take my leave and return to the many affairs of state.”

Nanda replied, “You may go whenever it’s convenient.”

17. King Prasenajit rose from his seat, bowed at Nanda’s feet, and departed. A moment after he had left, the Māra King came to Venerable Nanda. Hovering in the sky, he addressed Nanda in verse:

• “Your wife’s face is shaped like the moon;
  She’s wearing gold and silver jewelry.
  Recall how her shape and her countenance
  Had always pleased you with the five pleasures.
  She sings while strumming lutes and playing drums;
  The sound of her voice is soft and gentle.
  She’d be able to dispel all sadness
  And spread happiness throughout this forest.”

18. Venerable Nanda then thought, “This is Māra acting as a god.” Having realized this, he replied in verse:

• “I did have such thoughts as that in the past,
  And my debauchery was tireless back then.
  I was indeed tied up by my desires,
  Not noticing old age, illness, and death.
  Now, I’ve crossed over the flood of desire,
  Without defilement and stained by nothing.
  Honors and status are suffering, too;
  The only real happiness is in Dharma.
  Now, I don’t have any more of these bonds,
  Lust, hatred, and delusion are all gone.
  Those people who don’t train in this Dharma
  Should be recognized and known as foolish.”

19. When he heard these words, Māra who was acting as a god felt aggrieved and disappeared from that place.

20. A group of monks related all these events to the Bhagavān. The Bhagavān told the monks, “There’s no monk who is more upright than that monk Nanda. In having an indifferent manner,[3] it’s also the monk Nanda. In having no thoughts of desire, it’s also the monk Nanda. In having no anger, it’s also the monk Nanda. In having no delusions, it’s also the monk Nanda. In becoming an arhat, it’s also the monk Nanda. For this reason, the monk Nanda is upright and peaceful in his manner.”

21. The Bhagavān then told the monks, “Among my disciples, the most upright is the monk Nanda. In having a peaceful manner, it’s also the monk Nanda who is best.”

22. When the monks heard what the Buddha taught, they rejoiced and approved.

Notes

1. Nāgapuṣpa Park. C. 象華園. Presumably, C. 象華 (lit. “elephant flower”) is a lit. translation of S. nāgapuṣpa (G. nagapuṣpa). This was probably an ancient name of the Indian Ironwood tree (Mesua ferrea), the flowers of which figured as gifts in past life stories about previous buddhas in Pali commentaries. S. nāgapuṣpikā was also the name of a kind of yellow jasmine, but a park was more likely to be named after a tree. [back]
2. Śakyan woman Sundarī. C. 孫陀利釋種女, S. sundarī śākyakanyā. Nanda was the Buddha’s half-brother (by a different mother). Most Buddhist stories about his becoming a monk claim that he was engaged to be married when the Buddha convinced him to leave the lay life. These sources disagree as to this woman’s name, however. The Theravāda tradition says she was Janapadakalyānī Nandā. A Sanskrit tradition says she was named Yaśodharā. In the present tradition, she was apparently named Sundarī. It isn’t clear whether Nanda had actually married her in this version of events. It would seem so since she had remained single while he was a monk in this story, as is often the case in stories of monks having encounters with former romantic interests. [back]
3. an indifferent manner. C. 諸根澹泊. I’m reading 諸根 to mean one’s face and limbs rather than the sense faculties (sight, hearing, etc.). This is a less common meaning of the word, which is most often used when someone sees the Buddha and notices how serene he appears. That reading fits this passage better to me. If we read 諸根 with its more common meaning, the passage would mean “senses that are indifferent,” and at the end of the paragraph “senses that are indifferent.” [back]

Translator: Charles Patton

Last Revised: 31 August 2023