釋迦譜 2.27

2.27

The Buddha was in the country of Kapilavastu, in the Nyagrodha Park. Taking his attendant Ānanda, he entered the city to beg for food. The youth Nanda saw them from afar atop a high tower. He immediately descended, came to where the Buddha was, bowed in homage, and said: "The Tathāgata’s family is that of a wheel-turning sage king; why humiliate yourself by holding an alms-bowl and begging for food?" He took the Buddha's bowl himself and went into the house, filling it with delicious food and drink. The Buddha then returned to the Nyagrodha Park and said to his attendant: "If Nanda comes out, do not take the bowl yourself. Command Nanda to bring it here in person." Nanda, receiving the instruction, brought the bowl following behind. His wife came out and said to him: "Return quickly! Do not delay; you must return!" Only then did he advance before eating. After a short while, she again sent a messenger: "Return at once, do not linger!" The reason she was so earnest was that she feared he would become an ascetic. Nanda arrived at where the Buddha was, presenting the bowl with his own hands: "I only wish that you receive it at once; I wish now to return home." The Buddha said to Nanda: "Sir, you have already come here. Now you ought to shave off your beard and hair, and wear the three robes of the Dharma. Why do you wish to return?" At that time, the Tathāgata, by his majestic spiritual power, constrained Nanda and ordained him. He shut him in a quiet chamber. After a long time, it was [Nanda's] turn to be on duty. Nanda was delighted: "Now I am on duty; taking advantage of this spare moment, I will flee and return home!" At that time, whatever Nanda was supposed to do, in not a single matter was he deficient, [for] heavenly spirits were escorting him. When Nanda drew water until it was full, it overturned and spilled of itself. Weeds and soil multiplied yet more on the clean ground. When he shut the doors and windows, the doors opened of themselves. Nanda thought to himself: "My family is of royal descent, abundantly wealthy; if anything has been lost, I can simply make restitution. Now I should secretly follow a small path to return home. If I take the main road, I might happen to run into the Tathāgata." He immediately took off the three robes of the Dharma, donned other clothes instead, and departed. Before he had traveled long, he directly encountered the Tathāgata. He rushed toward a large tree, wishing to conceal himself. By the Buddha's spiritual power, the tree deity uprooted the tree and suspended it in the sky. Nanda entered the place of the tree roots to conceal himself. The Tathāgata quickly approached and asked him: "Why have you come here?" Silent, he was filled with shame. The Buddha asked him repeatedly: "Where do you wish to go?" Nanda said: "I only wished to return home temporarily to see my wife." The Buddha told Nanda: "When a person studying the Path craves and clings to lustful desires, they give no thought to the calamity in future lives of burning their own body. I will now take you on a tour through the heavens; you should focus your mind and harbor no terror." By his spiritual power, the Buddha transported him up to the heavens. He saw a palace adorned with many jewels, with jade maidens and retinues beyond count; only a husband and master was lacking. Nanda asked the Buddha: "What heavenly palace is this? Such varied pleasures and joys I have never seen before, yet there is no husband or master. I pray you explain it." The Buddha told Nanda: "You may go ask them yourself." Following the instruction, Nanda went on his own and asked them. The heavenly maiden replied: "Do you not know? The father’s brother’s son of Śākyamuni Buddha of the country of Kapilavastu, Nanda, will later be born here to be our husband and master." Hearing this, Nanda was secretly joyful. He returned to where the Buddha was and related it all to the Buddha. The Buddha told Nanda: "Delightfully cultivate the pure life (brahmacarya); in this way, before long, you will come here in the future and naturally receive these blessings." At that time, the World-Honoured One again used his spiritual power to lead Nanda, bringing him toward hell. Passing along the path by the Iron Ring Mountains, he saw a blind monkey on the surface. The Buddha asked Nanda: "How does your wife Sundarī compare to this blind monkey?" Nanda said to the Buddha: "Stop, stop! Do not speak of it again! This Sundarī is the most splendid among women; a hundred, thousand, or ten-thousandfold—how could she be compared to it?" The Buddha said: "Comparing Sundarī to the heavenly maidens is also a hundred million, thousand, ten-thousandfold—there can be no comparison." Thereupon the World-Honoured One again transported Nanda, visiting hell everywhere to see the various sorts of suffering and pain. There was a great cauldron surrounded by hell-wardens; the broth was boiling and the fire was blazing, but no sinner was to be seen. Nanda said to the Buddha: "Whose hell is this, that no sinner is seen?" The Buddha said: "Ask them yourself." Nanda went and asked the hell-wardens. They replied: "A son of the family of King Śuddhodana in the land of Jambudvīpa attained the Way of Buddhahood; the son of his father’s brother, King Amṛtodana, is named Nanda. As a person, he is indolent and his sexual desires are great; relying on his noble clan, he disdains the myriad people. After his life ends, he will come into this [cauldron]." Having heard this, Nanda’s hair stood on end and his complexion turned pale. Rushing to the World-Honoured One, he said: "Indeed, Great Master, Great Protector of the Triple World! Now seeing this transformation, my fear is doubled. Seeking to be free from hell, I pray you explain nirvāṇa!" Then the World-Honoured One gradually expounded the subtle and wondrous Dharma to Nanda, establishing him in the unconditioned and causing him to reach the place of awakening.