釋迦譜 2.28

2.28

The Zābǎozàng jīng says: The Buddha was in the country of Kapilavastu. Entering the city to beg for food, he arrived at Nanda’s house. It happened that Nanda was applying cosmetic paste between his wife’s eyebrows. Hearing the Buddha at the gate, he wished to go outside to look. His wife made an agreement with him, saying: "Go out to see the Tathāgata, but return inside before the paste on my forehead has dried." Nanda at once went out, saw the Buddha, and bowed in homage. He took the bowl into the house, filled it with food, and offered it to the Buddha. The Buddha would not take it from him, passing it along to Ānanda; Ānanda also would not take it from him. Ānanda said to him: "From whom did you obtain the bowl? Return it to where it came from." Thereupon, holding the bowl, he followed the Buddha, arriving at the Nyagrodha Monastery. The Buddha then ordered a barber to shave Nanda's hair. Nanda was unwilling; raising an angry fist, he said to the barber: "Of all the people of Kapilavastu, you may now go and shave everyone's hair!" The Buddha asked the barber: "Why do you not shave him?" He replied: "Because I am afraid, I do not dare shave him." The Buddha and Ānanda went to his side themselves. Because Nanda was afraid, he did not dare refuse to be shaved. Although he had his hair shaved, he constantly wished to return home. The Buddha always took him along, so he was unable to leave. Later, one day, it was his turn to guard the quarters, and he rejoiced to himself: "Now I truly have the opportunity to return home! I will wait until after the Buddha and the saṅgha of monks have all departed, and then I will return home." After the Buddha had entered the city, [Nanda] thought: "I should draw water to fill the washbasins, and only then return." Promptly he drew water, but just as one pitcher was filled, another pitcher overturned. Thus, though time passed, he could not fill the pitchers. He then said: "Neither can be filled; let the monks come back and draw it themselves. Now I will simply leave the pitchers in the room and abandon them to leave." He then shut the door of the chamber; just as one leaf of the door was shut, the other leaf opened again. Just as he shut one door, another door opened again. He then thought: "Neither can be shut; I will just leave them as they are and depart. Even if the robes and belongings of the monks are lost, I have abundant wealth and goods, fully enough to compensate for them." He immediately left the monastic cell, thinking to himself: "The Buddha will certainly come by this path; I will go by that different road." The Buddha, knowing his intention, also came by that different road. Seeing the Buddha coming from afar, [Nanda] hid behind a large tree. The tree deity lifted the tree into the air, and he stood out in the open. The Buddha, seeing Nanda, took him back to the monastery and asked him: "Are you longing for your wife?" He answered: "Truly so." [The Buddha] then took Nanda up Mount Anavatapta, and again asked Nanda: "Is your wife beautiful?" He answered: "She is beautiful." In the mountain there was an old blind monkey. He asked again: "Is your wife Sundarī’s face and appearance beautiful? How does she compare to this monkey?" Nanda was distressed and thought: "My wife is beautiful, with few equals among humans. Why does the Buddha now compare my wife to a blind monkey?" The Buddha again took him up to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, and together they looked through all the heavenly palaces. He saw all the devas amusing themselves with the heavenly maidens. In one palace, he saw five hundred heavenly maidens, but no deva. He quickly went to ask the Buddha. The Buddha said: "Go ask them yourself." Nanda went and asked: "In all the palaces there are devas; why is there alone no deva here?" The maidens replied: "In Jambudvīpa, there is the Buddha's brother Nanda, whom the Buddha constrained to leave the household life. Because of the cause and condition of leaving the household life, when his life ends he will be born in this heavenly palace to be our deva." Nanda answered: "I am that very person!" and wished to stay immediately. The heavenly maidens said: "We are devas, while you are currently a human. Return, abandon your human life, and be reborn here; then you may stay." He then returned to where the Buddha was, and related in full the matter as above to the World-Honoured One. The Buddha said to Nanda: "Is your wife beautiful? How does she compare to the heavenly maidens?" Nanda replied: "Compared to those heavenly maidens, she is like a blind monkey compared to my wife." The Buddha brought Nanda back to Jambudvīpa. For the sake of desiring rebirth in heaven, Nanda diligently observed the precepts. At that time, Ānanda spoke a verse for him: