法苑珠林 22.36

22.36

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Storehouse of Sundry Jewels says: The Buddha was in Kapilavastu and entered the city to beg for food. He arrived at the house of his younger brother, Sundarananda. It happened that Nanda was putting makeup on his wife, applying fragrant cosmetic between her eyebrows. Hearing that the Buddha was at the gate, he wished to go out to see him. His wife made an agreement with him, saying, 'Go out to see the Tathāgata, but return before the makeup on my forehead is dry.' Nanda went out at once, saw the Buddha, and made obeisance. Taking the bowl, he went into the house, filled it with food, and offered it to the Buddha. The Buddha did not take it from him; he passed it to Ānanda, who also did not take it from him. Ānanda said to him, 'From whom did you receive the bowl? Return it to its original owner.' Thereupon, carrying the bowl, he followed the Buddha to the Nyagrodha Monastery. The Buddha then ordered a barber to shave Nanda's hair. Nanda refused, and raising a fist in anger, said to the barber, 'Can you now shave the hair of all the people of Kapilavastu?' The Buddha asked the barber, 'Why do you not shave him?' He replied, 'Out of fear, I dare not shave him.' The Buddha and Ānanda approached him in person; out of fear, Nanda dared not 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, on one day, it was his turn to guard the rooms. He rejoiced to himself: 'Now I truly have an opportunity to return home! Waiting until the Buddha and the saṃgha have all departed, I shall go home.' After the Buddha entered the city, Nanda thought: 'I should draw water to fill the washing jars, and only then return.' He immediately drew water, but just as one jar was filled, another overturned. In this way time passed, yet he could not fill the jars. He then said: 'Neither can be filled; let the monks return and draw it themselves. I shall now leave both jars in the room and go.' Just as he closed the doors, no sooner was one leaf closed than the other opened again; no sooner was one door closed than the other opened again. He thought again: 'Neither can be closed; let them be and I will leave. Even if the monks' robes and belongings are lost, I have abundant wealth, enough to compensate them.' He at once left the monks' quarters and thought to himself: 'The Buddha will surely come by this way; I shall go by that different road.' The Buddha, knowing his intention, also came by the different road. Seeing the Buddha approaching from afar, Nanda hid behind a large tree. The tree spirit lifted the tree into the open sky, leaving him standing in the open ground. Seeing Nanda, the Buddha led him back to the monastery and asked him, 'Do you miss your wife?' He replied, 'Indeed I do.' The Buddha then led Nanda to Mount Anapo, and again asked Nanda, 'Is your wife beautiful?' He replied, 'She is beautiful.' On the mountain there was an old, blind monkey. The Buddha asked him again, 'Is your wife Sundarī's face and head as beautiful as this monkey, or how does she compare?' Nanda was distressed and thought: 'My wife's beauty has few equals among humans. Why does the Buddha now compare my wife to a blind monkey?' The Buddha then took him up to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, and together they looked through all the heavenly palaces. He saw devaputras and devakanyās making merry together. He saw that in one palace there were five hundred heavenly maidens, but no devaputra. He immediately came to ask the Buddha. The Buddha said, 'Go and ask them yourself.' Nanda went and asked, 'All the palaces have devaputras; why is there no devaputra here alone?' The maidens replied, 'In Jambudvīpa, the Buddha's younger brother Nanda was forced by the Buddha to leave the household life. By the cause and condition of leaving the household life, when his life ends he will be born in this heavenly palace to be our devaputra.' Nanda replied, 'That is my very self!' and wished to stay right away. The heavenly maidens said to him, 'We are devas; you are now human. The paths of humans and devas are different. Go back for now, shed your human life, and be reborn here; then you may stay.' He then returned to where the Buddha was, and reported everything as described above to the World-Honoured One. The Buddha said to Nanda, 'How does your wife's beauty compare to the heavenly maidens?' Nanda replied, 'Compared to those heavenly maidens, she is like a blind monkey compared to my wife.' The Buddha took Nanda back to Jambudvīpa. For the sake of wishing to be born in heaven, Nanda diligently observed the precepts. Ānanda then spoke a verse for him: