Verses on Dhamma 11.5.p3

11.5.p3

Catuppamāṇike hi lokasannivāse appakāva te sattā, yesaṃ tathāgataṃ passantānaṃ pasādo na uppajjati. Rūpappamāṇikāpi hi tathāgatassa lakkhaṇānubyañjanapaṭimaṇḍitaṃ suvaṇṇavaṇṇaṃ sarīraṃ disvā pasīdanti, ghosappamāṇikāpi anekāni jātisatāni nissāya pavattaṃ satthu guṇaghosañceva aṭṭhaṅgasamannāgataṃ dhammadesanāghosañca sutvā pasīdanti, lūkhappamāṇikāpissa cīvarādilūkhataṃ paṭicca pasīdanti, dhammappamāṇikāpi ‘‘evarūpaṃ dasabalassa sīlaṃ, evarūpo samādhi, evarūpā paññā, bhagavā sīlādīhi guṇehi asamo appaṭipuggalo’’ti pasīdanti. Tesaṃ tathāgatassa guṇaṃ kathentānaṃ mukhaṃ nappahoti. Rūpanandā bhikkhunīnañceva upāsikānañca santikā tathāgatassa guṇakathaṃ sutvā cintesi – ‘‘ativiya me bhātikassa vaṇṇaṃ kathentiyeva. Ekadivasampi me rūpe dosaṃ kathento kittakaṃ kathessati. Yaṃnūnāhaṃ bhikkhunīhi saddhiṃ gantvā attānaṃ adassetvāva tathāgataṃ passitvā dhammamassa suṇitvā āgaccheyya’’nti. Sā ‘‘ahampi ajja dhammassavanaṃ gamissāmī’’ti bhikkhunīnaṃ ārocesi.

(For there are four standards of judgment prevailing among persons who dwell together in the world. However, there are very few persons in whom the sight of the Tathāgata does not arouse a feeling of satisfaction. Those who judge by what they see, look upon

the golden-hued body of the Tathāgata, adorned with the Major Marks and the Minor Marks, and are satisfied with what they see. Those who judge by what they hear, listen to the report of the Teacher’s virtues through many hundreds of births, and to his voice, endowed with the Eight Excellences, in the preaching of the Law, and are satisfied with what they hear. Those who judge by austerities are satisfied with his austere robes and so forth. Those whose standard of judgment is righteousness reflect, “Such is the uprightness of the Possessor of the Ten Forces, such is his tranquillity, such is his wisdom; in uprightness and tranquillity and wisdom the Exalted One is without an equal, is without a peer.” Thus they also are satisfied. Indeed those who praise the virtues of the Tathāgata lack words wherewith to tell their praises.)

Rūpanandā listened to the nuns and the female lay disciples as they recited the praises of the Tathāgata, and having listened, said to herself, “In extravagant terms do they tell the praises of my brother. Suppose he were to find fault with my beauty of form during one single day. How much could he say in that length of time? Suppose I were to go with the nuns, and without letting myself be seen, look upon the Tathāgata, hear him preach the Law, and then return?” So she said to the nuns, “To-day I too will go and hear the Law.” Said the nuns, “It has taken a long time to arouse in Rūpanandā a desire to wait upon the Teacher. To-day, by reason of her, the Teacher will preach the Law with details many and various.” And with delighted hearts, taking her with them, they set out.