Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v2.c26.156

v2.c26.156

5. Nanda.—A herdsman of Anāthapiṇḍika, living in Sāvatthi. He was rich and tended the king's cattle as well. He often went to Anāthapiṇḍika's house with gifts, and there he saw and heard the Buddha. He invited the Buddha to his house, but his invitation was not accepted for some time, until his wisdom should be ripe. But at last the Buddha paid him a visit, lasting seven days, and Nanda entertained him and his monks with the choicest foods. On the seventh day the Buddha preached to him and he became a sotāpanna. He accompanied the Buddha part of the way back to the vihāra, but, on his return journey, was killed by a hunter's arrow.¹ 6. Nanda-māṇava.—A former incarnation of Subhūti Thera (q.v.) in the time of Padumuttara Buddha. He was a mahāsāla-brahmin of Haṃsavatī, and later became an ascetic at the head of forty-four thousand Jaṭilas. After thirty thousand years, Padumuttara visited him in the forest, and, later, ten thousand of his followers joined the Buddha. Nanda provided them all with seats made of heavenly flowers, the Buddha’s being one league in height. Nanda stood by the Buddha for seven days, holding an umbrella made of flowers. Nanda and the rest of his disciples joined the Order, and all except Nanda became arahants, he being born in the Brahma-world after death. Later, for five hundred births he was a forest-dweller living alone on Mount Nisabha in Himavā. He was king of the devas for eighty births.¹ He evidently belonged to the Kosiya-gotta.²