Aṇguttara Nikāya
XI. Ekā-Dasaka Nipāta
II. Anussati Vagga
The Book of Elevens
Sutta 14
Nandiya Suttaṃ
Nandiya
Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds
[1][pts] Once Upon a Time, The Lucky Man,
revisiting the Sakyans,
Kapilavatthu,
Nigrodhā's Park.
There then, at this time,
The Lucky Man desired to
enter upon the rains residence
in Sāvatthi.
And Nandiya the Sakkyan heard:
"The Lucky Man desires
enter upon the rains residence
in Sāvatthi."
There then Nandiya the Sakkyan
thought to himself:
"What if I also now
spend the rains
in Sāvitthi?
I would be able
to supervise my business,
and would get to see The Lucky Man
from time to time."
There then The Lucky Man
entered the rains residence
in Sāvatthi, and
Nandiya the Sakkyan too
spent the rains
in Sāvatthi.
There he was able
to supervise his business, and
got to see The Lucky Man
from time to time.
Then, at this time,
many beggars were at work
making robes for The Lucky Man.
"The robes being finished," they said,
"The Lucky Man will go on his three months tour."
Then Nandiya the Sakkyan came to know:
Many beggars are at work
making robes for The Lucky Man.
"The robes being finished," they are saying,
"The Lucky Man will go on his three months tour."
Then and there Nandiya the Sakkyan
went to where The Lucky Man was located,
drew near and
having drawn near,
having given salutation,
took a seat to one side.
Having taken a seat to one side then,
Nandiya the Sakkyan said this
to The Lucky Man:
"I have heard, Bhante,
that many beggars are at work
making robes for The Lucky Man.
'The robes being finished,' they are saying,
'The Lucky Man will go on his three months tour.'
In that diverse residence, Bhante
in which we reside
in whose residence
should we reside?"
"Well said!
Well said, Nandiya.
You reflect good form
when you sons of clans
approach the Tathāgata and ask:
'In that diverse residence, Bhante,
in which we reside
in whose residence
should we reside?'
■
In that of the accomplished in faith, then Nandiya,
not that of the faithless.
In that of the accomplished in ethics,
not in that of those without ethics.
In that of the accomplished in energy,
not in that of the indolent.
In that of the accomplished in setting up the mind,
not that of the absent-minded.
In that of the accomplished in composure,
not that of the confused.
In that of the accomplished in wisdom,
not that of the stupid.
■
Then, Nandiya, these six things set up,
five further things should be developed.
Here, Nandiya,
you should recollect the Tathāgata:
'He is truly the Lucky Man,
aristocrat,
The Consummately Self-Awakened,
accomplished in vision and conduct,
The Welcome One,
knower of the world,
unsurpassed coachman of trainable men,
Master of gods and men,
The Awakened One,
The Lucky Man.'
It is then, Nandiya,
that starting out from the Tathāgata,
you set up the personal mind.
■
And further, after that, Nandiya,
you should recollect the Dhamma:
'Well-preached by The Lucky Man
is the Dhamma
to be seen for one's self,
outside of Time,
a 'come see' thing,
leading onward,
to be experienced for himself
by the learned.'
It is then, Nandiya,
that starting out from the Dhamma,
you set up the personal mind.
■
And further, after that, Nandiya,
you should recollect the good friend:
'It is truly a gain for me,
it is truly well-gained by me,
for me to have a good friend
who is empathetic,
desiring my benefit,
an advisor,
a mentor.'
It is then, Nandiya,
that starting out from the good friend
you set up the personal mind.
■
And further, after that, Nandiya,
you should recollect your liberality:
'It is truly a gain for me,
it is truly well-gained by me,
that in this world
obsessed by the stingy grip of greed,
I inhabit my home
with a heart without
the grip of greed,
freely giving,
open-handed,
delighting in letting go,
taking delight in
liberally dispensing gifts.'
It is then, Nandiya,
that starting out from your liberality
you set up the personal mind.
■
And further, after that, Nandiya,
you should recollect the gods:
'whatever gods that pass beyond
companionship with the gods that eat solid food,
reborn with some sort of mind-made body,
these, do not see in themselves
the heaping up of that which needs to be done.'
In the same way, Nandiya,
a beggar, freed as to thing of time,
does not see
that which needs to be done, or
heaping up of selves.
Even so, Nandiya,
whatever gods that pass beyond
companionship with the gods that eat solid food,
reborn with some sort of mind-made body,
these, do not see in themselves
the heaping up of that which needs to be done.
It is then, Nandiya,
that starting out from the gods
you set up the personal mind.
■
It is thus, Nandiya,
that possessed of these eleven Dhammas
the student of the aristocrats
gets rid of,
does not grasp after,
bad, unskillful things.
In the same way, Nandiya,
as an overturned pot
does take back the water
it has spilled out;
In the same way, Nandiya,
as a dry grass jungle fire
burns forward,
does not return
to what has already been burnt;
Even so, Nandiya,
possessed of these eleven Dhammas
the student of the aristocrats
gets rid of,
does not grasp after,
bad, unskillful things."
