53(10)Nandumātā
Thus have I heard.On one occasion the Venerable Sariputta and the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna were wandering on tour in Dakkhināgiri together with a large Sangha of bhikkhus.
Now on that occasion the female lay follower Velukantaki Nandamātā,
At.2:133 and 4:177 S4 she is held up as a model for the Buddha's female lay followers.She is probably identical with Uttarā Nandamatā,declared at 1:262 to be the foremost of meditators among female lay followers. having risen as the night was receding,chanted the Parāyana.
Now on that occasion the great [deva]king Vessavana was traveling from north to south on some business.
He heard the female lay follower Nandamātā chanting the Parāyana and stood waiting until the end of her recitation.
When the female lay follower Nandamātā had finished,she fell silent.
Having understood that the female lay follower Nandamatā had finished her recitation,the great [deva]king Vessavana applauded:
"Good,sister!Good,sister!"
"Who is that,my dear?"
"I am your brother,the great [deva]king Vessavana,sister."
"Good,my dear!Then let the Dhamma exposition that I just recited be my guest's gift to you."
Atitheyya:the traditional gift given to a guest as a token of hospitality.
"Good,sister!And let this too [64]be your guest's gift to
me:
Tomorrow,before they have eaten breakfast,the Sangha of bhikkhus headed by Sariputta and Moggallana will come to Velukantaka.You should serve them and dedicate the offering to me.
That will be your guest's gift to me."
Then when the night had passed the female lay follower Nandamata had various kinds of delicious food prepared in her own residence.
Then,before they had eaten breakfast,the Sangha of bhikkhus headed by Sariputta and Moggallāna arrived in Velukantaka.
Then the female lay follower Nandamātā addressed a man:
"Come,good man.Go to the monastery and announce the time to the Sangha of bhikkhus,saying:
'It is time,Bhante,the meal is ready at Lady Nandamātā's residence.'
"The man replied:"Yes,madam,"and he went to the monastery
and delivered his message.
Then the Sangha of bhikkhus headed by Sariputta and Moggallāna dressed,took their bowls and robes,and went to the residence of the female lay follower Nandamatā,
where they sat down in the seats that had been prepared.
Then,with her own hands,the female lay follower Nandamātāserved and satisfied with various kinds of delicious food the Sangha of bhikkhus headed by Sariputta and Moggallana.
When the Venerable Sāriputta had finished eating and had put away his bowl,she sat down to one side
and the Venerable Sariputta asked her:
"But who,Nandamātā,told you that the Sangha of bhikkhus would be approaching?"
(1)"Here,Bhante,having risen as the night was receding,I chanted the Parāyana....[65][She here relates,in the first person,the entire incident narrated above,ending with Vessavana's words:"And this will be your guest's gift to me."]...
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Bhante,let whatever merit I may have gained by this act of giving be dedicated to the happiness of the great [deva]king Vessavana."
"It's astounding and amazing,
A comment is called for about the expression acchariyam abbhutam.Though often rendered"wonderful and marvelous,"the phrase is not always intended to express appreciation but to suggest,rather,astonishment and amazement.Of course,the boundary line between the two senses is porous,as can be seen from the way the English words "wonderful" and "marvelous," which now have an appreciative sense,evolved from words connected with astonishment. Nandamatā,
that you canconverse
Be and Ee read sallapissasī ti.Ce sallapissatī ti,in the third person,may be an editorial error.directly with such a powerful and influential young deva as the great [deva]king Vessavana."
(2)"Bhante,that is not the only astounding and amazing quality of mine.
There is another.
I had only one son,a dear and beloved boy named Nanda.
The rulers seized and abducted him on some pretext and executed him.
Bhante,when that boy was arrested or was being put under arrest,when he was in prison or was being imprisoned,Be and Ee read vadhe va vajjhamane vā,Ce baddhe va vajjhamane va.The Sinhala translation in Ce mirrors the inconsistency of its Pali text.I suggest reading,contrary to all three editions,baddhe va bajjhamane va.In this way the three pairs of phrases represent a sequence of arrest,imprisonment,and execution.when he was dead or was being killed,
I don't recall any alteration of my mind."cittassa aññathattaṃ.The expression recurs just below.My rendering is intended to fit both cases.In the present case a spiritually undeveloped woman would normally be distraught,in the case below she would be frightened.
"It's astounding and amazing,Nandamatā,
that you can purify even the arising of a thought."
Yatra hi nama cittuppadampi parisodhessasi.Lit.,"that you will purify even the arising of mind."(3)"Bhante,that is not [66]the only astounding and amazing quality of mine.
There is still another.
When my husband died,he was reborn in the yakkha realm.
Yakkhayonim.Mp:"The spirit realm is the state of an earth-bound deity (bhummadevatabhavam)."Yoni is here used in the sense of "realm,"and thus the expression yakkhayoni does not imply that yakkhas are born from the womb.He appeared to me in his previous bodily form,
but I don't recall any alteration of my mind."
"It's astounding and amazing,Nandamāta,
that you can purify even the arising of a thought."
(4)."Bhante,that is not the only astounding and amazing quality of mine.
There is still another.
I was given to my young husband in marriage when I was a young girl;but I don't recall ever transgressing against him even in thought,much less by deed."
"It's astounding and amazing,Nandamātā,
that you can purify even the arising of a thought."
(5)"Bhante,that is not the only astounding and amazing quality of mine.
There is still another.
Since I declared myself a lay follower,I don't recall ever intentionally transgressing any training rule."
"It's astounding and amazing,Nandamāta!"
(6)"Bhante,that is not the only astounding and amazing quality of mine.
There is still another.
For as much as I want,secluded from sensual pleasures,secluded from unwholesome states,I enter and dwell in the first jhāna,which consists of rapture and pleasure born of seclusion,accompanied by thought and examination.
With the subsiding of thought and examination,I enter and dwell in the second jhāna,which has internal placidity and unification of mind and consists ofrapture and pleasure born of concentration,without thought and examination.
With the fading away as well of rapture,I dwell equanimous and,mindful and clearly comprehending,I experience pleasure [67]with the body;I enter and dwell in the third jhāna of which the noble ones declare:
'He is equanimous,mindful,one who dwells happily.'
With the abandoning of pleasure and pain,and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection,I enter and dwell in the fourth jhāna,neither painful nor pleasant,which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity."
"It's astounding and amazing,Nandamata!"
(7)"Bhante,that is not the only astounding and amazing quality of mine.
There is still another.
Of the five lower fetters taught by the Blessed One,I don't see any that I haven't abandoned."
This establishes her status as a non-returner,who has abandoned the five lower fetters but not the five higher fetters."It's astounding and amazing,Nandamāta!"
Then the Venerable Sariputta instructed,encouraged,inspired,and gladdened Nandamātā with a Dhamma talk,after which he rose from his seat and departed.