Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.13

Numbered Discourses 11.13

2. Anussativagga

2. Recollection

Nandiyasutta

With Nandiya

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu viharati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ upagantukāmo hoti.

Now at that time the Buddha wanted to commence the rains residence at Sāvatthī.

Assosi kho nandiyo sakko: “bhagavā kira sāvatthiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ upagantukāmo”ti. Atha kho nandiyassa sakkassa etadahosi: “yannūnāhampi sāvatthiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ upagaccheyyaṁ. Tattha kammantañceva adhiṭṭhahissāmi, bhagavantañca lacchāmi kālena kālaṁ dassanāyā”ti.

Nandiya the Sakyan heard about this, and thought, “Why don’t I also commence the rains residence at Sāvatthī. There I can apply myself to my work and from time to time get to see the Buddha.”

Atha kho bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ upagacchi. Nandiyopi kho sakko sāvatthiyaṁ vassāvāsaṁ upagacchi. Tattha kammantañceva adhiṭṭhāsi, bhagavantañca labhi¹ kālena kālaṁ dassanāya.

So the Buddha commenced the rains residence in Sāvatthī, and so did Nandiya. There he applied himself to his work and from time to time got to see the Buddha.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: “niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī”ti.

At that time several bhikkhus were making a robe for the Buddha, thinking that when his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering.

Assosi kho nandiyo sakko: “sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti: ‘niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’”ti. Atha kho nandiyo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho nandiyo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Nandiya the Sakyan heard about this. He went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante: ‘sambahulā kira bhikkhū bhagavato cīvarakammaṁ karonti—niṭṭhitacīvaro bhagavā temāsaccayena cārikaṁ pakkamissatī’ti. Tesaṁ no, bhante, nānāvihārehi viharataṁ kenassa vihārena vihātabban”ti?

“Sir, I have heard that several bhikkhus are making a robe for the Buddha, thinking that when his robe was finished and the three months of the rains residence had passed the Buddha would set out wandering. Now, we spend our life in various ways. Which of these should we practice?”

“Sādhu sādhu, nandiya. Etaṁ kho, nandiya, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ, yaṁ tumhe tathāgataṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyātha: ‘tesaṁ no, bhante, nānāvihārehi viharataṁ kenassa vihārena vihātabban’ti? Saddho kho, nandiya, ārādhako hoti, no assaddho; sīlavā ārādhako hoti, no dussīlo; āraddhavīriyo ārādhako hoti, no kusīto; upaṭṭhitassati ārādhako hoti, no muṭṭhassati; samāhito ārādhako hoti, no asamāhito; paññavā ārādhako hoti, no duppañño. Imesu kho te, nandiya, chasu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya pañcasu dhammesu ajjhattaṁ sati upaṭṭhāpetabbā.

“Good, good Nandiya! It’s appropriate that gentlemen such as you come to me and ask: ‘We spend our life in various ways. Which of these should we practice?’ The faithful succeed, not the faithless. The ethical succeed, not the unethical. The energetic succeed, not the lazy. The mindful succeed, not the unmindful. Those with immersion succeed, not those without immersion. The wise succeed, not the witless. When you’re grounded on these six things, go on to develop five further things.

Idha tvaṁ, nandiya, tathāgataṁ anussareyyāsi: ‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi, satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti. Iti kho te, nandiya, tathāgataṁ ārabbha ajjhattaṁ sati upaṭṭhāpetabbā.

Firstly, you should recollect the Realized One: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ In this way you should establish mindfulness internally based on the Realized One.

Puna caparaṁ tvaṁ, nandiya, dhammaṁ anussareyyāsi: ‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī’ti. Iti kho te, nandiya, dhammaṁ ārabbha ajjhattaṁ sati upaṭṭhāpetabbā.

Furthermore, you should recollect the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ In this way you should establish mindfulness internally based on the teaching.

Puna caparaṁ tvaṁ, nandiya, kalyāṇamitte anussareyyāsi: ‘lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me, yassa me kalyāṇamittā anukampakā atthakāmā ovādakā anusāsakā’ti. Iti kho te, nandiya, kalyāṇamitte ārabbha ajjhattaṁ sati upaṭṭhāpetabbā.

Furthermore, you should recollect your good friends: ‘I’m fortunate, so very fortunate, to have good friends who advise and instruct me out of kindness and compassion.’ In this way you should establish mindfulness internally based on good friends.

Puna caparaṁ tvaṁ, nandiya, attano cāgaṁ anussareyyāsi: ‘lābhā vata me, suladdhaṁ vata me, yohaṁ maccheramalapariyuṭṭhitāya pajāya vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasāmi muttacāgo payatapāṇi vossaggarato yācayogo dānasaṁvibhāgarato’ti. Iti kho te, nandiya, cāgaṁ ārabbha ajjhattaṁ sati upaṭṭhāpetabbā.

Furthermore, you should recollect your own generosity: ‘I’m so fortunate, so very fortunate. Among people with hearts full of the stain of stinginess I live at home rid of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.’ In this way you should establish mindfulness internally based on generosity.

Puna caparaṁ tvaṁ, nandiya, devatā anussareyyāsi: ‘yā devatā atikkammeva kabaḷīkārāhārabhakkhānaṁ² devatānaṁ sahabyataṁ aññataraṁ manomayaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā, tā karaṇīyaṁ attano na samanupassanti katassa vā paticayaṁ’. Seyyathāpi, nandiya, bhikkhu asamayavimutto karaṇīyaṁ attano na samanupassati katassa vā paticayaṁ; evamevaṁ kho, nandiya, yā tā devatā atikkammeva kabaḷīkārāhārabhakkhānaṁ devatānaṁ sahabyataṁ aññataraṁ manomayaṁ kāyaṁ upapannā, tā karaṇīyaṁ attano na samanupassanti katassa vā paticayaṁ. Iti kho te, nandiya, devatā ārabbha ajjhattaṁ sati upaṭṭhāpetabbā.

Furthermore, you should recollect the deities: ‘There are deities who, surpassing the company of deities that consume solid food, are reborn in a certain host of mind-made deities. They don’t see in themselves anything more to do, or anything that needs improvement.’ An irreversibly freed bhikkhu doesn’t see in themselves anything more to do, or anything that needs improvement. In the same way, Nandiya, there are deities who, surpassing the company of deities that consume solid food, are reborn in a certain host of mind-made deities. They don’t see in themselves anything more to do, or anything that needs improvement. In this way you should establish mindfulness internally based on the deities.

Imehi kho, nandiya, ekādasahi dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako pajahateva pāpake akusale dhamme, na upādiyati. Seyyathāpi, nandiya, kumbho nikkujjo³ vamateva udakaṁ, no vantaṁ paccāvamati; seyyathāpi vā pana, nandiya, sukkhe tiṇadāye aggi mutto ḍahaññeva gacchati, no daḍḍhaṁ paccudāvattati; evamevaṁ kho, nandiya, imehi ekādasahi dhammehi samannāgato ariyasāvako pajahateva pāpake akusale dhamme, na upādiyatī”ti.

A noble disciple who has these eleven qualities gives up bad, unskillful qualities and doesn’t cling to them. It’s like when a pot full of water is tipped over, so the water drains out and doesn’t go back in. Suppose there was an uncontrolled fire. It advances burning up dry woodlands and doesn’t go back over what it has burned. In the same way, a noble disciple who has these eleven qualities gives up bad, unskillful qualities and doesn’t cling to them.”

Tatiyaṁ.