Home | Dhamma | Teachings | Practice | Glossary | Tipiṭaka | Suttas

Anguttara Nikaya

# AN 7.53 Nandamātā Sutta (Nanda’s Mother) AN 7.53

Download TXT Download PDF Browse this collection Home

Candana Bhikkhu audio

## Listen on YouTube

- The Numerical Discourses: Book VII: Suttas 44-53: "The Section on A Great Sacrifice." (Duration: 1:39:51)

## Text

    [page 1]
    Anguttara Nikāya
    The Numerical Discourses

    Sattakanipāta
    (Book of the Sevens)

    AN 7.53

    Nandamātā Sutta
    “Nanda’s Mother”

    Translated by Bhikkhu Candana

    Copyright © Bhikkhu Candana 2022

    I have personally heard this.

    At one time, the Venerables Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna were going on tour in Dakkhiṇāgiri,
    the Southern Hilly region, along with a large Sangha of Bhikkhus.

    It was during that time, that the Upāsika Nandamātā of Veḷukaṇṭakī, having woken up very early
    in the morning, began reciting loudly the Pārāyana Vagga.

    Then, Vessavaṇa, one of the Four Great Kings, heard the female lay disciple Nandamātā reciting
    loudly the Pārāyana Vagga, and he waited until she finished.

    When the female lay disciple Nandamātā of Veḷukaṇṭakī finished reciting the Pārāyana Vagga
    and became silent, The Great King Vessavaṇa, realizing that she had finished chanting,
    applauded her by saying:

    “Good, sister! Very Good, Sister!”

    Then, Veḷukaṇṭakī asked, in her surprise:

    “But my dear, who might you be, whose voice it is that I now hear?”

    “Sister, I am your brother, Vessavaṇa, the Great Protector King.”

    “In that case, my dear, may the recitation of those verses be considered the gift for a guest, and
    an offering I make to you, my good guest!”

    [page 2]
    “Good, Sister! Then, may this also be considered a gift to a guest: tomorrow morning, when the
    Sangha of Bhikkhus headed by the Venerables Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna come for alms
    food in your city of Veḷukaṇṭakī, do make an offering of food to them, and dedicate the fruits of
    that offering also to me, as your guest.”

    Without wasting any time, the female lay disciple Nandamātā prepared nourishing foods and
    drinks at her home before sunrise, in anticipation of the Sangha of Bhikkhus who were soon to
    arrive at Veḷukaṇṭakī.

    Then, the Sangha of Bhikkhus, headed by the Venerables Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna, who
    had not yet had their meal, arrived at the monastery in Veḷukaṇṭakī.

    Meanwhile, the female lay disciple Nandamātā addressed a man by telling him to go to the
    monastery and inform the Sangha that the day’s meal has already been prepared and was now
    ready at her house, the Upāsika Nandamātā’s home. And so he did.

    Then, headed by the Venerables Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna, having put on their robes in the
    morning and taking their alms bowls and outer robes with them, the Sangha of Bhikkhus
    approached the house of the female lay disciple Nandamātā and sat on the prepared seats.

    Subsequently, the female lay disciple Nandamātā began serving the food with her own hands, as
    she offered nourishing foods and drinks to the Sangha of Bhikkhus headed by the Venerables
    Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna, and they were fully satisfied.

    Afterwards, on seeing that the Venerable Sāriputta had finished taking his meal and had put aside
    the bowl, the female lay disciple Nandamātā went and sat to one side, and the Venerable
    Sāriputta said:

    “Nandamātā, who informed you about the arrival of the Sangha of Bhikkhus to Veḷukaṇṭakī?”

    1. At this, the female lay disciple Nandamātā recounted her entire experience from the night
    prior, and how the Great King Vessavaṇa had informed her about the arrival of the Sangha of
    Bhikkhus headed by the Venerables Sāriputta and Mahāmoggallāna. And then she added:

    “In that way, Bhante, I offer the merits of whatever fruits are to be accrued from making this
    offering to the happiness of the Great King Vessavaṇa.”

    And the Venerable Sāriputta said:

    “Nandamātā, it is wonderful and quite amazing that you are able to speak face to face with such
    a powerful and majestic Deva!”

    2.“Bhante, that is not the only wonderful and amazing thing! You see, Bhante, I had a single son,
    my beloved Nanda, but for some reason or other, the rulers took him away from me, tortured and
    then killed him. Bhante, even though my child was taken away from me, tortured and then killed,
    I do not recall my heart being even the least shaken, as a result of that experience.”

    [page 3]
    “Nandamātā, it is indeed quite wonderful and amazing that you have trained yourself to maintain
    the purity of the heart to such a degree, careful of each arising thought.”

    3.“Bhante, that is not the only wonderful and amazing thing! You see, Bhante, my husband died
    and was reborn in the company of Yakkhas. When he appeared to me in the form that was
    familiar to me, the one from his last birth, I do not recall my heart being even the least shaken, as
    a result of that experience.”

    “Nandamātā, it is indeed quite wonderful and amazing that you have trained yourself to maintain
    the purity of the heart to such a degree, careful of each arising thought.”

    4. “Bhante, that is not the only wonderful and amazing thing! You see, Bhante, from the day my
    husband and I were married, as a young couple, I do not recall even an instance where I betrayed
    him, even in thought, let alone cheating on him with my physical body!”

    “Nandamātā, it is indeed quite wonderful and amazing that you have trained yourself to maintain
    the purity of the heart to such a degree, careful of each arising thought.”

    5. “Bhante, that is not the only wonderful and amazing thing! You see, Bhante, from the day I
    became an Upāsika, a female lay disciple, I do not recall ever intentionally breaking any of the
    Precepts, even if slightly.”

    “Nandamātā, it is indeed quite wonderful and amazing that you have trained yourself to maintain
    the purity of the heart to such a degree, careful of each arising thought.”

    6. “Bhante, that is not the only wonderful and amazing thing! You see, Bhante, whenever I wish
    to, by secluding my mind from sensual desires and unwholesome states of mind, in the presence
    of thinking and pondering, as well as with joy and pleasure that are the result of seclusion, I enter
    and abide in the first jhāna.

    “Further, by overcoming both thinking and pondering, I enter upon and abide in the second
    jhāna, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind, without thinking and pondering, with
    joy and pleasure born of collectedness of mind. With the detachment from joy, I later abide in
    equanimity, where I stay mindful and fully aware as I experience both delight and pleasure
    within the body, which is the third jhāna, and for which the Noble Ones state:

    “Such a person mindfully abides in happiness, with an ever-present equanimity, throughout.”

    Further, by giving up both pleasure and discomfort, having already gone beyond pleasure and
    discomfort, while experiencing neither the previous state of joy nor any discomfort, and abiding
    in the purifying mindful state with equanimity, I attain to the fourth jhāna.”

    “Nandamātā, it is indeed quite wonderful and amazing that you have trained yourself to maintain
    the purity of the heart to such a degree, careful of each arising thought.”

    [page 4]
    7. “Bhante, that is not the only wonderful and amazing thing! You see, Bhante, I do not see
    within me even a single one of the lower fetters that bind one to the sensual world, as taught and
    declared to us by The Blessed One.”

    “Nandamātā, it is indeed quite wonderful and amazing, that you have trained yourself to
    maintain the purity of the heart to such a degree, careful of each arising thought.”

    Then, the Venerable Sāriputta encouragingly spoke and advised Nandamātā, as he inspired,
    roused, and lightened her heart with an enlivening talk on The Dhamma, after which he arose
    from his seat and left.

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

    Sādhu

Contact: admin@opensourceeverything.net