SA 276（二七六） 难陀说法

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, there was a great assembly of bhikṣuṇīs staying in the Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma in Śrāvastī. The bhikṣuṇīs were named Cundā, Mṛdā, Māravatī, Pārāśara, Ālavī, Cāma, Nandi, Gijjhakūṭa-gotamī, Utpala-varṇa, Mahā-prajāpatī, and others. They were staying in the Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, Mahā-prajāpatī, surrounded by five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, came to where the Buddha was, bowed her head at his feet, and sat to one side. The World-Honored One then taught the Dharma to Mahā-prajāpatī, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting her. Having taught the Dharma in various ways, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting her, he dismissed her, saying, "Bhikṣuṇī! It is time for you to go."

Mahā-prajāpatī, having heard the Buddha's teaching, rejoiced and followed it. She bowed and departed.

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing that Mahā-prajāpatī had left, told the bhikṣus, "I am now old and no longer able to teach the bhikṣuṇīs. You bhikṣu saṃgha, today the elders and senior ones should instruct the bhikṣuṇīs."

At that time, the bhikṣus, receiving the World-Honored One's instruction, instructed the bhikṣuṇīs in turn. When it was Nanda's turn, he did not wish to instruct.

At that time, Mahā-prajāpatī, surrounded by five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, went to where the World-Honored One was. She bowed her head at his feet, and after hearing the Dharma, she rejoiced and paid homage before leaving.

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing that Mahā-prajāpatī had left, asked Venerable Ānanda, "Who should be next to instruct the bhikṣuṇīs?"

Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! The senior bhikṣus take turns instructing the bhikṣuṇīs. It is now Nanda's turn, but he does not wish to instruct them."

At that time, the World-Honored One told Nanda, "You should instruct the bhikṣuṇīs and teach the Dharma to them. Why is that? I myself instruct the bhikṣuṇīs, and you should be the same; I teach the Dharma to the bhikṣuṇīs, and you should be the same."

At that time, Nanda silently accepted the instruction.

At that time, Nanda, after the night had passed, put on his robe, took his alms bowl, entered the city of Śrāvastī to beg for food. After eating, he returned to the monastery, put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, entered the room, and sat in meditation. Having arisen from meditation, he put on his saṃghāṭī robe, took a bhikṣu with him, and went to the Jetavana. The bhikṣuṇīs saw Venerable Nanda coming from afar, quickly prepared a seat, and invited him to sit. Venerable Nanda sat down. The bhikṣuṇīs bowed their heads in respect, then sat to one side. Venerable Nanda said to the bhikṣuṇīs, "Sisters! You should ask me. Now I will teach the Dharma for you. If you understand, you should say you understand; if you do not understand, you should say you do not understand. In my explanation of the meaning, if you understand, you should accept and uphold it well; if you do not understand, you should ask again, and I will explain for you."

The bhikṣuṇīs said to Venerable Nanda, "Today we heard the Venerable's instruction, which told us to ask. He said, 'If you do not understand, you should ask now; if you understand, you should say you understand; if you do not understand, you should say you do not understand. In my explanation of the meaning, if you understand, you should accept and uphold it well; if you do not understand, you should ask again, and I will explain for you.' Hearing this, our minds are greatly joyful. We will ask about the meaning we do not understand today."

At that time, Venerable Nanda said to the bhikṣuṇīs, "Sisters! Do you observe the internal sense-field of the eye as being the same as, different from, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

"Do you observe the internal sense-fields of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as being the same as, different from, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why is that? Venerable Nanda! We have already truly known and seen this Dharma. We observe the absence of self in the six internal sense-fields. We have already made this understanding: 'The six internal sense-fields are without self.'"

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent, excellent, sisters! You should understand thus: 'Observe the absence of self in the six internal sense-fields.' Nuns, is the external sense-field of form the same as, different from, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

"Are the external sense-fields of sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas the same as, different from, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why is that? Venerable Nanda! I have already thoroughly observed the six external sense-fields as selfless. I always understand in this way: the six external sense-fields are truly selfless."

Venerable Nanda praised the nuns, saying, "Excellent! Excellent! You should view this meaning in this way: 'The six external sense-fields are selfless.' If eye and form give rise to eye consciousness, is that eye consciousness the same as, different from, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

"Are ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dharmas the same as, different from, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? I have already thoroughly observed the six sense bases as selfless, and I always understand them to be truly selfless."

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent, excellent, sisters! You should observe the meaning in this way: 'The six sense bases are truly selfless.' Do the eye, form, and eye consciousness that arise from these three things being in contact with each other belong to the self, are they different from the self, or are they in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

"Do the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and the dharmas that arise from these, belong to the self, are they different from the self, or are they in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why is that? I have already observed the six contacts as they truly are, without a self. I also always understand in this way, that the six contacts are truly without a self."

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent! Excellent! You should observe in reality that the six contact bodies are truly without a self. The eye and forms give rise to eye contact, and the three things coming together is contact. Contact gives rise to feeling. Is that contact that gives rise to feeling the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

"The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and dharmas give rise to mental consciousness. The three things coming together is contact. Contact gives rise to feeling. Is that feeling the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? We have previously truly observed the six sense bodies as selfless. We also always understand that the six sense bodies are truly selfless."

Venerable Nanda told the nuns, "Excellent! Excellent! You should observe this meaning like this: 'The six sense bodies are truly selfless.' The eye and form give rise to eye consciousness. The three things coming together give rise to contact. Contact gives rise to thought. Is that thought the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

'The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and dharmas give rise to mental consciousness. The three things coming together give rise to contact. Contact gives rise to thought. Is that thought the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?'

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why is that? I have truly observed the six sense bases as being without self. I also always understand that the six sense bases are truly without self."

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent! Excellent! Nuns, you should observe this meaning like this: 'The six sense bases are truly without self.' The eye and forms give rise to eye consciousness. The three things coming together give rise to contact. Contact gives rise to thought. Is that thought the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

'The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and dharmas give rise to mental consciousness. The three things coming together give rise to contact. Contact gives rise to thought. Is that thought the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?'

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? I have truly observed the six kinds of thought as without self. I always understand this: 'The six kinds of thought are truly without self.'"

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent! Excellent! Nuns! You should observe this meaning like this: 'The six kinds of thought are truly without self.' The eye and forms give rise to eye consciousness. The three things coming together give rise to contact. Contact gives rise to craving. Is that craving the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda!"

'The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and dharmas give rise to mental consciousness. The three things coming together give rise to contact. Contact gives rise to craving. Is that craving the self, different from the self, or in a relationship with the self?'

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? I have truly observed the six sense bases of craving as being without self. I always understand this: 'The six sense bases of craving are truly without self.'"

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "You should observe the meaning of this thus: 'The six sense bases of craving are truly without self.' Sisters! It is like a lamp that burns due to oil, a wick, and a flame. The oil is impermanent, the wick is impermanent, the flame is impermanent, and the vessel is impermanent. If someone were to say, 'Without oil, wick, flame, or vessel, the light of the lamp that arises depends on something that is permanent, constant, abiding, and unchanging,' would that be an equal statement?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? The lamp burns depending on oil, wick, and vessel. The oil, wick, and vessel are all impermanent. If there is no oil, no wick, and no vessel, the light of the lamp that arises also ceases, subsides, disappears, cools, and becomes true.

"In the same way, sisters! These six internal sense bases are impermanent. If someone were to say, 'The joy and pleasure that arise from these six internal sense bases are permanent, constant, abiding, unchanging, and peaceful,' would that be an equal statement?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? We have directly observed that such and such phenomena arise from such and such conditions. When the conditions for those phenomena cease, those phenomena also cease, subside, disappear, cool, and become true.

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent! Excellent! Nuns! You should observe this meaning like this: 'Such and such phenomena arise from such and such conditions. When the conditions for those phenomena cease, those phenomena also cease, subside, disappear, become peaceful, cool, and true.' Sisters! It is like a large tree with roots, trunk, branches, and leaves. The roots are also impermanent, the trunk, branches, and leaves are all impermanent. If someone were to say, 'There are no roots, trunk, branches, or leaves of that tree, but only its shadow is permanent, constant, abiding, unchanging, and peaceful,' would that be an equal statement?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? Just as that large tree with roots, trunk, branches, and leaves, its roots are also impermanent, the trunk, branches, and leaves are also impermanent. Without roots, trunk, branches, or leaves, the tree shadow that is relied upon is completely nonexistent."

"Sisters! If the external six sense bases are impermanent, and if it is said that the external six sense bases give rise to joy and pleasure, are permanent, abiding, unchanging, and peaceful, is this an equal statement?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? I have directly observed the meaning of this: those dharmas arise in dependence on those dharmas, and those dharmas cease in dependence on those dharmas. Those dharmas that arise in dependence also cease, subside, disappear, become tranquil, cool, and true."

Venerable Nanda said to the nuns, "Excellent! Excellent! Sisters! You should directly observe the meaning of this: 'Those dharmas arise in dependence on those dharmas, and those dharmas cease in dependence on those dharmas. Those dharmas that arise in dependence also cease, subside, disappear, become tranquil, cool, and true.' Sisters! Listen to my analogy, for the wise understand through analogies. It is like a skilled butcher or butcher's apprentice holding a sharp knife, skillfully flaying a cow, flaying it in between, not injuring the inner flesh or the outer skin, separating the joints, tendons, and bones, and then covering it back with the skin. If someone were to say, 'This cow's skin and flesh are complete and not separated,' would that be an equal statement?"

They replied, "No, Venerable Nanda! Why? That skilled butcher or butcher's apprentice, holding a sharp knife, skillfully flayed the cow in between, not injuring the skin or flesh, and completely severed the joints, tendons, and bones, and then covered it back with the skin. The skin and flesh are already separated, not not separated."

"Sisters! I have given the analogy, now I will explain the meaning. The cow is an analogy for the coarse form of the human body..." It is explained in detail in the Basket of Poisonous Snakes Sūtra.

"The flesh refers to the six internal sense bases, the outer skin refers to the six external sense bases, the butcher refers to those who study the traces of the teachings, the tendons and bones between the skin and flesh refer to the joy and greed together, the sharp knife refers to sharp wisdom. The well-versed noble disciples use the sharp knife of wisdom to sever all bonds, fetters, afflictions, upper afflictions, and entanglements. Therefore, sisters! You should train like this: 'In regard to the objects of pleasure, the mind should not be attached, in order to eliminate greed; in regard to the objects of anger, one should not give rise to anger, in order to eliminate anger; in regard to the objects of delusion, one should not give rise to delusion, in order to eliminate delusion. One should observe the arising and ceasing of the five aggregates of clinging; one should observe the arising and ceasing of the six sense bases; one should well focus the mind on the four foundations of mindfulness. Abiding in the seven factors of awakening, having cultivated the seven factors of awakening, the mind does not become attached to the desire-based impurities, and the mind is liberated; the mind does not become attached to the existence-based impurities, and the mind is liberated; the mind does not become attached to the ignorance-based impurities, and the mind is liberated.' Sisters! You should train like this."

At that time, Venerable Nanda gave a Dharma teaching to the bhikṣuṇīs, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting them. Having shown, taught, illuminated, and delighted them, he rose from his seat and departed. At that time, Mahāprajāpatī bhikṣuṇī, surrounded by a retinue of five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, went to where the Buddha was, bowed her head at his feet, and stood to one side. She then paid homage to the Buddha and departed.

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing that Mahāprajāpatī bhikṣuṇī had left, told the bhikṣus: "It is like the moon on the night of the fourteenth day. Many people look at the moon, wondering if it is full or not yet full. Know that the moon is not yet fully complete. In the same way, the good man Nanda is giving proper instruction and teaching the Dharma to the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, but their liberation is not yet complete. However, when these bhikṣuṇīs die, they will not see a single fetter that is not severed, causing them to be reborn in this world again."

At that time, the World-Honored One again told Nanda: "Speak the Dharma for the bhikṣuṇīs again."

At that time, Venerable Nanda silently accepted the instruction. After the night passed, he took his bowl and entered the city to beg for food. After eating, he went to the royal garden, took his seat, and spoke the Dharma for the bhikṣuṇīs, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting them. Having shown, taught, illuminated, and delighted them, he rose from his seat and left. Mahāprajāpatī bhikṣuṇī, at another time, surrounded by five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, went to where the Buddha was, bowed her head at his feet, and departed after making prostrations.

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing that Mahāprajāpatī bhikṣuṇī had left, told the bhikṣus: "It is like the fifteenth night of the bright moon. No one doubts whether the moon is full or not. It is completely full. In the same way, the good man Nanda spoke such correct instructions for the bhikṣuṇīs, leading to ultimate liberation. If at the time of death, there is no one who says where their path leads, this should be known as the end of suffering." This is the World-Honored One's prediction of the first fruit for the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs.

Having spoken this sūtra, the Buddha finished. The bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and received them.