THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
1404
6. NANDŒ THER¢
(NandÈ TherÊ's full name was JanapadakalyÈÓÊ R|panandÈ TherÊ. Her story has
been told in detail in Chapter 34 on Vijaya sutta. In the present Chapter, only a
short account will be given, as described in the commentary on the A~guttara
NikÈya.)
(a) Her Past Aspiration
The future NandÈ TherÊ was reborn into a rich man's family in the city of HaÑsÈvatÊ,
during the time of Buddha Padumattara. On a certain occasion when she was attending to a
sermon by the Buddha, she witnessed the Buddha naming a
bhikkhunÊ
as the foremost
among
bhikkhunÊs
who enjoyed themselves in abiding in
jhÈna
. She aspired to that
distinction and after making an extraordinary offering she wished that she be designated as
the foremost
bhikkhunÊ
in
jhÈnic
ecstasy, some time in the future. The Buddha prophesied
that her wish would be fulfilled.
(b) Becoming A BhikkhunÊ in Her Last Existence
After passing away from that memorable existence, she was reborn in the fortunate
existences for a hundred thousand world-cycles. In her last existence, she was reborn as a
Sakyan Princess who later was intended to be betrothed to Prince Nanda. She was named
Princess Abhir|panandÈ, and her extreme attractiveness also earned her the endearing name
of Princess JanapadakalyÈÓÊ. She was born of Queen MahÈpajÈpati GotamÊ
Prince Nanda, Prince RÈhula and some of the closest kith and kin of the Buddha were
admitted into the Order of Bhikkhus during the Buddha's visit to Kapilavatthu. Later, after
the death of King SuddhodÈna, her own mother, Queen MahÈpajÈpati GotamÊ and Queen
Yasodaya, her sister, mother of Prince RÈhula, also joined the Order of BhikkhunÊs. As
Princess JanapadakalyÈÓÊ saw no point in her remaining at the royal palace, she joined her
mother, BhikkhunÊ MahÈpajÈpati GotamÊ, as a
bhikkhunÊ
.
After becoming
bhikkhunÊ
, she did not go to see the Buddha on the days scheduled for
her to receive the Buddha's admonition, as other
bhikkhunÊs
did. This was because the
Buddha was reputed as being derogatory to personal attractiveness. So, she would send
some other
bhikkhunÊs
to receive the Buddha's admonition on her behalf. The Buddha knew
that she was conceited about her personal beauty and ordered that
bhikkhunÊs
must go
personally to Him to receive admonition and not depute another. BhikkhunÊ R|panandÈ had
to abide by the rule and reluctantly she went to see the Buddha.
The Buddha had, by His powers, created a most attractive girl by His side, respectfully
fanning Him with a palm-leaf fan. When BhikkhunÊ R|panandÈ saw her, her vanity about
her own personal beauty vanished. ‚Why,‛ she thought to herself, ‚I had been so conceited
about my beauty! Shame on me! Here is a girl whose beauty I could not match, for I am
not even 256th part of her beauty. How foolish of me to stay away from the BhagavÈ.‛ She
stood there awestruck by the beauty of the mind made girl near the Buddha.
R|panandÈ TherÊ had sufficing condition (of accumulated merit in the past), so that after
hearing one stanza beginning with:
‚
aÔÔhÊnaÑ nagaraÑ kataÑ
...‛ (On the loathsomeness of the body; Dhammapada V. 150)
and one
sutta
entitled Vijaya Sutta beginning with:
‚caraÑ vÈ yadi vÈ tiÔÔham nisinno uda vÈ sayaÑ
....‛ (‚While walking, or standing, or
sitting, or lying down...?‛ describing the constitution of the body which is basically no
different from a corpse. —— Sutta NipÈta
,
Vijaya Sutta), she meditated diligently on the
emptiness of this sentient existence and in two or three days, she attained arahatship.
(c) Being designated as The Foremost BhikkhunÊ
From the time of attaining arahatship, R|panandÈ TherÊ was unequalled by any other
bhikkhunÊ
in abiding in
jhÈna
. Accordingly, when on the occasion of naming foremost
bhikkhunÊs
during His residence at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha declared: