Chapter 171: Nanda in the hells

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0916a21] At that time, the World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun], seeing Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo] practicing pure conduct 梵行 [fan xing] for the celestial maidens 玉女 [yu nu], took his arm and came out of the Nyagrodha grove 尼拘陀林 [ni ju tuo lin]. He disappeared and entered a great hell 大地獄 [da de yu]. The World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun] then saw a bronze cauldron 銅釜 [tong fu] with a raging fire burning beneath it. The cauldron was red-hot, just like fire, emitting a great, blazing light, burning and bubbling intensely. Having seen this, the World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun] said to Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo]: "Go and ask these jailers 獄卒 [yu zu] for whom this bronze cauldron 銅釜 [tong fu] is being made to blaze and boil like this?" The Elder Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo], hearing the Buddha's 佛 [fu] words, replied: "World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun], I will do as you have instructed." He went to the jailers 獄卒 [yu zu] and asked them: "For whom is this great bronze cauldron 銅釜 [tong fu] being made to boil like this?" The jailers 獄卒 [yu zu] all replied to Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo], saying: "The Buddha 佛 [fu] has a younger brother born of his aunt, whose name is Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo]. This cauldron is being burned for him."

[0916a21] ěr shí, shì zūn jiàn cǐ nán tuó wèi zhū yù nǚ xíng yú fàn xíng, suì biàn zhí bì, cóng bǐ ní jū tuó lín ér chū, méi shēn rù yú dà de yù lǐ. shì zūn yú shí jiàn yī tóng fǔ xià rán měng huǒ, qí fǔ hè chì yǔ huǒ wú yì, chū dà guāng yán, chì rán xì xì. shì zūn jiàn yǐ, gào bǐ nán tuó: “rǔ wǎng wèn cǐ zhū yù zú děng, cǐ zhī tóng fǔ yù wèi ā shuí chì rán yǒng fèi?” nǎi zhì rú shì zhǎng lǎo nán tuó, wén fú shì yǔ bái yán: “shì zūn! wéi rú fú jiào.” jí wǎng yì bǐ zhū yù zú biān ér wèn zhī yán: “cǐ dà tóng fǔ, yù wèi hé rén rú shì yǒng fèi nǎi zhì cǐ yě?” ěr shí yù zú, xián bào nán tuó, zuò rú shì yán: “fú yǒu yí mǔ suǒ shēng zhī dì, míng yuē nán tuó, wèi bǐ rén gù, shāo rán cǐ fǔ.”

[0916a21] er shi, shi zun jian ci nan tuo wei zhu yu nu xing yu fan xing, sui bian zhi bi, cong bi ni ju tuo lin er chu, mei shen ru yu da de yu li. shi zun yu shi jian yi tong fu xia ran meng huo, qi fu he chi yu huo wu yi, chu da guang yan, chi ran xi xi. shi zun jian yi, gao bi nan tuo: "ru wang wen ci zhu yu zu deng, ci zhi tong fu yu wei a shui chi ran yong fei?" nai zhi ru shi zhang lao nan tuo, wen fu shi yu bai yan: "shi zun! wei ru fu jiao." ji wang yi bi zhu yu zu bian er wen zhi yan: "ci da tong fu, yu wei he ren ru shi yong fei nai zhi ci ye?" er shi yu zu, xian bao nan tuo, zuo ru shi yan: "fu you yi mu suo sheng zhi di, ming yue nan tuo, wei bi ren gu, shao ran ci fu."

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0916b03] Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo] asked again: "Have you not heard? The Tathāgata 如來 [ru lai] promised him a reward, that if he practiced pure conduct 梵行 [fan xing] for the five hundred celestial maidens 天樂婇女 [tian le cai nu], he would be reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-three Gods 三十三天 [san shi san tian] later on." The jailers 獄卒 [yu zu] said: "Yes, yes, we know. But we have also heard that after that person falls from the heaven of the Thirty-three Gods 三十三天 [san shi san tian], he will be reborn in this place."

[0916b03] nán tuó fù wèn: “rǔ qǐ bù wén? rú lái wǎng rì, xǔ bào qí rén, ruò wèi wǔ bǎi tiān lè cāi nǚ xíng yú fàn xíng, hòu dé shēng yú sān shí sān tiān.” zhū yù zú yán: “rú shì rú shì, wǒ děng yǐ zhī. dàn wǒ děng bèi, fù wén qí rén yú bǐ sān shí sān tiān zhī shàng duò luò yǐ hòu, lái shēng cǐ chù.”

[0916b03] nan tuo fu wen: "ru qi bu wen? ru lai wang ri, xu bao qi ren, ruo wei wu bai tian le cai nu xing yu fan xing, hou de sheng yu san shi san tian." zhu yu zu yan: "ru shi ru shi, wo deng yi zhi. dan wo deng bei, fu wen qi ren yu bi san shi san tian zhi shang duo luo yi hou, lai sheng ci chu."

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0916b08] At that time, Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo], hearing these words, was filled with fear. The hair on his body stood on end, and he thought: "If I am to suffer here in succession, I would rather not have the reward of those celestial maidens 婇女 [cai nu]."

[0916b08] ěr shí, nán tuó wén cǐ yǔ yǐ, xīn shēng kǒng bù, jǔ shēn máo shù, zuò rú shì niàn: “wǒ ruò cì dì yú cǐ shòu kǔ, wǒ jīn yì yù bù yòng rú cǐ cāi nǚ guǒ bào.”

[0916b08] er shi, nan tuo wen ci yu yi, xin sheng kong bu, ju shen mao shu, zuo ru shi nian: "wo ruo ci di yu ci shou ku, wo jin yi yu bu yong ru ci cai nu guo bao."

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0916b11] At that time, the World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun] took the arm of the Elder Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo] and disappeared from the hell 地獄 [de yu], returning to the Nyagrodha grove 尼俱陀林 [ni ju tuo lin]. At that time, Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo] was constantly called a hired hand of the Buddha 佛客作人 [fu ke zuo ren] by his fellow friends, who laughed, scolded, and ridiculed him. When he saw the hell 地獄 [de yu], he felt shame and fear, and he became disgusted and remorseful. He sought a quiet place, walked and sat alone, was no longer negligent, and became diligent and vigorous. A good man who has left home with right faith to seek the supreme pure conduct 無上清淨梵行 [wu shang qing jing fan xing], and after practicing, attains the immediate realization of supernatural powers and the exhaustion of all outflows, will declare: "Birth and death are ended, the pure conduct 梵行 [fan xing] has been established, what had to be done is done, and there will be no more future existences." He will attain the fruit of Arhatship and his mind will be liberated. The Elder Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo] was also like this. He attained the fruit of Arhatship, and then went to the Buddha's 佛 [fu] place, bowed at his feet, and sat down on one side.

[0916b11] ěr shí, shì zūn jí zhí zhǎng lǎo nán tuó bì yǐ, cóng de yù nèi, yǐn méi qí shēn, hái zhì ní jù tuó lín ér chū. ěr shí, nán tuó wèi jǐ tóng xíng zhū qīn yǒu děng, héng cháng huàn zuò fú kè zuò rén, bèi xiào bèi hē, cháo diào xì nòng. fù jiàn de yù, cán kuì kǒng bù, jí shēng yàn lí, zì dào zì huǐ, qiú kōng xián chù, dú xíng dú zuò, gèng bù fàng yì, jīng jìn yǒng měng. fán shàn nán zi, qí yǒu zhèng xìn shě jiā chū jiā, qiú yú wú shàng qīng jìng fàn xíng, xíng yǐ xiàn dé zì zhèng shén tōng, dé zhū lòu jǐn, kǒu zì chàng yán: “shēng sǐ yǐ jǐn, fàn xíng yǐ lì, suǒ zuò yǐ bàn, bù shòu hòu yǒu.” zhèng luó hàn guǒ, xīn dé jiě tuō. zhǎng lǎo nán tuó yì fù rú shì, zhèng luó hàn guǒ, rán hòu shǐ wǎng zhì yú fú suǒ, dǐng lǐ fú zú, què zuò yī miàn.

[0916b11] er shi, shi zun ji zhi zhang lao nan tuo bi yi, cong de yu nei, yin mei qi shen, hai zhi ni ju tuo lin er chu. er shi, nan tuo wei ji tong xing zhu qin you deng, heng chang huan zuo fu ke zuo ren, bei xiao bei he, chao diao xi nong. fu jian de yu, can kui kong bu, ji sheng yan li, zi dao zi hui, qiu kong xian chu, du xing du zuo, geng bu fang yi, jing jin yong meng. fan shan nan zi, qi you zheng xin she jia chu jia, qiu yu wu shang qing jing fan xing, xing yi xian de zi zheng shen tong, de zhu lou jin, kou zi chang yan: "sheng si yi jin, fan xing yi li, suo zuo yi ban, bu shou hou you." zheng luo han guo, xin de jie tuo. zhang lao nan tuo yi fu ru shi, zheng luo han guo, ran hou shi wang zhi yu fu suo, ding li fu zu, que zuo yi mian.

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0916b22] At that time, the Elder Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo] said to the Buddha 佛 [fu]: "World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun], I now relinquish the promise you made to me in the past. In the past, I wanted to receive the reward from the Tathāgata 如來 [ru lai] for the five hundred celestial maidens 天婇女 [tian cai nu], but now, World-Honored One 世尊 [shi zun], I am liberated."

[0916b22] ěr shí, zhǎng lǎo nán tuó bái fú zuò rú shì yán: “jīn shě shì zūn wǎng rì ēn xǔ, wǒ xī yù qǔ rú lái bào zhě, zhèng wèi wǔ bǎi zhū tiān cāi nǚ, shì gù rú cǐ； ér jīn, shì zūn! dé jiě tuō yě.”

[0916b22] er shi, zhang lao nan tuo bai fu zuo ru shi yan: "jin she shi zun wang ri en xu, wo xi yu qu ru lai bao zhe, zheng wei wu bai zhu tian cai nu, shi gu ru ci; er jin, shi zun! de jie tuo ye."

[The following represents an unverified English translation. For all purposes consult the original Chinese text.]

[0916b25] At that time, the Buddha 佛 [fu] said to the Elder Nanda 難陀 [nan tuo]: "It is not only today that I am liberated from you. When you first declared: 'The pure conduct 梵行 [fan xing] has been established, what had to be done is done, and there will be no more future existences,' I was already liberated at that time."

[0916b25] ěr shí, fú gào zhǎng lǎo nán tuó: “fēi dàn jīn rì wǒ yú rǔ biān shǐ dé tuō yě, rǔ chū chàng yán: ‘fàn xíng yǐ lì, suǒ zuò yǐ bàn, bù shòu hòu yǒu.’ wǒ yú bǐ shí, yǐ dé tuō yě.”

[0916b25] er shi, fu gao zhang lao nan tuo: "fei dan jin ri wo yu ru bian shi de tuo ye, ru chu chang yan: 'fan xing yi li, suo zuo yi ban, bu shou hou you.' wo yu bi shi, yi de tuo ye."