Saṃyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saṃyutta
3. Saraṇāni (or Sarakāni) Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
3. Sarakāni
Sutta 30
Licchavi or Nandaka Suttaṃ
Lacchavī or Nandaka
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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Once the Exalted One was staying near Vesālī,
in Great Grove,
at the House of the Peaked Gable.
Then Nandaka, minister of the Licchavī,
came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
saluted him
and sat down at one side.
As he thus sat,
the Exalted One said this to Nandaka:
"Nandaka, possessed of four things
the Ariyan disciple is a Stream-winner,
not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.
What are the four?
Herein, Nandaka, an Ariyan disciple is blessed with unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'
He is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
■
'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'
■
He is blessed
with unwavering loyalty to the Order,
[336] thus:
Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'
■
He is blessed
with the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.
Blessed with these four things
the Ariyan disciple is also blessed with long life,
both heavenly and human,
blessed with beauty,
blessed with happiness,
blessed with good name,
and blessed with sovereignty,
both heavenly and human.[1]
This, Nandaka, I know,
not from hearsay of any recluse or brahmin,
but I have ascertained it for myself,
seen it for myself,
understood it for myself,
and so do I tell it you."
Just then someone came up to Nandaka, the minister of the Licchavī,
and said to him:
"It is time for your bath, my lord."
"Enough of that, good fellow!"
said Nandaka.
"Enough of this outward washing!
This inner washing
shall be enough for me,
to wit:
this loyalty to the Exalted One."
[1] Cf. Dhp. 109 (ayu, vaṇṇa, sukhaṇ, balaṇ). Here and at S. iv, 275, we should read ādhipateyya for adhi-.
