3.8 The Story about Nanda the Herdsman

Dhp 42

CST4: Nandagopālakavatthu

Burlingame: Nanda the Herdsman

Compare: Ud 4.3

When the Buddha saw the cow-herder Nanda was ready he taught him the gradual path, and he attained Stream-entry, but shortly afterwards he was shot by a hunter and died; the Buddha then spoke a verse.

Keywords: Giving, Faith, Sudden Death

“Whatever an aggressor might do,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence in the Kosala country with reference to Nanda the herdsman.

At Sāvatthī, we are told, the householder Anāthapiṇḍika had a herdsman named Nanda {1.323} who tended his herd of cattle. Nanda was rich, possessed of abundant wealth, possessed of ample means of enjoyment. We are told that, as did Keniya the ascetic of the matted locks who had the appearance of one gone forth, AJ: See Vin Mv 6. Burlingame: “…as did Keniya the ascetic of the matted locks by retiring from the world,” but it just means one having the appearance of one gone forth (pabbajjāvesena). so did Nanda by tending herds and by managing the king’s revenue preserve his own wealth. Again and again Nanda, taking the five products of the cow, went to the house of Anāthapiṇḍika, beheld the Teacher, listened to the Dhamma, and invited the Teacher to come to his own residence.

For some time the Teacher waited for Nanda’s wisdom to ripen, and therefore refrained from going. But one day, making his rounds for alms, accompanied by a large company of bhikkhus, perceiving that his wisdom had ripened, he withdrew from the road and sat down under a certain tree near Nanda’s place of abode.

Nanda went to the Teacher, worshipped him, greeted him in [29.23] a friendly manner, invited the Teacher to accept his hospitality, and for seven days gave the Saṅgha of bhikkhus the choicest of the five products of the cow. On the seventh day the Teacher, returning thanks, delivered in orderly sequence talk on almsgiving and other topics. At the conclusion of the discourse Nanda the herdsman was established in the fruition of Stream-entry. Thereupon he took the bowl of the Teacher and accompanied him on his way for a considerable distance. Then said the Teacher: “Halt, disciple.” Straightaway Nanda obeyed the Teacher’s command, worshipped him, and turned back.

At that moment a hunter shot an arrow and killed Nanda. The bhikkhus saw this as they were returning, and went and said to the Teacher: “Venerable Sir, because of your coming here, Nanda the herdsman gave abundant gifts, accompanied you on your journey, and was killed as he returned. Had you not come, his death would not have occurred.” {1.324}

The Teacher replied: “Bhikkhus, whether I had gone or not, whether Nanda had gone to the four cardinal points or to the four intermediate points, he could not possibly have escaped from death. For what neither thieves nor enemies do, this a corrupt mind attached to falsehood does to living creatures here in the world.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:

42. Diso disaṁ yan-taṁ kayirā, verī vā pana verinaṁ –
micchāpaṇihitaṁ cittaṁ pāpiyo naṁ tato kare.

Whatever an aggressor might
do to an aggressor, or an
enemy to an enemy:
a mind that’s badly-directed
can do far worse than that to him. {1.325}

At the conclusion of the teaching many attained the fruition of Stream-entry and so on, and benefit arose to many people from the teaching. The bhikkhus, however, did not ask the Teacher what the disciple had done in a former birth, and therefore the Teacher said nothing about it.