16.9 The Story about Nandiya
Nandiyavatthu

“When one who lives abroad,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Isipatana with reference to Nandiya.

It seems that at Bārāṇasī lived a youth named Nandiya, son of a family endowed with faith. He was all that his mother and father wished him to be, faithful, believing, an attendant on the Saṅgha. When he came of age, his mother and father desired that he should marry his maternal uncle’s daughter Revatī, who lived in the house opposite. But Revatī was an unbeliever and was not accustomed to give alms, and therefore Nandiya did not wish to marry her.

So Nandiya’s mother said to Revatī: “Dear daughter, smear the floor neat and sweet in this house where the Saṅgha of bhikkhus are to sit, prepare seats, set stands in their proper places, and when the bhikkhus arrive, take their bowls, invite them to sit down, and strain water for them with a straining-cup; when they have finished their meal, wash their bowls. If you will so do, you will win the favor of my son.” Revatī did so. Nandiya’s mother said to her son: “Revatī is now patient of admonition.” Nandiya then gave his consent, the day was set, and they were married. {3.291}

Said Nandiya to his wife: “If you will minister faithfully to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and to my mother and father, on this condition you will be privileged to dwell in this house; therefore be heedful.” – “Very well,” said Revatī, promising to do so. In a few days she learned to conduct herself like a true believer. She rendered true obedience to her husband, and in the course of time gave birth to two sons. When Nandiya’s mother and father died, she became sole mistress of the household. Nandiya, having come into great wealth [30.93] on the death of his mother and father, established alms for the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, and likewise established at the door of his house regular distribution of cooked food to poor folk and travelers.

Somewhat later, after hearing the Teacher teach the Dhamma, considering within himself the blessings which would accrue to him through the gift of a dwelling to the bhikkhus, he caused a quadruple hall, furnished with four chambers, to be erected at the Great Monastery of Isipatana. And having caused beds and couches to be spread, presented this dwelling to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha, giving alms, and pouring the water of donation into the right hand of the Realised One. As the water of donation fell into the right hand of the Teacher, there arose in the Realm of the Thirty-Three a celestial mansion extending twelve leagues in all directions, a hundred leagues high, made of the seven kinds of jewels, and filled with heavenly women.

One day when Elder Mahā Moggallāna went on a pilgrimage to the Deva Realm, he stopped near this palace and asked some Devaputtas who approached him: “Through whose merit did this celestial mansion filled with a company of Accharās come into existence?” Then those Devaputtas informed him who was lord of the mansion, saying: “Venerable Sir, a householder’s son named Nandiya {3.292} caused a monastery to be erected at Isipatana and gave it to the Teacher, and through his merit this celestial mansion came into existence.”

Thereupon the company of Accharās descended from that palace and said to the elder: “Venerable Sir, we would be attendants to Nandiya. Although we have been reborn here, we are exceedingly unhappy because we do not see him; pray tell him to come here. For putting off human estate and taking the estate of the divines, is like breaking a vessel of clay and taking a vessel of gold.”

The elder departed thence, and approaching the Teacher, asked him: “Venerable Sir, is it true that while men yet remain in the world of humans, they attain heavenly glory as the fruit of the good works which they have performed?” The Teacher replied: “Moggallāna, you have seen with your own eyes the heavenly glory which Nandiya has attained in the Deva Realm; why do you ask me such a question?” Said the elder: “Then it is really true, venerable Sir!”

The Teacher said: “Moggallāna, why do you talk thus? If a son or a brother who has long been absent from home, returns from his absence, whoever at the village gate sees him hurries home and says: ‘So-and-so is back.’ And straightaway his kinsfolk, pleased and delighted, will [30.94] hasten forth and greet him, saying: ‘Dear friend, you have returned at last!’ Even so, when either a woman or a man who has done works of merit here, leaves this world and goes to the next, the heavenly Devatās take presents of ten sorts {3.293} and go forth to meet him and to greet him, saying: ‘Let me be first! Let me be first!’” So saying, the Teacher pronounced the following verses:

219. Cirappavāsiṁ purisaṁ dūrato sotthim-āgataṁ,
ñātimittā suhajjā ca abhinandanti āgataṁ.

When one who lives abroad for a
long time comes safely from afar,
relatives and companions
come and greatly rejoice.

220. Tatheva katapuññam-pi asmā lokā paraṁ gataṁ,
puññāni paṭigaṇhanti piyaṁ ñātīva āgataṁ.

Just so, when one who has merit
goes from this world unto the next,
his merits are received just as
relatives come to their loved one. BG: The Vimānavatthu Commentary goes on to say (pp. 222-229) that Nandiya, after a life devoted to almsgiving, died and was reborn in the world of the Thirty-Three; and that Revatī, on the death of her husband, stopped the gifts of alms, abused the monks, and was cast alive into Niraya Hell.

At the end of the teaching many reached the fruition of Stream-entry and so on.