6. Ven. Nandā
Nandā’s full name was Janapadakalyāṇī Rūpanandā. Her story has been told in detail in chapter 34 on the Discourse about Victory (Vijaya-sutta, Snp 1.11). In the present chapter, only a short account will be given, as described in the commentary on the Collection of the Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya).
Aspiration in the Past
The future Nandā was reborn into a rich man’s family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On a certain occasion when she was attending a discourse by the Buddha, she witnessed the Buddha naming a nun as the foremost among nuns who enjoyed abiding in absorption (jhāna). She aspired to that distinction and after making an extraordinary offering she wished that she would be designated as the foremost nun in absorption herself, some time in the future. The Buddha predicted that her wish would be fulfilled.
Ascetic Life in Her Final Existence
After passing away from that memorable existence, she was reborn in the fortunate existences for 100,000 aeons. 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 Abhirūpanandā, and her extreme attractiveness also earned her the endearing name of Princess Janapadakalyāṇī. She was born of Queen Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī.
Prince Nanda, Prince Rāhula and some of the closest kith and kin of the Buddha were admitted into the Saṅgha during the Buddha’s visit to Kapilavatthu. Later, after the death of King Suddhodana, her own mother, Queen Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī and Queen Yasodharā, her sister, mother of Prince Rāhula, also joined the female Saṅgha. As Princess Janapadakalyāṇī saw no point in her remaining at the royal palace, she joined her mother, Ven. Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī, as a nun.
After becoming a nun, she did not go to see the Buddha on the days scheduled for her to receive the Buddha’s admonition, as other nuns did. This was because the Buddha was reputed to be derogatory of personal beauty. So, she would send some other nuns to receive the Buddha’s admonition on her behalf. The Buddha knew that she was conceited about her personal beauty and ordered that nuns must go personally to him to receive admonition and not depute another. Ven. Rūpanandā 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 Ven. Rūpanandā saw her, her vanity about her own personal beauty vanished. “Why,” she thought to herself, “I have been so conceited about my beauty! Shame on me! Here is a girl whose beauty I could not match, for I have not even 256th part of her beauty. How foolish of me it was to stay away from the Fortunate One.” She stood there awestruck by the beauty of the mind-made girl near the Buddha.
Ven. Rūpanandā had sufficing conditions because of accumulated merit in the past. She heard one verse on the loathsomeness of the body (Dhp 150):
Aṭṭhīnaṁ nagaraṁ kataṁ, maṁsa-lohita-lepanaṁ,
yattha jarā ca maccu ca, māno makkho ca ohito.
This fortress is made out of bones, plastered over with flesh and blood, but hidden within lie old age, death, also conceit and anger.
And she also heard the Discourse about Victory (Vijaya-sutta, Snp 1.11) beginning with: Caraṁ vā yadi vā tiṭṭhaṁ, “while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down …” describing the constitution of the body which is basically no different from a corpse, she meditated diligently on the emptiness of this sentient existence and in two or three days, she became an Arahat.
Foremost Title Achieved
From the time of attaining Awakening Ven. Rūpanandā was unequalled by any other female monastic in abiding in absorption (jhāna). Accordingly, when on the occasion of naming foremost nuns during his residence at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha declared:
Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvikānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ
jhāyīnaṁ yad-idaṁ Nandā.
Monastics, among my female monastic disciples who derive pleasure from absorption, Nandā is the foremost (etad-agga).