#devine power

The Quest for Buddhism (20)

The family of Siddhartha (Buddha)

Sundari Nanda - Beautiful half-sister of Buddha, the most venerable bhikkhuni (nun), Part2 [Part1]

It soon became obvious that Sundari Nanda was not fully focused on her life as a nun. Sundari Nanda's thoughts were mainly directed centred on her own beauty and her popularity with the people, characteristics which were the karma of meritorious actions in past lives. These karmic traits became impediments to Nanda, since she neglected to reinforce them with new actions. She felt guilty that she was not fulfilling the lofty expectations that others had of her, and that she was far from the objective for which so many of the Sakyan royal family had renounced their worldly life. She was certain that the Buddha would censure her, so she evaded him for a long time.

One day, the Buddha requested to let Nanda be called explicitly, and then he addressed her. Since Sundari Nanda was so preoccupied with her physical beauty, the Buddha used his devine powers (Ref) to conjure the vision of a woman more beautiful than Sundari Nanda, who then aged quickly and visibly in front of her own eyes.

As a result, Sundari Nanda could see, in a short time span, what could otherwise only be noticed in humans in a time span of decades: the recession of youth and beauty, the decay, the appearance of aging, such as wrinkles and grey hair. 

This vision affected Sundari Nanda deeply; she was shaken to the core. After having shown Nanda this confronting image, the Buddha could explain the law of impermanence (Skt. Anitya=the impermanence of all things) to her in such a manner that she grasped its truth completely, and thereby attained the supreme bliss of nibbana. She persevered for extended periods with this practice "faithful and courageous day and night" , therefore become as the most revered bhikkhuni (nun).

仏教の探求 (20)

お釈迦さまの家族

孫陀利難陀 (そんだりなんだ、梵: スンダリ・ナンダ) 〜ブッダの美しい異母妹、最も崇高な比丘尼 (尼僧)・その2（その1）

しかし、スンダリ・ナンダが尼僧としての生活に十分に集中していないことは、すぐに明らかになった。スンダリ・ナンダの思考は主に自分の美貌と人望に向けられており、それらは過去世における功徳の業であった。これらのカルマは、新たな行為によって強化することを怠ったために、スンダリ・ナンダの障害となった。釈迦族王家の多くがそうであったように、彼女は世俗を捨てた目的からかけ離れ、周囲の高い期待に応えられないことに罪悪感を抱いていた。スンダリ・ナンダはブッダに叱られるに違いないと思い、長い間、ブッダから遠ざかっていた。

ある日、ブッダは特別に彼女を呼ばせてから、心配そうな彼女に語りかけた。ナンダが自分の美しさばかりに気をとられていたので、ブッダは神通力（参照）を使ってスンダリ・ナンダよりも美しい女性の幻影を見せると、その女性は彼女の目の前でみるみるうちに老けていった。

若さや美しさの後退、衰え、シワや白髪などの老化現象など、人間なら何十年も経たないと気づかないことを、ナンダは短時間で見ることができた。この光景は、スンダリ・ナンダに深い衝撃を与え、心を揺さぶった。