#sundarananda

The Quest for Buddhism (19)

The family of Siddhartha (Buddha) 

Sundarī Nandā – Beautiful half-sister of Buddha, the most venerable bhikkhuni (nun)

Princess Sundarī Nandā, also known simply a Sundarī, was the daughter of King Suddhodana (Ref) and Mahaprajapati (Ref2). She was the half-sister of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became a Buddha. She became a nun after the enlightenment of her half-brother and became the foremost bhikkhuni in the practise of dhyana (Pali: jhana, lit. total meditative absorption). She lived during the 6th century BCE in what is now Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India.

When she was born, Princess Nandā was lovingly welcomed by her parents: Nanda's name means joy, contentment, pleasure, and was named as her parents were especially joyous about the arrival of a newborn baby. Nanda was known in her childhood for being extremely well-bred, graceful and beautiful. To disambiguate her from Sakyans (Ref3) by the same name, she was also known as "Rupa-Nanda (lit. one of delightful form)," sometimes "Sundari-Nanda (beautiful Nanda)." Since Her beauty sparkled day by day she was later named as "Janapada Kalyani". 

Over time, many members of her family, the family of the Sakyans of Kapilavastu, left the worldly life for the ascetic life, inspired by the enlightenment of their Crown Prince Siddhartha(Buddha). Amongst them was her brother Nanda (Ref4), and her cousins Anuruddha and Ananda, who were two of the Buddha’s ten principal disciples. According to a Budddist text, “Therigatha” (lit. verses of the elder nuns), she was to get married with her own brother Nanda but before their wedding he had to enter into monastic life.

Her mother, was the first Buddhist nun, having asked the Buddha to allow women into the sangha. As a result of this, many other royal Sakyan ladies, including Princess Yasodharā, the wife of Siddhartha became Buddhist monastics. Thereupon, Nanda also renounced the world, but it was recorded that she did not do it out of confidence in the Buddha and the dharma, but out of blood love for her relatives and a feeling of belonging.

[to be continued]

仏教の探求 (19)

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）

スンダリ・ナンダ王女は、浄飯王（シュッドーダナ王：参照）とマハー・プラジャーパティー（参照2）の娘で、後にブッダとなるシッダールタ・ゴータマの異母妹である。異母兄の悟りの後、尼僧となり、ディヤーナ（四禅:しぜん、完全瞑想）の修行で最も優れた比丘尼（びくに、尼僧）となった。紀元前6世紀、現在のインドのビハール州とウッタル・プラデーシュ州に住んでいた。

ナンダ王女は生まれたとき、両親から愛情をもって迎えられた。ナンダの名前は、喜び、満足、快楽を意味し、生まれたばかりの赤ん坊の到着を両親が特に喜んだことから名づけられた。ナンダは幼少の頃、非常に育ちがよく、優雅で美しいことで知られていた。同名の釈迦族（参照3）と区別するために、「ルパ・ナンダ (歓喜な姿の者)」、時には「スンダリ・ナンダ(美しいナンダ)」とも呼ばれた。彼女の美しさが日々輝いていたことから、後に「ジャナパダ・カリヤーニ」と呼ばれるようになった。

やがて、彼女の一族であるカピラヴァストゥの釈迦族は、皇太子シッダールタ (ブッダ)の悟りに触発されて、世俗を離れ禁欲生活を送る者が多くなった。その中には、実兄の孫陀羅難陀 (そんだらなんだ、梵：スンダラ・ナンダ（参照4）)や、従兄弟の阿那律 (あなりつ、梵: アニルッダ) と阿難陀（あなんだ、梵: アーナンダ ）も含まれており、どちらも釈迦の十大弟子の中の二人であった。仏典『テーリーガータ (長老尼偈経: ちょうろうに・げじゅ）』によると、彼女は実兄のナンダと結婚することになっていたが、結婚前に彼は僧籍に入らなければならなかった。

彼女の母親は、釈迦に女性の入信を願った最初の尼僧である。その結果、シッダールタ(ブッダ)の正妻ヤショーダラー王女をはじめ、多くの釈迦族の女性が仏門に入ることになった。そこでナンダも世を捨てたが、それは仏や法への信頼からではなく、身内への血の通った愛と帰属意識からであったと記録されている。

The Quest for Buddhism (16)

The family of Siddhartha (Buddha)

Nanda (Sundarananda Shakya) – Beautiful half brother, and one of his disciples of Buddha Part 2 [Story so far]

Although Nanda was about to wed his beautiful sister Janapada Kalyāni (Sundari Nanda) that same day, he took ordination and joined the community of Monks. However, Nanda Shakya enjoyed no spiritual happiness. His thoughts were constantly directed towards to Janapada Kalyāni and his heart pined for her.

Learning of this, Buddha took Nanda on a journey to Traystrimsa (33 heavens) with the use of his divine powers (Abhijna: lit. "supernormal knowledge"). On the way Nanda saw a she-monkey that had lost her ears, nose and tail in a fire, clinging to a charred stump. When they reached the heaven abode, Nanda saw beautiful celestial nymphs and the Buddha asked Nanda: "Which do you consider more beautiful? Those nymphs or Janapada Kalyāni?"

Nanda replied: "Venerable Sir, Janapada Kalyāni looks like the scalded she-monkey, compared to those nymphs."

The Buddha said: "Nanda, can you see that what you thought to be exceedingly beautiful now pales in comparison to greater beauty?"

Upon hearing this, Nanda practiced diligently with the object of winning the celestial nymphs. However, when the other monks learned of Nanda's wish they ridiculed him and he eventually saw his motive as base, and renouncing desire, attained Arhatship.

After the Buddha's demise, the Mahayana philosopher Ashvaghosha, (lit. "Having a Horse-Voice") , who appeared between 6 and 700 CE, wrote the Sundarananda Kavya (The Righteous Nanda) on the model of Nanda.

仏教の探求 (16)

お釈迦さまの家族

孫陀羅難陀（そんだらなんだ、梵：スンダラ・ナンダ）〜美形の異母弟、弟子の一人・その２（これまでのお話）

ナンダはその日、美しい妹のジャナパダ・カリヤニ（スンダリ・ナンダ）との結婚式を控えていたが、出家してサンガ（僧伽）に加わった。しかし、ナンダは精神的な幸福を享受することはできず、彼の思考は常にジャナパダ・カーリヤーニに向けられ、彼の心は彼女から離れることはなかった。

それを知ったブッダは、神通力（六神通：ろくじんずう）の方便をもって、ナンダを忉利天（とうりてん・三十三天）への旅に連れ出した。

その途中、ナンダは火事で耳と鼻と尻尾を失った雌猿が、焼け焦げた切り株にしがみついているのを見た。天の住処に着くと、ナンダが美しい天女たちの姿を見かけたので、ブッダはナンダに尋ねた。“あの天女たちとジャナパダ・カリヤニのどちらが美しいと思うか？"

ナンダは答えた。「尊師、ジャナパダ・カリヤニは、それらの天女と比較して、やけどした雌猿のように見えます。」

ブッダは言った。「ナンダ、あなたが非常に美しいと思ったものが、今でよりも尚、美しいものに比べれば見劣りすることがわかりますか？」

それを聞いたナンダは、天女を獲得することを目標に熱心に修行した。しかし、ナンダの願いを知った他の僧たちは彼を嘲笑し、やがて彼は自分の動機が卑しいものであることを見抜き、欲望を捨て、阿羅漢に到達した。

The Quest for Buddhism (15)

The family of Siddhartha (Buddha)

Nanda (Sundarananda Shakya) – Beautiful half brother, and one of disciples of Buddha

Prince Nanda Shakya, also known as Sundarananda Shakya (handsome Nanda), because of his naturally good looks, was the younger half-brother of Siddhartha (Buddha). He was the second son of King Suddhodana, whose mother, Mahapajapati Gotami, was the younger sister of Maya, the Buddha's real mother. Nanda also had a own sister named Sundari Nanda.

It was seven years after his attainment that the Buddha, at the request of his father, who missed him dearly, returned to his home city of Kapilavatthu. On the third day of Buddha's return, the coronation ceremony of the prince of Nandas, the first ceremony of the new hall and the wedding ceremony took place.

Buddha, after partaking of his meal, silently handed his bowl to Nanda, rose and exited. Thinking that the Buddha would take his bowl back, Nanda followed him until he reached the Nigrodharama, where the Buddha was staying. This was the Buddha's silent demonstration of the Dhamma to his younger brother: a scene which is often represented in Greco-Buddhist art.

[To be continued]

仏教の探求 (15)

お釈迦さまの家族

孫陀羅難陀（そんだらなんだ、梵：スンダラ・ナンダ）〜美形の異母弟、弟子の一人

ナンダ・シャクヤ王子は、スンダラナンダ・シャクヤ（美青年のナンダ）とも呼ばれ、シッダールタ（ブッダ）の異母弟である。彼は、浄飯王（シュッドーダナ）の第２子で、母親の摩訶波闍波提（マハー・プラジャーパティー）は、ブッダの実母・摩耶夫人（マヤ）の妹である。孫陀羅難陀（以下：ナンダ）にはスンダリ・ナンダという妹もいた。

ブッダが成道してから7年後、ブッダを恋しがる父親の要請で、故郷のカピラヴァットゥに戻ったときのことである。帰国して3日目、ナンダ王子の即位式、新殿の入初式、婚礼が行われていた。

ブッダは食事を終えると、黙って自分の椀をナンダに渡し、立ち上がって出て行った。ブッダがそれを持ち帰ると察したナンダは、ブッダが滞在しているニグローダ樹苑に着くまでその後を追いかけた。これは、ブッダが弟に静かにダンマを説いたもので、ギリシャの仏教美術によく描かれているシーンである。