Toh 334 — The Sūtra of Nandika
Nandikasūtra
The Noble Sūtra of Nandika
F.268.a Homage to the Three Jewels.[1]
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling at the Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha, together with a large saṅgha of one thousand two hundred and fifty monks who surrounded and honored him as he taught the Dharma.[2] He expounded that which is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, excellent in meaning, excellent in words, unique, perfect, completely pure, thoroughly refined, and concerns pure conduct.[3]
At that time, the layman Nandika and a retinue of five hundred lay practitioners[4] departed from the great[5] city of Rājagṛha, and went to where the Bhagavān was. F.268.b He bowed his head to the Bhagavān’s feet, circumambulated the Bhagavān three times, and sat down to one side.[6] Then, those five hundred lay practitioners also bowed their heads[7] to the Bhagavān’s feet and sat down to one side.[8] Then the layman Nandika asked the Bhagavān, “What sort of ripening will arise for those who violate the five basic precepts of a lay practitioner as prescribed by the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly awakened Buddha who knows and sees?”
The Bhagavān answered the layman Nandika, “Nandika, it is excellent that you have thought to ask the Tathāgata about this matter. Your intellect is vast, your consideration is fine, and your eloquence is excellent.[9] Therefore, Nandika, I shall teach the Dharma discourse called The Ten Negative Consequences. Listen well and duly and take it to heart! I shall explain it to you.”[10]
“Excellent, Bhagavān,” said the layman Nandika, and he listened to the Bhagavān.
The Bhagavān said, “Nandika, these ten negative consequences of killing should be known. What are the ten? They are as follows: (1) in this life one will beget hostility and also in other lives one will continue to experience hostility; (2) one will not be trusted by many beings;[11] (3) one will have nightmares; (4) one will experience fear and others will be fearful of you;[12] (5) even after going to sleep comfortably, one will wake up in distress;[13] (6) one will think of evil things; (7) one will be confused at the time of death;[14] (8) since one will commit and accumulate deeds leading to a short life, (9) after the dissolution of the body and death, one will fall into the lower realms, the bad destinations, and be reborn in the hells;[15] (10) even if, after dying and transmigrating from there, one is born in this world as a human, no matter where one is born, one will have a short life and also many illnesses.
F.269.a Nandika, these ten negative consequences of killing should be known.
“Nandika, these ten negative consequences of taking what is not given should be known. What are the ten?[16] (1) One will incur great hostility; (2) one will be highly anxious;[17] (3) one will act at the wrong time, one will act late in the day;[18] (4) one will be surrounded[19] by non-virtuous friends; (5) one will be abandoned by virtuous friends; (6) one will have faulty discipline; (7) one will be troubled by kings,[20] by thieves,[21] and by punishments;[22] (8) since one will commit and accumulate deeds leading to the loss of wealth, (9) after the dissolution of the body and death, one will fall into the lower realms, the bad destinations, and be reborn in the hells; (10) even if, after dying and transmigrating from there, one is born in this world as a human, no matter where one is born, one will be poor.[23] The wealth one has obtained, acquired with great effort,[24] by the sweat of one’s brow, through the strength of one’s arms and legs, will be threatened by the five troubles.
What are the five? One’s property[25] will be laid waste by kings, fire, water, disgruntled heirs, and secrets.[26] Nandika, these ten negative consequences of taking what is not given should be known.
“Nandika, these ten negative consequences of sexual misconduct should be known. What are the ten?F.269.b (1) One will experience the hostility of those whose spouses one has led astray;[27] (2) one will quarrel with one’s spouse; (3) one’s non-virtuous qualities will increase and one’s virtuous qualities will decrease; (4) one will have no peace;[28] (5) one’s son and wife will be unprotected;[29] (6) one’s wealth will be unguarded and unprotected, one’s house will be unguarded and unprotected, and one’s life will be unguarded and unprotected;[30] (7) one will not be trusted by one’s friends, relatives, kinsmen, and ministers;[31] (8) since one will commit and accumulate deeds leading to rivalry,[32] (9) after the dissolution of the body and death, one will fall into the lower realms, the bad destinations, and be reborn in the hells; (10) even if, after dying and transmigrating from there, one is born in this world as a human and becomes a woman, she will have a husband who has rival women, and if one becomes a man, he will not be able to protect his son and wife.
Nandika, these ten negative consequences of sexual misconduct should be known.
“Nandika, these ten negative consequences of telling lies should be known. What are the ten? (1) One’s mouth will be foul-smelling; (2) one will be abandoned by the protective[33] deities of the body and will become vulnerable to non-humans; (3) even when one speaks the truth, one’s words will be distrusted; (4) even when one’s assistance is needed, the learned will not think of asking; (5) untrue calumnies about oneself will spread; (6) one will be unworthy of respect;[34] (7) one will experience suffering and sadness;[35] (8) since one will commit and accumulate deeds leading to many false accusations, (9) after the dissolution of the body and death, one will fall into the lower realms, the bad destinations, and be reborn in the hells; (10) even if, after transmigrating from there, F.270.a one is born in this world as a human, no matter where one is born, one will face many false accusations.[36] Nandika, these ten negative consequences of telling lies should be known.
“Nandika, these thirty-five[37] negative consequences of drinking spirituous liquors and intoxicants,[38] which are the cause of heedlessness, should be known. What are these thirty-five? (1) In this life one’s wealth will be depleted; (2) illnesses will increase;[39] (3) quarrels and disputes will arise;[40] (4) one will pay attention to that which is meaningless;[41] (5) bad reputation will arise; (6) wisdom will weaken; (7) wealth will not be obtained,[42] and whatever wealth has already been obtained will diminish and come to an end; (8) one will be unable to keep secrets;[43] (9) one’s efficiency will wane; (10) one’s strength will be diminished; (11) one will neglect one’s mother; (12) one will neglect one’s father; (13) one will neglect śramaṇas; (14) one will neglect brahmins;[44] (15) one will not honor the head of the family; (16) one will disrespect the Buddha; (17) one will disrespect the Dharma; (18) one will disrespect the Saṅgha; (19) one will disrespect engagement in the trainings and have faulty discipline;[45] (20) the sense doors will be unguarded;[46] (21) one will become extremely heedless toward women;
(22) one will be rejected by relatives, kinsmen, friends, and ministers; (23) one will be considered unattractive by many people;[47] (24) one will become unpleasant to many people; (25) one’s actions will be at odds with Dharma; (26) one will uphold that which is not Dharma;[48] (27) one will abandon the true Dharma; (28) one will abandon modesty and decency;[49]F.270.b (29) even when enemies are present, the learned will not think of asking one for assistance;[50] (30) one will act heedlessly and with negligence;[51] (31) one will not abide by the teaching of the Tathāgata;[52] (32) one will be far from nirvāṇa; (33) since one will commit and accumulate deeds leading to insanity, (34) after the dissolution of the body and death, one will fall into the lower realms, the bad destinations, and be reborn in the hells; (35) even if, after dying and transmigrating from there, one is born in this world as a human, no matter where one is born, one will be mad and have a blurry memory.
Nandika, these thirty-five negative consequences of spirituous liquors and intoxicants, which are the cause of heedlessness, should be known.”
Thus spoke the Bhagavān. After the Sugata had spoken thus, the Teacher added:
The layman Nandika, having heard this teaching in the presence of the Bhagavān, was pleased, delighted, overjoyed, glad, full of happiness and cheerfulness of mind.[60] He rose from his seat, bowed his head to the Bhagavān’s feet, and circumambulated the Bhagavān three times. Delighted, he rejoiced at what the Bhagavān had said and departed.
When the Bhagavān had spoken thus, the monks rejoiced and praised his words.[61]
Thus ends “The Sūtra of Nandika.”Colophon
Translated by the Indian preceptor Śākyasiṃha and the translator Bandé Jingyi Nyingpo, and edited and finalized by the chief editor and translator Bandé Devacandra.
Notes
In Skt1 we find namo buddhāya: “homage to the Buddha.” NSdh reads thams chad mkhyen pa la phyag ’tshal lo: “homage to the Omniscient One.”
backNSdh omits “who surrounded and honored him as he taught the Dharma.”
backMissing in Skt1, Skt2, Taishō 791, and NSdh. The Sanskrit text of this passage can be easily found in other texts, such as the Divyāvadāna (Vaidya 1959, p. 180), Samādhirājasūtra (Vaidya 1961, p. 2), Saddharmapuṇḍarīka (Vaidya 1960, p. 12), and Lalitavistara (Vaidya 1958, p. 2). It reads, with the most common way this passage is parsed: sa dharmaṃ deśayati sma ādau kalyāṇaṃ madhye kalyāṇaṃ paryavasāne kalyāṇam/ svarthaṃ suvyañjanaṃ kevalaṃ paripūrṇaṃ pariśuddhaṃ paryavadātaṃ brahmacaryaṃ saṃprakāśayati sma: “He taught the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end. He expounded the pure conduct that is excellent in meaning, excellent in words, unique, perfect, completely pure, and thoroughly refined.” In Sanskrit, the punctuation varies, but these qualities are meant either as attributes of the Dharma or pure conduct (brahmacarya). Tibetan translators have understood it in different ways. See, for example, The Sūtra on Transmigration Through Existences (Toh 226, #UT22084-063-007-50). See also Mvy 1280–89 for each term. This stock phrase is very common in the Pali Canon as well. It reads, with the most common way this passage is parsed: so dhammaṁ deseti ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ/ kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāseti: “He taught the Dharma, that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, excellent in meaning, and excellent in words. He expounded the pure conduct that is unique, perfect, and completely pure.” The Pali pendant for paryavadātaṃ (“thoroughly refined”) is omitted. See, for example, AN 5.30.
backNSdh has g.yog: “servants.”
back“Great” is missing in Skt1 but available in Skt2 and NSdh.
backNSdh omits the sentence “circumambulated the Bhagavān three times, and sat down to one side.”
backFollowing Skt1, Skt2, F. D, S and He omit “their heads.”
backThis sentence is missing in NSdh.
backHe omits “your eloquence is excellent.”
backSkt1 reads tac chṛṇu sādhu ca suṣṭhu ca manasikuru: “Listen to it and take it well and duly to heart.” NSdh renders it bstan pa de legs par nyon la rab tu yid la zung shig: “Listen well to this teaching and take it duly to heart!”
backSkt1 omits this item. Skt2 reads amanaāpadarśano bhavati: “one’s appearance will be unpleasant” and NSdh reads blta na myi sdug pa yin: “one is unpleasant to look at.”
backSkt1 has only svayaṃ saṃtrāsam āpadyate: “one will experience fear,” while Skt2 reads sattvāni cāsyottrāsam āpadyante: “beings are afraid of one.”
backSkt1 reads duḥkhaṃ ca svapiti duḥkhaṃ ca pratibudhyate: “one sleeps uneasily and awakes uneasily.” This corresponds to item 6) in Skt2. NSdh, Toh 338, and Toh 339 agree with Skt1.
backSkt1 has corrupt samūlaś ca kālaṃ karoti: “one dies entirely,” but Skt2 has saṃmūḍhaś, agreeing with the Tibetan rmongs pa dang bcas pa. Cf. Toh 338 rmugs te tshe ’pho ba’i dus byed pa dang: “one dies in dullness.”
backIn the Tibetan here and in the subsequent lists of ten negative consequences, (8) and (9) are presented as a single causally connected sentence. However we have opted to follow Bhikṣuṇī Vinītā’s numbering of the negative consequences, as based on the Sanskrit.
backThis question is missing in Skt1, but included in Skt2, which adds tadyathā: “thus.”
backFollowing the Tibetan, bag tsha ba chen po. Skt1 reads āśaṅkā: “distrusted” but Skt2 reads guruśaṅkī, which Vinītā emends to gurvāśaṅkī, corresponding to the Tibetan.
backTib. phye ma red kyi dus su ’gro ba ’gyur. Skt1 and NSdh omit this last sentence, but Skt2 agrees with D. It appears that the Tibetan offers two alternative interpretations of the Sanskrit akāla here, which can mean both “at the wrong time” and “at night.”
backSkt1 reads gṛhīta, while Skt2 reads parigṛhīta, matching the Tibetan yongs su zin par.
backVinītā emends Skt1vairopasarggī: “troubled by hostility” to rājopasargī as in Skt2, Tibetan, and Taishō 791. F omits this sentence.
backSkt1 reads duṣṭopasargī ca bhavati: “one becomes troubled by villains.” Skt2 omits this sentence.
backIn the Tibetan these three are presented in three different sentences.
backSkt2 adds alpabhogaś ca: “and (will have) little wealth.”
backTib. rbad pa chen pos. Skt1 and Skt2 read utthānavīryādhigatā (Vinītā gives utthānavīryāvigatā): “that comes from effort and diligence.”
backFollowing Skt1nihitāś cāsya: “one’s deposited property.”
backTib. sbas pas. Skt1 and Skt2 have instead of “secrets” caurato: “by robbers.” Cf. The Sūtra of the Question of Subāhu (Toh 70), #UT22084-043-007-55.
backSkt1 and Skt2 read yeṣāṃ dārān abhimardayati: “whose spouses one ruins.”
backFollowing the Tibetan, ma zhi ba bar ’gyur. Vinītā emends Skt1 according to Skt2 as ātmā cāsyāgupto bhavaty arakṣitaḥ, jīvitaṃ cāsyāguptaṃ bhavaty arakṣitaṃ: “he himself becomes unguarded and unprotected, and his life becomes unguarded and unprotected.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 reads putradāraṃ cāsyāguptaṃ bhavaty arakṣitaṃ: “his son and wife become unguarded and unprotected.”
backIn Skt1 part of item (4).
backFollowing F yid phebs par mi ’gyur ba dang, Skt1 and Skt2 read cāsya viśvāsaṃ na gacchanti. D reads yid ’bebs par mi ’gyur ba dang. On the meaning of yid la ’bebs pa see Vinītā 2010, p. 119, n. c.
backRead with Skt1. The causal connection between (8) and (9) is clearly expressed in D and all other Tibetan canonical versions. D reads ’gran zla dang bcas par ’gyur ba’i las byas shing bsags pas: “because one has committed and accumulated deeds leading to rivalry.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 omit “protective.”
backTib. phyir ldang ba’i ’os ma yin pa, Skt1apratyutthānārhaś, lit. “will not be worthy of rising again.” Here we have followed Vinītā’s interpretation of the Skt. pratyutthāna as “rising from a seat to welcome a visitor, respectful salutation or reception.”
backSkt1 adds bahu-: “much.”
backTibetan reads mi snyan pa brjod pa: “offenses.”
backThe literature on the negative consequences of intoxicating drinks is not completely consistent. Some works refer to thirty-five, others to thirty-six, and some to forty negative consequences. The content of these lists also varies. Skt1 and Taishō 791 list thirty-five, Skt2 lists thirty-six. When referring to this passage of the Nandikasūtra, two Sanskrit manuscripts of the Mahākarmavibhaṅga mention thirty-five and one mentions forty disadvantages. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra lists thirty-six; the Putralekha (Toh 4187) refers to thirty-five; Transformation of Karma (Toh 339) lists thirty-five; The Exposition of Karma (Toh 388) refers to thirty-five, but then lists thirty-six #UT22084-072-038-548. Kawa Paltsek’s An Account of the Precious Teachings together with a Lineage of the Śākya Clan (Toh 4357)http://read.84000.co/translation/toh4357.html, a Tengyur text that quotes from several texts contained in the Potala manuscript, refers to thirty-six negative consequences. For more information on this topic in the Chinese canonical literature see Vinītā 2010, p. 126, n. a.
backTib. ’bru’i chang dang bcos pa’i chang; Skt1 and Skt2: surāmaireyamadya.
backSkt1 and Skt2 read rogānām āyatanaṃ: “it is the cause of illnesses.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 have vivardhana: “increase.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 read kaupīnasaṃdarśanam: “(one’s) private parts are exposed.” The Exposition of Karma (Toh 338) is closer to Sanskrit: sba ba’i gnas ston pa dang: “and (one will) show the private parts.”
backTib. longs spyod thob pa mi ’thob pa ’gyur, lit. “obtained wealth will not be obtained.” Skt1 and Skt2 read anadhigatāś ca bhogā nādhigacchanti: “wealth that has not been obtained will not reach him.” The parallel phrase in The Exposition of Karma (Toh 338) #UT22084-072-038-548 has the preferable Tibetan reading ma thob pa’i longs spyod rnams mi ’thob pa dang: “[one] will not obtain wealth that has not already been obtained.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 read guhyaṃ ca vivṛṇoti: “and one reveals a secret.”
backMissing in Skt1, but present in Skt2.
backThis last sentence is missing in Skt1 but present in Skt2: duḥśīlaś ca bhavati.
backMissing in Skt1 but present in Skt2: indriyeṣvaguptadvāro bhavati.
backSkt1 omits jana: “people.”
backSkt1 reads akarmapratigrāhakaś ca bhavati: “and one commits crime.” Skt2 reads adharmmapratigrāhakaś ca bhavati: “and one accepts that which is not dharma.”
backSkt1 reads apatrāpyaparivarjitaś ca bhavati: “he becomes devoid of shame.” Skt2 reads nihrīko bhavati/ anapatrāpī bhavati: “he becomes shameless and indecent.”
backSkt1 reads na cainaṃ vidvāṃsaḥ pratyayeṣu sthāneṣu paripraṣṭavyaṃ manyante: “the learned do not think of asking him on matters of reason/proof.” Skt2 reads pratyutpanneṣu kāryeṣu na cainaṃ vidvāṃsaḥ paripraṣṭavyaṃ manyante: “when the need arises, the learned do not think of asking him.”
backWe understand nyam bag tu as “negligently,” supported by Skt1 and Skt2upekṣako and Feer’s translation: “avec negligence.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 read only vacana: “words.”
backThe Tibetan perfect form spangs renders the Skt. vivarjayed: “should abandon.” See Beyer 1992 (p. 363, n.11) for the use of the perfect for commands.
backSkt1 has jīvitaṃ paraṃ: “next life,” but Skt2 has jīvitaṃ priyaṃ: “beloved life,” as in Tibetan.
backVinītā and Feer have acknowledged the difficulty of translating this verse. We follow, with some changes, the translation suggested by Jonathan Silk in his review of Vinītā (Silk 2013, p.70). Skt1 and Skt2 read parasya vittaṃ bahuduḥkhasaṃcitaṃ/ na cāpy adattaṃ manasāpi saṃspṛśet/ dṛṣṭvāpi loke priyaviprayogaṃ/ tathaiva cānyeṣu hitāya tiṣṭhet: “Others have acquired wealth with much difficulty, so one should not touch, even mentally, what is not given. Having experienced separation from what one loves in the world, just so one should be steady for the benefit of others.”
backSkt2 matches the Tibetan perfectly, but Skt1 is corrupt: vivarjayet prajvalitam ivoktvāṃ.
backSkt2svakeṣu dāreṣu labheta tuṣṭiṃ: “one should find contentment with one’s own wives.” Skt1 is corrupt and reads svakeṣu dāreṣu na labheta tuṣṭiṃ: “one should not find contentment with one’s own wives.”
backVinītā’s emendation of Skt1 was very helpful here: prāṇaṃ na hanyān na haret parasvaṃ/ mṛṣā na bhāṣen na pibec ca madyam/ parasya bhāryāṃ manasāpi necchet/ svargaṃ ya icchet gṛhavat praviṣṭum. Skt2 and Gilgit diverge from Skt1.
backRead with KY, J, N, C, H: gos dkar gyon pa khyim pa rnams kyis ni/ /khyim gnas rnams kyi bslab pa ’di yin te/ /rgyal bas de gong rab tu byung rnams kyi bslab gzhi’i chos ni rab tu bstan pa yin. D reads de gang instead of de gong. Vinītā’s emendation of Skt1 reads gṛhīṇa tāvac chitavastradhāriṇām/ agāram adhyāvasatām ime ’naghāḥ/ ato bhuyo pravrajitasya deśitā/ jinena śikṣapādadharmadeśanā: “Firstly, these are the faultless [precepts] of householders who wear white clothes and dwell at home; beyond this is the instruction on the teaching about the basic precepts for the renunciate taught by the Victorious One.”
backSkt1 and Skt2 add hṛṣṭa: “merry.”
backSkt1 reads idam avocad bhagavān āttamanāḥ. te ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitam abhyanandann iti: “The delighted Bhagavān had thus spoken, and the monks rejoiced in what the Bhagavān had taught.” Skt2 reads idam avocad bhagavān āttamanā nandikopāsakaḥ pañcaśataparivāras te ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitam abhyanandann iti: “The Bhagavān had thus spoken, and the delighted layman Nandika with his retinue of five hundred and the monks rejoiced in what the Bhagavān had taught.” In Skt2 the adjective āttamanās (delighted) could apply to the Bhagavān or to Nandika, but Nandika has already left the Buddha’s presence.
back
