[50] On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna were wandering on tour in Dakkhiṇāgiri together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus. Now on that occasion the female lay follower (upāsikā) Nandamātā of Veḷukaṇṭaka, having risen in the night at the time of dawn, was reciting the Pārāyana aloud in intoned recitation. And on that occasion the great king Vessavaṇa was travelling from the northern quarter to the southern quarter on some business or other. The great king Vessavaṇa heard the lay follower Nandamātā reciting the Pārāyana aloud, and having heard her, he stood waiting for the recitation to conclude. Then the lay follower Nandamātā, having recited the Pārāyana aloud, fell silent. Then the great king Vessavaṇa, knowing that the lay follower Nandamātā's recitation had concluded, expressed his delight: "Excellent, sister! Excellent, sister!"
"But who is this, O fair-faced one?"
"Sister, I am your brother, the great king Vessavaṇa."
"Very good, O fair-faced one. Then let this exposition of the Dhamma that I have recited be my guest-gift (ātitheyya) to you."
"Very good, sister. Let that indeed be my guest-gift. Tomorrow the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna, not yet having taken their morning meal, will come to Veḷukaṇṭaka. Having served that Saṅgha of bhikkhus, you should dedicate the offering (dakkhiṇā) to me. That too will be my guest-gift."
Then, when that night had passed, the lay follower Nandamātā had a certain man prepare fine foods, both hard and soft, in her own residence. Then the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna, not yet having taken their morning meal, arrived at Veḷukaṇṭaka. Then the lay follower Nandamātā addressed a certain man: "Come, good man, go to the monastery and announce the time to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus, saying: 'It is time, venerable sirs; the meal is ready in the residence of the lady Nandamātā.'" "Yes, my lady," that man replied to the lay follower Nandamātā, and having gone to the monastery he announced the time to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus: "It is time, venerable sirs; the meal is ready in the residence of the lady Nandamātā." Then, in the morning, the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna, having dressed and taken bowl and robe, approached the residence of the lay follower Nandamātā; having approached, they sat down on the seats prepared. Then the lay follower Nandamātā with her own hands served and satisfied the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna with fine foods, both hard and soft. Then, when the Venerable Sāriputta had finished eating and had withdrawn his hand from the bowl, the lay follower Nandamātā sat down to one side. As she sat to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the lay follower Nandamātā: "But who, Nandamātā, announced to you the coming of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus?"
"Here, venerable sir, having risen in the night at the time of dawn, I recited the Pārāyana aloud and then fell silent. Then, venerable sir, the great king Vessavaṇa, knowing that my recitation had concluded, expressed his delight: 'Excellent, sister! Excellent, sister!' 'But who is this, O fair-faced one?' 'Sister, I am your brother, the great king Vessavaṇa.' 'Very good, O fair-faced one. Then let this exposition of the Dhamma that I have recited be my guest-gift to you.' 'Very good, sister. Let that indeed be my guest-gift. Tomorrow the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna, not yet having taken their morning meal, will come to Veḷukaṇṭaka. Having served that Saṅgha of bhikkhus, you should dedicate the offering to me. That too will be my guest-gift.' Venerable sir, whatever merit there is in this gift — that merit and greatness of merit — may it be for the happiness of the great king Vessavaṇa."
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā, that you should converse face to face with the great king Vessavaṇa, a deva (devaputta) of such great power, of such great might!"
"Venerable sir, that is not my only astounding and amazing quality; I have another astounding and amazing quality. Here, venerable sir, I had an only son named Nanda, dear and agreeable. On some ground or other the kings dragged him off, seized him by force, and deprived him of life. Yet, venerable sir, when that boy of mine was seized or being seized, executed or being executed, slain or being slain, I do not recall any alteration of my mind (citta)."
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā, that you should purify even the mere arising of a thought (cittuppāda)!"
"Venerable sir, that is not my only astounding and amazing quality; I have another astounding and amazing quality. Here, venerable sir, my husband died and was reborn in a certain class of yakkhas. He showed himself to me in that very same bodily form as before. Yet, venerable sir, I do not recall any alteration of my mind on that account."
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā, that you should purify even the mere arising of a thought!"
"Venerable sir, that is not my only astounding and amazing quality; I have another astounding and amazing quality. Venerable sir, since I was brought, still a young girl, to my husband who was himself still young, I do not recall having transgressed against him even in mind — how then with the body?"
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā, that you should purify even the mere arising of a thought!"
"Venerable sir, that is not my only astounding and amazing quality; I have another astounding and amazing quality. Venerable sir, since I declared myself a lay follower, I do not recall having deliberately transgressed any training rule (sikkhāpada)."
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā!"
"Venerable sir, that is not my only astounding and amazing quality; I have another astounding and amazing quality. Here, venerable sir, for as long as I wish, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I enter and dwell in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought (vitakka) and examination (vicāra), with rapture (pīti) and happiness born of seclusion. With the stilling of thought and examination, I enter and dwell in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and without examination, with rapture and happiness born of concentration (samādhi). With the fading away of rapture, I dwell equanimous and, with mindfulness (sati) and clear comprehension, I experience happiness with the body; I enter and dwell in the third jhāna, of which the noble ones declare: 'Equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.' With the abandoning of pleasure and the abandoning of pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and grief, I enter and dwell in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant and has purification of mindfulness by equanimity (upekkhā)."
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā!"
"Venerable sir, that is not my only astounding and amazing quality; I have another astounding and amazing quality. Venerable sir, of those five lower fetters (saṃyojana) taught by the Blessed One, I do not see any one of them unabandoned in myself."
"It is astounding, Nandamātā, it is amazing, Nandamātā!"
Then the Venerable Sāriputta, having instructed, roused, inspired, and gladdened the lay follower Nandamātā with a talk on the Dhamma, rose from his seat and departed.
The Mahāyañña Vagga, the fifth.
Its summary (uddāna):
Citta, Parikkhāra, the two on Fire, Perception and another two,
Sexual Intercourse and Bondage, Giving, and the Mother — these are the ten.
The Fifty (Paṇṇāsaka) is concluded.
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The vaggas not included in the Fifty:
The Abyākata Vagga, the first.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.