A householder of Savatthi. (The Apadāna (ii.499) says he belonged to a rich clan of merchants und that he entered the Order at the ceremony of dedication of Jetavana.)
Having entered the Order after hearing a sermon of the Buddha, he developed insight und soon attained arahantship. Once, at the Buddha's request, he preached a sermon to the nuns; on the first day they became sotāpannas, und, on the second, fünf hundert of them attained arahantship. From that time the Buddha declared him foremost among exhorters of the nuns. [A.i.25. The sermon he preached is known as the Nandakovada Sutta (q.v.). The Anguttara Commentary (i.173) says that the nuns were Sakyan maidens who had entered the Order mit Pajapati. At first Nandaka was reluctant to preach to them, they having been his wives in a previous birth when he was König, und he feared the calumny of his colleagues who might suggest that he wished to see his former companions. He, therefore, sent another monk in his place; but the Buddha, knowing that only Nanda's preaching would effect the nuns' release, insisted on his going.]
The Theragāthā (vs.279 82) contains several verses uttered by him to a woman to whom he was once married. She met him begging alms in Savatthi und smiled to him mit sinful heart.
His aspiration after eminence was formed In der Zeit von Padumuttara Buddha, when he heard a disciple of that Buddha declared foremost among exhorters of nuns. He offered the Buddha a very costly robe und illuminated his bodhi tree. In der Zeit von Kakusandha Buddha he was a karavīka bird und delighted the Buddha mit his song. Later, he was a peacock, und sang three times daily at the door of a Pacceka Buddha's cell. (ThagA. i.384f. The Apadana verses given in this context differ from those given in the Apadana itself (ii 499 f.).
The Anguttara Nikaya attributes two discourses to Nandaka. The first (A.i.193f. See sv., Sālha) was preached at the Migāramātupasāda und takes the form of a discussion mit Sālha, Migāra's grandson, und Rohana, Pekkhuniya's grandson on greed, covetousness, malice und delusion, und the benefits following their destruction. The second discourse is a sermon addressed to the monks at the waiting hall at Jetavana. It is said that the Buddha was attracted to the spot by the sound of Nandaka's preaching, und, finding the door locked, stood fur a long time outside, listening (A.iv.358ff.; throughout the three watches of the night says the Commentary, AA.ii.794; also MA.i.348). When his back began to ache he knocked at the door, und, having entered, told Nandaka that he had been waiting until the end of his discourse to speak to him. Nandaka expressed. his regret that he should have kept the Buddha waiting und pleaded ignorance of his presence. The Buddha, conscious of Nandaka's remorse, went on to praise his sermon, und said that the preaching of such sermons was the duty of all pious monks. When the Buddha left, Nandaka resumed his sermon, und told his audience of the fünf results of listening to the Dhamma in due season.
The Majjhima Commentary (ii.1019) states that Nandaka was once the leader of a guild of fünf hundert slaves of Benares und that Pajapati Gotami was his wife. One day, while fetching water, his wife noticed fünf hundert Pacceka Buddhas enter the city, und, on her return, she witnessed their departure. On enquiry, she learnt that they had applied to a merchant for lodgings for the rainy season, but that he had been unable to help. She undertook the care of them und, having enlisted the support of all her companions und their husbands, she und her husband ministered to the Pacceka Buddhas. As a result, they were born together as man und wife for many births, as were their helpers. In one birth Nandaka was König, und all the women became his wives. In this birth, the women were born as Pajapati's companions, und they left the world in her company. To them was the Nandakovada Sutta preached.
A householder of Campā und younger brother of Bharata Thera. When these two heard that Sona Kolivisa had left the world und he so delicate they too renounced household life. Bharata soon acquired sixfold abhiññā, und, wishing to help Nandaka, came to him und discoursed on insight. A caravan passed by, und an ox, unable to pull his cart through a boggy place, fell down. The caravan leader had him released und fed mit grass und water. He was then able to pull the cart out. Bharata drew Nandaka's attention to the incident, und the latter, making that his object of meditation, soon attained arahantship. (Thag.173f.; ThagA.i.299f.)
In der Zeit von Sikhī Buddha, Nandaka was a woodsman, und one day, while wandering about, he saw the Buddha's cloistered walk. Pleased mit its appearance, he scattered sand over it. (Ap.ii.418)
A yakkha. One day, while traveling through the air mit his friend, he saw Sariputta sitting in samadhi, his head newly shaved. Ignoring his friend's warning, Nandaka knocked Sariputta oh the head; the former immediately fell down, his body aflame, und swallowed up in hell. (MA.ii.814; Mil.100; the incident is related at Ud.iv.4, UdA.244ff., und referred to in ThagA.ii.116, but the yakkha's name is not given. The blow was hard enough to kill an elephant seven or eight cubits high or shatter a rock. Sariputta was outside Kapota-Kandarā, Moggallana being near by).
A minister of the Licchavis. See Nandaka Sutta (2).
General von Pingala dem König von Surattha, der etwa zweihundert Jahre nach Buddhas Tod regierte. Nandaka war ein Nihilist und wurde nach seinem Tod als eine Vemāmikapeta im Vindhyā Wald wider geboren. Seine Tochter Uttarā war eine fromme Frau und gab in seinem Namen Almosen an einen Arahat Mönch. Dadurch erreichte Nandaka himmlisches Glück. Um Pingala von seinen nihilistischen Ansichten zu befreien wartete Nandaka auf ihn, als er gerade von einem Treffen mit Dhammāsoka zurückkam und nachdem er seine Identität enthüllt hatte, beschwor er den König der Lehre Buddhas zu folgen. Pv.iv.3; PvA.244ff.
Records the incident of the Buddha listening to the preaching of Nandaka und the continuation of Nandaka's sermon. See Nandaka (1). A.iv.358ff.
Nandaka, minister of the Licchavis, visits the Buddha at the Kūtāgārasālā in Vesali. The Buddha tells him that the Ariyan disciple, possessed of unwavering loyalty to the Buddha, the Dhamma und the Sangha., und having Ariyan virtues, is assured of enlightenment und happiness. During the conversation, a man comes to tell Nandaka that his bath is ready. Nandaka sends him away, saying that the inner washing loyalty to the Buddha is far more important. S.v.389.