sutta » sn » sn1 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.11

Nandanasutta

The Garden of Delight

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapiṇḍika’s Park.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhikkhus!”
“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Blessed One said this:
The Buddha said this:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññatarā tāvatiṁsakāyikā devatā nandane vane accharāsaṅghaparivutā dibbehi pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitā samaṅgībhūtā paricārayamānā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
“Once in the past, bhikkhus, a certain devatā of the Tavatiṁsa host was revelling in Nandana Grove, supplied and endowed with the five cords of celestial sensual pleasure, accompanied by a retinue of celestial nymphs. On that occasion he spoke this verse:
“Once upon a time, mendicants, a certain deity of the company of the Thirty-Three was amusing themselves in the Garden of Delight, escorted by a band of nymphs, and supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation. On that occasion they recited this verse:

‘Na te sukhaṁ pajānanti,
“‘They do not know bliss
‘They don’t know pleasure

ye na passanti nandanaṁ;
Who have not seen Nandana,
who don’t see the Garden of Delight!

Āvāsaṁ naradevānaṁ,
The abode of the glorious male devas
It’s the abode of lordly gods,

tidasānaṁ yasassinan’ti.
Belonging to the host of Thirty. ’
the glorious host of Thirty!’

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, aññatarā devatā taṁ devataṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:
“When this was said, bhikkhus, a certain devatā replied to that devatā in verse:
When they had spoken, another deity replied with this verse:

‘Na tvaṁ bāle pajānāsi,
“‘Don’t you know, you fool,
‘Fool, don’t you understand

yathā arahataṁ vaco;
That maxim of the arahants?
the saying of the perfected ones:

Aniccā sabbasaṅkhārā,
Impermanent are all formations;
All conditions are impermanent,

uppādavayadhammino;
Their nature is to arise and vanish.
their nature is to rise and fall;

Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,
Having arisen, they cease:
having arisen, they cease;

tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho’”ti.
Their appeasement is blissful. ’”
their stilling is true bliss.’”