500 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



Nanda had become thoroughly dissatisfied with the Religious Life, 

 and one day he told his brethren that he was going to return to the 

 "World. When this was reported to the Teacher, he asked Nanda 

 what was the matter. Nanda told him that he was so deeply in 

 love with Country Beauty that he could not keep his mind on his re- 

 ligious duties. The Teacher, taking him by the arm, led him to a 

 burnt field, and showed him a singed monkey that had lost ears, nose, 

 and tail, sitting on a charred stump ; then, by his supernatural power, 

 conducting him to the world of the Thirty-three, he showed him five 

 hundred pink-footed celestial nymphs. Then said the Teacher : 

 " Nanda, which do you regard as being the more beautiful, Country 

 Beauty or these five hundred pink-footed celestial nymphs 1 " Nanda 

 replied : " Venerable sir, Country Beauty is as far inferior to these 

 nymphs as she is superior to that singed monkey." " Cheer up, Nanda ; 

 I guarantee that you will win these nymphs if you only persevere in 

 the Religious Life." The Teacher allowed it to become generally 

 known that he had made this promise to Nanda ; whereupon the latter 

 was subjected to such intense ridicule by his brethren that he returned 

 to his religious duties with redoubled energy. In a short time he at- 

 tained Arahatship ; whereupon he went to the Teacher and said, 

 "Venerable sir, I release the Exalted One from his promise." " But," 

 said the Teacher, " when you attained Arahatship, at that moment I 

 was released from my promise." (116-121) 



One day Nanda told the other monks that he no longer had any 

 desire to go back to the life of a householder. The monks reported 

 this statement to the Teacher, who compared Nanda's former state to 

 that of an ill-thatched house, and his latter state to that of a well- 

 thatched house, and pronounced Stanzas 13-14, at the conclusion of 

 which many of his hearers were established in Fruits. (121-2) 



The monks were amazed at the Teacher's complete success in win- 

 ning Nanda's obedience by employing the nymphs as a lure. But the 

 Teacher said : " This is not the first time Nanda has been won to 

 obedience by the lure of the opposite sex. The same thing happened 

 once before." And he told the following tale of the past : (122-3) 



Kappata and the Donkey. Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta 

 reigned at Benares, there lived in that city a merchant named Kap- 

 pata; and he had a donkey. Every day the merchant loaded the 

 donkey down with pottery and made him go at least seven leagues. 

 One day he made a trip to Takkasila ; and while he was engaged in 

 disposing of his wares, he let the donkey run loose. The donkey, see- 

 ing a female of his species, went up to her. She greeted him in a 

 friendly way and said, " Where have you come from ? " " From Ben- 



