#8. With Nanda

Venerable Nanda wore pretty robes, a fancy bowl, and makeup, so the Buddha encouraged him to embrace simplicity. At Sāvatthī. Then Venerable Nanda—the Buddha’s cousin on his mother’s side—dressed in nicely pressed and ironed robes, applied eyeshadow, and took a polished black bowl. He went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Nanda, as a gentleman who has gone forth in faith from the lay life to homelessness, it’s not appropriate for you to dress in nicely pressed and ironed robes, apply eyeshadow, and carry a polished black bowl. [Read More]