In those days, the Buddha was living in the city of Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. One day, Nandaka the Licchavi minister went to the Buddha, bowed respectfully, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:
“Nandaka, a noble disciple who has four factors is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the lower worlds and is headed towards Nibbāna. What are the four factors? It’s when a noble disciple has unshakable confidence in the Buddha… the Dhamma… the Saṅgha… And he has the virtue loved by the noble ones… leading to concentration. A noble disciple who has these four factors is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the lower worlds and is headed towards Nibbāna.
“Nandaka, a noble disciple who has these four factors is guaranteed both human and divine long life, human and divine beauty, human and divine happiness, human and divine fame, and human and divine power. Nandaka, I don’t say this because I’ve heard it from some other person. I only say it because I’ve known, seen, and realized it for myself.”
When the Buddha had spoken, a certain person said to Nandaka:
“Sir, it is time to bathe.”
Nandaka replied, “Enough now, with that exterior bath. The confidence in the Buddha is the interior bathing. This interior bathing will do for me.
