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5.

1. Now Mahâ-pagâpatî the Gotamî went to the Blessed One [&c., as before], and said: 'May the Blessed One preach to me the Dhamma (truth, doctrine) in abstract; so that, having heard the doctrine of the Blessed One, I may remain alone and separate, earnest, zealous, and resolved 1.'

'Of whatsoever doctrines thou shalt be conscious, Gotamî, that they conduce to passion and not to peace, to pride and not to veneration, to wishing for much and not to wishing for little, to love of society and not to seclusion, to sloth and not to the exercise of zeal, to being hard to satisfy and not to content 2--verily mayest thou then, Gotamî, bear in mind

p. 330

that that is not Dhamma, that that is not Vinaya, that that is not the teaching of the Master. But of whatsoever doctrines thou shalt be conscious, Gotamî, that they conduce to peace and not to passion, to veneration and not to pride, to wishing for little and not to wishing for much, to seclusion and not to love of society, to the exercise of zeal and not to sloth, to content and not to querulousness--verily mayest thou then bear in mind that that is Dhamma, and that is Vinaya, and that the teaching of the Master.'


Footnotes

329:1 These last words are the standing expression for the preparatory stage to Arahatship. Compare Mahâvagga I, 6, 16; Mahâ-parinibbâna Sutta V, 68. The whole speech frequently occurs in the Samyutta Nikâya at the commencement of conversations with the Buddha.

329:2 Most of these terms have already occurred in the standing 'religious discourse' which is related to have preceded the enunciation of so many of the rules for Bhikkhus (Kullavagga I, 2, 3).


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