A teaching for the Buddha's mother

For the Buddha so loved the mother who raised him that he made her the first Buddhist nun.

Thus have I heard. One day the Blessed One (the Buddha) was staying in Vesali, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof in the Great Forest.

[His foster mother, the Scythian/Shakyian former queen, the sister of his biological mother and second wife of his father, the world's first Buddhist nun] Maha Pajapati Gotami went to the Blessed One, bowed, stood respectfully to one side, and said:

"Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One were to teach me the Doctrine (Dhamma) in brief so that, having heard it from the Blessed One, I might dwell apart, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute [withdrawn into calm-and-insight meditation]."

"Gotami, qualities of which it may be said, 'These qualities lead to

• passion rather than dispassion,
• fetters rather than being free,
• accumulating rather than letting go,
• self-aggrandizement rather than modesty,
• discontentedness rather than contentment,
• entanglements rather than seclusion,
• laziness rather than perseverance,
• [indolence rather than persistence,]
• being burdened rather than being unburdened,'

"you may categorically maintain, 'This is not the Doctrine, this is not the Training (Discipline), this is not the Teacher's instruction.'

"As for the [opposite qualities], you may categorically maintain: 'This is the Doctrine, this is the Training [Discipline], this is the Teacher's instruction.'"

That is what the Buddha said. Gratified, Maha Pajapati Gotami rejoiced in his words.

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Contentment

Satthusasana Sutta: "Contentment Discourse (to Upali)," The Teacher's Instruction

Scythians lived in peace thanks to him

Venerable Upali went to the Blessed One, bowed, sat respectfully to one side, and said: "Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One were to teach me the Doctrine in brief so that, having heard it from the Blessed One, I might dwell apart, secluded, heedful, ardent, and resolute."

"Upali, those qualities of which it may be said, 'These things do not lead to complete:

• disenchantment,
• dispassion,
• cessation,
• calm,
• direct knowledge,
• awakening, nor to
• nirvana,'

"you may categorically maintain, 'This is not the Doctrine, this is not the Training, this is not the Teacher's instruction.'

"As for the qualities of which [the opposite may be said], you may categorically maintain, 'This is the Doctrine, this is the Training, this is the Teacher's instruction.'"

• See also: AN 8.53; SN 56.11; MN 72
• Initial steps of the Buddha's training: sikkhāpada
• Dhammapada chapter on sukha: Happiness
• Nibbidā, finding disenchantment – Dharma PhD
• Contemplation on disinterestedness regarding worldly things
• Freedom through letting go (internal renunciation)
• Upāli Sutras (from the Pali canon)
• Edited by Dhr. Seven based on translations by Ven. Thanissaro, Gotami Sutta (AN 8.53 PTS: A iv 280), Satthusasana Sutta (AN 7.79 PTS: A iv 143), Wisdom Quarterly