1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, dreadful are gain, honour, and praise … . A faithful female lay follower, rightly imploring her only daughter, dear and beloved, might implore her thus: ‘Dear, you should become like Khujjuttarā the lay follower and Veḷukaṇḍakiyā, Nanda's mother’—for this is the standard and criterion for my female disciples who are lay followers, that is, Khujjuttarā the lay follower and Veḷukaṇḍakiya, Nanda's mother. [n.329] Khujjuttarā was the foremost female lay disciple among those who have learned much, Veḷukaṇḍakiyā (or Uttarā) Nandamātā the foremost of the meditators; see AN I 26,19, 21. Khema and Uppalavaṇṇā, mentioned just below, were the foremost bhikkhunis in regard to wisdom and spiritual power, respectively. Uppalavaṇṇā has appeared at SN5:5, and Khema gives a discourse at SN44:1. ‘But if, dear, you go forth from the household life into homelessness, you should become like the bhikkhunīs Khema and Uppalavaṇṇā’—for this is the standard and criterion for my female disciples who are bhikkhunīs, that is, Khema and Uppalavaṇṇā. ‘While, dear, you are a trainee, one who has not yet reached her mind's ideal, may gain, honour, and praise not come upon you!’

"Bhikkhus, if gain, honour, and praise come upon a bhikkhunī while she is still a trainee, one who has not yet reached her mind's ideal, this is an obstacle for her. So dreadful, bhikkhus, are gain, honour, and praise … . Thus should you train yourselves."

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko … pe … saddhā bhikkhave upāsikā ekaṁ dhītaraṁ piyaṁ manāpaṁ evaṁ sammā āyācamānā āyāceyya: ‘tādisā, ayye, bhavāhi yādisā khujjuttarā ca upāsikā veḷukaṇḍakiyā ca nandamātā’ti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvikānaṁ upāsikānaṁ, yadidaṁ khujjuttarā ca upāsikā veḷukaṇḍakiyā ca nandamātā. Sace kho tvaṁ, ayye, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajasi; tādisā, ayye, bhavāhi yādisā khemā ca bhikkhunī uppalavaṇṇā cāti. Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvikānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ, yadidaṁ khemā ca bhikkhunī uppalavaṇṇā ca. Mā ca kho tvaṁ, ayye, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātūti.

Tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniṁ sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇāti, so tassā hoti antarāyāya. Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko … pe … evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban"ti.

Catutthaṁ.