Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho mahāpajāpatī gotamī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā mahāpajāpatī gotamī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Once, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Vesāli::capital of the Licchavīs [vesālī]|, in the |Great Forest::name of a forest outside Vesāli; lit. great forest [mahāvana]|, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī approached the Blessed One; having approached, she paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, |Mahāpajāpati::Buddha’s foster-mother; first Bhikkhunī [mahāpajāpati]| Gotamī said to the Blessed One:
“Sādhu me, bhante, bhagavā saṅkhittena dhammaṁ desetu, yamahaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ sutvā ekā vūpakaṭṭhā appamattā ātāpinī pahitattā vihareyyan”ti.
“It would be good for me, venerable sir, if the Blessed One would teach the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| briefly, such that having heard the Blessed One’s Dhamma, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, |diligent::doing one’s work or duty well, with alertness, carefulness and care [appamatta]|, |resolute::determined, intent [pahitatta]|, and |with continuous effort::ardent, zealous, with energy, with application; lit. burning [ātāpī]|.”
Not the Teacher’s Instruction
“Ye kho tvaṁ, gotami, dhamme jāneyyāsi:
“Gotamī, those things of which you may know:
1.) ‘ime dhammā sarāgāya saṁvattanti, no virāgāya;
1.) ‘These things lead to |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, not to dispassion;
2.) saṁyogāya saṁvattanti, no visaṁyogāya;
2.) to |being bound::bondage, fetter, association, attachment, involvement [saṁyoga]|, not to being unbound;
3.) ācayāya saṁvattanti, no apacayāya;
3.) to |accumulation::increase, growth [ācaya]|, not to reduction;
4.) mahicchatāya saṁvattanti, no appicchatāya;
4.) to |wanting more::having many desires, greediness [mahicchatā]|, not to wanting less;
5.) asantuṭṭhiyā saṁvattanti, no santuṭṭhiyā;
5.) to |discontentment::dissatisfaction [asantuṭṭhi]|, not to contentment;
6.) saṅgaṇikāya saṁvattanti, no pavivekāya;
6.) to |company::socializing, society, association [saṅgaṇikā]|, not to seclusion;
7.) kosajjāya saṁvattanti, no vīriyārambhāya;
7.) to |idleness::A behavioral and mental condition characterized by passivity, inertia, and disengagement from effort. It denotes the absence or collapse of energy, manifesting as neglect of duties or wholesome pursuits. [kosajja]|, not to rousing of energy;
8.) dubbharatāya saṁvattanti, no subharatāyā’ti.
8.) to |being difficult to support::being burdensome [dubbharatā]|, not to being easy to support.’
ekaṁsena, gotami, dhāreyyāsi: ‘neso dhammo, neso vinayo, netaṁ satthusāsanan’ti.
Gotamī, you should |definitively::absolutely, certainly; lit. one point-ness [ekaṁsena]| bear in mind: ‘This is not the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|, this is not the |Vinaya::training, discipline [vinaya]|, this is not the Teacher’s instruction.’
Teacher’s Instruction
Ye ca kho tvaṁ, gotami, dhamme jāneyyāsi:
But, Gotamī, those things of which you may know:
1.) ‘ime dhammā virāgāya saṁvattanti, no sarāgāya;
1.) ‘These things lead to dispassion, not to passion;
2.) visaṁyogāya saṁvattanti, no saṁyogāya;
2.) to |being unbound::release, liberation [visaṁyoga]|, not to being bound;
3.) apacayāya saṁvattanti, no ācayāya;
3.) to |reduction::decrease, dispersal, discarding, less [apacaya]|, not to accumulation;
4.) appicchatāya saṁvattanti, no mahicchatāya;
4.) to |wanting less::having few wishes [appicchatā]|, not to wanting more;
5.) santuṭṭhiyā saṁvattanti, no asantuṭṭhiyā;
5.) to |contentment::satisfaction [santuṭṭhi]|, not to discontentment;
6.) pavivekāya saṁvattanti, no saṅgaṇikāya;
6.) to |seclusion::solitude [paviveka]|, not to company;
7.) vīriyārambhāya saṁvattanti, no kosajjāya;
7.) to |rousing of energy::taking initiative, making a mental decision to act [vīriyārambha]|, not to idleness;
8.) subharatāya saṁvattanti, no dubbharatāyā’ti.
8.) to |being easy to support::being unburdensome, being low maintenance [subharatā]|, not to being difficult to support.’
ekaṁsena, gotami, dhāreyyāsi: ‘eso dhammo, eso vinayo, etaṁ satthusāsanan’”ti.
Gotamī, you should definitively bear in mind: ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the |Teacher’s instruction::lit. message of the teacher [satthusāsana]|.’”