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Question – Friend, how was the Elder Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī established in this foremost position by the Blessed One, among the thirteen elder nuns mentioned in the Foremost Section? Answer – Venerable sir, among the thirteen elder nuns mentioned in the Foremost Section, the Elder Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī was established in this foremost position by the Blessed One thus: "Monks, among my disciple nuns who are long-standing, that is Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī." "Monks, among my disciple nuns who are long-standing, that is Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī." Question – But friend, how was the Elder Khemā, the chief disciple, established in this foremost position by the Blessed One? Answer – Venerable sir, the Elder Khemā, the first chief disciple, was established in this foremost position by the Blessed One thus: "Monks, among my disciple nuns who are greatly wise, that is Khemā." "Those who, stained by passion, fall into the stream, Like a spider into its self-made web, The wise, cutting even this, go forth; Unattached, abandoning all suffering." "Monks, among my disciple nuns who are greatly wise that is Khemā.” Question: How, friends, was the Elder Uppalavaṇṇā, the second chief female disciple, placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position? Answer: The Elder Uppalavaṇṇā, venerable sir, the second chief female disciple, was placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position thus: “Among my female disciples, bhikkhunīs, who are endowed with psychic power, bhikkhus, this Uppalavaṇṇā is the foremost.” “Among my female disciples, bhikkhunīs, who are endowed with psychic power, bhikkhus, this Uppalavaṇṇā is the foremost.” The Story of the Bhikkhunī Elder Paṭācārā Question: How, friends, among the thirteen female Elders mentioned in the Anguttara Nikāya, Ekaka Nipāta, Etadagga Vagga, by that Blessed One… and Fully Enlightened One, was the Elder named Paṭācārā placed in this foremost position? Answer: Among the thirteen female Elders mentioned in the Etadagga Vagga, venerable sir, the Elder Paṭācārā was placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position thus: “Among my female disciples, bhikkhunīs, who are experts in Vinaya, bhikkhus, this Paṭācārā is the foremost.” “Both my sons are dead, My husband died on the road; My mother and father and brother, Are burned on a single pyre.” “The water in the four oceans is little, Much more is the water of tears, not a little; The sorrow of a person afflicted with suffering, Why, mother, are you heedless?” “There are no sons for protection, No father, nor relatives; For one overcome by the Ender, There is no protection among kinsmen; Knowing this meaning, the wise one, restrained in virtue; Should quickly purify the path to Nibbāna.” “And whoever lives for a hundred years, Not seeing rise and fall; Better is one day of life, Seeing rise and fall.” “Among my female disciples, bhikkhunīs, who are experts in Vinaya, bhikkhus, this Paṭācārā is the foremost.” The Story of the Bhikkhunī Elder Dhammadinnā Question: How, friends, was the Elder Dhammadinnā placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position? Answer: The Elder Dhammadinnā, venerable sir, “Among my among my female disciples, the bhikkhunis who are speakers of Dhamma, that is Dhammadinna.” Thus, venerable sir, she was placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position. “For whom before and after, And in the middle, there is nothing; Having nothing, not grasping, Him I call a brahmin.” – “Among my female disciples, the bhikkhunis who are speakers of Dhamma, that is Dhammadinna, is foremost.” – The Story of the Theri Bhikkhuni Yasodhara Question – Friend, how was the theri Yasodhara, also known as Bhaddakaccana, placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position? Answer – Venerable sir, the theri Yasodhara, also known as Bhaddakaccana, was placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position, saying: “Among my female disciples, the bhikkhunis who have attained great supernormal powers, that is Bhaddakaccana, is foremost.” “Among my female disciples, the bhikkhunis who have attained great supernormal powers, that is Bhaddakaccana, is foremost.” – The Story of Tapussa and Bhallika Question – Friend, in the Anguttara Nikaya, in the Etadagga Vagga, among the eleven lay followers mentioned, how were the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position? Answer – Venerable sir, the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika were placed by the Blessed One in this foremost position, saying: “Among my male disciples, the lay followers who first went for refuge, that is the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, are foremost.” “Venerable sir, we go for refuge to the Blessed One and to the Dhamma. May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge from this day forth as long as life lasts.” – “Among my male disciples, the lay followers who first went for refuge, that is the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, are foremost.” – The Story of Anathapindika Question – Friend, how was the householder Sudatta, Anathapindika, placed in this foremost position by that Blessed One, the Arahant…pe… the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, among the eleven lay followers mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya, in the Eka Nipata, in the Etadagga Vagga? Answer – In the Etadagga Vagga, venerable sir, there is Among those eleven lay followers, Sudatta the householder, Anāthapiṇḍika, (was declared): "Foremost, monks, among my lay disciples who are givers, is Sudatta the householder, Anāthapiṇḍika." Thus, indeed, venerable sir, was he placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position. "Foremost, monks, among my lay disciples who are givers, is Sudatta the householder, Anāthapiṇḍika –" The Story of Sūrambaṭṭha the Lay Follower Question – How, friend, was Sūrambaṭṭha the lay follower placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position? Answer – Sūrambaṭṭha the lay follower (was declared): "Foremost, monks, among my lay disciples who have unwavering faith, is Sūrambaṭṭha." Thus, indeed, venerable sir, was he placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position. "Foremost, monks, among my lay disciples who have unwavering faith, is Sūrambaṭṭha," he said – The Story of Sujātā the Lay Follower Question – Among the ten lay women followers mentioned in the Foremost Chapter, friend, how was Sujātā the lay follower, Seniya's daughter, placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position? Answer – Sujātā, venerable sir, Seniya's daughter, (was declared): "Foremost, monks, among my lay women disciples who first went for refuge, is Sujātā, Seniya's daughter." Thus, indeed, venerable sir, was she placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position. "We, venerable sir, go for refuge to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the Sangha of monks. May the Blessed One remember us as lay women followers, who from today forth, have gone for refuge for life," she said – "Foremost, monks, among my lay women disciples who first went for refuge, is Sujātā, Seniya's daughter" – The Story of Visākhā the Lay Follower Question – And Visākhā the lay follower, friend, how was she placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position? Answer – Visākhā, venerable sir, the lay follower, Migāra's mother, (was declared): "Foremost, monks, among my lay women disciples who are givers, is Visākhā, Migāra's mother." Thus, indeed, venerable sir, was she placed by the Blessed One in the foremost position. "Foremost, monks, among my among female disciples, among laywomen, among givers, namely Visakha, Migara's mother. Thus it is said. The Account of Laywoman Khujjuttara Question: Friend, among the ten laywomen mentioned by that Blessed One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, in the Foremost Chapter of the Book of the Ones in the Anguttara Nikaya, how was the laywoman named Khujjuttara placed in the position of foremost? Answer: Venerable Sir, among the ten laywomen mentioned in the Foremost Chapter, the laywoman Khujjuttara was placed in the position of foremost by the Blessed One with these words: "Foremost, monks, among my female disciples, laywomen, who are learned, is Khujjuttara." "Foremost, monks, among my female disciples, laywomen, who are learned, is Khujjuttara." Thus it is said. The Account of Laywoman Kali Question: Friend, how was the laywoman named Kali, of Kuraraghara, placed in the position of foremost by the Blessed One? Answer: Venerable Sir, the laywoman Kali of Kuraraghara was placed in the position of foremost by the Blessed One with these words: "Foremost, monks, among my female disciples, laywomen, who are confident through repeated hearing, is Laywoman Kali of Kuraraghara." "Foremost, monks, among my female disciples, laywomen, who are confident through repeated hearing, is Laywoman Kali of Kuraraghara." The Passage on Impossibilities Question: Friend, how was the entire Passage on Impossibilities spoken by the Blessed One? Answer: Venerable Sir, the entire Passage on Impossibilities was spoken by the Blessed One beginning thus: "This is an impossibility, monks, there is no opportunity for a person endowed with right view to regard any formation as permanent. This is not a possibility. But this, monks, is a possibility: that an ordinary person would regard any formation as permanent. This is a possibility." The Passage on One Dhamma, First Chapter Question: Friend, what kind of Dhamma teaching was taught by the Blessed One in the first chapter of the Passage on One Dhamma? Answer: Venerable Sir, in the first chapter of the Passage on One Dhamma, the teaching was: "One thing, monks, developed and made much of, leads exclusively to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, tranquility..." to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna. What is that one thing? Mindfulness of the Buddha. This, monks, is that one thing, developed and made much of, which leads to complete disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to tranquility, to direct knowledge, to full enlightenment, to Nibbāna."