Once, the Blessed One was dwelling in Vesālī in the Great Wood, 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, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī said to the Blessed One:

"Please, venerable sir, teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, diligent, ardent, and resolute."

"Gotamī, you should know the Dhamma to be abandoned if you find:

1 'These teachings lead to passion, not to dispassion;

2 to being bound, not to being unbound;

3 to accumulation, not to reduction;

4 to wanting more, not to wanting less;

5 to discontentment, not to contentment;

6 to company, not to seclusion;

7 to procrastination, not to arousing energy;

8 to being difficult to support, not to being easy to support.'

In this way, Gotamī, you should conclude: 'This is not the Dhamma, this is not the Vinaya, this is not the Teacher's instruction.'

And, Gotamī, you should know the Dhamma to be embraced if you find:

1 'These teachings lead to dispassion, not to passion;

2 to being unbound, not to being bound;

3 to reduction, not to accumulation;

4 to wanting less, not to wanting more;

5 to contentment, not to discontentment;

6 to seclusion, not to company;

7 to arousing energy, not to procrastination;

8 to being easy to support, not to being difficult to support.'

In this way, Gotamī, you should conclude: 'This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher's instruction.'"