A laywoman should wish for her daughter to become like the foremost female lay disciples Khujjuttarā and Nandamātā, and if she goes forth, may acquisitions, respect, and popularity not come upon her while she is still a trainee.

SN 17.24  Ekadhītu sutta - Only Daughter

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

At Sāvatthi.

“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.

“Bhikkhus, |acquisitions::gain, money, profit, possessions [lābhā]|, |respect::honor, accolade, reverence [sakkāra]|, and |popularity::fame, praise [siloka]| are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

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.

Bhikkhus, a |faithful::confident, believing, devoted, trusting [saddhā]| laywoman, imploring her |dear::beloved [piya]| and |pleasing::agreeable, likeable [manāpa]| only daughter, should rightly implore her thus: ‘Dear, you should become like the laywoman Khujjuttarā and Nandamātā from Veḷukaṇḍaka’—for, bhikkhus, this is the measure and standard for my female lay disciples, namely, the |laywoman Khujjuttarā::foremost female lay disciple of the Buddha among those who were very learned [khujjuttarā]| and |Nandamātā from Veḷukaṇḍaka::foremost female lay disciple of the Buddha, read about her in [AN 7.53 - Nandamātā sutta](/an7.53). [veḷukaṇḍakiyā]|.

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.

‘But if, dear, you go forth from the household life into homelessness, then you should become like bhikkhunī Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā’—for, bhikkhus, this is the measure and standard for my bhikkhunī disciples, namely, bhikkhunī Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā.

ca kho tvaṁ, ayye, sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇātūti. Tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuniṁ sekhaṁ appattamānasaṁ lābhasakkārasiloko anupāpuṇāti, so tassā hoti antarāyāya.

‘May it not be, dear, that acquisitions, respect, and popularity come upon you while you are still a |trainee::learner, one of the seven stages of a noble person before full awakening [sekha]| whose mind has |not yet reached the goal::not mentally attained, not reached Arahantship [appattamānasa]|.’ If, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity come upon a trainee bhikkhunī whose mind has not yet reached the goal, that becomes an obstacle for her.

Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko kaṭuko pharuso antarāyiko anuttarassa yogakkhemassa adhigamāya.

Thus, bhikkhus, acquisitions, respect, and popularity are vicious, bitter, and severe; they obstruct the attainment of the unsurpassed safety from bondage.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, evaṁ sikkhitabbaṁ: ‘uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ pajahissāma, na ca no uppanno lābhasakkārasiloko cittaṁ pariyādāya ṭhassatī’ti. Evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will abandon the arisen acquisitions, respect and popularity, and we will not let the arisen acquisitions, respect, and popularity to continue |occupying::obsessing, controlling [pariyādāya]| our minds.’ Thus, bhikkhus, you should train yourselves.”

Qualities:

Conceit

Conceit

Self-view expressed as comparison—seeing oneself as superior, inferior, or equal; the persistent “I am” conceit (asmimāna) that underlies identification and fuels rebirth

Also known as: arrogance, egotism, pride, self-importance, tendency of self-comparison
Pāli: māna, atimāna, unnaḷa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Passion

Passion

Intense desire or lust that dyes the mind. It fixates on the features of objects, coloring perception with infatuation and making it difficult to see things as they truly are.

Also known as: burning fever, intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust
Pāli: rāga
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Last updated on December 13, 2025