The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [284]
“There are not only one hundred…or five hundred, but far more women lay followers, my disciples, clothed in white leading lives of celibacy who, with the destruction of the five lower fetters, will reappear spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and there attain final Nibbāna without ever returning from that world.”
12. “Apart from Master Gotama, the bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, and the men lay followers clothed in white, both those leading lives of celibacy and those enjoying sensual pleasures, and the women lay followers clothed in white leading lives of celibacy, is there any one woman lay follower, Master Gotama’s disciple, clothed in white enjoying sensual pleasures, who carries out his instruction, responds to his advice, has gone beyond doubt, become free from perplexity, gained intrepidity, and become independent of others in the Teacher’s Dispensation?”
“There are not only one hundred…or five hundred, but far more women lay followers, my disciples, clothed in white enjoying sensual pleasures, who carry out my instruction, respond to my advice, have gone beyond doubt, become free of perplexity, gained intrepidity, and become independent of others in the Teacher’s Dispensation.”
13. “Master Gotama, if only Master Gotama were accomplished in this Dhamma, but no bhikkhus were accomplished, [492] then this holy life would be deficient in that respect; but because Master Gotama and bhikkhus are accomplished in this Dhamma, this holy life is thus complete in that respect. If only Master Gotama and bhikkhus were accomplished in this Dhamma, but no bhikkhunīs were accomplished, then this holy life would be deficient in that respect; but because Master Gotama, bhikkhus, and bhikkhunīs are accomplished in this Dhamma, this holy life is thus complete in that respect. If only Master Gotama, bhikkhus, and bhikkhunīs were accomplished in this Dhamma, but no men lay followers clothed in white leading lives of celibacy were accomplished, then this holy life would be deficient in that respect; but because Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, and men lay followers clothed in white leading lives of celibacy are accomplished in this Dhamma, this holy life is thus complete in that respect. If only Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, and men lay followers clothed in white leading lives of celibacy were accomplished in this Dhamma, but no men lay followers clothed in white enjoying sensual pleasures were accomplished, then this holy life would be deficient in that respect; but because Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, and men lay followers clothed in white, both those leading lives of celibacy and those enjoying sensual pleasures, are accomplished in this Dhamma, this holy life is thus complete in that respect. If only Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, and men lay followers clothed in white…were accomplished in this Dhamma, but no women lay followers clothed in white [493] leading lives of celibacy were accomplished, then this holy life would be deficient in that respect; but because Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, men lay followers clothed in white…and women lay followers clothed in white leading lives of celibacy are accomplished in this Dhamma, this holy life is thus complete in that respect. If only Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, men lay followers clothed in white…and women lay followers clothed in white leading lives of celibacy were accomplished in this Dhamma, but no women lay followers clothed in white enjoying sensual pleasures were accomplished, then this holy life would be deficient in that respect; but because Master Gotama, bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, men lay followers clothed in white, both those leading lives of celibacy and those enjoying