- Numbered Discourses 4.176Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.176
- 18. Intention18. Sañcetaniyavagga
AspirationĀyācanasutta
“Mendicants, a faithful monk would rightly aspire:“Saddho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṁ sammā āyācamāno āyāceyya: ‘May I be like Sāriputta and Moggallāna!’‘tādiso homi yādisā sāriputtamoggallānā’ti. These are a standard and a measure for my monk disciples, that is, Sāriputta and Moggallāna.Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ, yadidaṁ sāriputtamoggallānā.
A faithful nun would rightly aspire:Saddhā, bhikkhave, bhikkhunī evaṁ sammā āyācamānā āyāceyya: ‘May I be like the nuns Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā!’‘tādisā homi yādisā khemā ca bhikkhunī uppalavaṇṇā cā’ti. These are a standard and a measure for my nun disciples, that is, the nuns Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā.Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvikānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ, yadidaṁ khemā ca bhikkhunī uppalavaṇṇā ca.
A faithful layman would rightly aspire:Saddho, bhikkhave, upāsako evaṁ sammā āyācamāno āyāceyya: ‘May I be like the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī!’‘tādiso homi yādiso citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako’ti. These are a standard and a measure for my male lay disciples, that is, the householder Citta and Hatthaka of Āḷavī.Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ, yadidaṁ citto ca gahapati hatthako ca āḷavako.
A faithful laywoman would rightly aspire:Saddhā, bhikkhave, upāsikā evaṁ sammā āyācamānā āyāceyya: ‘May I be like the laywomen Khujjuttarā and Veḷukaṇṭakī, Nanda’s mother!’‘tādisā homi yādisā khujjuttarā ca upāsikā veḷukaṇḍakiyā ca nandamātā’ti. These are a standard and a measure for my female lay disciples, that is, the laywomen Khujjuttarā and Veḷukaṇṭakī, Nanda’s mother.”Esā, bhikkhave, tulā etaṁ pamāṇaṁ mama sāvikānaṁ upāsikānaṁ, yadidaṁ khujjuttarā ca upāsikā veḷukaṇḍakiyā ca nandamātā”ti.