Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c38.s7.13

v2.c38.s7.13

became serene and concentrated.¹ They practised the *jhānas* one after another and perfected themselves in all the four *jhānas*. Cittagahapati² and Uttarā Nandamātā³ became highly proficient in the *jhānas*. Some of the upāsakas practised the four *brahmavihāras* and four *satipaṭṭhānas*.⁴ Sirivaddha and Mānadinna were advised to practise *satipaṭṭhānas* in order to overcome acute pain due to disease.⁵ Sāmāvatī upāsikā⁶ was the chief of those female lay-devotees, who practised *mettā*. Khujjuttarā upāsikā acquired *paṭisambhidā*⁷ and abilities in learning Buddha’s words.⁸ Nandamātā upāsikā was so spiritually advanced that her mind was not moved when she saw her husband reborn as an ogre. Her chastity was unimpeachable and there was no occasion for her to confess (*paṭidesitā*) any transgression of the moral laws. Nandamātā mastered the four *jhānas* and removed all the five *orambhāgiya* impurities.