Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.
Role models play an important part in all of our lives, whether we seek them out or not. And whether we walk the Buddhist Path or not, they can have the power to shape the direction we take and the ability to influence the decisions that follow on from there.   For Buddhist practitioners,  the Buddha is our most eminent role model, teacher and the Perfectly Enlightened One. And there are also many noble and great disciples of the Buddha.
Today we will focus on lay disciples of the Buddha, and one in particular - Velukantaki, Nanda’s Mother. She was nominated by the Buddha as one of the two role models (along with Khujjutara) as the standard for lay female disciples of the Buddha.  
Although she doesn't appear in many places in the suttas, the two main suttas give us her astounding qualities, confirm her attainment of non-returner, and provide us with a wonderful example of the factors to manifest when giving.  
Some of the suttas mentioned in this talk include: 

– Ekadhītu Sutta (SN 17.24) 
– Āyācanavagga (AN 2.133) 
– Āyācana Sutta (AN 4.176) 
– Nandamātā Sutta  (AN 7.53) 
– Orambhāgiya Sutta (SN 45.179) 
– Chaḷaṅgadāna Sutta  (AN 6.37)  

In learning about such noble beings, we can delight in their lives and accomplishments;  recognise the importance of seeing them as worthy role models; and use it as inspiration towards progress on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path.  
Bohoma pin to the person who requested this talk.
The VIDEO with slides has been uploaded to the Sutta Meditation Series podcast channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOUh6AhTL3Q AND on Spotify as a video podcast
Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai


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