A teaching by the Buddha on investing and independently verifying true dhamma from counterfeit dhamma.

Once, the Blessed One was staying at Vesālī in the Great Wood, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Then Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī approached the Blessed One; having approached, she paid homage to the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī said to the Blessed One:

“Please, venerable sir, teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, diligent, ardent, and resolute.”

"Gotamī, you should know the Dhamma to be abandoned if you find:

1. 'These teachings lead to passion, not to dispassion;

2. to being bound, not to being unbound;

3. to accumulating, not to shedding;

4. to wanting more, not to wanting less;

5. to discontentment, not to contentment;

6. to company, not to solitude; to laziness,

7. not to the arousal of energy (decline in application of right effort);

8. to being burdensome, not to being unburdensome.’

In this way, Gotamī, you should conclude: ‘This is not the Dhamma, this is not the Vinaya, this is not the Teacher’s instruction.’

And, Gotamī, you should know the Dhamma to be embraced if you find:

1. 'These teachings lead to dispassion, not to passion;

2. to being unbound, not to being bound;

3. to shedding, not to accumulating;

4. to wanting less, not to wanting more;

5. to contentment, not to discontentment;

6. to solitude, not to company;

7. to the arousal of energy, not to laziness (growth in application of right effort);

8. to being unburdensome, not to being burdensome.’

In this way, Gotamī, you should conclude: ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’"

This teaching can be used to investigate and independently verify if one has understood the true dhamma from counterfeit dhamma through observing for the states as shared by the Buddha in this teaching.

Listen to a podcast version ↗️ of this teaching by Bhante Suddhaso.

Related Teachings:

Kalama Sutta: Importance of Inquiry And Personal Understanding (AN 3.65) ↗️ - The Buddha shares 10 factors that are not sufficient to consider a teaching to be true, to build one’s life practice from. He emphasizes on the qualities of close examination to independently verify, and observing for what is approved by the wise.

Steps toward the Realization of Truth (MN 95) - The Buddha shares that the path to awakening to the truth of enlightenment happens by preservation of the teachings, i.e. fully understanding them with close examination to independently verify.

Analysis of the Eightfold Path (SN 45.8) - An analysis of the noble eightfold path (the fourth noble truth) with notes on how the eight parts interconnect.