WHO ARE OUR ROLE MODELS? - Queen Samavati, lay role model for dwelling in loving kindness (non-returner)

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 again on lay women disciples of the Buddha, and one in particular, Queen Samavati, who was declared by the Buddha as his foremost female disciple who excelled in dwelling in loving kindness (mettāvihāranaṃ) - AN1.261. 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 people who have requested and contributed to this talk to complement our study of the Buddha's Teaching on How to Cultivate Loving Kindness. To access videos and shorter clips, you can go to the Sutta Meditation Series YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwrSrkvP4mJRPWyPGliNDuA  Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai