Prajapati Gotami | |
|---|---|
 Prince Siddhartha with Mahāprajāpatī Gotami | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Prajāpatī Devadaha |
| Spouse | KingŚuddhodana |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Occupation | Bhikṣuṇī |
| Relatives | Suppabuddha (brother) Yashodhara (daughter in law) Maya Devi (sister) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Gautama Buddha |
Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī (Sanskrit:महाप्रजापति गौतमी;Pali:Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī) or simplyPrajāpatī was the foster-mother, step-mother and maternal aunt (mother's sister) of theBuddha. InBuddhist tradition, she was the first woman to seekordination for women, which she did fromGautama Buddha directly, and she became the firstbhikṣuṇī (Buddhist nun).[1][2]
Gotamī's story was widely distributed, with multiple versions existing. It is recorded in the various survivingVinaya traditions, including thePali Canon andSarvastivada andMulasarvastivada versions.[3]
In the Pali Canon, her request for ordination is detailed in theAnguttara Nikaya. The stories of her past lives are included in theTherīgāthā,Theri-apadāna andJataka.[4]
In theLotus Sutra, the Buddha bestows a prophecy upon Mahāprajāpatī that in the distant alternate timeline on future, she will become a buddha namedSarvasattvapriyadarśana.[5]
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According to theTheri-apadāna, Gotamī started on the path of the Dhamma during the time ofPadumuttara Buddha, when she was born to a wealthy family inHamsavati. She witnessed Padumuttara Buddha place his aunt, a bhikkhuni, in a senior position, and aspired to achieve the same position after providing offerings to the Buddha and his followers for seven days. Padumuttara Buddha said she would achieve her aspiration underGautama Buddha. She was later reborn in theTavatimsa heaven as a god.[4]
Gotamī then returned to the human realm as the leader of 500 female slaves. In that life, they encountered a group of 500paccekabuddhas, for whom they built huts and provided food offerings for the duration of therain retreat. Following the rain retreat, Gotamī had her followers prepare robes for the paccekabuddhas. They continued to perform meritorious acts throughout their lives and were reborn as Tavatimsa gods.[4]
Gotamī's followers would follow her and attain liberation as bhikkhunis in the time of Gautama Buddha.[4]
Tradition saysMaya and Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī wereKoliyan princesses and sisters ofSuppabuddha. Mahāpajāpatī was both the Buddha's maternal aunt and adoptive mother,[2] raising him after her sister Maya, the Buddha's birth mother, died. She raised Siddhartha as if he were her own child.[6]
An eminentTherī, Mahāpajāpatī was born atDevdaha as the younger sister of Māyā.[7] Mahāpajāpatī was so called because, at her birth,augurs prophesied that she would have a large following.[8] Both sisters marriedKing Suddhodhana, leader of theŚākya. When Māyā died seven days after the birth of the Bodhisatta (the "Buddha-to-be"), Pajāpati looked after the Bodhisatta and nursed him.[6] She raised the Buddha and had her own children, Siddhartha's half-sisterSundari Nanda and half-brotherNanda.[9][4]
When KingSuddhodhana died, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī decided to attain ordination.[6] Gotamī went to the Buddha and asked to be ordained into theSangha three times. The Buddha refused and went on toVesāli. Undaunted, Gotamī cut off her hair and donned yellow robes and with 500 princesses, 250 from the Sakyan kingdom and 250 from the Koliyan kingdom followed the Buddha to Vesāli on foot.[2][10] Upon arrival, she repeated her request to be ordained.Ananda, one of the principal disciples and an attendant of the Buddha, met her and offered to intercede with the Buddha on her behalf.[2]
Respectfully he questioned the Buddha, "Lord, are women capable of realising the various stages of sainthood as nuns?"
"They are, Ananda," said the Buddha.
"If that is so, Lord, then it would be good if women could be ordained as nuns," said Ananda, encouraged by the Buddha's reply.
"If, Ananda, Maha Pajapati Gotami would accept the Eight Conditions it would be regarded that she has been ordained already as a nun."[2]
Gotamī agreed to acceptthe Eight Garudhammas and was accorded the status of the first bhikkhuni.[2] Subsequent women had to undergo full ordination to become nuns.
Gotamī died at the age of 120.[11]
| International | |
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| People | |
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