Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī

Past lives

According to the Theri-apadāna, Gotamī started on the path of the Dhamma in a past life, during the time of Padumuttara Buddha, when she was born to a wealthy family in Hamsavati. 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 under Gautama Buddha. She was later reborn in the Tavatimsa heaven as a god.

Gotamī then returned to the human realm as the leader of 500 female slaves. In that life, they encountered a group of 500 paccekabuddhas who had no huts for the duration of the rain retreat. Gotamī asked the 500 female slaves to provide food offerings and convinced their husbands to build huts for the rain retreat. Following the rain retreat, Gotamī had her followers prepare robes for the paccekabuddhas. In another rebirth, Gotamī is said to have given food alms to 500 paccekabuddhas near Varanasi. Gotamī and her followers continued to perform meritorious acts throughout their lives and were reborn as Tavatimsa gods. Gotamī's followers would follow her in each birth and attain liberation as bhikkhunis during the time of Gautama Buddha.

"Mother of the Buddha" title

In the Therī-apadāna (Mahāpajāpatigotamītherīapadāna, Thi Ap 17), a verse is attributed to Gotamī:

Through this verse, Gotamī states that although worldly titles such as "King's Mother" or "Chief Queen" are easily obtained by a woman, the title "Mother of the Buddha" (Pali: Buddhamātā) is an achievement that is exceptionally difficult to obtain. She expresses her gratitude that through the Buddha (whom she addresses as "Hero"), her highest aspiration has been fulfilled and all her goals have been accomplished.

Final life

Tradition says Maya and Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī were Koliyan princesses and sisters of Suppabuddha. Mahāpajāpatī was both the Buddha's maternal aunt and adoptive mother, raising him after her sister Maya, the Buddha's birth mother, died. She raised Siddhartha as if he were her own child.

An eminent Therī, Mahāpajāpatī was born at Devdaha as the younger sister of Māyā. Mahāpajāpatī was so called because, at her birth, augurs prophesied that she would have a large following. Both sisters married King Suddhodhana, leader of the Śākya. When Māyā died seven days after the birth of the Bodhisatta (the "Buddha-to-be"), Pajāpati looked after the Bodhisatta and nursed him. She raised the Buddha and had her own children, Siddhartha's half-sister Sundari Nanda and half-brother Nanda.

Ordination of the first woman

When King Suddhodhana died, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī decided to attain ordination. Gotamī went to the Buddha and asked to be ordained into the Sangha three times. The Buddha refused and went on to Vesāli. 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. Upon arrival, Gotamī stood crying at the entrance of the Buddha's residence. Ananda, one of the principal disciples and an attendant of the Buddha, met her and offered to intercede with the Buddha on her behalf. Ananda was refused the first two times and asked the following in this third attempt:

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."

Gotamī agreed to accept the Eight Garudhammas and was accorded the status of the first bhikkhuni. Subsequent women had to undergo full ordination to become nuns.

Gotamī died at the age of 120.