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Mahāpajāpatī Gotami

An eminent Therī. She was born at Devadaha in the family of Suppabuddha as the younger sister of Mahāmāyā.

Ap.ii.538 says her father was Añjana Sakka and her mother Sulakkhaṇā. Mhv.ii.18 says her father was Añjana and her mother Yasodharā. Daṇḍapāṇī and Suppabuddha were her brothers; cp. Dpv.xviii.7 f.

At the birth of each sister, interpreters of bodily marks prophesied that their children would be world-turning monarchs (Cakkavatti). King Suddhodana married both the sisters, and when Mahāmāyā died, seven days after the birth of the Buddha, Pajāpati looked after the Buddha and nursed him. She was the mother of Nanda, but it is said that she gave her own son to nurses and herself nursed the Buddha. The Buddha was at Vesāli when Suddhodana died, and Pajāpatī decided to renounce the world, and waited for an opportunity to ask the permission of the Buddha.

Pajāpatī was already a Stream-winner. She attained this eminence when the Buddha first visited his father’s palace and taught the Mahādhammapāla Jātaka (DhA.i.97).

Her opportunity came when the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu to settle the dispute between the Sākyā and the Koliyā as to the right to take water from the river Rohiṇī. When the dispute had been settled, the Buddha taught the Kalahavivāda Sutta, and five hundred young Sakyan men joined the Order. Their wives, led by Pajāpatī, went to the Buddha and asked leave to be ordained as nuns. This leave the Buddha refused, and he went on to Vesāli. However, Pajāpatī and her companions, nothing daunted, had barbers to cut off their hair, and donning yellow robes, followed the Buddha to Vesāli on foot. They arrived with wounded feet at the Buddha’s monastery and repeated their request. The Buddha again refused, but Ānanda interceded on their behalf and their request was granted, subject to eight strict conditions.

For details see Vin.ii.253 ff; also A.iv.274 ff. There was some question, which arose later as to the procedure of Pajāpatī’s ordination, which was not formal. When the nuns discovered this some of them refused to hold the uposatha with her. However, the Buddha declared that he himself had ordained her and that all was in order (DhA.iv.149). Her ordination (upasampadā) consisted in acquiescing in the eight conditions laid down for nuns (Sp.i.242).

After her ordination, Pajāpatī came to the Buddha and worshipped him. The Buddha taught her and gave her a subject for meditation. With this topic she developed insight and soon after won Arahantship, while her five hundred companions attained to the same after listening to the Nandakovāda Sutta. Later, at an assembly of monks and nuns in Jetavana, the Buddha declared Pajāpatī chief of those who had experience (rattaññūnaṃ) (A.i.25). Not long after, while at Vesāli, she realised that her life had come to an end. She was one hundred and twenty years old; she took leave of the Buddha, performed various miracles, and then died, her five hundred companions dying with her. It is said that the marvels which attended her cremation rites were second only to those of the Buddha.

It was in the time of Padumuttara Buddha that Pajāpatī made her resolve to gain eminence. She then belonged to a clansman’s family in Haṃsavatī, and, hearing the Buddha assign the foremost place in experience to a certain nun, wished for similar recognition herself, doing many good deeds to that end. After many births she was born once more at Bārāṇasī, forewoman among five hundred slave girls. When the rains drew near, five Pacceka Buddhas came from Nandamūlaka to Isipatana seeking lodgings. Pajāpatī saw them after the Treasurer had refused them any assistance, and, after consultation with her fellow slaves, they persuaded their several husbands to erect five huts for the Pacceka Buddhas during the rainy season and they provided them with all requisites. At the end of the rains they gave three robes to each Pacceka Buddha. After that she was born in a weaver’s village near Bārāṇasī, and again ministered, this time to five hundred Pacceka Buddhas, sons of Padumavatī (ThigA.140 ff; AA.i.185 f; Ap.ii.529‑43).

It is said that once Pajāpatī made a robe for the Buddha of wonderful material and marvellously elaborate. However, when it came to be offered to the Buddha he refused it, and suggested it should be given to the Order as a whole. Pajāpatī was greatly disappointed, and Ānanda intervened. However, the Buddha explained that his suggestion was for the greater good of Pajāpatī, and also as an example to those who might wish to make similar gifts in the future. This was the occasion for the teaching of the Dakkhiṇāvibhaṅga Sutta (M.iii.253 ff; MA.ii.1001 ff; this incident is referred to in the Milindapañha p.240). The Buddha had a great love for Pajāpatī, and when she lay ill, as there were no monks to visit her and teach her — that being against the rule — the Buddha amended the rule and went himself to teach her (Vin.iv.56).

Pajāpatī’s name appears several times in the Jātaka stories. She was the mother monkey in the Cūḷanandiya Jātaka (J.ii.202), Candā in the Cūḷa­dhammapāla (J.iii.182), and Bhikkhudāyikā (or Bhikkhudāsikā) daughter of Kiki, king of Bārāṇasī (J.vi.481).

Mahāpajāpatī was so called because, at her birth, astrologers prophesied that she would have a large following; Gotamī was her clan (gotta) name (MA.i.1001; cp. AA.ii.774).

There is a story related of a nurse employed by Pajāpatī and born in Devadaha. She renounced the world with Pajāpatī, but for twenty-five years was harassed by thoughts of lust until, at last, she heard Dhammadinnā teach. She then practiced meditation and became an Arahant. ThigA.75 f.