Biography (1) Mahāpajāpati Gotamī Therī

(a) Her Past Aspiration

The future Mahāpajāpati Gotamī Therī was born into a worthy family in the city of Haṃsāvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, she was listening to a discourse by the Buddha when she happened to see a bhikkhunī being named by the Buddha as the foremost among the bhikkhunīs who were enlightened earliest^[1]. She aspired to the same distinction in a future existence. So, she made extraordinary offerings to the Buddha and expressed that wish before Him. The Buddha predicted that her aspiration would be fulfilled.

In Her Previous Existence as The Head of Water-carriers

The future Mahāpajāpati Gotamī Therī led a life of charity and observed the moral precepts and at the end of her life she was reborn in the deva realm When she passed away from deva existence during the interval between the two Buddhas, she was reborn into the slave class in Bārāṇasī, as the head of water carriers.

Then, when the rains-retreat period was drawing near, five Paccekabuddhas who lived in Nandamū Cave, descended at the Migadāvana Forest, near Bārāṇasī, from the sky and went into the city to gather alms-food. They stayed at the Isipatana Migadāvana forest after the alms-round and discussed among themselves about seeking help in making small dwelling places for use during the rains-retreat.

(A bhikkhu, who vows to remain at a chosen place during the rains-retreat period, is required by the Vinaya Rules to live in a sort of dwelling with some roof (made of slate, or baked tile, or cement tile, or grass or leaves) and with a door. This rule has no exception even for those bhikkhus who have vowed to observe such austere practices as the Nālaka practice or the Moneyya practice. If a dwelling for the purpose is not offered to them ready-made, they have to seek assistance in getting one built. This dwelling is the place where they vow to live during the three-month rains-retreat period, and is essential for making the vow.)

The five Paccekabuddhas, who had to fulfil the need for a dwelling for use during the rains-retreat, arranged their robes in the evening and entered the city of Bārāṇasī to seek assistance. Their going into the city was noted by the chief of the water carriers. The Paccekabuddhas stood at the door of the rich man of Bārāṇasī but when they told him about their need, the rich man said, “We were not prepared to help. May the revered ones go elsewhere.”

The chief of water carriers met the Paccekabuddhas as they came out of the city at the city gate and putting down the water pot, she made obeisance. Then she asked the purpose of the revered ones in going into the city and coming out so soon from it. The Paccekabuddhas told her that they were seeking assistance to have a small dwelling built for use during the rains-retreat period. And also on further inquiry, she learnt that the need was still unfulfilled. She asked them: “Is this dwelling to be the gift of only well-to-do donors? Or is it proper for a slave like me to donate one?”

“Anybody may do so, female lay supporter,” they replied.

“Very well, Venerable Sirs, we shall donate the dwellings tomorrow. Meantime, may the

Venerables accept my offering of food tomorrow.”

After making the invitation, she picked up her water pot and, instead of returning to the city, she went back to the water-hole and gathered her company of water carriers there. Then she said to them: “Now girls, do you want to be slaves to others all the time? Or do you want freedom from servitude?”

They answered in unison: “We want freedom from servitude!”

“If so, I have invited the five Paccekabuddhas to an offering tomorrow. They are in need of dwellings. Let your husbands give their helping hands for one day tomorrow.”

“Very well,” they all said. They told this to their husbands in the evening after the latter had come home from the forest where they worked. The men all agreed to help and made an appointment at the door of the chief of the male slaves. When they had assembled there, the head of the water carriers urged them to lend a hand in building dwellings for the five Paccekabuddhas during the rains-retreat period, and thus extolling great benefits of such contribution. A few of the men, who did not agree to help at first, were admonished by her and persuaded into the task.

The next morning, the head of the water carriers offered food to the five Paccekabuddhas. After that, she signalled the five hundred male slaves to start work. They promptly went to the forest, cut down trees, and each group of a hundred men built a modest dwelling unit for one Paccekabuddha, complete with an adjacent walk to it. They filled the water pots and saw to the bare essentials in five dwellings for the five Paccekabuddhas. They then offered them to the Paccekabuddhas, requesting them to dwell there during the rains-retreat period. Having received the consent of the revered ones, they also took turns to offer daily food to them.

If there was some poor water carrier who was unable to prepare a meal for the five Paccekabuddhas on her appointed day, the head of the water carriers would give her the necessary provisions. The three months of vassa thus passed. Near the end of the vassa, the head of the water carriers asked the five hundred slave girls each to weave a piece of rough cloth. The five hundred pieces collected from them were exchanged for five sets of fine robes which were offered, one set to each of the five Paccekabuddhas. The

Paccekabuddhas, after receiving the robes, rose to the sky in the presence of their donors and went away in the direction of Gandamādāna mountain.

In the Past Existence as The Chief Weaver

These water carriers slave girls spent the rest of their life in doing meritorious acts. On their death, they were reborn in the deva realm. The head of the deva girls, on her passing away, was reborn into the family of the chief weaver, in a weaver’s village, near Bārāṇasī. One day, the five hundred sons of Queen Paduma devī, all Paccekabuddhas, went to the door of the royal palace at the Bārāṇasī on invitation. But there was no one to attend to them; to offer seats or to offer food. They had to return to their abode. As they left the city and were at the weaver’s village, the chief weaver, who had much devotion for them and after paying obeisance to them, offered food. The Paccekabuddhas accepted her offering of food and, after finishing the meal, left for the Gandamādāna mountain.

(b) Becoming A Bhikkhunī in Her Last Existence

The chief weaver spent the rest of her life in deeds of merit. After passing away from that existence, she was reborn in the deva realm or the human realm in turns, On the eve of the appearing of Buddha Gotama, she was reborn into the Sakyan royal family as the younger daughter of King Mahāsuppabuddha in Devadaha. She was named Gotamī and was the younger sister of Princess Mahāmāyā. Court astrologers, learned in the Vedas and adept at reading human forms and marks (physiognomy) and palmistry, after scrutinizing the distinctive bodily features of the two sisters predicted that the sons born of the two sisters would become a Universal Monarch.

When the two sisters came of age, they were betrothed to King Suddhodāna and they were taken to Kapilavatthu where Princess Mahāmāyā was made the Chief Queen. Later, the Buddha-to-be passed away from Tusitā Deva realm and was conceived in the womb of Queen Mahāmāyā. After the Queen had given birth to her son (on the full moon of Kason (May) in the 68th year of the Great Era), on the seventh day, she passed away and was reborn in Tusitā Deva realm by the name of Santusita. On the death of Queen Mahāmāyā, King Suddhodāna made the younger sister, Queen Gotamī, the Chief Queen.

After Queen Mahāmāyā had given birth to Prince Siddhattha, two or three days later, Queen Mahāpajāpati Gotamī, the step mother of Prince Siddhattha, gave birth to Prince Nanda. So, at the time Queen Mahāmāyā died, Prince Siddhattha was only seven days old while Prince Nanda was only four or five days old. Queen Mahāpajāpati Gotamī nursed her nephew, Prince Siddhattha, from her own breast, while leaving her own son, Prince Nanda, to be nurtured by nurses. She devoted her whole attention to the bringing up of her little nephew, the Buddha-to-be.

Later, the Buddha-to-be renounced the world and attained Supreme Enlightenment. While He was on the Buddha’s mission to bring welfare to the world, He made His first visit to Kapilavatthu. On the next day, after His arrival, He went into the city to collect alms-food. His father, King Suddhodāna, had the opportunity to listen to the Buddha’s discourse while He was still on His alms-round and resulted in him attaining the Stream-Entry Knowledge. Then on the second day, Prince Nanda was admitted into the Order. On the seventh day, the Buddha’s son, Rāhula, was admitted as a novice (The details of these events have already been given.)

The Buddha spent His fifth vassa in Kūṭagāra monastery in the Mahāvana forest, near Vesālī. During that time King Suddhodāna attained arahatship under the regal white umbrella at the court of Kapilavatthu and passed away the same day. Then Queen Mahāpajāpati Gotamī renounced the world and become a bhikkhunī. Later, the five hundred queen consorts of the five hundred Sakyan princes, who became bhikkhus on the occasion of the expounding of the Mahāsamaya Sutta, unanimously decided to become bhikkhunīs. They made Queen Mahāpajāpati Gotamī their spokeswoman to request the Buddha for admission into the Order. The first attempt by the Queen, the Buddha’s step-mother, failed. Then she and the five hundred Sakyan princesses shaved their heads, donned dyed robes, and marched on foot from Kapilavatthu to Vesālī. They sought Venerable Ānanda’s support in pleading for their admission. Finally, the Buddha admitted them into the Order as bhikkhunīs or female bhikkhu. Mahāpajāpati Gotamī was admitted by administering the eight principal vows (garu dhamma). The five hundred Sakyan princesses were admitted by an assembly of bhikkhus only. (Note: Later under normal procedure, a bhikkhunī had to be admitted by an assembly of bhikkhunīs also.) (The details about this paragraph may be found in Chapter Thirty-two.)

The Buddha’s step-mother, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī Therī, attained arahatship after hearing the Saṃkhitta Sutta. The five hundred bhikkhunīs later attained enlightenment at various levels after hearing the Nandakovāda Sutta.

(c) Mahāpajāpati Gotamī Therī The Foremost Bhikkhunī

On one occasion when the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana monastery and naming foremost bhikkhunīs, He declared:

“Bhikkhus, among My bhikkhunī-disciples who are of long standing in the Order, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī is the foremost (etadagga).”

(Herein, the name ‘Gotamī’ represents the Gotama clan. ‘Mahāpajāpati’ is the epithet which means ‘mother of great offspring’. This epithet was based on the prognostication of physiognomists and palmists that, from the special features observed on her person, she was to be the mother of a Universal Monarch if she gave birth to a son, or the mother of the wife of a Universal Monarch if she gave birth to a daughter.)——Commentaryon-Majja

The Passing Away of Gotamī Therī

When Gotamī Therī was of 120 years' age, she was residing at a bhikkhunī monastery which was in the city of Vesālī. (As a rule, bhikkhunī monasteries were set up inside the town or village.) The Buddha was then staying at the Mahāvana monastery near Vesālī. One morning, after collecting alms-food in the city and finishing her meal, Gotamī Therī entered into the attainment of arahatta-phala for a predetermined period. After rising from the jhāna attainment, she remembered the long series of her acquisition of merits in her past existences and felt very delighted. Then she reviewed her life span. She saw that it had come to an end. She thought it proper to inform the Buddha at Mahāvana forest about her approaching death, as well as bidding leave of her passing away to her colleagues who had been a source of her inspiration such as the two Chief Disciples and co-resident ariyas. Then only she would return to her “monastery” and pass away. The same idea also arose in the minds of the five hundred bhikkhunīs of Sakyan origin.

(The touching events concerning the passing away of Gotamī Therī will now be told based on: (1) The Chiddapidhānanī (Volume One, Chapter Twelve) by Mahāvisuddhārāma Sayadaw, and the Apādāna, Khuddaka Nikāya, IV. Only a gist of those texts is given here.)

The Buddha’s step-mother, Gotamī Therī thought: “I am not going to live to see the passing away of my son, the Buddha, nor that of the two Chief Disciples, nor that of my grandson Rāhula, nor that of my nephew Ānanda. I am going to predecease them. I shall seek permission to pass away from my son, the Buddha now.” The same thoughts also occurred in the minds of five hundred bhikkhunīs of Sakyan origin.

At that moment, the earth quaked violently. Unseasonable rains thundered in the sky. The guardian spirits of the bhikkhunī-monasteries wailed. The five hundred bhikkhunīs went to Gotamī Therī and told her about the wailing of the guardian spirits and Gotamī Therī told them her plan to pass away. The five hundred bhikkhunīs also told her their plan likewise. They all asked the guardian spirits of the monastery to pardon them if they had offended them in any way.

Then, casting her last glance at the “monastery”, Gotamī Therī uttered this verse:

“I shall now proceed to the unconditioned (Nibbāna) where there is no aging or death, no association with beings or things one dislikes, no separation from beings or things one holds dear.”

Among those who heard these words, those who had not rid themselves of attachment, devas and humans alike, wailed miserably. (The touching scene of their lamentation is vividly described in the Pāli text.)

When the bhikkhunīs came out of their vihāra (nunnery), along the main street, devotees came out of their homes, and kneeling themselves before Gotamī Therī, wailed, expressing their deep distress. The Buddha’s step-mother, Gotamī Therī, spoke words that help quell their sorrow. (Her words, rich with the Doctrine, may be gleaned from the Pāli text. This remark also applies to other stanzas that she was to utter later on.) She uttered nine and a half stanzas to allay the lamentation of the citizens of Vesālī. When she arrived before the Buddha, she informed Him of her impending death and asked the Buddha’s approval to release her life-maintaining thought process, in verse, sixteen in all, beginning with the words: Ahaṃ sugata te mātā tuṃ ca vīra pitā mama. The Buddha gave His approval in a stanza. After that, she recited five stanzas in praise of the Buddha.

Then she asked permission of the Sangha, the Venerable Rāhula, the Venerable Ānanda and the Venerable Nanda, to approve of her passing away in two stanzas (beginning with the words, “āsīvisālayasame”) describing the banefulness of sentient existence. The Venerables Nanda and Rāhula who were then arahats took the words of the great Therī as inspiring emotional religious awakening; but as for the Venerable Ānanda, who was still training himself for arahatship, they caused much sorrow and lamentation. He expressed his grief in a stanza beginning with, “hā santiṃ Gotamī yā it.” The great Therī solaced her nephew with words of wisdom.

Thereafter, the Buddha asked Gotamī Therī, in the following verse, to display her supernormal powers:

“Gotamī, for the sake of those who have doubts about female devotees attaining Enlightenment in My teaching, to enable them shed those doubts, display your supernormal powers.”

The one hundred and twenty years old bhikkhunī complied by showing her supernormal powers as described in the text on Supernormal powers, such as from being one to become many; from being many to become one; to become visible and to become invisible; to pass through a wall or a mountain, etc. Then she walked in mid-air holding Mount Meru as the prop on which the great earth rested as an umbrella, and turning upside down this miraculous umbrella. She created an atmosphere of incense heat as when six suns arise simultaneously, etc. Having complied with the Buddha’s request, she came down and making obeisance to Him, sat in a suitable place. She said: “Venerable son, I, your stepmother, is 120 years of age. I have grown old, I have lived long enough. May I be allowed to die.”

The audience, stunned by the miraculous powers displayed by Gotamī Therī, asked her: “Venerable, what was the extent of merit you had performed to be endowed with such power and capability?” And Gotamī Therī related to them the successive acts of merit she had performed since the days of Buddha Padumuttara to the last existence. Those events ran into a number of stanzas.

Then the five hundred bhikkhunīs rose up to the sky as a cluster of stars, captivating the eye of the audience, displayed their supernormal powers, and having obtained the Buddha’s approval to end their miraculous feats, they made obeisance to Him and sat in a suitable place. They recounted to the Buddha in verses how much they owed to Gotamī Therī. Then they asked the Buddha’s permission to pass away.

The Buddha said: “Bhikkhunīs, you know the time to pass away.” Thus having obtained the Buddha’s approval, they made obeisance to Him and returned to their “monastery”. The Buddha, accompanied by a large company of devotees, saw Gotamī Therī off up to the entrance to His forest abode. There, the great Therī and her five hundred bhikkhunīs disciples made their last obeisance to the Buddha together. Then the five hundred bhikkhunīs entered the city and sat cross legged in their respective dwellings in the “monastery”.

At that time, many male and female lay disciples of the Buddha, seeing the time had come to see the last of the noble ones, gathered around to pay their last respect, beating their chests in great sorrow. They threw themselves down on the ground like a tree uprooted.

Gotamī Therī caressed the head of the eldest of the female devotees and uttered this stanza:

“Daughters, lamentation leads only to Māra’s domain and is therefore in vain. All conditioned things are impermanent; they end up in separation, they cause endless agitation.”

Then she told them to go back to their homes. When alone, she entered into the first jhāna of Fine Material Sphere and then, stage by stage, till the jhāna of the neitherconsciousness-nor-nonconsciousness, and then back, stage by stage, to the first jhāna of Fine Material Sphere. Thus, back and forth, she dwelt in the eight mundane jhānic attainments. Then she dwelt in jhānic attainment beginning from the first jhāna up to the fourth jhāna. Arising from that jhāna she realized complete Cessation of the aggregates, just as a lamp goes out when the oil and the wick become exhausted. The remaining five hundred bhikkhunī-disciples also realized complete Cessation.

At that moment, the great earth quaked violently and meteors fell from the sky. The skies rumbled with thunder. The celestial beings wailed. Celestial flowers rained from the sky. Mount Meru tottered like a dancer swaying. The great ocean roared, as if deeply troubled. Nāgas, asuras, devas and Brahmās expressed their emotional religious awakening in such term as: “Impermanent are all conditioned things; they have the nature of dissolution.”

Devas and Brahmās reported the death of Gotamī Therī and the five hundred bhikkhunīs to the Buddha. The Buddha sent the Venerable Ānanda to inform the matter to the bhikkhus. Then, accompanied by many bhikkhus, the Buddha joined the funeral procession which took this order: (1) devas, humans, nāgas, asuras and Brahmās marched at the head, followed by; (2) the five hundred Golden hearses of five hundred bhikkhunīs with multitiered roofs created by Deva Visukamina wherein were placed the remains of the bhikkhunīs on their cots, and these hearses were borne by devas; (3) then followed the hearse of Gotamī Therī, the Buddha’s step-mother, which was borne by the Four Great Deva Kings; (4) then followed the Sangha and the Buddha. The whole route from the nunnery to the funeral ground was canopied and all along the route were placed streams, pennants, while all the ground was strewn with flowers. Celestial lotus flowers came down, thick and fast, as though they were hanging loosely in the sky. All sorts of flowers and perfumes wafted in the air. All sorts of music, singing and dancing took place in honour of the departed noble arahats.

During the progress of the funeral procession, both the sun and the moon were visible to the people. Stars were shining in the sky. Even at noon, the sun’s rays were cool like that of the moon. In fact, the occasion of Gotamī Therī’s funeral was surrounded by even more wonderful happenings than on the occasion of the funeral of the Buddha himself. On the occasion of the Buddha’s funeral there was no Buddha nor the Venerable Sāriputta and bhikkhu-elders to supervise the funeral proceedings whereas on the occasion of the funeral of Gotamī Therī, there were the Buddha and the bhikkhu-elders, such as the Venerable Sāriputta, to supervise the proceedings.

At the charnel-ground, after the remains of Gotamī Therī were incinerated, the Venerable Ānanda picked up the relics and uttered this stanzas:

“Gone now is Gotamī. Her remains have been burnt up. And soon the passing away of the Buddha, the much anxiously awaited event, will take place.”

The Venerable Ānanda collected the relics in the alms-bowl used by Gotamī Therī and presented them to Buddha.

Thereupon, the Buddha held up the relics of his step-mother for the audience to view and spoke to the assembly of devas, humans and Brahmās thus:

“Just as a big tree full of hard core standing firmly has a great trunk and that great trunk, being of impermanent nature, falls down, so also Gotamī who had been like a big tree trunk to the bhikkhunī-sangha is calmed (i.e. has entered Nibbāna.)”

The Buddha uttered altogether ten stanzas for the benefit of the audience on that memorable occasion. These ten stanzas with text and word-for-word meanings may be gleaned by the reader in the Chiddapidhānī.)

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Rattaññū Puggala: one who was enlightened earliest. This is a techanical term which means the bhikkhu who is the senior-most in the Order. It also means the bhikkhu who understands the Four Ariya Truths earliest. It also may mean the bhikkhu who attain arahatship earliest.