Mahapajapati Gotami

Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī (; Pali: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī) or simply Prajāpatī was the foster-mother, step-mother and maternal aunt (mother's sister) of the Buddha. In Buddhist tradition, she was the first woman to seek ordination for women, which she did from Siddhartha Gautama directly, and she became the first bhikṣuṇī (Buddhist nun).

Depiction Gotamī's story was widely distributed, with multiple versions existing. It is recorded in the various surviving Vinaya traditions, including the Pali Canon and Sarvastivada and Mulasarvastivada versions.

Theravada Buddhism

In the Pali Canon, her request for ordination is detailed in the Anguttara Nikaya. The stories of her past lives are included in the Therīgāthā, Theri-apadāna and Jataka.

Mahayana Buddhism

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha bestows a prophecy upon Mahāprajāpatī that in the distant alternate timeline on future, she will become a buddha named Sarvasattvapriyadarśana.

Gallery

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.

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,

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.

Ordination of the first woman

When King Suddhodhana died, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī decided to attain ordination. 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.