Of all the Buddha’s great disciples, male or female, Mahapajapati Gotami, the Buddha’s maternal aunt and stepmother, is the only one whom legend describes as a counterpart to the Tathagatha himself. As an elderly woman she became a zealous follower, attained enlightenment after hearing just a brief discourse on dharma and the Vinaya (the code of monastic discipline), and founded the first order of Buddhist nuns.
Start your day with a fresh perspective
With Stephen Batchelor, Sharon Salzberg, Andrew Olendzki, and more
See Our Courses
Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.
Subscribe now to read this article and get immediate access to everything else.
Subscribe NowAlready a subscriber? Log in.