SEXIS WRONG

eing, a teacher of men and gods.”
The king, determined to make the first prediction of Asita
come true, lavished care and attention on his son. He was
raised by a host of doting wet nurses and nannies, and when
he grew older, nothing was denied him. Gotama used only the
sweetest-smelling incense and wore the finest, most costly
cloth; day and night a canopy shielded him from heat, cold,
wind, and dust; he had three magnifi cent residences, one each
for summer, winter, and the rainy season; the choicest delicacies
graced his table; he was serenaded from morning to night
by court musicians; and servants were always on hand to cater
to his every need.
Gotama grew into an extraordinarily handsome prince with all
the marks of a world conqueror: 5 He was well built and agile,
with cool, smooth skin; he had golden hair (in some accounts),
intense black (or dark blue) eyes, perfectly symmetrical
features, a lustrous complexion, and a
voice of the purest tones. His well-formed sex
organs were “enclosed in a sheath,” so that they
were hidden from view even when he was naked.
(That unusual characteristic explains why
most statues of Gotama do not show even a hint of his private
parts.) 6
In order to further bind the prince to worldly life, the king decided
to find him a chief consort and devised the following
plan to secure the best bride for the finicky Gotama: “I’ll have
heaps of jewelry made for the prince to distribute as gifts to all
the eligible maidens of the land and instruct my aides to carefully
observe which of the girls catches the eye of my son.” 7
On the appointed day, however, the girls gathered at the palace
merely swooned in the presence of the dashing prince,
and Gotama did not appear to be interested in any of them.
Suddenly, though, at the very end of the reception, a stunning
beauty appeared with a huge entourage in tow. The lovely
maiden walked up to the prince without hesitation, looked
him directly in the eyes, and asked for her present.
“I am sorry,” the prince said as he gazed back, “the jewelry is all
gone. You should have come sooner.”
“Why didn’t you save something for me?” she asked in a hurt
voice.
“Here, you can have my ring. Or how about my necklace?”
“No, thank you,” said the girl petulantly, and she turned away
as Gotama watched in rapt attention. (In another version, the
girl took the necklace but added with a coy smile, “Is this all I
am worth?”) 8
A full report of the encounter between Gotama and the girl,
whose name was Yaśodharā (or Gopā in some accounts), was
given to the king. When he was told how their eyes met and
of Gotama’s obvious fascination with the elegant maiden, the
king immediately sent a messenger to Yaśodharā’s father to
ask for her hand on behalf of the prince. To his chagrin, the
king was rebuffed: “I will consent to give my beloved daughter
only to the young man who can prove he is superior to all the
others.”
An assembly of all the young men in the kingdom was quickly
arranged, and Gotama squared off against the others in contests
of writing, arithmetic, archery, swordsmanship, horse-riding,
and boxing. Gotama emerged victorious in all the events
and claimed his willing prize. They were married in a magnificent
ceremony, and court poets sang that the fair Yaśodharā
afforded the prince every sort of pleasure as they spent themselves
in nuptial bliss—a delightful union of the choicest butter
and the finest ghee. 9
His well-formed sex organs were
“enclosed in a sheath,” so that they
were hidden from view even when
he was naked.
Yaśodharā was an independent sort, refusing to don a veil in
the presence of her in-laws, the king and queen, and, more
scan dalously, in front of the other men of the household.
When criti cized for such behavior, Yaśodharā replied, “A noble
woman, one who guards the mind and controls the senses,
will be properly veiled even if she happens to be naked—one
cannot cover up sins with a pile of robes and a veil.” 10
As was the custom in those times, Gotama apparently had several
other official wives 11 —one for each of his palaces?—and
his court ship with the one known as Gotamī is also classic romance.
12
The beauty Gotamī was desired by hundreds of suitors, but
the girl, just as independent as Yaśodharā, steadfastly rejected
all offers of an arranged match, even with the king’s son, and
insisted on making her own choice. “Let it be known that in
one week I will select a husband. Have all the eligible men
gather in the palace.”
On the morning of the seventh day, Gotamī bathed in scented
oil, decorated herself with the prettiest of flowers, put on
her finest jewelry and robes, and made her way to the palace
with her mother and several other attendants along to act
as advisors. Surveying the crowd of dandies dressed to the
teeth in fabulous garments and elaborate coiffures, weighted
down with jewelry and reeking of perfume, Gotamī exclaimed
with disgust, “These fops all look like women! They are more
dressed up than I am!”
“Isn’t there anyone here who catches your fancy?” her mother
asked.
THE SEX LIFE OF THE BUDDHA 331