මහාමේඝ 2562 බිනර (2018 සැප්තැම්බර්) මස කලාපය

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The Heartwood of the Bhikkhunī Saṅgha:
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
he Blessed One was like the shining
star that shed light on the Sakyan Clan,
which gave them the highest prestige
and recognition. The Enlightenment of
the Supreme Buddha was a gateway for countless
helpless beings to end the suffering of wandering
in the woeful cycle of rebirth. One year after his
Enlightenment, the Blessed One, accompanied by a
large retinue of disciples, arrived at Kapilavatthu to
teach the Dhamma to his relatives. After listening
to the sublime teachings of the Buddha, the Sakyans
were very pleased and delighted. As a result, many
relatives of the Buddha went forth and joined the
order of monks, the Saṅgha. His step-brother Nanda
and his beloved son Rāhula were also amongst them.
While still reigning, King Suddhodana, the Buddha's
father, attained final quenching (Nibbāna). After the
passing away of the great king, the inclination to go
forth arose in Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī.
On one occasion, the Blessed One visited
Kapilavatthu to resolve a dispute between the
Sakyans and their neighbors, the Koliyans,
concerning the irrigation of channels from the river
Rohini. After the controversy was settled, 250 young
men from each side went forth under the Buddha.
On hearing the Dhamma, the five hundred young
monks attained Arahantship, the final fruit of
the path. Their wives sent them messages
asking them to return home, but they
replied that they were now incapable of
living a household life. The five hundred
young women, therefore, went to Queen
Mahāpajāpatī and asked her to request
ordination from the Buddha on their behalf.
Knowing that the Blessed One was dwelling in the
Banyan Tree Park, Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī approached
the Buddha and pleaded with him three times to
grant permission for women to enter the Saṅgha.
On each occasion, permission for women to go forth
under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the
Tathāgata was denied.
The Buddha having stayed at Kapilavatthu as
long as he liked, journeyed to Vesalī, where he
dwelled in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great
Wood. Without being disheartened by the Buddha's
decision, Pajāpatī Gotamī along with a great number
of Sakyan ladies resolved to cut off her hair and
donning ochre robes, walked from Kapilavatthu to
Vesalī. Experiencing many hardships, with their
tender feet swollen and bodies covered with dust,
miserable and saddened, weeping with tearful faces,
the Sakyan women arrived at Vesalī and stood
outside the entrance of the hall with the peaked roof.
Venerable Ānanda found Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
weeping, and learning the cause of her grief was
deeply moved. He approached the Blessed One and
repeatedly requested him to grant permission for
women to go forth in the Buddha's Dispensation.
Realizing the difficulty of the spiritual life and
foreseeing the problems that may arise in the
future, the Blessed One denied the repeated requests
and asked Venerable Ānanda not to favor the going
forth of women.
Without being disrespectful, Venerable Ānanda
tried a different approach and questioned the
Buddha: "Are women, Bhante, capable of realizing
the fruit of stream-entry (sotāpanna), the fruit of
once-returning (sakādagāmi), the fruit of nonreturning
(anāgāmi) and the fruit of Arahantship
when they have gone forth from the household life
into homelessness under the Tathāgata's Dhamma
and discipline?" The Blessed One replied that they
were capable of realizing the fruits of the path.
Pleased and encouraged by the favorable reply,
Venerable Ānanda addressed the Buddha again:
"If, Bhante, it is possible for women to realize the
fruits of the path, and considering that Mahāpajāpatī
Gotamī has been of great service and help to the
Blessed One–having been his maternal aunt, and
foster mother who nurtured and nursed him when
his mother died–it would be good if women were
given permission to renounce the world and enter
the Dispensation of the Buddha as bhikkhunīs."
Finally, yielding to the requests of Venerable
Ānanda, the Blessed One proclaimed: "If, Ānanda,
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī accepts the eight principles of
respect (garudhamma), let that itself be her fullordination.
1. “A bhikkhunī who has been ordained for a
hundred years should pay homage to a bhikkhu
who has been ordained that same day, should rise
up for him, reverentially salute him, and behave
courteously toward him.”
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