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Princess Yasodhara was the daughter of King Suppabuddha , and Pamita, sister of the Buddha
Gautama Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was a Spirituality teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddhahood of our age....
's father, King Suddhodana
Suddhodana

King Suddhodana was the father of Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Gautama Buddha. He was a leader of the Shakya people, who lived in southern Nepal....
.

The meaning of the name Yasodhara (Sanskrit) [from yasas glory, splendor + dhara bearing from the verbal root dhri to bear, support] is Bearer of glory. She was the daughter of a Koliyan chief and was wedded to her cousin in his 19th year. Subba Row
Subba Row

Tallapragada Subba Row was a Theosophist from a Hindu background and originally worked as a Vakil within the Indian justice system. His primary instructors in this field were Messrs....
 states that the name stands for one of three mystical powers (cf utpala-varna).






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Princess Yasodhara was the daughter of King Suppabuddha , and Pamita, sister of the Buddha
Gautama Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was a Spirituality teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddhahood of our age....
's father, King Suddhodana
Suddhodana

King Suddhodana was the father of Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Gautama Buddha. He was a leader of the Shakya people, who lived in southern Nepal....
.

The meaning of the name Yasodhara (Sanskrit) [from yasas glory, splendor + dhara bearing from the verbal root dhri to bear, support] is Bearer of glory. She was the daughter of a Koliyan chief and was wedded to her cousin in his 19th year. Subba Row
Subba Row

Tallapragada Subba Row was a Theosophist from a Hindu background and originally worked as a Vakil within the Indian justice system. His primary instructors in this field were Messrs....
 states that the name stands for one of three mystical powers (cf utpala-varna). .

She was the same age as Prince Siddhattha and she and the Prince married when they were 16 years of age. At the age of 29 she gave birth to their only child, a boy named Rahula
Rahula

Rahula was the only son of Siddhartha Gautama , and Princess Yasodhara. He was born on the same day that Prince Siddhartha Gautama left the palace to seek Enlightenment and later become the Gautama Buddha....
. On the same day as his birth, the Prince left the palace. Once she realised the Prince was gone, Yasodhara was devastated and overcome with grief. Suddenly the palace, which for so many years had been a place of luxury, comfort and happiness to her, was now like a dungeon. Her only comfort was her infant son.

Hearing that her husband was leading a holy life, she emulated him by removing her jewellery, wearing a plain yellow robe and eating only one meal a day.

Although relatives sent her messages to say that they would maintain her, she did not take up those offers. Several princes sought her hand, but she rejected those proposals. Throughout the six years that the Prince struggled for Enlightenment, Princess Yasodhara followed the news of his actions closely and did likewise.

When the Buddha visited Kapilavatthu, Yasodhara did not go to see her former husband but thought: "Surely if I have gained any virtue at all the Lord will come to my presence."

One day, after his meal the Buddha, accompanied by his two chief disciples entered the chamber of Yasodhara and sat on a seat prepared for Him. Hearing of His visit, Yasodhara swiftly came to him and clasping His ankles and placing her head at his feet, she reverenced Him, demonstrating her affection and respect.

Some time after her son Rahula became a novice Monk, Yasodhara also entered the Order of Monks and Nuns and within time attained Arahantship. She was ordained as Bhikkhuni
Bhikkhuni

A Bhikkhuni is a fully ordained female Buddhism monastic. Male monastics are called Bhikkhus. Both Bhikkunis and Bhikkhus live by the vinaya. Bhikkhuni lineages enjoy a broad basis in Mahayana countries like Korea, Vietnam, China and Taiwan....
 included among the five hundred ladies following the Pajapati Gotami to establish Bhikkhuni Order. She was declared as foremost in possessing the supernatural power among the Nuns. Amongst female disciples she was chief of those who attained great supernormal powers. She died at the age of 78, two years before the Lord Buddha's Parinibbana.

In many legends of the Buddha's life , Yashodhara meets Siddhartha Gautama for the first time in a previous life, when as the young brahmin
Brahmin

Brahmin is the class of educators, law makers, scholars and preachers of Dharma in Hinduism. It is said to occupy the highest position among the varna in Hinduism of Hinduism....
 Sumedha, he is formally identified as a future Buddha by the then current Buddha, Dipankara
Dipankara

Dipankara one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are often collectively known under the name of "Thousand Buddhas"....
.

Waiting in the city of Paduma for Dipankara
Dipankara

Dipankara one of the Buddhas of the past, said to have lived on Earth one hundred thousand years.Theoretically, the number of Buddhas having existed is enormous and they are often collectively known under the name of "Thousand Buddhas"....
, he tries to buy flowers as an offering to the Enlightened One, but soon learns that the king already bought all the flowers for his own offering. Yet, as Dipankara is approaching, Sumedha spots a girl named Sumidha (or Bhadra) holding eight lotuses in her hands. He speaks to her with the intention of buying one of her flowers, but she recognises at once his potential and offers him five of the lotuses against the promise that they shall be husband and wife in all their next existences.

In the thirteenth chapter of the Mahayana
Mahayana

Mahayana is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophy and practice. It was History of Buddhism in India....
 Lotus Sutra
Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Sacred lotus of the Sublime Dharma is one of the most popular and influential Mahayana sutras in Asia and the basis on which the Tien Tai and Nichiren Buddhism sects of Buddhism were established....
 , Yasodhara receives a prediction from Sakyamuni Buddha; Mahapajapati, too.

Names: In this French text it is said that Yashodhara meaning the glorious one is the cousin and the main wife of Gautama, the mother of his son Rahula, she also became a nun. The names she has been called besides Yashodhara were: Yashodhara Theri (doyenne Yashodhara), Bimbadevi, Bhaddakaccana ou Rahulamata (mčre de Rahula).

Literature

  • , ISBN 0938077422
  • Life of Princess Yashodara: Wife and Disciple of the Lord Buddha Author: Devee, Sunity, ISBN 9780766158443 (13), ISBN 0766158446 (10), KESSINGER PUB CO


See also

  • Theri
  • Koliyan clan
  • Sakyan clan, Shakya
    Shakya

    Shakya was an ancient janapada of Iron Age India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word which means capable, able. In Buddhism texts, the are mentioned as a clan....
  • Sakya Devi
  • Padmasambhava
    Padmasambhava

    Padmasambhava The Lotus Born, is said to have transmitted Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8th century. In those lands he is better known as Guru Rinpoche or Lopon Rinpoche, where followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha ....
  • Women in Buddhism
    Women in Buddhism

    Women in Buddhism is a topic that can be approached from varied perspectives including those of theology, history, anthropology and feminism. As in other religions, the experiences of Buddhist women have varied considerably....


External links

  • by Professor Andre Bareau Universite de France (Translated by Kyra Pahlen)
  • by Radhika Abeysekera
  • Other Women's Voices