The Head of Water-Carriers

The future Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī led a life of generosity and observed the moral precepts and at the end of her life she was reborn in the Deva realm. When she passed away from the Deva existence during the interval between the two Buddhas, she was reborn into the slave class in Bārāṇasī, as the head of water carriers.

Then, when the Rains Retreat period was drawing near, five Paccekabuddhas who lived in Nandamūla Cave, descended at the Deer Park near Bārāṇasī, from the sky and went into the city to gather alms food. They stayed at the Isipatana Deer Park after the alms round and discussed among themselves about seeking help in making dwelling places for use during the Rains Retreat.

The five Paccekabuddhas, who had to fulfil the need for a dwelling for use during the Rains Retreat, arranged their robes in the evening and entered the city of Bārāṇasī to seek assistance. Their going into the city was noted by the chief of the water carriers. The Paccekabuddhas stood at the door of the rich man of Bārāṇasī but when they told him about their need, the rich man said: “We were not prepared to help; may the reverend ones go elsewhere.”

The chief of the water carriers met the Paccekabuddhas as they came out of the city at the gate and putting down the water pot, she made obeisance. Then she asked the purpose of the reverend ones in going into the city and coming out so soon from it. The Paccekabuddhas told her that they were seeking assistance to have a small dwelling built for use during the Rains Retreat period. And also on further inquiry, she learnt that the need was still unfulfilled. She asked them: “Is this dwelling to be the gift of only well-to-do supporters? Or is it proper for a slave like me to donate one?”

“Anybody may do so, lay supporter,” they replied. [1378]

“Very well, venerable sirs, we shall donate the dwellings tomorrow. Meantime, may the venerables accept my offering of food tomorrow.”

After making the invitation, she picked up her water pot and, instead of returning to the city, she went back to the water-hole and gathered her company of water carriers there. Then she said to them: “Now girls, do you want to be slaves to others all the time? Or do you want freedom from servitude?”

They answered in unison: “We want freedom from servitude!”

She said: “If so, I have invited five Paccekabuddhas to an alms giving tomorrow. They are in need of dwellings. Let your husbands give helping hands for one day tomorrow.”

“Very well,” they all said. They told this to their husbands in the evening after the latter had come home from the forest where they worked. The men all agreed to help and made an appointment at the door of the chief of the male slaves. When they had assembled there, the head of the water carriers urged them to lend a hand in building dwellings for the five Paccekabuddhas during the Rains Retreat period, and thus extolling the great benefits of such a contribution. A few of the men, who did not agree to help at first, were admonished by her and persuaded into the task.

The next morning, the head of the water carriers offered food to the five Paccekabuddhas. After that, she signalled the 500 male slaves to start work. They promptly went to the forest, cut down trees, and each group of 100 men built a modest dwelling unit for one Paccekabuddha, complete with an adjacent walkway near to it. They filled the water pots and saw to the bare essentials in five dwellings for the five Paccekabuddhas. They then offered them to the Paccekabuddhas, requesting them to dwell there during the Rains Retreat period. Having received the consent of the revered ones, they also took turns to offer food to them daily.

If there was some poor water carrier who was unable to prepare a meal for the five Paccekabuddhas on her appointed day, the head of the water carriers would give her the necessary provisions. The three months of the Rains Retreat (Vassa) thus passed. Near the end of the Rains Retreat, the head of the water carriers asked the 500 slave girls each to weave a piece of rough cloth. The 500 pieces collected from them were exchanged for five sets of fine robes which were offered, one set to each of the five Paccekabuddhas. The Paccekabuddhas, after receiving the robes, rose to the sky in the presence of their supporters and went away in the direction of Mount Gandhamādana.

Past Existence as a Chief Weaver

These water carrier slave girls spent the rest of their life in doing meritorious deeds. On their death, they were reborn in the Deva realm. The head of the Deva girls, on her passing away, was reborn into the family of the chief weaver, in a weaver’s village, near Bārāṇasī. One day, the 500 sons of Queen Padumā, all Paccekabuddhas, went to the door of the royal palace at Bārāṇasī on invitation. But there was no one to attend to them, to offer seats or to offer food. They had to return to their abode. As they left the city and were at the weaver’s village, the chief weaver, who had much devotion for them and after paying obeisance to them, offered food. The Paccekabuddhas accepted her offering of food and, after finishing the meal, left for the Mount Gandhamādana. The chief weaver spent the rest of her life in deeds of merit. After passing away from that existence, she was reborn in the Deva realm or the human realm in turns.

Ascetic Life in Her Final Existence

On the eve of the appearance of Buddha Gotama, she was reborn into the Sakyan royal family as the younger daughter of King Mahā Suppabuddha in Devadaha. She was named Gotamī and was the younger sister of Princess Mahā Māyā. Court astrologers, learned in the Vedas and adept at reading human forms, marks and palmistry, after scrutinizing the distinctive bodily features of the two sisters predicted that the sons born of the two sisters would become Universal Monarchs.

When the two sisters came of age, they were betrothed to King Suddhodana and they were taken to Kapilavatthu where Princess Mahā Māyā was made the Chief Queen. Later, [1379] the Bodhisatta passed away from the Tusita Realm and was conceived in the womb of Queen Mahā Māyā. Seven days after the Queen had given birth to her son on the full moon of May (Vesākha) in 563 BCE, she passed away and was reborn in Tusita Realm with the name of Santusita. On the death of Queen Mahā Māyā, King Suddhodana made her younger sister, Gotamī, the Chief Queen.

After Queen Mahā Māyā had given birth to Prince Siddhattha, two or three days later, Queen Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī, the step mother of Prince Siddhattha, gave birth to Prince Nanda. So, at the time Queen Mahā Māyā died, Prince Siddhattha was only seven days old while Prince Nanda was only four or five days old. Queen Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī nursed her nephew, Prince Siddhattha, from her own breast, while leaving her own son, Prince Nanda, to be nurtured by nurses. She devoted her whole attention to the bringing up of her little nephew, the Bodhisatta. Later, the Bodhisatta renounced the world and attained Supreme Awakening.

While he was on his mission to bring welfare to the world, the Buddha made his first visit to Kapilavatthu. On the next day, after his arrival, he went into the city to collect alms food. His father, King Suddhodana, had the opportunity to listen to the Buddha’s discourse while he was still on his alms round which resulted in him attaining Stream-entry knowledge. Then on the second day, Prince Nanda was admitted into the Saṅgha. On the seventh day, the Buddha’s son, Rāhula, was admitted as a novice. ^{[See chapter 17 above.]}

The Buddha spent his fifth Rains Retreat (Vassa) in Kūṭāgāra monastery in the Great Wood, near Vesālī. During that time King Suddhodana became an Arahat under the regal white umbrella at the court of Kapilavatthu and passed away the same day.

Then Queen Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī renounced the world and become a nun. Later, the 500 Queen consorts of the 500 Sakyan princes, who became monastics on the occasion of the expounding of the Discourse about the Great Assembly (Mahā-samaya-sutta, DN 20), unanimously decided to become female monastics. They made Queen Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī their spokeswoman to request the Buddha for admission into the Saṅgha. The first attempt by the Queen, the Buddha’s step-mother, failed. Then she and the 500 Sakyan princesses shaved their heads, donned dyed robes, and marched on foot from Kapilavatthu to Vesālī. They sought Ven. Ānanda’s support in pleading for their admission. Finally, the Buddha admitted them into the Saṅgha as female monastics or nuns.

Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī was admitted by administering the eight principal vows (garu-dhamma). The 500 Sakyan princesses were admitted by an assembly of monastics only.

The Buddha’s step-mother, Ven. Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī, became an Arahat after hearing the Discourse: ‘In Brief’ (Saṅkhitta-sutta, AN 8.53). The 500 female monastics later attained Awakening at various levels after hearing the Discourse giving Nandaka’s Advice (Nandakovāda-sutta, MN 146).

Foremost Title Achieved

On one occasion when the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana monastery and naming the foremost female monastics, he declared:

Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvikānaṁ bhikkhunīnaṁ
rattaññūnaṁ yad-idaṁ Mahā-pajāpati-gotamī.

Monastics, among my female monastic disciples who are of long standing in the Saṅgha, Mahā Pajāpati Gotamī is the foremost (etad-agga).

The Passing of Ven. Gotamī

When Ven. Gotamī was 120 years of age, she was residing at a nunnery which was in the city of Vesālī. ^{As a rule, nunneries were set up inside the town or village.} The Buddha was then staying at the Great Wood monastery near Vesālī. One morning, after collecting alms food in the city and finishing her meal, Ven. Gotamī entered into the attainment of the Arahat fruition (Arahatta-phala) for a predetermined period. After rising from the absorption (jhāna) attainment, she remembered the long series of acquisitions of merits in her past existences and felt very delighted. Then she reviewed her lifespan. She saw that it had come to an end. She thought it proper to inform the Buddha at Great Wood about her approaching death, as well as bidding leave of her passing away to her colleagues who had been a source of her inspiration such as the two chief disciples and co-resident noble ones (ariya). Then only she would return to her nunnery and pass away. The same idea also arose in the minds of the 500 female monastics of Sakyan origin.

The Buddha’s step-mother, Ven. Gotamī thought: “I am not going to live to see the passing away of my son, the Buddha, nor that of the two chief disciples, nor that of my grandson Rāhula, nor that of my nephew Ānanda. I am going to predecease them. I shall seek permission to pass away from my son, the Buddha now.” The same thoughts also occurred in the minds of the 500 nuns of Sakyan origin.

At that moment, the earth quaked violently. Unseasonable rains thundered in the sky. The guardian spirits of the nunneries wailed. The 500 nuns went to Ven. Gotamī and told her about the wailing of the guardian spirits and Ven. Gotamī told them of her plan to pass away. The 500 nuns also told her their plan likewise. They all asked the guardian spirits of the monastery to pardon them if they had offended them in any way. Then, casting her last glance at the nunnery, Ven. Gotamī uttered this verse:

I shall now proceed to the unconditioned Nibbāna where there is no ageing or death, no association with beings or things one dislikes, no separation from beings or things one holds dear.

Among those who heard these words, those who had not rid themselves of attachment, Devas and humans alike, wailed miserably.

When the nuns came out of their nunnery, along the main street, devotees came out of their homes, and kneeling themselves before Ven. Gotamī, wailed, expressing their deep distress. The Buddha’s step-mother, Ven. Gotamī, spoke words that help quell their sorrow.

She uttered nine and a half verses to allay the lamentation of the citizens of Vesālī. When she arrived before the Buddha, she informed him of her impending death and asked the Buddha’s approval to release her life-maintaining thought process, in verse, sixteen in all, beginning with the words: Ahaṁ Bhagavā te mātā tvañ-ca Vīra pitā mama, “Happy One, I am your mother, Hero, you are my father.” (Thi-ap 17, 33-49). The Buddha gave his approval in a verse. After that, she recited five verses in praise of the Buddha.

Then she asked permission of the Saṅgha, Ven. Rāhula, Ven. Ānanda and Ven. Nanda, to approve of her passing away in two verses, beginning with the words: Āsī-visālaya-same, “like a serpent’s den,” (Thi-ap 17, 58-59), describing the balefulness of sentient existence. Ven. Nanda and Ven. Rāhula who were then Arahats took the words of the great elder as inspiring spiritual urgency; but as for Ven. Ānanda, who was still training for Awakening, they caused much sorrow and lamentation. He expressed his grief in a verse beginning with: Hā santiṁ Gotamī yā ti, “Gotamī is going, peaceful,” and the great elder solaced her nephew with words of wisdom.

Thereafter, the Buddha asked Ven. Gotamī, in the following verse, to display her [1381] supernormal powers:

Gotamī, for the sake of those who have doubts about female devotees attaining Awakening in my teaching, to enable them to shed those doubts, display your supernormal powers.

The 120 year old nun complied by showing her supernormal powers as described in the text, such as from being one becoming many; from being many becoming one; becoming visible and becoming invisible; passing through a wall or a mountain, etc. Then she walked in mid-air holding Mount Meru as the prop on which the great earth rested as an umbrella, and turned upside down this miraculous umbrella. She created an atmosphere of intense heat as when six suns arise simultaneously, etc. Having complied with the Buddha’s request, she came down and paying respects to him, sat in a suitable place. She said: “Venerable son I am 120 years of age. I have grown old, I have lived long enough. May I be allowed to pass away.”

The audience, stunned by the miraculous powers displayed by Ven. Gotamī, asked her: “Ven. Gotamī, what was the extent of the merit you performed to be endowed with such power and capability?” Then Ven. Gotamī related the successive deeds of merit she had performed since the days of Buddha Padumuttara to her last existence to them. Those events ran into a number of verses.

Then the 500 nuns rose up into the sky as a cluster of stars, captivating the eye of the audience, displayed their supernormal powers, and having obtained the Buddha’s approval to end their miraculous feats, they made obeisance to him and sat in a suitable place. They recounted to the Buddha in verses how much they owed to Ven. Gotamī. Then they asked the Buddha’s permission to pass away.

The Buddha said: “Nuns! You know the time to pass away.” Thus having obtained the Buddha’s approval, they made obeisance to him and returned to their nunnery. The Buddha, accompanied by a large company of devotees, saw Ven. Gotamī off up to the entrance to his forest abode. There, the great elder and her 500 nun disciples made their last obeisance to the Buddha together. Then the 500 nuns entered the city and sat cross-legged in their respective dwellings in the nunnery.

At that time, many male and female lay disciples of the Buddha, seeing the time had come to see the noble ones, gathered around to pay their last respects, beating their chests in great sorrow. They threw themselves down on the ground like a tree uprooted. Ven. Gotamī caressed the head of the eldest of the female devotees and uttered this verse:

Daughters, lamentation leads only to Māra’s domain and is therefore in vain. All conditioned things are impermanent; they end up in separation, they cause endless agitation.

Then she told them to go back to their homes. When alone, she entered into the first absorption (jhāna) of the form realm and then, stage by stage, till the absorption of neither-consciousness-nor-nonconsciousness, and then back, stage by stage, to the first absorption of the form realm. Thus, back and forth, she dwelt in the eight mundane absorption attainments. Then she dwelt in absorption attainment beginning from the first absorption up to the fourth absorption. ^{All of this prefigures the stages before the Buddha’s passing.} Arising from that absorption she realized the complete cessation of the aggregates, just as a lamp goes out when the oil and the wick become exhausted. The remaining 500 female monastic disciples also realized complete cessation.

At that moment, the great earth quaked violently and meteors fell from the sky. The skies rumbled with thunder. The celestial beings wailed. Celestial flowers rained from the sky. Mount Meru tottered like a dancer swaying. The great ocean roared, as if deeply troubled. Nāgas, Asuras, Devas and Brahmas expressed their spiritual urgency in such terms as: “Impermanent are all conditioned things; they have the nature of dissolution.”

Devas and Brahmas reported the death of Ven. Gotamī and the 500 nuns [1382] to the Buddha. The Buddha sent Ven. Ānanda to inform the matter to the monastics. Then, accompanied by many monastics, the Buddha joined the funeral procession which took this order: 1) Devas, humans, Nāgas, Asuras and Brahmas marched at the head, followed by; 2) the 500 golden hearses of the 500 nuns with multi-tiered roofs created by Deva Vissakamma wherein were placed the remains of the nuns on their cots, and these hearses were borne by Devas; 3) then followed the hearse of Ven. Gotamī, the Buddha’s step-mother, which was borne by the Four Great Kings; 4) then followed the Saṅgha and the Buddha.

The whole route from the nunnery to the funeral ground was canopied and all along the route were placed streams, pennants, while all the ground was strewn with flowers. Celestial lotus flowers came down, thick and fast, as though they were hanging loosely in the sky. All sorts of flowers and perfumes wafted in the air. All sorts of music, singing and dancing took place in honour of the departed noble Arahats.

During the progress of the funeral procession, both the sun and the moon were visible to the people. Stars were shining in the sky. Even at noon, the sun’s radiance was cool like that of the moon. In fact, the occasion of Ven. Gotamī’s funeral was surrounded by even more wonderful happenings than on the occasion of the funeral of the Buddha himself. On the occasion of the Buddha’s funeral the Buddha and Ven. Sāriputta and certain other elders were not there to supervise the funeral proceedings, whereas on the occasion of the funeral of Ven. Gotamī, the Buddha and the elders, such as Ven. Sāriputta, were there to supervise the proceedings.

At the charnel-ground, after the remains of Ven. Gotamī were incinerated, Ven. Ānanda picked up the relics and uttered this verse (Thi-ap 17, 79):

Gone now is Gotamī. Her remains have been burnt up. And soon the passing away of the Buddha, a most anxiously awaited event, will take place.

Ven. Ānanda collected the relics in the alms bowl used by Ven. Gotamī and presented them to the Buddha. Thereupon, the Buddha held up the relics of his step-mother for the audience to view and spoke to the assembly of humans, Devas and Brahmas thus (Thi-ap 17, 82):

Just as a big tree full of hard core, standing firmly, has a great trunk and that great trunk, being of impermanent nature, falls down, so also Gotamī who had been like a big tree trunk to the female Saṅgha is calmed now, and has entered Nibbāna.

last updated: August 2024