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blue-lotus333 · 2 months ago

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Introduction to Yasodhara, Wife of the Buddha.

Yasodhara was the wife of Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha). She became a Buddhist nun and was considered as an arhat (Buddhist saint)

The meaning of her name is "Bearer of glory". She was also popularly known as Bhaddakaccana, Rahulamata, etc…

Yasodhara has lived with the Buddha in his past lives, being his wife in all of them. In their past lives, she helps the Buddha and always stays devoted to him. In many of her lives, she rarely did bad acts/bad karma, making her one of the most holiest women in Buddhism.

She is an arhat associated with beauty, insight, womanhood, glory & devotion. Called "foremost in great insight"

She, in some unknown stories, was associated with Magic

Her (slightly summarized) life story 👇

Yasodhara was the daughter of King Suppabuddh & Queen Amita, She was born on the same day as prince Siddhartha. She was said to be a very beautiful Princess who was devoted, pleasant & sympathetic.

When Siddhartha was 16, his father wanted him to marry a benevolent & unjealous girl. Later, at a marriage event, Yasodhara was seen as the right person of that, After a series of events, Siddhartha & Yashodhara got married.

Yasodhara gave birth to a son named Rahula when she was 26. 7 days after, Siddhartha left the palace to seek answers, leaving Yasodhara devastated. When he was away, She imitated her husband's lifestyle by wearing simpler clothes, eating only 1 meal a day, & refusing offers of marriage proposals.

After a few years, Buddha later went back to his wife, where she rushed to him and clung to his feet. Eyes full of tears, missing his presence, now Fulfilled to see him again.

Yasodara recited the 'Naraseeha Gatha' to her son Rahula before sending him to join the Buddha. Rahula was joyful in his father’s presence & went with him to the temple. Rahula later became a monk & attained Arhantship. Yasodara's life is marked by sorrow & tears, but she has never shown anger.

Yasodhara joined the order of Monks, became an arhat, & established the first nun Order with 500 women. She dedicated her life to spreading Buddha's teachings & focusing on good karma.

Other stories of Yasodhara:

1. Yasodhara & the shakyan nuns.

When Rahula became a monk, Yasodara asked for permission from King Suddhodana to become ordained. The king advised her to wait for the right time. After his passing, Mother Gotami obtained the higher ordination & started the ‘order of nuns’ in the Buddha’s dispensation. Yasodara eventually renounced her possessions and became a nun, along with a thousand Shākyan ladies, despite the extreme protests from her people.

She, & other Shakyan princesses who became nuns, received immense offerings and attention from devotees. Many royal figures and noble women became nuns under Yasodhara’s guidance.

2. Yasodhara’s Glory.

(this could possibly be a folk-story)

In order to prove her powers, Yasodara, in her spiritual form, performed numerous miracles, In the miracles, she’s said to have a voice that could be heard by the gods & brahmas who were dwelling in tens of thousands of universes. She transformed into different types of forms, into different elements, the sun, moon, mount Meru, & the god Indra.

She created a gigantic elephant and then plucked a divine tree from the realm Svarga (heaven), offering it to the Buddha like an umbrella.

She then attained nirvana, & was praised for her unwavering devotion and merits accumulated over countless lifetimes, a stupa was built to honor her legacy.

3. The princess’s love magic.

In one unknown story, when the buddha came back, Yasodhara tries to win back the Buddha by offering him a cake with medicinal herbs to change his feelings, she preformed love magic on the food and had her son offer it to the Buddha. However, the Buddha remain unaffected and tells a story from a past life where Yasodhara, as a seductive courtesan, had led him astray with a similar cake.

4. Yasodhara’s innocence.

In the Tsa pao tsang king, it states that As a result of Yasodhara’s prolonged pregnancy, she was suspected of adultery by her father-in-law and the Sakyas. They dug a ditch filled with flaming wood and threw Yasodhara into it. She called upon the Buddha, the flaming ditch was instantaneously transformed into a pool of pure water, in the middle of which Yasodhara with Rahula in her arms was sitting on a lotus flower.

The Sakyas were convinced of her innocence and Rahula became the favorite of his grandfather.

5. Kama

Prince Siddhartha would have practiced his cult of sexual magic (possibly tantric sex?) with Yasodhara. Both of them would often engage in sexual activities before they were ready to bring a baby.

There is also one story of them having intercourse on a palace roof. They were so into the act that they actually fell off the roof & didn't notice. They somehow managed to fall into a bed of lotus flowers which saved them from any injuries as a result of the fall.

"Sri Yasodara Maha Seya" is a peaceful temple/stupa in Sri Lanka that honors her. Devotees seek the protection & blessings of her which help them overcome obstacles in life.

Nuns are mostly the ones who take refuge in her, meditating in front of her stupa or making offerings. There are also energetic festivals in honor of her, with dancing, music & chanting. Poojas are also in honor of her.

Namo Sri Yasodhara maa🙏

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blue-lotus333 · 3 months ago

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The Buddha in different religions/beliefs.

Firstly, who is the Buddha?:

The historical Buddha was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama who lived 2500 years ago in what is today northern India/Nepal. He was born into a warrior clan known as the Shakya, which is why he is often called Shakyamuni, “Sage of the Shakyas.” He is the one to later abandon worldly attachments, become enlightened, and found Buddhism.

The Buddha in Hinduism.

Some Hindus consider the Buddha as the 9th avatar of Vishnu/Dashavatara, The Buddha was integrated into Vaishnavism, it was also believed the Buddha’s wife, Yasodhara, was the avatar of the wealth Goddess Lakshmi, though Buddhists deny this, so as other Hindus who identify the 9th avatar of Vishnu to another being who was also called “buddha”.

The Buddha in Christianity.

Called St. Josaphat (Budhasaf) of India, The story of St. Josaphat tells of a prince in India who is converted to Christianity by a monk, despite his father's attempts to prevent it. The monk and prince are later honored as saints in Christendom. The Buddha was honored as a Christian saint for about a thousand years, but this wasn't recognized until the mid 19th century.

The Buddha in Hellenism.

Buddhism had a big influence on ancient Greeks, in which they would identify Buddhist beings with Greek beings, the Greeks were also the first ones to make Buddhist statues. Heracules (or Zeus) was identified with The bodhisattva Vajrapani, whom was seen as Buddha’s protector. There also was a Syncretism between The Buddhist Goddess Hariti & Greek goddess tykhe.

The Buddha in Taoism.

Some Taoist believe that the Buddha was a reincarnation of Laozi, the founder of Taoism. Some also believe he was either on the same power-level as the Jade emperor, the Taoist king of heaven, or stronger than him. 'Buddha' is absorbed wholly into the Taoist cosmology, becoming another term used to describe the generative tissue at the source of all things in both the mental and physical realms.

The Buddha in Shinto.

Buddhism & Shinto are mostly seen highly entwined in Japan. The buddha is called Shaka in Japanese & was transformed into a powerful Japanese deity, whom coexisted with the Shinto gods. Buddhist temples were often attached to Shinto shrines. A Shinto temple would sometimes have a priest of that shrine read a Buddhist sutra in which Shinto events took place.

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