“When my daughter (yashodarā) heard that you had taken to
wearing simple yellow robes, she too gave up her jewels and wore yellow robes.
When she heard that you had only one meal a day, she too had only one meal a
day. When she heard that you slept on low, hard beds, she too gave up the
luxurious palace couches and beds. And when she heard that you had given up
garlands and perfume, she too gave up garlands and perfume. When her relatives
sent messages of young men who wanted to support her she did not even look at a
single one.”
Yashodharā was the daughter of King Suppabuddha and Queen Pamita. As King
Suppabuddha was one ofKing Suddhodana younger brothers, she was one of Prince
Siddhartha’s cousins. Yashodharā was born on the same day as Prince Siddhartha.
She was exquisitely beautiful, with golden skin and blue-black hair that
cascaded down to her feet.
Prince Siddhartha was sixteen when His parents decided that it was a suitable time
for Him to marry. As was the custom at that time, a great celebration was held
and princesses from all over the country were brought in procession for the
Prince to choose from. None of them attracted His attention. The Prince treated
them with gifts but refused them all. The procession was almost finished when
Yashodharā came rushing in, to inquire if there were any gifts left for her.
The Prince then arose from His throne, and taking the pearl necklace that
adorned His person, gently placed it around her neck. Prince Siddhartha chose
His cousin, Yashodharā, to be His bride.
At first King Suppabuddha was
against the marriage. He knew that the wise men had foretold that Siddhartha
would leave the palace and His crown to become a Buddha. He also felt that the
gentle, compassionate Prince might not be skilled in warfare, and as such, not
be suitable for his daughter. The princess, however, wanted to marry no one
else but Siddhartha.
Wishing to test Prince
Siddhartha, King Suppabuddha, arranged a tournament for Him to display His
skills in archery, riding and swordsmanship. Sportsmen from all over the
country gathered to challenge the Prince. Siddhartha, however, was an excellent
sportsman. He excelled in all the events and ousted the best men in the
country. King Suppabuddha therefore relented and gave his daughter in marriage to
Prince Siddhartha.
The relationship between
Yashodharā and Prince Siddhartha was long and deep-rooted. It had started many,
many years ago at the time of the Dīpankara Buddha. At that time, the Prince
(Bodhisatta) was born as an ascetic by the name of Sumedha. After an
exceedingly long period of practicing the ten virtues, the Bodhisatta Sumedha
had finally completed the eight requirements to receive the definite
proclamation of Buddhahood from the Dīpankara Buddha. Yashodharā, at that time,
was born as a noble lady by the name of Sumittā. She saw the Buddha Dīpankara
give the Bodhisattva eight handfuls of white jasmine flowers and the definite
proclamation that He would be a Buddha by the name of Gotama, of the Sakyan
caste, in the distant future. Cutting off her hair, she aspired to be His
consort and helpmate and to support Him actively in His quest for Buddhahood.
This strong aspiration and the meritorious deeds that she performed over a long
period of time resulted in her being the Bodhisattva’s consort and supporter
throughout many births. During this very long period in which the Bodhisattva
completed the virtues she actively supported His quest for perfection.
In fact, her dying words
reflected this devotion. She referred to the fact that she had been the wife of
no other but Him during the entire period and had helped Him to achieve in
100,000 world cycles and four infinite periods what other Buddhas take eight
and sixteen infinite periods to achieve.
When the Buddha visited the
palace in Kapilavatthu for the first time, all but Princess Yashodharā came to
pay homage to Him. She held back, thinking, “Certainly if there is any virtue
in me, the Noble Lord Himself will come to my presence.” After the meal the
Buddha, accompanied by His two male chief disciples, entered her chamber and
sat down on the seat prepared for Him. He then said, “Let the king’s daughter
reverence me as she likes.” On seeing the Buddha, Yashodharā came forward
quickly, and clasping His ankles, placed her head on His feet and paid
reverence to Him as she wished.
“When my daughter heard that
you had taken to wearing simple yellow robes, she too gave up her jewels and
wore yellow robes. When she heard that you had only one meal a day, she too had
only one meal a day. When she heard that you slept on low, hard beds, she too
gave up the luxurious palace couches and beds. And when she heard that you had
given up garlands and perfume, she too gave up garlands and perfume. When her
relatives sent messages of young men who wanted to support her she did not even
look at a single one.”
The Buddha acknowledged this
devotion by saying that it was not only in this birth that she had been devoted
to him. He then dispensed the Candakinnara Jataka, where Yashodharā had given
her life to save His by jumping in front of a hunter’s arrow.
Princess Yashodharā came to pay
her reverence to the Buddha. Yashodharā thought, “Certainly if there is any
virtue in me, the Noble Lord Himself will come to my presence. Then will I
reverence Him as much as I like”.
Yashodharā gave up the
household life and entered the order of nuns at the same time as Maha Pajapati
Gotami. She attained Arahantship and was declared the chief disciple among the
nuns who attained supernormal powers (Maha Abhiaaa) to recall infinite eras of
the past.
Only four of the Buddha’s
disciples had such powers. In general, the Buddha’s disciples could only recall
up to 100,000 world cycles.
Yashodharā, the Buddha’s two
chief male disciples and the Elder Bakkula, however, had supernormal powers and
could recall incalculable eras. The nun Yashodharā passed away at the age of
78, prior to the Lord Buddha.
Towards the end of His life,
the Buddha’s aunt-and-foster-mother, Mahaprajapati, and Yasodhara (formerly His
wife), who were both nuns and had attained enlightenment, came to see Him,
knowing they were about to die. Mahaprajapati—who was, of course, a very old
lady—came first, and thanked him for having given her the happiness of the
Dharma, for her having been spiritually born through Him; for the Dharma having
grown in her through Him; for her having drunk the Dharma milk from him; for
her having plunged in and crossed over the Ocean of Becoming through Him—what a
glorious thing it has been to be known as the mother of the Buddha, she said.
She went on: “I desire to die
finally having put away this corpse. O Sorrow-ender, permit me”. The Buddha
cheered her with Dharma and didn’t try to dissuade this grand old lady with
false comfort, saying empty things like: “Oh, don’t talk like that. You are not
going to die, but will live for many more years yet”. At that stage, fear of
living and dying no longer exists.
Yasodhara later came for the
same purpose: to take her leave of the Buddha. Addressing Him respectfully, she
said she was seventy eight years old. The Buddha replied, “Yes, I know, and I’m
eighty”.
She told Him she would die that
night. But her tone was more selfreliant than that of Mahaprajapati. She didn’t
ask His permission to die nor did she go to Him as her refuge. Instead, she
said: “me saranam atthano” (“I am my own refuge”).
She came to thank Him because
it was He who had shown her the way and given her the power. She had found what
was in her mind, and which could be found only there.
Source= buddhistpage.com