Vol. 11 · pages 211–215

193 CONVERSION OF WOMEN II § 1. Conversion of Mahaprajapati Gotami and Yeshodhara and her Companions 1. When the Blessed One had been on a visit to his father’s home the desire to join the Sangh was as keen among the Sakya women as it was among the Sakya men. 2. The leader of such women was no other than Mahaprajapati Gotami. 3. Now at the time when the Blessed One was staying among the Sakyas in the Nigrodharama, Mahaprajapati Gotami went to him and said: “It would be well, Lord, if women were allowed to become Parivrajakas and enter the Sangh under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata !” 4. “Enough, O Gotami! Let not such a thought come into your mind.” And a second and a third time did Mahaprajapati make the same request in the same words, and a second and a third time did she receive the same reply. 5. Then Mahaprajapati Gotami, sad and sorrowful, bowed down before the Blessed One, and went away weeping and in tears. 6. After the Blessed One had left Nigrodharama for his wanderings, Mahaprajapati and the Sakya women sat together to give further consideration to their request for admission to the Sangh and the refusal of the Lord to grant such a request. 7. The Sakya women refused to take the Lord’s refusal as final. They decided to go further to assume the garb of a Parivrajaka and present the Lord with a fait accompli. 8. Accordingly Mahaprajapati Gotami cut off her hair and put on orange-coloured robes and set out with a number of women of the Sakya clan, on her journey to meet the Lord who was at that time staying in Vesali in the Mahavana in the Kutagara Hall. 9. In due course Mahaprajapati Gotami with her companions arrived at Vesali and with swollen feet and covered with dust came to the Kutogara Hall.

194 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES II 10. Again she made the same request to the Blessed Lord which she had made when he was staying at Nigrodharama and he refused it again. 11. On receiving his refusal a second time Mahaprajapati withdrew and was standing outside the entrance of the hall not knowing what to do. While she was so standing Ananda on his way to the hall saw her and recognized her. 12. He then asked Mahaprajapati, “Why standest thou there, outside the porch, with swollen feet, covered with dust, and sorrowful, weeping and in tears ?” “Inasmuch, O Ananda, as the Lord, the Blessed One, does not permit women to renounce their homes and enter the homeless state under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata,” said Mahaprajapati. 13. Then did the Venerable Ananda go up to the place where the Blessed One was, and bowed down before the Blessed One, and take his seat on one side. And, so sitting, the Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One : “Behold, Lord, Mahaprajapati Gotami is standing outside under the entrance porch, with swollen feet covered with dust, sad and sorrowful, weeping and in tears, inasmuch as the Blessed One does not permit women to renounce their homes and enter the homeless state under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Blessed One. It were well, Lord, if women were to have permission granted to them to do as she desires. 14. “Has not Mahaprajapati proved herself of great service to the Blessed One, when as aunt and nurse she nourished him and gave him milk, and on the death of his mother suckled the Blessed One at her own breast; it were, therefore, well, Lord that women should have permission to go forth from the household life and enter the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Tathagata.” 15. “Enough Ananda! Let it not, please, that women should be allowed to do so.” A second time and a third time did Ananda make the same request, in the same words, and received the same reply.

195 CONVERSION OF WOMEN II 16. Then the Venerable Ananda asked the Blessed One : “What can be the ground, Lord, for your refusal to allow women to take Parivraja. 17. “The Lord knows that the Brahmins hold that the Shudras and women cannot reach moksha (Salvation) because they are unclean and inferior. They do therefore not allow Shudras and women to take Parivraja. Does the Blessed One hold the same view as the Brahmins ? 18. Has not the Blessed One allowed the Shudras to take Parivraja and join the Sangh in the same way he has done to the Brahmins ? What is the ground, Lord, for treating women differently ? 19. Does the Blessed One hold that women are not capable of reaching Nibbana under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by the Blessed One ?” 20. The Blessed One replied : “Ananda ! Do not misunderstand me. I hold that women are as much capable as men in the matter of reaching Nibbana. Ananda ! do not misunderstand me, I am not an upholder of the doctrine of sex inequality. My rejection of Mahaprajapati’s request is not based on sex inequality. It is based on practical grounds.” 21. “I am happy, Lord, to know the real reason. But must the Lord refuse her request because of practical difficulties ? Would not such an act bring the Dhamma into discredit and make it open to the charge of upholding sex inequality ? Could not the Lord devise some rules to get over such practical difficulties by which the Lord is worried ?” 22. “Well, Ananda, I grant if Mahaprajapati insists that women must be allowed to take Parivraja under the doctrine and discipline proclaimed by me. But it shall be subject to eight conditions. Let Mahaprajapati Gotami take upon herself the responsibility of enforcing the Eight Chief Rules. That will be her initiation.” 23. Then the Venerable Ananda, when he learnt from the Blessed One these Eight Chief Rules, went to Mahaprajapati Gotami and told her all that the Blessed One had said.

196 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES II 24. “Just, Ananda, as a man or a woman, when young and of tender years, accustomed to adorn himself, would, when he had bathed his head, receive with both hands a garland of lotus flowers, or of jasmine flowers or of stimutaka flowers, and place it on the top of his head ; even so do I, Ananda, take upon me these Eight Chief Rules, never to be transgressed during my lifelong,” said Mahaprajapati to Ananda. 25. Then the Venerable Ananda returned to the Blessed One, and bowed down before him, and took his seat, on one side. And, so sitting, the Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One: “Mahaprajapati Gotami, Lord, has taken upon herself the responsibility for the enforcement of the Eight Chief Rules, she may therefore be regarded as having received the Upasampada initiation,” (entry into the Sangha). 26. Now Mahaprajapati received ordination, and 500 Sakya ladies who had come with her were also ordained at the same time. Thus ordained great Prajapati came before the Master, and saluting him, stood on one side and the Blessed One taught her the Dhamma, the doctrine and the discipline. 27. The other five hundred Bhikkhunis were ininstructed by Nandaka, one of the disciples of the Blessed One. 28. Among the Sakya women who became Bhikkhunis along with Mahaprajapati was Yeshodhara. After her initiation she came to be known as Bhadda Kaccana. §2. Conversion of Prakrati, a Chandalika 1. Once the Blessed Lord was living in Shravasti in the Jetavana Arama of Anathpindika. 2. It so happened that Ananda, his disciple, had gone into the city to beg for alms. After eating his food Ananda was going to the river for drinking water.