Mahapajapati Gotami and the Bhikkhuni Sangha — India's First Women's Liberation Revolution
N. Singh · ·6 min read
Translated from the original Hindi · मूल हिंदी लेख पढ़ें
Imagine the social condition of ancient India 2,600 years ago.
In the Vedic and feudal society of that era, the condition of women was utterly pitiable, subservient, and second-class. The rigid rule of the dharmashastras (ancient legal and religious treatises) dictated—“Na stri swatantryamarhati” (A woman is never worthy of independence; she remains under her father in childhood, under her husband in youth, and under her son in old age). A woman possessed no independent right to study the Vedas, perform yajnas (sacrificial rituals), take to renunciation, or undertake spiritual discipline. She was reduced merely to an object confined within the four walls of the household, meant only to bear children and serve men.
In such a deeply dark age, Tathagata Buddha took an epoch-making and revolutionary step that shook the very foundations of the patriarchal order across the whole of Jambudvipa (the Indian subcontinent)!
Walking barefoot for hundreds of miles from Kapilavastu to Vaishali, when Siddhartha’s maternal aunt and foster mother, Mahapajapati Gotami, arrived at the Kutagara Shala in the Mahavana of Vaishali along with five hundred women of the Shakya clan—their feet were blistered, their garments soiled with dust, and alongside tears in their eyes burned the unyielding flame of spiritual striving.
Through the Tathagata’s foremost disciple Ananda, she petitioned the Buddha: “Bhante (Venerable Master)! Can women also enter into the Tathagata’s dhamma (universal truth and teachings) and vinaya (monastic discipline) and take to renunciation? Are women capable of attaining the state of an arhat (an enlightened being) and nirvana (ultimate liberation)?”
Without the slightest hesitation, Tathagata Buddha proclaimed: “Yes, Ananda! Women are fully as capable as men of realising sila (morality), samadhi (meditative concentration), and prajna (wisdom), and attaining nirvana!”
And at this historic moment, for the very first time in world history, an independent ‘Bhikkhuni Sangha’ (Order of Nuns) was founded!
In Volumes 1 and 2 of his seminal book ‘Buddha Dhamma Aur Bharat’, N. Singh describes this event as ‘human civilisation’s first genuine women’s liberation revolution’.
Establishment of the Bhikkhuni Sangha: Four Unprecedented Dimensions of a Revolution
- Declaration of Spiritual Equality: The Tathagata clearly established that liberation or enlightenment is not the monopoly of any single gender. Without relying on fictitious entities such as an atman (soul) or paramatman (Supreme Being), any human being—whether man or woman—can purify their mind through their own earnest effort.
- ‘Therigatha’: The World’s First Feminist Poetic Anthology:
- ‘Therigatha’, a text belonging to the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Buddhist Tipitaka, is the world’s most ancient anthology of poetry authored exclusively by enlightened bhikkhunis!
- In it, courageous women such as Mutta, Patacara, Kisa Gotami, Soma, and Ambapali recorded the profound joy of their inner self, their liberation from worldly shackles, and their unparalleled experiences of nirvana.
- Equal Status for Courtesans, Enslaved Women, and Princesses:
- In the Bhikkhuni Sangha, neither caste nor former occupation held any relevance. The royal courtesan Ambapali, Patacara who had been driven to madness over the dead bodies of her loved ones, and Queen Gotami of the royal palace—all sat together wearing the exact same robes (chivara), carrying the very same alms bowl!
- A Safe Haven of Liberation from Domestic Violence and Servitude:
- In the society of that time, for women suffering from the atrocities of husbands, the tyranny of in-laws, or forced marriages, the Bhikkhuni Sangha became a dignified and secure refuge where they could live with their heads held high.
The Feudal Patriarchy of the Era versus the Buddha’s Feminist Vision
| Dimension | Brahmanical/Feudal System of the Time | Tathagata Buddha’s Dhamma and Vinaya |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Freedom | “Na stri swatantryamarhati” — A declaration of lifelong subjugation | Complete freedom; the right to decide one’s own life and spiritual path |
| Spiritual Rights | Total prohibition on studying the Vedas, taking renunciation, and attaining liberation | Initiation (diksha), ordination (pabbajja), and full attainment of the status of an arhat within the Bhikkhuni Sangha |
| View on the Birth of a Daughter | The birth of a daughter was considered a cause for sorrow and anxiety | The Buddha told King Pasenadi: “A daughter may prove even better than a son!” |
| Social Organisation | Women had no independent organisation or assembly of their own | A fully autonomous Bhikkhuni Sangha, governing itself by its own rules and discipline |
A Bitter Truth from the Book: N. Singh’s Historical Appraisal
Author N. Singh writes in Volume 1 of his book ‘Buddha Dhamma Aur Bharat’:
“The Buddha did not confer the right to become an arhat exclusively on men; he proclaimed that on the path of wisdom, meditation, and nirvana, there can be no distinction between woman and man. The Bhikkhuni Sangha, founded under the leadership of Mahapajapati Gotami, was the first organised women’s liberation revolution in world history. Today, when the Western world beats the drum of 20th-century feminism, they forget that 2,500 years prior to it, on Indian soil, Tathagata Buddha had clothed women in the same robes as men and elevated them to become the spiritual masters and guides of society! Bhikkhunis Patacara and Ambapali initiated great kings and scholars into the Dhamma. The true pride of India lies in the fact that we did not regard woman merely as an object of worship, but witnessed her as a living embodiment of the goddess of wisdom!”
— N. Singh (Buddha Dhamma Aur Bharat, pages 28–29)
Four Eternal Messages of the Bhikkhuni Sangha for Modern Woman Today
- Inner Self-Reliance and Atta-dipo Bhava: Rather than depending on the mercy of any man, husband, or society, have faith in your own intellect, education, and talent—“Be a light unto yourself!”
- Empathy and Sisterhood: Breaking down the walls of caste, religion, and class, fostering a spirit of mutual cooperation, solidarity, and protection among all exploited and oppressed women.
- Revival of the Study of ‘Therigatha’: In Indian universities and schools, before teaching Shakespeare and Western feminists, the literature of the erudite bhikkhunis of the ‘Therigatha’ should be taught.
- Fifty Per Cent Leadership for Women in Religious and Social Institutions: Women must receive equal rights with men in holding the highest decision-making positions across temples, monasteries, trusts, and social institutions.
A Question for Reflection (The Book’s Message)
In the very country where, 2,600 years ago, Mahapajapati Gotami and Ambapali illuminated the whole of society with the light of wisdom, is the barbarity of killing daughters in the womb or burning them for dowry even today not a dark stain of shame across the face of our entire society?
To understand this epoch-making history of women’s liberation heralded by Tathagata Buddha, the glory of the Bhikkhuni Sangha, and the philosophy of true gender equality, this chapter from N. Singh’s acclaimed book ‘Buddha Dhamma Aur Bharat’ is an essential must-read for every woman and man.
The Buddha did not confer the right to become an arhat exclusively on men; he proclaimed that on the path of wisdom, meditation, and nirvana, there can be no distinction between woman and man. The Bhikkhuni Sangha, founded under the leadership of Mahapajapati Gotami, was the first organised women's liberation revolution in world history.