The woman who raised the Buddha : the extraordinary life of Mahāprajāpatī / Wendy Garling ; foreword by H. H. The Dalai Lama.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 233-241) and index.

INTRODUCTION--What do we call her? Mahāpajāpatī's name--The journey to awakening--Stories of Buddha's previous mothers--Reading women's stories--PROLOGUE: HER STORY BEGINS--Growing up in Devadaha--The Koliyans--Family life--Twin prophecies--Co-wives--BIRTH OF THE BUDDHA--Maya's death: two stories--MOTHER AND QUEEN--On becoming Siddhartha's mother--Motherhood stories--Mahāpajāpatī's birth children--The great departure--Mahāpajāpatī as Siddhartha's birth mother: past-life stories--REUNION OF MOTHER AND SON-The Buddha returns to Kapilavastu--Turning to the Dharma--EMPOWERMENT OF THE SAKYA WOMEN--MAHAPAJAPATI MAKES A ROBE FOR HER SON--A mother's grief--A mother's gift--On giving the robe to the Sangha--Guardian of the robe--Investiture of Maitreya Buddha--THE FALL OF KAPILAVASTA AND THE RISE OF THE SAKYA WOMEN--A family dispute--The death of Suddhodana--ORDINATION OF MAHAPAJAPATI AND THE FIVE HUNDRED WOMEN-- From Upasikas to Bhikkunis--Requesting ordination in the Nigrodha Grove--Who were the first Buddhist women?--The journey to Vaishali--Ordination of the Sakya women--MAHAPAJAPATI: FOREMOST IN SENIORITY--A PATCHWORK OF STORIES--Mahapajapati's mastery of the dharma--The rape of Bhadra--The crude brahman--Kindness toward Rahula--Allowing women equal access--Mahapajapati falls ill--Mahapajapati advocates for the nuns--Mother and daughter excel in debates--On choosing dharma over marriage--The betrothal of Dharmadinna--Hardship for the nuns--Three stories concerning robes--THE PARINIRVANA OF MAHAPAJAPATI-- The last day of Mahapajapati's life--Funeral of Mahapajapati and the five hundred women--EPILOGUE: HER STORY CONTINUES--Notes--Bibliography--Credits--Index--About the author.

Mahāpajāpatī was the only mother the Buddha ever knew. His birth mother, Maya, died shortly after childbirth and her sister Mahāpajāpatī nurtured and raised him into adulthood. In this first full biography of Mahāpajāpatī, Wendy Garling presents her life story, with attention to her early years as sister, queen, matriarch and mother, as well as her later years as a nun. Garling reveals just how exceptional Mahāpajāpatī's role was as a leader of the first generation of Buddhist women, helping the Buddha establish an equal community of lay and monastic women and men. Mother to the Buddha, mother to early Buddhist women, mother to the Buddhist faith, Mahāpajāpatī's journey is finally presented as one interwoven with the founding of Buddhism-- from back cover.