Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
After Mahāpajāpati Gotamī's request for women's ordination is refused three times, Ānanda secures the Buddha's agreement by asking directly whether women are capable of realizing the same four fruits of the path as men and reminding the Buddha of Gotamī's own care for him as an infant; the Buddha agrees on condition that Gotamī accept eight principles of respect, then predicts the true teaching's lifespan is halved as a result, illustrated by three similes of vulnerability.
Three refusals, a journey on foot, and Ānanda's argument
Gotamī's own three direct requests, made in person, are each met with the same refusal. Rather than giving up, she has her head shaved, dons ocher robes, and walks with several Sakyan women from Kapilavatthu to Vesālī — her feet swollen, her limbs covered in dust — where Ānanda finds her weeping outside the gate and takes up her cause. Ānanda's own argument turns not on repeating her request but on asking whether women are capable of the same four fruits of the path, and reminding the Buddha that Gotamī nursed him at her own breast after his birth mother's death.
The eight garudhamma
The Buddha's consent comes bound to eight principles of respect (garudhamma): a nun of a hundred years must bow to a monk ordained that very day; nuns can't spend the rains retreat where there are no monks; nuns depend on the monks' community for the sabbath date and for teaching; nuns confess offenses to both communities; a nun's grave offense requires penance before both communities; full ordination for a trainee nun requires both communities' involvement; nuns may never abuse or insult a monk; and monks may criticize nuns, but nuns may never criticize monks. Gotamī accepts all eight as her own ordination, compared to a young person delighted to receive a garland of flowers.
A prediction, three similes, and an unresolved scholarly debate
The Buddha's closing prediction — that the true teaching, which would otherwise have lasted a thousand years, will now last only five hundred because of women's ordination — is illustrated by three similes of vulnerability: a household with many women and few men, inviting bandits; a rice field struck by disease; a sugarcane field struck by blight. This reading guide states these elements as the text presents them, while noting that modern scholarship, including from this very translation's own translator, has raised serious questions about whether the garudhamma and the decline prediction represent the earliest layer of this account or later additions reflecting later institutional concerns — a live scholarly question this guide does not attempt to resolve.
Key terms
The text
Three requests, three refusals
§1At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Then Mahāpajāpati Gotamī went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him: “Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” “Enough, Gotamī. Don’t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” For a second time … For a third time, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī said to the Buddha: “Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” “Enough, Gotamī. Don’t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” Then Mahāpajāpati Gotamī thought, “The Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth.” Miserable and sad, weeping, with a tearful face, she bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on her right, before leaving.
The journey to Vesālī
§2When the Buddha had stayed in Kapilavatthu as long as he pleased, he set out for Vesālī. Traveling stage by stage, he arrived at Vesālī, where he stayed at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then Mahāpajāpati Gotamī had her hair shaved, and dressed in ocher robes. Together with several Sakyan ladies she set out for Vesālī. Traveling stage by stage, she arrived at Vesālī and went to the Great Wood, the hall with the peaked roof. Then Mahāpajāpati Gotamī stood crying outside the gate, her feet swollen, her limbs covered with dust, miserable and sad, with tearful face. Venerable Ānanda saw her standing there, and said to her, “Gotamī, why do you stand crying outside the gate, your feet swollen, your limbs covered with dust, miserable and sad, with tearful face?” “Honorable Ānanda, it’s because the Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” “Well then, Gotamī, wait here an hour while I ask the Buddha to grant the going forth for ladies.”
Ānanda's intervention
§3Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Sir, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī is standing crying outside the gate, her feet swollen, her limbs covered with dust, miserable and sad, with tearful face. She says that it’s because the Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth. Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” “Enough, Ānanda. Don’t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” For a second time … For a third time, Ānanda said to the Buddha: “Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” “Enough, Ānanda. Don’t endorse the going forth for ladies from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.” Then Venerable Ānanda thought, “The Buddha does not permit ladies to go forth. Why don’t I try another approach?” Then Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha, “Sir, is a lady able to realize the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection once she has gone forth?” “She is able, Ānanda.” “If a lady is able to realize the fruits of stream-entry, once-return, non-return, and perfection once she has gone forth. Sir, Mahāpajāpati has been very helpful to the Buddha. She is his aunt who raised him, nurtured him, and gave him her milk. When the Buddha’s birth mother passed away, she nurtured him at her own breast. Sir, please let ladies gain the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One.”
The eight principles of respect
§4“Ānanda, if Mahāpajāpati Gotamī accepts these eight principles of respect, that will be her ordination. A nun, even if she has been ordained for a hundred years, should bow down to a monk who was ordained that very day. She should rise up for him, greet him with cupped palms, and observe proper etiquette toward him. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A nun should not commence the rainy season residence in a monastery without monks. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. Each fortnight the nuns should expect two things from the community of monks: the date of the sabbath, and visiting for advice. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. After completing the rainy season residence the nuns should invite admonition from the communities of both monks and nuns in regard to anything that was seen, heard, or suspected. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A nun who has committed a grave offense should undergo penance in the communities of both monks and nuns for a fortnight. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A trainee nun who has trained in the six rules for two years should seek ordination from the communities of both monks and nuns. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. A nun should not abuse or insult a monk in any way. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. From this day forth it is forbidden for nuns to criticize monks, but it is not forbidden for monks to criticize nuns. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. If Mahāpajāpati Gotamī accepts these eight principles of respect, that will be her ordination.”
Gotamī accepts
§5Then Ānanda, having learned these eight principles of respect from the Buddha himself, went to Mahāpajāpati Gotamī and said: “Gotamī, if you accept eight principles of respect, that will be your ordination. A nun, even if she has been ordained for a hundred years, should bow down to a monk who was ordained that very day. She should rise up for him, greet him with cupped palms, and observe proper etiquette toward him. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. … From this day forth it is forbidden for nuns to criticize monks, but it is not forbidden for monks to criticize nuns. This principle should be honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, and not transgressed so long as life lasts. If you accept these eight principles of respect, that will be your ordination.” “Ānanda, suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments, and had bathed their head. After getting a garland of lotuses, jasmine, or liana flowers, they would take them in both hands and place them on the crown of the head. In the same way, sir, I accept these eight principles of respect as not to be transgressed so long as life lasts.”
The Buddha's prediction, and three similes
§6Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha: “Sir, Mahāpajāpati Gotamī has accepted the eight principles of respect as not to be transgressed so long as life lasts.” “Ānanda, if ladies had not gained the going forth from the lay life to homelessness in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One, the spiritual life would have lasted long. The true teaching would have remained for a thousand years. But since they have gained the going forth, now the spiritual life will not last long. The true teaching will remain only five hundred years. It’s like those families with many women and few men. They’re easy prey for bandits and grain-jar thieves. In the same way, the spiritual life does not last long in a teaching and training where ladies gain the going forth. It’s like a field full of rice. Once the disease called ‘white bones’ attacks, it doesn’t last long. In the same way, the spiritual life does not last long in a teaching and training where ladies gain the going forth. It’s like a field full of sugar cane. Once the disease called ‘red rot’ attacks, it doesn’t last long. In the same way, the spiritual life does not last long in a teaching and training where ladies gain the going forth. As a man might build a dyke around a large lake as a precaution against the water overflowing, in the same way as a precaution I’ve prescribed the eight principles of respect as not to be transgressed so long as life lasts.”
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