When the Bodhisatta had descended into his mothers womb, no kind of affliction arose in her; she was blissful and free from bodily fatigue. Maya ( / mj /; Devanagari: , IAST: my ), also known as Mhmy and Mydev, was the queen of Shakya and the birth mother of Gautama Buddha, the sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. For a woman named Tendzin, whose story I heard in 2006, the discourse of birth pollution proved fatal. As outcaste women at the bottom of both caste and gender hierarchies in Indian society, dais cut the umbilical cord and perform the obligatory disposal of the placenta and other purificatory rites that reintegrate the woman and newborn into caste and society.14. [9][54] uddhodana explained that Rhula's ordination was a great shock to him. One of my peers, a twenty-nine-year-old named Angmo, was unmarried when she was raped by Phuntsog, a married neighbor with three sons, who served as an assistant (khotwal) to her father, the village headman. Historian H.W. Maya, like Yashodora, is the archetype of the ultimate Martyr. . When the news reached the palace that Siddhrtha had attained enlightenment, Yaodhar was overjoyed and gave birth to Rhula. Family of Gautama Buddha - Wikipedia His father's name was Shuddha and he was the chief of a Shakya Gana and his mother's name was Mayadevi. As a result, Rhula had to wait for six years before being born. 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The earliest accounts of Mayas delivery and death evolve in tandem with Buddhisms growth as a major religion. [61] Every morning, Rhula woke up and threw a handful of sand in the air, making the wish that he may be counselled by good teachers as much as those grains of sand. [17] His instructions were very age-specific, using vivid metaphors and simple explanations. Buddha. [73], Pli texts state that despite Rhula being his son, the Buddha did not particularly favor him: he is said to have loved problematic disciples such as Agulimla and Devadatta as much as his own son, without any bias. But due to his birth in the " Gautama tribe ", he was also called Gautama. The Vlmiki Ramyana mentions a Maharishi Gautam, who had his hermitage in Mithila where he lived with his wife, Ahalya. According to the Mlasarvstivda tradition, and numerous other later sources, however, Rhula was only conceived on the day of Prince Siddhartha's renunciation, and was born six years later, when Prince Siddhrtha became enlightened as the Buddha. This textual sleight of handtransforming Mayas experiences of pregnancy and delivery into ritualized rules for all of the Bodhisattas previous birthsturns Mayas tragic death into a paradigmatic necessity. Gautam Buddha was the founder of Buddhism. 560 and died at the age of eighty in B.C. The text explains that these details held true for all of the Bodhisattas prior births. Like so many articles of this nature, I feel it misses the point for one overriding reason: If you take the Buddha story as an historical event then you completely miss the richness and meaning. Yaodhar (Pali Yasodhar) is the wife of Siddhrtha Gautama, later known as Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. [19][18] Further credence is given to the astrological theory of Rhula's name by the observation that sons of previous Buddhas were given similar names, related to constellations. [17] Pli texts relate how Rhula grew up to become a novice that was diligent, dutiful, amenable and eager for learning,[17][59] but there are also some early medieval Chinese and Japanese accounts which relate that Rhula initially struggled with being a novice and only later appreciated the Buddha's teaching. Two local Tibetan doctors were called when she failed to expel her placenta, but they did not have the critical midwifery skills to manually remove the retained placenta, which was gushing blood in dangerous quantities. His father was king uddhodana, leader of the Shakya clan in what was the growing state of Kosala, and his mother was queen Maya. In Ladakh, these traditions can make women reluctant to deliver in hospitals, even as they scapegoat those women who have bad outcomes, using karma as an ultimate and unfalsifiable explanation. The Buddha, or Siddhartha Gautama, was born around 567 B.C.E., in a small kingdom just below the Himalayan foothills. The Buddhist discourse about birth pollution can reproduce a culture of blame in which women are held accountable for their deaths, rather than placing the cause within the structural violencecorruption, poverty, and lack of access to good health carethat makes birth so dangerous in India today. [23][24] In this life, he was a king called Srya and his brother, a previous life of the Buddha,[7] was a hermit called Candra or Likhita who had taken a vow he would only live from what was given by people. . As was the Shakya tradition, when Queen Maya became pregnant, she left for Kapilavastu (her father's kingdom) to give birth. In Brahmanic discourse, then as now, birth and menstruation are considered highly polluting, although this is an ironic inversion of a Vedic emphasis on fertility, female power, and creation that is embodied in the feminine concept of Shakti. [63][92] This discourse has been raised by modern ethicists as evidence for consequentalist ethics in Buddhism, though this is disputed. in Lumbini (in modern-day Nepal). Yaodhar ( Pali: Yasodhar, Sanskrit: ) was the wife of Prince Siddhartha until he left his home to become a ramaa the mother of Rhula, and the sister of Devadatta. Rather significantly, the obstetric details in the Acchariya-abbhuta Sutta passagethat Maya carried the Buddha ten months, that she gave birth standing up, and that he came forth unsullied by water, humors, or bloodcould be read as a list of averted maternal complications. Gautam Origin and Meaning. Please follow our Commentary Guidelines when engaging in discussion on this site. Yaodhara: Wife of Gautam Buddha - WikiReligions His father was Suddhodhana. She was involved in these practices during the time when Siddhrtha was practicing self-mortification. The Death of The Buddha's Mother | Harvard Divinity Bulletin A disability might have raised doubts about the validity of his ordination in monastic tradition. [66] Rhula therefore asked the Buddha to explain the meditation method in more detail and the Buddha responded by describing several meditation techniques to him. Do you consider the story around the birth of Jesus Christ to also be a myth? In the Buddhist Himalayas and in North India, birth and menstruation are considered to be polluting events that symbolically disempower the birthing woman while requiring ritual management by male Buddhist monks or Brahmans. In this account, King uddhodana ordered that she be killed by burning her alive as punishment for her alleged impurity. What is the biography of Gautama Buddha? Where? Several scholars have raised Rhula's example to indicate that children in Buddhism are seen as an obstacle to spiritual enlightenment,[96] or that Buddhism, being a monastic religion, is not interested in children. his mother Maya Devi was a woman of Koli dynasty but Maya Devi died within 7 days after giving birth to a child. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. [50] This rule was later expanded in the case of women ordaining, as both parents and the husband had to give permission first to allow women to join the order of monks and nuns. Gautama Buddha - Wikiquote Gautama or Gauthama and a vrddhi patronymic of Gotama) is one of the ancient Indian names and is derived from the Sanskrit roots "g()" and "tama ()". Her real title was Queen Mahamy of Sakya.. His childhood name was 'Siddhartha'. One doctor cautioned me that mortality and morbidity outcomes vary widely among newborns with extremely low birth weight, a group my twins would shortly join. [60][59] Rhula often assisted riputra on his rounds for alms in the morning, and sometimes on other travels. Lines On Gautam Buddha In English Example 1. . He is universally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddhaof our age. After six days, the king suddenly realized he had forgotten about the hermit and immediately set him free, including apologies and gifts. Yaodhar became very desperate and depressed, endangering her own pregnancy. [40], From a mythological and text critical point of view, Buddhist Studies scholar Kate Crosby argues that Prince Siddhrtha conceiving or giving birth to a son before his renunciation functions as a motif to prove that he was the best at each possible path in life: after having tried the life of a father to the fullest, he decided to leave it behind for a better alternative. [85], The Chinese monks Xuan Zang and Faxian (c.320420 CE) noted during their pilgrimages in India that a cult existed that worshiped Rhula, especially in the Madhura area. For seven years, see, Siddhrtha Gautama (commonly known as the Buddha), different parts of one's mental experience, "The Inheritance of Rhula: Abandoned Child, Boy Monk, Ideal Son and Trainee", "The Child as Compassionate Bodhisattva and as Human Sufferer/Spiritual Seeker: Intertwined Buddhist Images", Bulletin de l'cole franaise d'Extrme-Orient, "Endure, Adapt, or Overcome? [63], When Rhula became eighteen years old, the Buddha instructed Rhula in a meditation technique to counter the desires that hinder him during his tours for alms. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Although the narratives depict a blissful pregnancy, free of fatigue and pain, she was not so lucky after delivery. Rhula was ordained, becoming the first rmaera (novice monk),[9] and probably the first person in the monastic order to receive ordination in a formal way. In the Pli texts, no long gestation period of Rhula is mentioned, but a similar motif occurs in the story of Suppvs, with a similar karma in a past life. Top 20 Information about the life of Gautam Buddha and the events that Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL Orientalist Nol Pri believed, however, that a late gestation period was more historically probable than the birth on the same day, as in the Pli tradition. This boys name is . But Queen Maya does not live much longer. Why?, Neonatal Survival Series. [17][50] When the Buddha became aware of this, he admonished the monks for not taking proper care of the novices. . Required fields are marked *. [5] Since the intractability of the Indian naming methods and their meanings confounded the Europeans, they supposedly introduced the naming method of having first name, middle name, and surname in their urge to influence, modernize and develop the Indian system accordingly.[5]. In one story, the nun Yaodhar fell ill with flatulence. The great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, following the Adhyatma Ramayana, described a sage Dirghatapas (i.e., one in deep penance) as Gautam. See two summaries of Buddhist biographical literature: For sustained analyses of Maya, see Reiko Ohnuma, Donna Haraway, Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective,, Leading causes of maternal mortality are described in Nicholas J. Kassebaum et al., Global, Regional, and National Levels and Causes of Maternal Mortality during 19902013: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013,. It is said that Maya, the Buddha's mother, died a week after childbirth. Like other maternal deaths across Ladakh, Tendzins death was blamed on her karma rather than on the mismanaged care she received. The gods decide that the Bodhisatta must descend into Mayas womb because she is the only queen endowed with the thirty-two favorable qualities a Bodhisattas mother must haveincluding being free from defects, well-born, well-proportioned, childless, free of inherited defects from her mothers side, and endowed with noble qualities. . 6/98. She later became Bichuni (Buddhist nun) and is considered to be arahat. I will never forget observing father and rapist working side by side at the very festival where Angmo had been raped a year earlier. [65][67] On a similar note, the Buddha taught Rhula at a place called Andhavana about the impermanence of all things, and instructed him how to overcome the "taints" inside the mind. [7] Just before the prince left the palace for the spiritual life, he took one look at his wife Yaodhar and his just-born child. Your email address will not be published. [45], Archaeologist Maurizio Taddei has noted that in many Gandhran art depictions, Rhula's life is linked to that of a previous life of the Buddha, the hermit Sumedha. This long gestation period was explained by bad karma from previous lives of both Yaodhar and of Rhula himself, although more naturalistic reasons are also given. If Mayas temperament is indeed such that she is full of benevolence and devotion and is free from all envy, jealousy, intrigue, fault, and deceit, why would she choose death over seeing her son become a Buddha? [81], As one of the enlightened disciples responsible for protecting the Buddha's dispensation, Rhula has often been depicted in East Asian art. All rights reserved. Mayas death can help us to better understand this ideology. Therefore, with Rhula's help, she eventually recovered. The birth of Buddha is celebrated as Vesaka in some countries. Like Maya, some women in the Buddhist Himalayas and in North India still travel to their natal homes during their first pregnancy, where they will be pampered with better food and care than they would receive at their in-laws house. I dedicate this essay to Arthur Kleinman, Wendy Doniger, and Amartya Sen, each of whom have taught me much about suffering, missing women, and textual tricks, and to the midwives of Zangskar and my teachers, Lonpo Sonam Angchug, Yeshe Dolma, and Geshe Ngwang Tharpa. Before we go to the names which signify Buddha, lets get to a brief history. cf. Yet we do not have complete review of every maternal death, as occurs in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, for instance. ", cited in Sekiguchi (1998, p.16), translated by Meeks (2016, p.144), Raun Kshiki, Most traditions relate that the Buddha then called riputra and asked him to ordain Rhula. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Share some things about the Gautam name. But in practice, the Buddhist ideology of birth pollution in India can obscure ongoing failures of medical care. Gautam (etymology) - Wikipedia Like most pregnant women in Ladakh, she kept working until the day she went into labor, but, unlike married pregnant women, she did not have the benefit of extra meals or respite from some of the most backbreaking chores, given that her family was unaware she was pregnant. [93][94] He is also considered by some Thai schools of Buddhist born meditation to be the patron of their tradition, which is explained by referring to Rhula's gradual development in meditation as opposed to the instant enlightenment of other disciples. Asking whether or not Maya really died shortly after giving birth to the Buddha is about as useful as asking whether or not the lore of an elephant piercing Mayas side at conception is true. There appears to have been some cause for concern after her delivery, but it is unclear if this was due to bleeding, infection, or other complications. . I would later learn that the medium time from onset to death for an untreated intrapartum hemorrhage is six hours. He further argued that there are many sources that try to explain the long gestation period, indicating an established tradition. This textual god trick, to use Donna Haraways phrase, justifies Mayas death from the perspective of an omniscient and omnipotent Buddhist narrator who links Mayas death to all the Buddhas previous births, without further comment.10 However, this still leaves some doubts about what Mayas death meant and why it was necessary. His father's name was Shudodhan and mother's name was Mayadevi. Awakened; Lord Buddha; Enlightened, The title first used for prince Gautam who was the founder of the Buddhist religion. Retrieved 2012-06-20. cf. The king is the male principle. [80][81] On a similar note, Rhula is considered one of the Ten Principal Disciples,[82] known for his dedication to training new monks and novices. [9] When Rhula was between seven and fifteen years old,[43] the Buddha returned to his home city of Kapilavastu at the request of uddhodana. She saw the Bodhisatta within her womb with all his limbs, lacking no faculty. To prevent him from becoming an ascetic, his . Gautam Buddha: Life History, Teachings, and Contributions - Tour My India The Vayu Puraa refers to a sage named Akapda, who was the conceiver of the Nyya philosophy, as Maharishi Gautam. Both the figure of Gautama Buddha giving his inheritance to his son, and the figure of Dpakara Buddha giving his inheritance of Buddhahood to Sumedha are depicted with flames emitting from their bodies; both scenes are depictions of inheritance, filial and disciple piety; both may have been considered by 5th-century Buddhists to be representations of "eager youth". . Gautam Buddha's childhood name was Siddhartha and he was married to Yashodhara at the age of 16. In theory, these two discourses are not mutually exclusive. In contrast, fifth- and sixth-century biographies of the Buddha imply her pregnancy began with an immaculate conception. Slowly, I began to understand how the silence around maternal death could reflect an unconscious scapegoating of the victim, whose death could be blamed on her karma. Went forth from the home life [50][62] He encouraged reflection before, during and after one's actions,[62] and explained that lying makes the spiritual life void and empty,[50] leading to many other evils. . This heritage is given from a viewpoint of trust in the potential of the child Rhula, presuming that the Buddhist path can also be accessed by children. [75], When he was 20 years old, Rhula fully ordained as a monk in Svatth. In one version of the story the gift is a ring signet. If a woman delivers in a hospital or her natal home, her lack of seclusion in her marital home threatens local protective deities who can harm mother, baby, and household prosperity. . Yet much contemporary Buddhist scholarship has overlooked the significance of Mayas wish to travel home late in pregnancy. The Pli account claims that when he received the news of his son's birth he replied "rhulajto bandhana jta", meaning "A rhu is born, a fetter has arisen",[14][13] that is, an impediment to the search for enlightenment. Buddha's father was Suddhodana, king of the Sakhyas. While it is unclear what is meant by a mothers natural weakness, it could refer to Mayas or the newborn Buddhas vulnerable condition after birth. In Lumbini, Kapilvastu Nagar, and The Kingdom of Nepal. [9][45] After the Buddha had a meal, Rhula followed the Buddha and asked him for his inheritance. The Lalitavistara is at pains to highlight the fact that Maya has the ideal physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual qualities to host a Bodhisatta in her womb. [1] The name had a conjuring effect by virtue of the merits of the great Vedic rishi Gautam and his illustrious descendant rishis so much so that, numerous other persons sought to assume this name in ancient times. [72] Pli texts give examples of Rhula's strictness in monastic discipline. Your email address will not be published. No more and no less. This is the crux of the entire Buddha story, which is why he is called the Buddha, the awakened one. Gautam Buddha Biography. But what we can suspect is that Maya, like Tendzin, was partly blamed for her own death. [83] Moreover, he is considered to be one of the 2328 masters in the lineage of the Tiantai tradition, one of the 28 in the Chan lineage,[84] and one of the eight enlightened disciples in the Burmese tradition. His father's name was Shuddhodhan, and his mother's name was Mahamaya. Other women give birth after carrying the child in the womb for nine or ten months, but not so the Bodhisattas mother. The name Gautam (also transliterated as Suddenly, I realized that their chances of survival were hardly certain and that it would be months before they came home from the intensive care nursery at the hospital. Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, near Kapilavastu.
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