Abstract

This philosopher was the biological aunt and foster mother of Siddartha Gotama, known as “the Buddha.” Living the ascetic life of a renunciant was widely accepted as a most direct path to enlightenment. Being historically and customarily tied to the domestic sphere implied that women were precluded from the ascetic life, and therefore from attaining nibbana. When Siddartha was grown and became enlightened as the Buddha, Mahapajapati entered into dialogue and demonstration with her foster son regarding the equal spiritual potential of men and women, both through direct interaction and through a deputy. Her love of and search for wisdom—specifically, the Buddhist path to nibbana—seemed thwarted by the conventions surrounding her gender. Yet, she led and taught hundreds of female aspirants. In this chapter we focus on the philosophical arguments implicit in her actions as they must be understood in the context of Buddhist philosophy.