Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī

E277448

Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī was the Buddha’s foster mother and the first woman to be ordained as a Buddhist nun, traditionally regarded as the founder of the bhikkhunī (female monastic) order.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Buddhist nun
bhikkhunī
disciple of Gautama Buddha
founder of religious order
historical figure
alsoKnownAs Mahāpajāpatī Gautamī
Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī
associatedPlace Kapilavatthu
linked to: Kapilavastu
associatedPractice renunciation
associatedWith Śākya clan
linked to: Shakya clan
commemoratedOn various Buddhist observance days honoring nuns
ethnicity Śākya
familyRelation aunt of Gautama Buddha
foster mother of Gautama Buddha
stepmother of Gautama Buddha
fosterMotherOf Gautama Buddha
linked to: Shakyamuni Buddha
founderOf bhikkhunī order
gender female
hasStoryType hagiography
influenced development of the Buddhist nuns’ order
knownFor being the first woman ordained as a Buddhist nun
raising Siddhattha Gotama after the death of his birth mother
requesting the establishment of the bhikkhunī saṅgha
languageOfName Pāli
motherOf Nanda
Rāhula’s mother (Yasodharā) is sometimes described as her daughter-in-law
ordinationStatus fully ordained bhikkhunī
religion Buddhism
requestedOrdinationFrom Gautama Buddha
linked to: Shakyamuni Buddha
role first bhikkhunī
leader of early Buddhist nuns
roleInCanon exemplar of female spiritual attainment
scripturalSource Cullavagga of the Vinaya Piṭaka
Pāli Canon
linked to: Tripitaka

Therīgāthā
spouse King Suddhodana
linked to: Śuddhodana
stepMotherOf Gautama Buddha
linked to: Shakyamuni Buddha
supportedByInOrdinationRequest Ānanda
teacher Gautama Buddha
linked to: Shakyamuni Buddha
title Gotamī
Mahāpajāpatī
tradition early Buddhism
veneratedIn Mahayana Buddhism
linked to: Mahayana

Theravāda Buddhism
linked to: Theravada

Vajrayana Buddhism
linked to: Vajrayana
youngerSisterOf Māyādevī

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Shakyamuni Buddha auntAndFosterMother Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Shakyamuni Buddha disciples Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Shakya associatedWithPerson Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Shakya republic notableResident Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Śuddhodana spouse Mahapajapati Gotami
linked to: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Māyādevī relative Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī title Mahāpajāpatī
linked to: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī alsoKnownAs Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī
linked to: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī alsoKnownAs Mahāpajāpatī Gautamī
linked to: Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī
Queen Maya Devi relatedTo Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī