The milkmaid's pivotal offering to Siddhartha

G. P. Malalasekera, Dictionary of Pali Proper Names edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

The Dryad (Evelyn De Morgan)

Who was Sujātā the milkmaid who made the food offering that led Siddhartha to become the Buddha? Here's her backstory.

She was the daughter of Senānī, a landowner in the village of Senānī near Uruvelā in Bihar south of Gaya. She once made a vow to the tree spirit or dryad (deva) of a large banyan tree nearby that she would offer a rich meal of milk rice to the woodland spirit if she ever gave birth to a son.

Her wish was fulfilled, and a son was born. So she sent her maid, Punnā, to prepare the place for the grand offering.

This was on the very day of the Buddha's great enlightenment. (In fact this accomplishment was made possible by the nourishment the offering provided). Punnā, finding the ascetic Siddhartha Gautama sitting under the banyan tree in meditation, thought that he was the tree spirit manifested into flesh to receive the offering.

• To this day it is said that making a food offering to a meditator who then reaches meditative absorption or one of the stages of awakening is extraordinarily meritorious. So it is incumbent on those who accept offerings to apply themselves diligently to become worthy by being virtuous, keeping the disciplinary rules, and striving for the goal in meditation. 

She ran home with the news to Sujātā, who in great joy brought the food offering in a golden bowl and offered it to him. Siddhartha took the golden bowl to the riverbank, bathed at the ford of the Suppatitthita river, and ate the food. This was his only meal in 49 days.

Nine female donors

According to J.i.68f.; DhA.i.71, etc. In Lal.334-7 (267f.), nine females are mentioned as giving food to the ascetic Siddhartha during his austerities. Cf. Dvy.392, where two names are given, Nandā and Nandabalā.

Sujātā's meal was considered one of the most important of any offered to him. Therefore, the devas (lit. the "shining ones" or invisible light beings) added divine flavors to the food.

Sujātā had a son named Yasa. When he grew up and attained full enlightenment, his father, who had come in search of him, became the Buddha's follower and invited him to a meal (dana).

The Buddha accepted the invitation and went with Yasa, now an accomplished wandering ascetic, to their home. The Buddha taught them at the end of the meal, and both Sujātā and Yasa's wife gained stream entry (sotāpanna), the first stage of enlightenment.

On that day Sujātā took the threefold formula of guidance (sarana). She thus became foremost among laywomen who had taken the threefold formula: Aggam upāsikānam pathamam saranam gacchantīnam (SNA.i.154; D.ii.135).

Sujātā is said to have made an earnest resolve to attain this eminence back in the time of Padumuttara Buddha (A.i.26; AA.i.217f.)