Hellmuth Hecker (author, Sister Vajira (translator from the German), Buddhist Women at the Time of the Buddha via accesstoinsight.org; Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly
Bhadda Kundalakesa, the former Jain wandering ascetic
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| Where to find a teacher wiser than I am? |
Her parents protected her very carefully because of her passionate nature. They were afraid that she would get hurt due to her attraction to men.
One day from her window Bhadda saw how a thief was being paraded to the place of execution. He was the son of a Brahmin (wealthy priestly caste) but had a strong tendency towards stealing.
She fell in love with him at first sight. She convinced her father that she could not live without him, so he bribed the guards who allowed the condemned man to escape.
Soon after the wedding, the groom became obsessed with the desire to possess his wife's jewelry. He told her he had made a vow that he would make an offering to a certain mountain deity if he could escape execution.
Through this ruse he managed to get Bhadda away from his home. He wanted to throw her down from a high cliff to gain possession of her valuable ornaments. When they came to the cliff, he brusquely told her about his intention.
Bhadda, in her distress, likewise resolved to a ruse that enabled her to give him a push so that it was he who plunged to his death.
Burdened by the enormity of her misdeed, she did not want to return to lay life. Sensual pleasures and material possessions were no longer temptations. She became a wandering ascetic (shramana).
First, she entered the order of Jains and as a special penance, her hair was pulled out from the roots rather than being cut off when she ordained. But it grew back again and was very curly. Therefore, she was called "Curly-hair" (Kundalakesa).
The dharma (teaching) of the Jain sect did not satisfy her, so she became a solitary wandering ascetic. For 50 years she traveled through India and visited many spiritual teachers to question and learn from them. She thereby obtained an excellent knowledge of spiritual teachings and philosophies.
She became one of the most famous debaters [like the Buddha's famous wife, Bhaddakacca, Bhadda Kaccana, Yasodhara, Yasodhari, Rahulamata, Rahulabhadda, Bimba Devi, who became an enlightened nun and famous debater].
When she entered a town, she would make a sand pile and stick a roseapple tree branch into it and would announce that whoever would engage in discussion with her should trample upon the sandpile and knock over the branch.
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One day she came to Savatthi and again set up her little sand monument. At that time, Sariputra — a chief male disciple of the Buddha "foremost in wisdom" [like the nun Khema] deemed to have the greatest power of analysis — was staying at Jeta's Grove.
He heard of the arrival of Bhadda and as a sign of his willingness to debate her, he had several children go and trample the sand pile. Thereupon, the female wandering ascetic Bhadda went to Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Monastery, accompanied by a large number of spectators.
She was certain of victory, since she had become used to winning all her debates.
She put a number of questions to Sariputra. He answered all of them until she found nothing more to ask. Then Sariputra questioned her.
The very first question affected Bhadda profoundly, namely, "What is the One?" She remained silent, unable to discern what the Buddhist elder (thera) could be inquiring about.
Surely, he did not mean "God," "Brahman," or "the Infinite," she reasoned. But what was it then? The answer should have been "nutriment" because all beings are sustained by some kind of food or another.
Although she was unable to figure out an answer and thereby lost the debate, she knew that here was someone who had found what she had been looking for during her wandering of half a century.
She chose Sariputra as her teacher, but he referred her to the Buddha. The Awakened One taught her the Dharma at Vulture's Peak and concluded the teaching with the following verses:
Though a thousand verses
are made of meaningless lines,
better the single meaningful line
by hearing which one is at peace.
— Dhammapada 101
Just as the wanderer Bahiya of the Barkcloth was foremost among males who attained enlightenment/awakening (arahantship) faster than anyone else, she was foremost among females with the same quality.
Both grasped the highest Truth so quickly and so deeply that admittance to the Buddhist Monastic Order followed her attainment of enlightenment. Mind and heart (intellect and emotions) had both long been trained and prepared, so they were able to reach the highest attainment very quickly.
Ven. Bhadda's verses have been handed down to us in the collection of the "Verses of the Elder Nuns" (Therigatha) as she summarizes her life:
I traveled before in a single cloth,
With shaven head, covered in dust [ashes],
Thinking of faults in the faultless,
While in the faulty seeing no faults.*
When done was the day's abiding,**
I went to Vulture's Peak
And saw the Stainless One the Buddha
By the Buddhist Monastic Order revered.
Then before him my hands in anjali mudra***
Humbly, I bowed on my knees.
"Come, Bhadda," he said to me:
And thus was I ordained.
Debt-free, I traveled for 50 years
Through Anga, Magadha, and Vajji,
Through Kasi and Kosala, too,
Living on the alms of the land.
That lay-supporter — wise person indeed —
May many merits accrue to that person!
Who gave a robe to Bhadda for
Free of all ties is she.
— Therigatha 107-111
- *Vajja: "fault" can also mean "what is obstructive to spiritual progress."
- **The daytime spent in seclusion in meditation.
- ***Anjali mudra: hands placed palm to palm respectfully.
- "Elder" (theri or thera) refers to nuns and monks of ten years or more.
- Sources: A I,24; Thig 107-111; J 509; Ap 11 No.21 (p.560).
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