San Lo Bi Vb NidanaMahāprajāpati Gautamī and the garudhammas

Commentary: Mahāprajāpati Gautamī and the Eight Garudhammas

Background

Mahāprajāpati Gautamī was the elder sister of the Buddha's mother, who shaved her head and went forth, becoming the first bhikkhunī of the Dharma. This event is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka and carries profound historical significance. Initially, the Blessed One did not accept women into the monastic order, but after three times meeting with persistent entreaty, he ultimately gave his consent under one special condition.

That condition was the eight garudhammas (aṭṭha garudhammas), the weightiest rules in the Vinaya. They are called "garudhammas" because the Pāli word "garu" means "heavy" or "weighty." These rules are not merely restrictions but also serve as protection, intended to maintain the order of training and harmony within the Saṅgha.

Main Content

The eight garudhammas applying to bhikkhunīs are as follows:

First: No matter how many years a bhikkhunī has been ordained, she must bow in reverence and rise to greet a bhikkhu who has just been ordained, for the male monastics hold seniority (ṭhānavara).

Second: A bhikkhunī may not observe the rains retreat without the authorization of the community of senior bhikkhunīs. By contrast, a bhikkhu may determine this for himself.

Third: Every fortnight, a bhikkhunī must go to the community of bhikkhus to request instruction regarding transgressions.

Fourth: After the rains retreat, a bhikkhunī must conduct the two invitation ceremonies (pavāraṇā) before both the community of bhikkhus and the community of bhikkhunīs.

The remaining four rules concern matters of discipline, penalty, and submission to regulations that the bhikkhus establish for the bhikkhunīs.

These rules, though they may appear unequal by modern standards, within the context of ancient India represented an unprecedented and remarkable step forward—permitting women to go forth and train in the Buddha-Dharma, a privilege that was exceedingly rare in that era.