Who was Mahaprajapati, and how was she connected to the Buddhist order of nuns?
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Mahaprajapati was the aunt and stepmother of Gautama Buddha. Following the death of the Buddha’s biological mother, Maha Maya, shortly after his birth, Mahaprajapati took on the role of raising him.
Regarding her connection to the monastic community, Buddhist texts indicate that the Buddha initially permitted only men to join the sangha. Mahaprajapati is historically recognized as the figure who successfully petitioned the Buddha to allow women to take vows and enter the monastic life. Her efforts led to the establishment of the female monastic order, allowing women to become nuns (bhikkunis) and pursue the path of renunciation alongside their male counterparts, the bhikkus.1