​A Buddhist Legend about Paṭācārā: Walking toward True Liberation with Mindfulness

Editor's Note: 
When major life changes occur, grief and despair may set in; nonetheless, they also can be opportunities for awakening. The bereavement of losing her husband, children, and family members made the Elderly Nun Paṭācārā completely devastated. Yet, the Buddha's teaching helped her realize the transience of all phenomena. By practicing mindfulness, she thus awoke from the endless samsāra and walked toward true liberation. 


In the Buddha's sangha, the Elderly Nun Paṭācārā had the reputation of being the foremost in upholding the precepts among bhikṣunīs. However, before leaving the household life, she was known as the "madwoman" in the city of Shravasti. Why did she have this notoriety? And how did she manage to go from being a loathsome "madwoman" to a respected and reverend arhat bhikṣunī?

Paṭācārā used to be the daughter of a wealthy Brahmin family in Shravasti. When she was 16 years old, her parents arranged her to be married to a wealthy family, expecting a splendid wedding ahead. To everyone's surprise, she fell in love with a manservant of her family and eloped with him. Shortly afterwards, she was pregnant with her first child. She was worried because she wanted to return to her parental home to give birth. However, her husband, fearing punishment, was unwilling to go. When she was about to give birth to her second child, she became anxious again. This time, her husband gave in and set out with her.

Losing her mind due to painful bereavement

On the way to her parental home, a violent storm suddenly broke out. Paṭācārā's husband went alone to seek shelter for the family, but did not return after a long time. After giving birth to her child in the wilderness, she took her infant son and newborn baby with her to search for her husband. Within a short walk, she saw her husband lying by a path. It turned out that he had been bitten by a poisonous snake, and his body was already cold. Paṭācārā felt profound sorrow, thinking, "This is all my fault."

Paṭācārā had no choice but to carry on the journey to her parental home with her two children. On the way, she must pass an overflowing river that she could not possibly cross with both children in one go. So she left her eldest son on the bank and carried her youngest son across the river first. After crossing the river, she put down her youngest child and turned to fetch her oldest child. When she was half way through the river, a hawk snatched the little one away, while her eldest son on the other side was swept away by the river before her eyes.

A merciless storm took away all her beloved ones. On top of that, when she reached Shravasti, she learned that the storm on the previous night had brought down her parental home as well. Her parents and brothers were crushed to death by the house, and their bodies were already cremated. At that point Paṭācārā broke down, as she could not bear such distress. She cried out to everyone, "My children are dead; my husband has become a corpse on the roadside; my parents and brothers are now burned into ashes." With such grief and deep remorse, for every single day of Paṭācārā's solitary life in this world, she regretted her wrong decisions.

Seeking renunciation after hearing the Dharma

One day, while mindlessly wandering about as usual, Paṭācārā unknowingly approached Jetavana Vihāra, where the Buddha was giving a Dharma talk to his disciples. Attracted by the Buddha's voice, Paṭācārā stepped towards the source where the sound came from. As she moved along, she now came to the entrance of the lecture hall. The sudden appearance of the "madwoman" caused a small commotion. While someone tried to drive her away, the Buddha beckoned to her, saying, "Paṭācārā, it's all right. Come and sit here."

Paṭācārā sat down as the Buddha suggested. Upon seeing the Buddha's compassionate face, she couldn't help but begin to cry, "Bhagavan, my children were dead; my husband had become a corpse on the roadside; my parents and brothers were burned into ashes." The Buddha nodded at her and said, "Paṭācārā, it was not your fault. It was not your fault that you couldn't save your children, that your husband died in an accident, and that your parents and brothers were turned into ashes. Who can defy the will of death when your loved ones were taken away by it? If you understand what I'm saying, then use mindfulness at this moment to bring yourself together. Walk towards true liberation with pure conduct aligning with the Path."

The Buddha's words were like a clear stream flowing through her body. Paṭācārā experienced the peace she had never had before, and the restlessness and distress that had haunted her body and mind instantly vanished. She approached the Buddha and prostrated before him, asking, "Benevolent Bhagavan, may I follow you as a monastic?" The Buddha replied, "Yes, Paṭācārā, you may."

Realizing the arising and perishing of phenomena by observing the flow of water

The Buddha let Paṭācārā join and learn with the bhikṣunī sangha. She upheld the precepts rigorously and practiced diligently as she firmly believed in and observed all the truths taught by the Buddha.

One night, before going to bed, Paṭācārā brought a basin of water to clean her feet. As she poured a ladle of water over her feet, she saw that the water glided on the ground for a short distance and then soaked into the soil. Again, she poured another ladle of water on her feet, and this time the water flowed a little farther. With the third ladle of water poured over her feet, she saw that the water reached even farther. While observing the flow of water, Paṭācārā thought to herself, the first dipper of water was like my children, who died shortly after birth. The second was like my husband, who was bitten by a poisonous snake and died at his prime. The third was like my parents and brothers who were cremated; after living for decades, they still must die in the end.

In meditative concentration, the Buddha knew Paṭācārā's contemplation. He therefore manifested his supernormal power to speak the Dharma to her, "Paṭācārā, if one lives for a hundred years and still remain ignorant about the law of arising and perishing, it would be better for that person to live for only one day and yet realize the law."

While observing and contemplating the flow of foot-washing water, Paṭācārā slowly tamed the ups and downs in her mind. After washing her feet, she raised the lamp and went to her bed to rest. Using a pin to draw out the wick, she extinguished the flame. At the very moment the lamp went out, the Elderly Nun Paṭācārā attained arhatship, with her mind truly liberated.



Reference: 

Verse 288 & 289 of the Dhammapada: For him who is assailed by death there is no protection by kinsmen. None there are to save him—no sons, nor father nor relatives. Realizing this fact, let the wise man, restrained by morality, hasten to clear the path leading to Nibbāna. 

Verse 113 of the Dhammapada: Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things. 

Verse 112-116 of the Therīgāthā: Washing my feet, I noticed the water. And in watching it flow from high to low, my heart was composed like a fine thoroughbred steed. Then taking a lamp, I entered the hut, checked the bedding, sat down on the bed. And taking a pin, I pulled out the wick: Like the flame's unbinding was the liberation of awareness.



Related articles:

From the Suffering of Separation from One's Likes to the Path of Awakening

Applying "Four Steps for Handling a Problem": There is Pain But No Suffering

Buddhist Legends: Removing the Thorn of Sorrow and Eradicating the Suffering of Separation from What One Likes

A Buddhist Legend about Paṭācārā: Walking toward True Liberation with Mindfulness

Interview with Ven. Yan Shi: Suffering Nourishes Life

Interview with Chiu Chih-ling: Real Love Is about Letting Go and Giving Blessings



Resource: Issue 476 of Humanity Magazine (April 2023), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Original Chinese text: Hsu Hui-chuan (徐慧娟)
Translation: Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown, Chang Chia-cheng (張家誠)