The tragic story of Bhikkhuni Patachara

By Premasara Epasinghe

Patachara was born one hundred thousand aeons (Kalpas) ago, during the time of Padumuttara Buddha in the city of Hansawati. With her parents, she used to listen to the sermons of the Buddha. One day she saw Buddha Padumuttara, conferring and elevating an Bhikkhuni to the position of the foremost disciplined Bhikkhuni. She regularly used to offer alms to the Buddha and Bhikkhunis and wished to be the foremost Bhikkhuni of discipline, under a future Buddha.

In her next birth, during Kassapa Buddha she was born as the daughter of King Kiki in the Kigndom of Kasi.

To fulfil her wish, she was born as a daughter of a wealthy, rich family during the dispensation of Sidhartha Gautama Buddha.

Love at first sight

The parents looked after her like their own eyes. She lived in a big mansion and special maids were there to look after her. She lived in luxury in the seventh flour of the mansion. One day, she saw a handsome youth, chopping firewood. She fell in love with him at the first sight. When she left the mansion to enjoy a stroll she met her lover. Her parents found a nobleman to be her partner. She informed her lover about it. She decided to elope with the lover who was a wood-cutter of the mansion. They left the mansion and crossed the river Achiravati. They put up a small hut and lived according to their means happily.

As the delivery date of the first child was close, she appealed to the husband to take her back to her mansion. But the labourer was frightened to meet her parents. So, he kept the matter on hold. As it was the normal practice of girls to go to her parents’ place on such vacations, she left for her parents’ place without informing her husband.

The journey was tiring. On her way to her parents, she delivered a baby boy. Therefore, she returned to her husband. Again they lived happily according to their means.

After about one and half years, she was pregnant again. This time too she decided to go to her parents’ place. As the husband was not in favour, she took her son and left to see the parents. When the husband came home, he realised that the wife had left. He quickly went in search of her and found his wife and the child.

Torrential rains

The skies were darkened and threatening. Before the rains fell, the husband went in search of cutting, leafy branches to put up a hut. In the meantime, she delivered the second baby. Torrential rains poured. The husband never returned.

In the morning she found her husband's dead body stung by a snake near an ant hill. She lamented. The elder child cried. Carrying the little baby, and holding the hand of the other child, she wondered what to do. The heavy rain made the waters of Acirawati River rise. She asked the elder boy to wait on the river bank and swam with the little new born baby and kept him, on the other side of the bank.

Then, she came crossing mid-way of the river to take the elder child. She saw, a big, eagle swooping down on the new born baby's direction. She shouted to chase the bird. The elder son thought his mother was calling him and jumped into the river. He was carried away by the swift current, and disappeared in the water. The massive eagle carried away the little baby.

How can any one bear such a calamity? Within a matter of few hours, she lost her husband and two children. She felt unconscious. When she recovered she ran hither and thither naked like a mad woman.

The people not knowing her pathetic condition, called her Patachara ‘a woman who has no shame about her nakedness'. Some people gave her some clothes to cover herself. She did not know what she was doing.

She entered the city and ran towards the monastery where the Buddha was residing. People tried to stop her. The compassionate One, allowed her to reach Him. Patachara, related her entire story to the Buddha.

The Enlightened One delivered a sermon on impermanence.

“Daughter, in your Samsaric journey many a time you have shed tears, for your loved ones. Even the four oceans will overflow with your tears. Death overwhelms you. No one can help you, except the Dhamma of the Blessed One. The wise person, who realises the truth, paves the way getting rid of all sufferings. As a great communicator, the Buddha delivered the sermon to suit her trend of thoughts, like a psychologist.

Patacara realised the truth, and attained the stage of stream entrant - Sovan.

She fell near the Buddha and worshipped the Blessed One and seek permission to enter the order.

The Buddha directed her to the Bhikkhuni's and she was Ordained. She was committed. She meditated and attained the stages – Once-returner, (Sakurudagami) and non-returner (Anagami).

It was water – rain – water, which caused the deaths of the husband and the two children. Thinking about water she used to wash her feet downwards that helped her to attain Nibbana.

In Theri Gatha – there are stanzas relating to Patacara, depicting the truth of Buddhist philosophy.

I washed my feet with water
It flowed downwards
I observed the flow of water
I realised the transient nature of life.

Patachara, realised the absolute truth – All desires extinguished – Rebirth ceased. Patachara too destroyed her desires and attained the Bless of Nirvana and achieved Arahanthood.

Later the Buddha elevated Patacara to the rank of the foremost Bhikkuni in discipline. Later, she became a towering strength for the sorrowing women who lost their loved ones.