The Girl Who Became a Buddha: Story of Pajapati, the Woman Who Raised the Buddha Set in 5th Century BCE | Ages 12+
Pajapati bristles against convention. Her sister Maya, co-ruler of Kapilavastu, attempts to temper her wild spirit, but such efforts prove futile. When Maya succumbs shortly after delivering Siddhartha into the world, Pajapati's grief becomes almost unbearable. Yet obligation calls: she must nurture the boy in his mother's stead, and with meticulous care, because an ancient prophecy warns that if the child witnesses human suffering or mortality, he'll abandon his birthright. Despite all precautions, the inevitable unfolds. Siddhartha eventually encounters the realities he was shielded from and chooses a wanderer's path, ultimately attaining enlightenment as the Buddha. Yet this tale doesn't belong to him. Instead, it centres on Pajapati, the woman whose devotion shaped his early years and who herself achieved spiritual liberation. Set against the backdrop of fifth-century BCE, Denjongpa's striking first novel examines profound themes: the weight of affection, the sting of bereavement, and one woman's arduous quest for enlightenment. It's a refreshingly different angle on a familiar legend, one that restores agency and complexity to a figure too often relegated to the margins of history.
- Author: Maria Denjongpa
- Publisher: Duckbill
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality
- ISBN: 978-0143479307
- Pages: 336 pages