Lessons from Ven Patacara's Life and Awakening
As promised some time ago, here is a full and inspiring account of how Venerable Patacara's statue came to be with us along with the incredible story of her life and Awakening, taken from Anukampa's latest newsletter :-)
In an auspicious series of events, the below statue of the Great Arahati Venerable Patacara Theri was gifted to us for our current Residence and future Monastery. Described as "an exceptional one of a kind statue, simple and refined, carved from an ancient hibiscus tree," the statue was made in Bali, by Ida Bagus Anom, a father of two grown sons, who today I learned "...lives very simply, is modest, gentle and likes to laugh. His community would like him to become a priest and his presence is important at ceremonies. His energy, as well as the energy of the deities comes through in his carvings and.. joy arises when he knows the statue has come alive." I am told that that joy happened for him with "our" Patacara, and I find the statue remarkable not only as a work of exquisite craftmanship, but for the profound serenity her features convey.
I saw her by chance in a post by Ayya Tathaaloka Theri, our senior-most Western Theravada Bhikkhuni living in the USA. Though I have seen many wooden and brass statues of female deities or goddesses (such as Tara and Kwan Yin), this was the first time I had laid eyes on a statue of one of the Awakened Bhikkhuni disciples whom I have read about in the early Buddhist texts ~ let alone one of such elegance!
Seeing her immediately deepened my sense of connection to our historical bhikkhuni lineage and, as I imbibed the peace in her smile, I was struck with a visceral and spiritual clarity I had never before experienced, about why representation matters.
So, how did she come to be with us? Amazingly, the proprietor of the statue, Victoria, was known to Ayya Tathaaloka. When Ayya kindly explained that we were interested in whether the statue is available and told Victoria about Anukampa's aims, Victoria felt inspired. She wrote to Ayya: "I wanted her not be bought casually. I actually resisted making her available but she has a job to do! Thank you so much for helping her find the right home!"
Furthermore, Victoria decided to forgo any profit to help the emergence of the Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha in Europe and the UK. Things continued to fall quickly into place, as offers of help poured in from American supporters (the retail outlet is in the USA), both known and unknown to me. My deepest gratitude goes out to our American friends Carudhamma Jo Ferris and Suruttama Ron Browning, who sponsored the statue, and to Deva, Garry and Ann, who sponsored her swift and safe transportation.
Ven Patacara found her new home in Oxford's Bhikkhuni Residence on 30th December and I felt such reverence and joy upon unpacking her, that I paid my respects all teary eyed!
The date of her arrival felt significant too. Ayya Tathaaloka, who is also a renowned Buddhist historian, wrote to say: "How amazing that she arrives today on the very full moon anniversary of great Arahati Sanghamitta Theri and Arahati Anula-devi arriving in Anuradhapura with the southern branch sapling of the Bodhi Tree and a thousand strong newly-ordained Bhikkhuni Sangha ~2,270 years ago today. Both Patācārā and Sanghamittā were such outstanding proponents of the Dhamma and Vinaya-based Bhikkhunī life."
So, who was Venerable Patacara, and what can we learn from her life?
It may surprise you to know that Venerable Patacara was the teacher of another Venerable Canda (!) in the time of the Buddha, as well as over five hundred bhikkhunis, all of whom realised nibbana due to Patacara's superb teaching skills, which in my opinion may have developed at least in part as a consequence of the immense suffering she overcame to find peace.
The following is excerpted from a book "Stories Of The Elder Nuns (Bhikkhunis)"
by Venerable Anandajoti Bhikkhu,
(available here: https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Aggatherivatthu/04-Patacara.htm):
This nun disciple’s story is certainly one of the most memorable in Buddhist literature, and is also one of the most celebrated... Patacara was (re)born in a good family home in Sāvatthī.
Against all family conventions, and outside of marriage she had a liaison with one of the household’s workers, fell in love and eloped, rather than marrying the man her family had arranged for her.
When she became pregnant she decided to go back to her family for help with the delivery, but her husband kept putting off the time for departure, and departing late she eventually had the child on the way. She therefore returned home with the child. A second time the same thing happened, and she gave birth on the road.
Just then a great storm blew up and she asked her husband to prepare a shelter, which he did.
But as he went to get materials for a roof he was bitten by a cobra and died. When she discovered the body in the morning, she lamented but decided to continue to her parent’s home.
On the way, while crossing a ford, one of her children was snatched away by a hawk, and the other one was swept away by the current and drowned. She made it to the city, but only to find that her family home had collapsed during the storm, and all inside were lost and were awaiting their cremation. This meant that within one day she had lost husband, children, parents and siblings.
At that point she lost her mind completely, threw off her clothes and went around naked and senseless, until one day she met the Buddha who suffused her with loving-kindness and admonished her, whereat she regained her senses, covered herself up and listened to his Dhamma teaching.
The Buddha taught her with a memorable verse and she attained the First Stage of Awakening and ordained. In a story which is not included in this commentary, but is brought in here from another, while contemplating the fading away of water in the ground she gained insight, realised that life was impermanent, and attained Liberation.
Later the Buddha appointed her as the one who was foremost in bearing the discipline in mind. The connection of her story to her position is presumably because of her conversion from being a woman who refused to abide by the rules of society to one who later became the most diligent in Discipline. She therefore appears as the counterpart of Ven. Upāli, who answered the questions on discipline at the First Recitation.
In The Therigatha (available for free download here :
she proclaims her Awakening:
5.10 Paṭācārā
Ploughing the fields,
sowing seeds in the ground,
supporting partners and children,
young men acquire wealth.
I am accomplished in ethics,
and I do the Teacher’s bidding,
being neither lazy nor restless—
why then do I not achieve quenching?
Having washed my feet,
I took note of the water,
seeing the foot-washing water
flowing from high ground to low.
My mind became serene,
like a fine thoroughbred steed.
Then, taking a lamp,
I entered my dwelling,
inspected the bed,
and sat on my cot.
Then, grabbing the pin,
I drew out the wick.
The liberation of my heart
was like the quenching of the lamp.
~ Verse translated by Bhante Sujato and Jessica Walton :-)
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