
For most of the women who became foremost leading
disciples, or etadagga sāvikā, of the Buddha Gotama, it was not
only their meeting with a past buddha, but also their seeing
the Buddha together with an awakened woman, a leading
bhikkhunī disciple of the Buddha, that truly stimulated their
inspiration and galvanized their aspiration.
This article explores the mental and emotional states of awakened women disciples of the Buddha, as recorded in the Therī Apadāna. It examines words expressing their aspiration to awakening, the resolve supporting it, and the intention’s character, drawing parallels with the Pali Canon’s equivalent of bodhicitta development.