Tathālokā Therī
March 5, 2025
Study: "The 'Northern Vaishali (Vesali) Mahāparinibbāna Landscape': Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Parinibbāna Story & Stupa in Context"
#buddhastory #mahaparinibbana #mahapajapati #Parinibbana #BuddhistHeritage #WomensHistoryMonth #HerStoryOurStory
I've started to think of the northern Vaishali landscape as the "Vaishali Parinibbāna Landscape."
Vaishali, in Bihar, India, is known as "Vesali" in the Pāli-text Early Buddhist teachings, and was an important place in both the Buddha's own "Great Going Forth" Abhinekkhamma (Abhinikshkramana) journey, and his final Mahāparinibbāna Journey to ultimate nirvāna at the end of his life. As well as, and likewise, the great going forth and final nirvāna / parinibbāna of the founder of the Buddha's women's monastic community, the Bhikkhunī Sangha, led by Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, foster mother of the Buddha, and great queen of the Sakyans.
My attention has been brought to this area again and again studying these stories, especially the stories of the Bhikkhunis' great going forth, and more recently, the story of their Parinibbāna, as we've come to relocate, reclaim and restore their dates, stories, and related ancient Buddhist pilgrims' paths and sacred places.
What i'm calling the northern Vaishali "Parinibbāna Landscape" is, in the ancient pilgrims' landscape, a cluster of such of places--common in theme and in area--among the sacred sites visited and recorded by 5th-7th century monastic pilgrims such as Faxian (法顯, Fa-hien, Fa-hsien) and Xuanzang (玄奘, Hsüen Tsang aka Mokṣadeva मोक्षदेवः) - many of which, enable by the records preserved in their pilgrimage diaries, are now being found again and restored.
This "Northern Vaishali Parinibbāna Landscape" has recently been relocated, but it is not yet restored. It contains some very important--and especially poignant and sensitive--places in the landscape of the Buddha's story.
Studying about the long lost Mahāpajāpatī Parinibbāna Stupa has brought me to important related articles published on the "Nālandā - Insatiable in Offering" blog and related posts from the Retracing Bodhisattva Xuanzang on Facebook.
With this, recently, an awareness has been arising to my mind, as to how much both the Mahāparinibbāna stories and Mahāparinibbāna landscape of the Buddha, and of his foster mother Mahāpajapatī Gotamī & the Founding Bhikkhunī Sangha, are very closely and intimately interconnected.
This was not so readily apparent from just reading the Pāli-text canon alone, or by following the popular pilgrim tour routes undertaken by so many Buddhist monastic friends.
So, as this realization has dawned, it seemed important to log it here.
There are five (5) important Parinibbāna places dotting the landscape of the northern area of Vaishali (Vesali) which were visited and recorded more than a thousand years ago by pilgrim monks Faxian and Xuanzang:
3 related to the Buddha's own Mahāparinibbāna
1 related to Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī & her great awakened bhikkhunī following and their Parinibbāna
1 related to the Parinibbāna of the Venerable Ānanda Thero, personal assistant to the Buddha, and leader of the Sangha for 25 of the first 40 years following the Buddha's great final passing.
......in order of time.....
The Buddha Announces His Own Impending Mahāparinibbāna
1. the Cāpāla Cetiya shrine
Located: mound at modern Bakhra, ✨northern Vaishali
then nearby the Ambavanārāma mango grove monastery donated by Amrapalī Therī to the Buddha and his Sangha while she was still an inspired laywomen follower of the Buddha's teachings, not long before the Buddhā's Parinibbāna, shortly before her entering monastic life, and her complete awakening
Date: Māgha Puṇṇamī / Purnima (often the full moon of February)
Importance: where the Buddha announced his impending Parinibbāna in three months time
.....one week later......
Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & 500 Bhikkhunī Founders Parinibbāna
2. Amrapali Bhikkhuni Upassaya
Amrapalī's old house, donated to the Bhikkhunī Sangha as a bhikkhunī sangha monastic dwelling
Located: mounds at modern village Birpur, ✨northern Vaishali
Date: Phagguṇa Kaṇḥa Aṭṭhamī / Falgun Krishna Asthami (the waning half moon Uposatha one week after the Māgha full moon)
Importance: Mahāpajāpatĩī& 500 Founding Mothers of Bhikkhuni Sangha Parnibbāna
......soon afterwards......
The Buddha Departs Vaishali on his Final Journey
3. the Stupa of the Buddha's Stopping & Last Meeting with Vaishali Buddhist people
Location: Marpasuna mound at Chak Sahadani, northern Vaishali
Importance: where Buddha stopped while on way to attain Parinibbana
4. the Stupa of the Buddha's Last Looking Back
Location: Arar (mound recently almost entirely raized) - Alar Brahm sthan, ✨northern Vaishali
Importance: where Buddha contemplated Vaishali for last time
(One portion of the Buddha's own bodily relics were enshrined in a stupa by the Licchavi princes after the Buddha's Mahāparinibbāna, *in a different area of Vaishali* well known and popular with pilgrims and tourists further to the south, nearby which the well-known Ashoka pillar and Ashokan stupa at the monkey tank were later established.)
.......40 years later.......
according to traditional Theravada counting
"Guardian of the Dhamma" Arahant Ānanda Thera Attains Parinibbāna
5. Ānanda half-body relics stupa
Location: mound at Udaipur, ✨northern Vaishali
Date: ~ Jyesth Amavasya (Jeṭṭha Amavasī)
one week after the Visākhā Puṇṇamī Vesak Purnima
on the "Atthami Puja" Day which was also the Buddha's cremation day, and day of the death of the Buddha's birth mother Mayāmāyā Devī
Importance: the place the Licchavi princes of Vaishali built a stupa by the Kūṭāgāraśāla (where the Buddha stayed in Vaishali) for the Licchavi princes share of half the body of Ānanda Thero's crematory relics.
SOURCES
1. Nālandā - Insatiable in Offering blog*
*materials share with permission
11 Sep 2020 "The Arduous Journey: Mahāprajāpatī and the Courageous, Committed 500"
16 Dec 2020 "Sacred landscape of Vaiśālī and the Way Forward for Revitalisation"
19 May 2015 "Where did Mahāpajāpatī Gotami attained parinirvāṇa (Death)?"
20 Jun 2011 "Vaishali and around"
23 Sep 2029 "Evidence suggests Rāmpurwā as the place of Buddha’s Mahāparinirvāṇa"
3 June 2021 "Rāghopur Diara: The River Island where Ven Ānanda attained Parinirvāṇa"
2. BDK English Tripitaka
This volume collects...an account of the life and travels in South Asia of the fifth-century Chinese monk Faxia
The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions
This is an account of the travels in Central Asia and India of the seventh-century Chinese scholar-monk Xuanzang from 627 CE to 645 CE
Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
"Happy are those who fare in Dhamma, in this world and beyond."*
- the Buddha
*From the Buddha's Dhamma teaching verses through which his Buddha's mother, father, and wife were supported in stream entry, on the March Phagguṇa Full Moon (coming up March 13-14th 2025)
"Rise up! Do not be heedless! In the Dhamma faring, fare ye well!
Happy are those who fare in Dhamma, in this world and beyond."
Uttiṭṭhe nappamajjeyya, dhammaṃ sucaritaṃ care;
Dhammacārī sukhaṃ seti, asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.
"Well-faring are those who fare in Dhamma,
ill-faring those who fare not well.
Happy are those who fare in Dhamma, in this world and beyond."
Dhammañcare sucaritaṁ na taṁ duccaritaṁ care
Dhammacārī sukhaṁ seti asmiṁ loke paramhi ca’ti.
- the Buddha, Dhammapāda vv 168-169
I would like to express my gratitude to Deepak Anand ji and the Retracing Bodhisattva Xuanzang project for their admirable and worthy initiative and dedication in both research and education, which has been so informative and of interest. The materials here are shared with permission. Thank you very much with hearty "anumodana," wishing you all the best with your continuing efforts, both in research, and in education, outreach, and raising awareness.
. . .
Happy in Dhamma,
Tathālokā Therī 👏
✍️ at Dhammadharini
May all beings be happy and well
and enjoy sharing in the merits we've made
More detail & Images: The Northern Vaishali (Vesali) Parinibbāna Landscape
* "large wood" = Mahāvana
* "storied vihāra" = Kutagarasala, Kutagara-shala, Kūtāgārasālā, Kūṭāgāraśāla, Kūṭāgārasālā
* "the garden Lady Āmrapālī offered to the Buddha for his dwelling place" = Ambavanārāma
- studying the pilgrim diary of 5th century Buddhist monk Faxian in "The Journey of the Eminent Monk Faxian" (p 188)
"place of the old house of the woman Āmra[pālī] = Ambapalī Bhikkhunī Upassaya
* "where Āmra[pālī] offered her garden to the Buddha" = Ambavanārāma
- studying the pilgrim diary of 7th century Buddhist monk Xuanzang in "The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions" (p 185)
The Buddha Announces His Own Impending Mahāparinibbāna
🪷 1. the Cāpāla Cetiya shrine
- Located: mound at modern Bakhra, ✨northern Vaishali
then nearby the Ambavanārāma mango grove monastery donated by Amrapalī Therī to the Buddha and his Sangha while she was still an inspired laywomen follower of the Buddha's teachings, not long before the Buddhā's Parinibbāna, shortly before her entering monastic life, and her complete awakening
- Date: Māgha Puṇṇamī / Purnima (often the full moon of February)
- Importance: where the Buddha announced his impending Parinibbāna in three months time
"Sacred sites in Vaiśālī mentioned by Xuanzang and Faxian" in "Sacred landscape of Vaiśālī and the Way Forward for Revitalisation"
Ambapali not long after joined the Buddha's Bhikkhuni Sangha and become a full awakened arahant disciple of the Buddha. The Buddha spoke of her as his daughter in the Therī Apadāna. Her entry into the Sangha and ordination was very close to the Buddha's Parinibbāna Journey.
Venerable Bhikkhunī Ambapalī Arahant Therī from my post "Mothers of Wisdom, Daughters of Wisdom, Heart Heirs of the Buddha, Born from the Dhamma, Born from the Buddha's Heart"
Nos. 1 & 2 in red letters above the words "Ashokan Pillar" on the left show at "Chakramdas Village, two stupas adjacent to each other. The distance and direction mentioned by Xuanzang hints this to be the stupa to mark Buddha’s last glance at Vaishali City....In his description of structures in this vicinity he mentioned only once about two stupas found near together which were the stupa by Ambapali Vihara and the stupa to mark the Buddha’s announcement of his parinirvana. ...both of the stupas are clearly demarcated from the cluster of stupas [above] in the middle of the Bakhra village."
- the full discussion in "Vaishali and around"
.....one week later after the Buddha's announcement......
Birpur area of the Northern Vaishali (Vesali) Parinibbāna Landscape:
- from "Where did Mahāpajāpatī Gotami attained parinirvāṇa (Death)?"
![Highlight "Parinirvana place of Mahaprajapati and 500 Sakyan [Bhikkhuni arahants]" village Birpur | Map of the Northern Vaishali (Vesali) Parinibbāna Landscape. - from "Sacred landscape of Vaiśālī and the Way Forward for Revitalisation"](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3cb08b_ac8e19bae15046f1982a5b2abc8b1397~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_980,h_1203,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/3cb08b_ac8e19bae15046f1982a5b2abc8b1397~mv2.jpeg)
![Highlight on the whole circuit through the Northern Vaishali Parinibbāna Landscape: (from west to east then northwest) where the "Buddha announced his impending Parinibbāna" ( 🪷 1), through the "half-body relic stupa of Ānanda" (covered later in this post 🪷 5), the "Parinirvana place of Mahaprajapati and 500 Sakyan [Bhikkhuni Sangha Founder]s" (🪷 2), where "Buddha stopped on on his way to attain Mahaparinirvana" (🪷 3), and "Buddha contemplated Vaishali for the last time" (🪷 4).](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3cb08b_32ec3d19eb6b420aaebcb73d36c8e1d6~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_980,h_1203,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/3cb08b_32ec3d19eb6b420aaebcb73d36c8e1d6~mv2.jpeg)
This map shows both the Mahaparinirvana Trail of the Buddha as well as his Renunciation Trail.
For all my friends following East Asian Buddhist traditions, Happy Great Renunciation Day of the Buddha today, remembered on the Eight Day of the Second Lunar Month of the Chinese/East Asian Lunar Calendar.
农历二月初八，是释迦牟尼佛出家日。
The eighth day of the second lunar month [on the East Asian Lunar Calendar, which begins on the New Moon in February*] is the day of Sakyamuni Buddha's Great Departure aka Great Renunciation, known as Abhinikkhamaṇa in Pāli and Abhiniṣkramaṇa or Mahābhiniṣkramaṇa in Sanskrit.
In Classical Han Chinese it is called Sakyamuni Buddha's "出家日" which literally translates as "Anagāriya-Pabbajitā Day," and is often translated as "the day Sakyamuni Buddha became a monk". Sometimes the word "纪念" is added, which means "anniversary" or "commemorative day" to make 釋迦牟尼佛出家纪念日。
*With the East Asian New Year beginning on the first day after the Dark Moon (🌑 Māgha-māsaṁ Amāvasī Dark Moon Uposatha) of February, the Great Renunication Day falls five weeks later, that is, one month plus seven days later (on the 🌓 Phagguṇa-māsaṁ Sukka Pakka Atthami Waxing Half Moon Uposatha). This tradition is thought to have stemmed from a South Indian Astro-Solar Calendar on which the New Year falls on the Vernal Equinox in March or April (March 20th in 2025). One week after the Vernal Equinox
On most contemporary South & Southeast Asian Astro-Solar Calendars, the Astro-Solar New Year falls around mid-April in the Citta-māsaṁ, and has generally been fixed as April 12th-16th.
In other areas of India such as Kutch and Gujarat, the traditional Lunar New Year begins with either the beginning or ending of the Vassa (Kutch - the beginning, Gujarat - the end), as was also once traditional in Buddhism, and is still used to "count Vassas" or ordained years in Buddhist monastic life.
If we were to consider the Kutch* Lunar Calendar, the end of the first week of the second lunar month would place the Buddha's own Great Renunciation as very close in time to that of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī and the Courageous 500, which are remembered in Sri Lanka on the second full moon of the Vassa.
. . .
On the South & Southeast Asian Theravāda Buddhist calendars, the Buddha's Great Going Forth is commemorated on the full moon day of the lunar month of Āsāḷha, which normally falls in June or July.
. . .
with this image the text says that the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month remembered as the day of Sakyamuni Buddha's Leaving Home and "Going Forth" falls on March 7th in 2025 :
2025年3月7日农历乙巳年二月初八是释迦牟尼佛出家纪念日
See also:
Noting, great disciple of the Buddha Ānanda Thero's half-body relic stupa was established very close to the place where, 75 years earlier, Ānanda is said to have assisted his aunt Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & 500 Sakyan women in ordaining as bhikkhunīs, founding the Buddha's Bhikkhunī Sangha, a major step towards the Buddha's near-after-great-awakening vision and mission statement attesting to his intention to have an awakened and fully capable four-fold community of disciples, including Bhikkhunīs, together with Bhikkhu, Upāsaka and Upāsika disciples.
Noting, the photo of the Ashoka stupa by the Ashoka pillar here is often said to be the "Ananda Stupa," however:
"As per Xuanzang, a band of monkeys offered honey to the Buddha and dug a pond for him to drink water. King Ashoka erected a Pillar and Stupa to mark this miracle performed by the Buddha."
While Birpur represents the site where Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī attained Parinibbāna, per Xuanzang, Udaipur (previous photo in this post) represents the half-body relic stupa of the Venerable Ānanda Thero, Guardian of the Dhamma.
See also:
Recent photos from Vaishali, including the Northern Vaishali Parinibbāna Landscape, from Dharma Training Wheel Program shared yesterday, from the just completed historical 108+ day Tipitaka Saddhamma Sajjhayana Buddha Carika pilgrimage.
Beautiful and moving video of the same, here visiting the area of the Mahāpajāpatī Parnibbāna Stupa, village Birpur, in the Northern Vaishali (Vesali) Parinibbāna Landscape
Where did the Venerable Ānanda Thero attain Parinibbāna?
Recommended reading:
