Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Yasodhara
Yasodhara
ver 2,500 years ago, in a kingdom nestled in a fruitful region fed by the Ganges
River, there lived a king by the name of Suppabuddha and his Queen Pamita.
Good news had come to them. The Queen was pregnant!
SUMMER 2010
his father and a court that would see to all of her needs.
It wasnt as if he was leaving her without rent money or
health insurance.
I continued trying to convince myself as well as my
students.
Its only a teaching myth; we mustnt take it
literally.
Siddharthas leaving speaks to the need to let go of
all our attachments, all we know, in order to seek the
unknown.
Still no sale. Not for my students. Not for me. The
idea of a man leaving his wife and child was just too
painful.
***
Yasodhara grew up to be a beautiful, generous, and
loving young woman. She questioned why her servants
did not eat the same food as the members of the palace.
It never seemed fair to her that some had so much while
others suffered with so little. When she turned 16 she
heard that her cousin Siddhartha was preparing to pick
TURNING WHEEL
11
SUMMER 2010
TURNING WHEEL
TURNING WHEEL
SUMMER 2010
13