Khema was, by tradition, the chief consort of King Bimbisara of Magadha before her renunciation, renowned for her beauty. She is said to have resisted visiting the Buddha, wary of a teacher reputed to criticize attachment to physical appearance, until Bimbisara arranged for her to hear him regardless; the Buddha is said to have conjured a vision of an exquisitely beautiful woman aging before her eyes into decay and death, after which Khema grasped the impermanence of the beauty she had prized and asked to be ordained. She went on to attain arahantship and was declared by the Buddha to be foremost among his nun disciples in wisdom, the female counterpart in that respect to Sariputta among the monks. Verses attributed to her appear among the Therigatha, and she is remembered for a recorded dialogue with King Pasenadi of Kosala on the nature of the Buddha after death.
Facts
Origins
Place of OriginMagadha, in present day northeastern India; before ordination, chief consort of King Bimbisara. 1 Era of CompositionContemporary with the Buddha, traditionally placed in the sixth or fifth century BCE. 1 History
Historical NoteTraditionally said to have renounced her attachment to physical beauty after the Buddha showed her a vision of a beautiful woman aging into decay, after which she ordained and attained arahantship. 1 Attestation
Veneration TodayActively venerated in a living tradition 1 Traditions Revering This Figure Life
Office HeldDeclared by the Buddha to be foremost among his nun disciples in wisdom, the female counterpart to Sariputta's standing among the monks. 1 Position Profile
Key TextVerses attributed to her appear in the Therigatha, and she is remembered for a recorded dialogue on the nature of the Buddha after death. 1 Connections
Associated With
Declared by the Buddha as foremost among his nun disciples in wisdom, after her ordination under his teaching.
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Belongs to Tradition
Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)
Originated In
Revered In
Sources
1. Encyclopedia of Religion
Mircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.), Macmillan Reference, 2005View the Source Khema (Wikipedia)
Originated In: India, Lead paragraph, originated-inQuote, Originated In: India, Lead paragraph, originated-in
Khema was born into the royal family of the ancient Kingdom of Madra, and was the wife of King Bimbisara of the ancient Indian kingdom of Magadha.
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