Khema

Khema was a prominent Buddhist bhikkhuni, which is the term for a nun. She was one of the most important female disciples of the Buddha. In the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha is said to always have a set of chief disciples. For Gautama Buddha, these included two men and two women. The male disciples were Sariputta and Moggallana. The female disciples were Khema and Uppalavanna. Khema held a very high status among these leaders. The Buddha specifically designated her as the foremost female disciple in wisdom.

Khema's early life was defined by royalty and great wealth. She was born in the city of Sagala. Her father was the king of the Madra Kingdom. This kingdom was located in the area of modern-day Sialkot in Punjab, Pakistan. Her name, Khema, means "security." It is also sometimes used as a synonym for Nirvana. As she grew up, she was described as immensely beautiful. She had a radiant golden complexion. Eventually, she married King Bimbisara of the Magadha kingdom. She became one of his chief royal consorts.

Despite her royal status, Khema faced a spiritual challenge. She developed a strong attachment to her own beauty. This led her to become very vain. Her husband, King Bimbisara, was a devout Buddhist. He wanted his wife to visit the Buddha. However, Khema refused his requests many times. She knew the Buddha often spoke about the faults of physical beauty. To entice her, the king hired poets. These poets recited poems about the beauty of the monastery where the Buddha stayed. This curiosity finally led Khema to visit the monastery.

During her visit, the Buddha used psychic powers to teach her a profound lesson. As Khema approached the main hall, the Buddha conjured an image of a woman. This woman appeared even more beautiful than Khema herself. While Khema watched the woman, the Buddha caused the image to age rapidly. She saw the woman move from youth to middle age, then to old age, and finally to death. This vision helped Khema realize the impermanence of beauty. She understood that she would share the same fate. The Buddha preached to her about attachment to worldly desires.

This experience led to a very rare spiritual achievement. Khema attained enlightenment while she was still a laywoman. In Buddhist texts, it is uncommon for a layperson to reach this state before becoming a monastic. She first attained stream-entry, a specific level of enlightenment. Later, she attained arahantship, which is the highest level of spiritual development. Following this, she entered the monastic life as a bhikkhuni. She became a dedicated member of the Buddha's community.

As a nun, Khema became a powerful teacher and leader. She famously interacted with King Pasenadi in the Khema Sutta. The king asked her questions about whether the Buddha exists after death. Khema explained that the Buddha is unfathomable. She argued that defining him as existing or not existing is impossible. When the king asked the Buddha the same question, the Buddha gave the same answer. This showed her deep mastery of the Dhamma, or Buddhist teachings. Scholars note that her ability to teach a king was very rare. In that society, female nuns were not typically allowed to teach male monks.

Many scholars study the significance of Khema's life and legacy. Some suggest her wisdom was the result of great merit earned over many lifetimes. The Jataka tales, which are stories of the Buddha's previous lives, include her in various roles. In one tale, she was even the wife of the bodhisattva who became Gautama Buddha. Anthropologist Ranjini Obeyesekere notes a pattern in the chief disciples. One pair of disciples was dark-skinned, while the other pair was light-skinned. This pairing might symbolize that the Buddha's teachings are inclusive of all people. Khema remains a major figure in the Anguttara Nikaya and the Therigatha. She is remembered as a symbol of supreme wisdom and spiritual equality.