Dear Robert and all,
Here is an interesting link I found while browsing through Bhante Sujato’s blog:
http://santifm.org/santipada/2010/w15/
Never really crossed my mind until I read it. Bhante Sujato shows that Mahāpajāpati wasn’t the first nun at all but Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā.
Ven. Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā story shows the classic tale of a woman falling for the wrong man (love at first sight? lustful love indeed blinds a person), it’s consequences and her journey in going forth as a Jain ascetic. Her spiritual thirst not being satisfied with the Jains, she travels the land shows her ability in humbling men in spiritual debates, until she meets the Ven. Sariputta (where she is defeated by not being able to answer the question “What is the one?”)
with añjali and mettā,
russ