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46 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

I wrestled with this question for some time, but avoid her suffering. On the contrary, they actually seek
eventually found the answer by looking at what others to highlight her suffering instead. Yasodhara does not
have done before me. I wondered what sources other celebrate her husband’s departure, but is devastated in
storytellers used when they crafted a Buddhist story, almost every account. So I don’t think we can point to
and I quickly realized that the answer to my question the past and shrug with a bland statement of historical
was, that every teller (and writer and artist) uses inevitability. Even then, in the ancient past, the prince’s
everything they have at their disposal. Ashvaghosa used departure was devastating. And indeed, it had to be
the narratives he had, just as Hridaya Chittadhar used devastating. If the prince left and everyone applauded
the ones he had. I would therefore humbly follow in their and said, “well done!” his departure would have little
giant footsteps and use whatever I had within reach. narrative impact. It is precisely because everyone is
devastated that the story works.
st
Of course, this created a fascinating problem. In the 21
century, we have a tremendous collection of Buddhist Yasodhara is, moreover, not the only one who is
texts and traditions at our disposal – from every devastated by his departure. A close reading of the
corner of the Buddhist world. So, I scratched my head, sources reveals that everyone in his life is heart-broken
laughed a little, and then jumped right into all of it. by the loss. His stepmother Gotami cries so much,
Whatever I could find, whatever was available, I read. according to one Sanskrit text, that scales cover her
I moved between early Sanskrit poetry to medieval eyes from all the tears. The horse Kanthaka that carried
Sinhalese material, to contemporary ex-Dalit poetry him off dies of heartbreak when the prince walks
and Newari songs. I was drawn towards South Asian away. Channa, the chariot-driver, is utterly miserable
sources because that is my field of expertise, but I read when he is forced to return to the palace without his
everything from everywhere that I could find. master. Everyone is upset by the future Buddha’s Great
Departure. And they must be – not just because a good
Despite the great variety of sources available, the story needs a dramatic turning point, but because
skeleton of the story remains largely the same. The suffering is the engine that pushes us toward freedom.
differences are in the details, but I would never dismiss If none of these characters suffered, they would never
the details just because they are slight. When you pay be inspired to seek freedom from suffering.
attention to the details, you realize how much variety
the storytellers shared with us. Small scenes are added And would you say that Yasodhara was already
here and removed from there. Yasodhara is fiery in prepared for Siddhartha leaving his family behind,
one account, and quieter in another. The storytellers or it came as a shock to her? Or do you see her as a
allowed themselves their own interpretation, each and partner in her husband’s quest for the truth?
every time. So, while there is a shared pattern across the
board, there is also a rich tapestry of difference. Each This is a wonderful question – one that I spent a
teller gave Yasodhara a distinctive voice, which is what long time wondering about. In the end, I came to the
gave me permission to give Yasodhara a voice of my own. conclusion that she must have been a partner to him
as he prepared for this quest. The literature often
The idea of Siddhartha leaving his wife Yasodhara describes the two of them as having been married
and a new born child in the middle of the night was for lifetimes – one jataka after another places them
painful for many people but it has been argued together as husband and wife. Yasodhara was not just a
that it happened at a different time and place. As backstage wife, filling a narrative role. She was beside
a modern scholar how do you explain this in the him for lifetimes, and therefore I must assume that she
context of what Siddhartha did? was with him also as he prepared himself for this quest.
This does not mean that she was not devastated by the
It did happen in a different time and place, but I am not loss. As I noted with the previous question, Yasodhara
convinced that this makes his departure any less painful is repeatedly described as having suffered terribly
for Yasodhara. Indeed, few Buddhist hagiographies after his departure. But I don’t think she was surprised