On the morning after Yasa's going forth, the Buddha, invited by Yasa's father, goes to his house with Yasa. Yasa's mother and his former wife hear the Dhamma, attain the and in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, becoming the first female in the world to take full refuge in the Three Jewels. Pali Canon
More sources (1)
Different Accounts
The Chinese Mahīśāsaka Vinaya says it was Yasa's mother and the whole household who took refuge, without mentioning the former wife in particular.
More differences between accounts (3)
“First female lay disciple”: the Chinese Dharmaguptaka Vinaya has earlier called the daughter of General Suzheluo the first (taking refuge in the Buddha and the Dhamma only), while here Yasa's mother is the first to take full refuge in the Three Jewels; the two statements stand side by side.
The Chinese Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya records them as female lay disciples who took the five precepts; the Tibetan Vinaya records only the taking of refuge, without listing the five precepts.
The Buddha biographies Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing, Zhong benqi jing, Fangguang da zhuangyan jing and the Buddhacarita do not record this event.
Dating
Year 1 after the Awakening, the Buddha aged thirty-five, during the , on the morning after Yasa's going forth; the canonical text states “the next morning”, so it is fixed to the day.
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Research Notes: Reliability, Dating and Sources
- How Reliability Is Assessed
Recorded by four schools: the Pali canon of the Southern tradition, the Chinese Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (Sifen lü), the Chinese Mahīśāsaka Vinaya (Wufen lü) and the Chinese Saṅghabhedavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. Attested across multiple schools.
- Dating Evidence and Precision
Stated in the canonical text (the text itself gives the time). Time precision: fixed to the day.
Sources
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:8.1.1–8.4.2
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1428 p.790a–b
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1428 p.790b
- 大正藏大正藏 T22 no.1421 p.105c
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.129b–c
- 大正藏大正藏 T03 no.191 p.956a
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 nga 48b5–49b3
- 藏譯（德格版）德格版 D1 nga 49b2
- 大正藏大正藏 T24 no.1450 p.129c
- Pali Canon巴利律 Kd 1:8.3.5