EVENTS
The Wife and the Buddha Left Behind (remote)
The story of the Buddha’s life is known all over the world. So the story goes, he was a prince of a small kingdom, destined to one day take the throne. But after a moment of insight, he decided to leave worldly ambitions aside. Thus did he begin his quest towards Awakening. However, what is rarely considered is the fact that his wife – who had just given birth to their son – was left behind. Several early hagiographical sources give voice to her pain and sadness, as she finds herself abandoned with a newborn by a man she had been married to for lifetimes (so the texts claim). In this talk, Sasson explores Yasodhara’s story as it appears in some early hagiographical sources and will read an excerpt from her novel, Yasodhara and the Buddha (Bloomsbury, 2021).
Humanness, Heartbreak, and Awakening: A Conversation about the Wife the Buddha Left Behind, Online 3/27 - A Beyond Words event
Pamela Weiss, author of A Bigger Sky, and Vanessa R. Sasson, author of Yasodhara and the Buddha, have spent the last few years thinking and writing about the stories of women in the Buddha’s life.
In this talk, they will discuss how their work has affected them personally and transformed their understanding of the tradition. Their conversation will focus on Yasodhara—the wife the Buddha left behind—her humanness, heartbreak, and eventual awakening. We will explore how the many stories of Yasodhara might inspire us and provide us with a more inclusive experience of our practice.
The Zoom link to participate in this event will be provided 24 hours before the start date. Please call 415-354-0360 if you have any questions. This event will be recorded and available to registered participants for one week following the event.
Fee Information
$50; $45 current SFZC members; $35 limited income. Tiered pricing for those in need. Please register using the link below.
Yasodhara and the Buddha – Book Reading and Discussion
Mountain Cloud Zen Center presents book reading and discussion with Vanessa R Sasson from her novel Yasodhara and the Buddha.
This event will immediately follow our Sunday morning 9am (MT) sit in our Virtual Zendo.
This well-researched novel is about Yasodhara, the wife of Siddhartha, Shakyamuni, imagining her experience from a feminist perspective.
Since this event is a discussion about the book, Vanessa asks that attendees read some or all of the novel prior to attending. Yasodhara is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Please get the updated Bloomsbury Edition.
Attend the event at this link: sit.mountaincloud.org
