Reply To: Gotamī Sutta

#51104
Lal
Keymaster

These are issues that only a Buddha can fully understand. However, we can try to get an idea with the following observations.

1. It is not necessary to become a bhikkhu/bhikkhuni to attain any magga phala. Of course, once attaining Arahanhood, one must become a bhikkhu/bhikkhuni within seven days because a “householder” cannot “bear” Arahanthood for longer than that.

  • We know that many women and men attained all stages of magga phala without becoming bhikkhu or bhikkhuni.

2. Women did not live alone, especially in the days of the Buddha. So, bhikkhunis‘ living quarters were near those of the bhikkhus. The Vinaya Pitaka provides accounts of various issues associated with that issue. We also note that the Buddha enacted more Vinaya rules for bhikkhunis than bhikkhus.

3. As you pointed out, we also know that the prediction of the Buddha was correct.

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