Buddhism · Origins & people
Mahapajapati and the early nuns’ community
c. 5th century BCE
Buddhist accounts remember Mahapajapati Gotami as the first woman admitted to the monastic community. The early nuns taught, trained disciples, and were recognized for different forms of mastery. Their voices and recollections survive in the Therigatha and related textual traditions.
Why it matters
The history of Buddhist teaching includes women as teachers and community leaders; accounts of their admission also preserve contested questions about authority.
About the date
Approximate placement within the Buddha’s era; no independently established ordination year.