Commemorating the Parinibbāna of Venerable Bhikkhunī Yasodharā Therī

Here at Dhammadharini we are coming into the final month of our Winter Retreat time, which coincides with the end of the lunar year on the Indic calendar. This time of year marks the Parinibbāna anniversaries of a large number of the ancient Arahant Bhikkhuni disciples of the Buddha. We've been commemorating one of those anniversaries for 13 years now -- that is, the just passed anniversary of the Parinibbāna of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī Therī and the 500 founding mothers of the Bhikkhuni Sangha, which we celebrated together on February 20.

The second of these anniversaries, which falls three weeks later is coming up - our community only learned the date and began commemorating it just last year for the first time. That is, the lunar anniversary of the Parinibbāna of Venerable Bhikkhunī Yasodharā Therī and, likewise, many of her arahat bhikkhunī companions, on the Phagguṇa Puṇṇamī Full Moon, this year falling on March 13.

Who…