Princes Yasodhara
offered lotus flowers to
young prince Siddhartha
This offer in past lives arranged
an eternal love affair
prophesied and destined
Two babes both auspicious,
from royal castes
with mixed destinies
Siddhartha won her
through compassion, not with brawn
she chose him to love
Married at just 16, she joined his family
they enjoyed loving, dreaming
challenging their caste system
laughter and companionship
13 years later, a son Rahula was born
She had a family
She awoke alone
He sought the answer to death
And left them behind
Yasodhara, despite many luxurious proposals
lives simply, eating just one meal a day, adorned in saffron robes
raises Rahula, with the love of her elders
and honors them as well as
Prince Siddhartha’s journey, his quest for enlightenment.
Transforming being left
into the gift of staying
She seeks peace within
7 years later Buddha returns
Rahula, per Yasodhara’s wishes seeks him out
requested his inheritance
Rahula chooses the hermitage; joining the family of monks instead
realized spiritual enlightenments by the age of 18
Peace over politics
She waited, Buddha
arrived; she wept at his sight
He expressed thanks
for her lifetimes of loving; lotus flowers
exchanged, laughter, passion, exposing castes
for selflessly assisting his enlightenment over many lifetimes
for staying with his family
She joins a nunnery; becomes one of 13
great Bhikkuni disciples
She became a nun
gained paranormal gifts
transformative powers
Her life an example
of blooming in any circumstance
through shallow, murky waters
she emerged like a
Padparadscha*
Rahula precedes
His parents to Nirvana
as the lotus seed,
a reminder of impermanence.
Before her impending departure
Yasodhara said goodbye to Buddha
She left as the lotus blossom
entering Nirvana at age 78 with
beauty, generosity, forbearance, patience
kindness, strength and acceptance
A living lotus
transforms sorrows into joy
eons of love, complete.
Will they be reunited in eternity?
6/14/17 Lisa A. Ratnavira
*Padparadscha refers to a peachish pink lotus flower and color of a sapphire found in Sri Lanka and India.
More about the author :
LISA RATNAVIRA resides in Fallbrook, CA with her husband, wildlife artist,
GAMINI RATNAVIRA. Their art and poetry connect in her books: Maiden,
Mother & Crone (written with RAE ROSE and PENNY PERRY), Traveling with
Pen and Brush, and Grief’s Labyrinth and other Poems (Garden Oak Press),
available online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
LIS is a regular contributor to the San Diego Poetry Annual and holds an
MA from Concordia University in Irvine, Ca. She has traveled to more than
16 countries, including Singapore, Sri Lanka, England, Africa, Bermuda,
Bahamas, Bali, Trinidad, Panama, Costa Rica, Spain, Canary Islands, the
Maldives, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and throughout the USA.
Her sons BEAU and BROOKS reside in Japan and Fallbrook, respectively.
Her daughter, NATALIE, is free from an earthly address. She often visits in
the form of a dragonfly.
Read between the lines 