The Holy Bastard Sage

Many years after the Buddha became enlightened, his popularity grew.

One by one disciples abandoned the Santanadharma in favor of His Buddhadharma.

After having lost their gold, their livestock, and sometimes even their children trying to buy a piece of nirvana through Brahmin intercessors, what else could they do by don the orange hemp robe and gather alms for the day?

One day the Buddha was stopped by an angry pregnant woman, a peasant woman who was raised as an orphan by Brahmin priests.

"Prince Gotama!" she cried. "You are the father of my child."

In response, the Buddha maintained his composure and smiled.

"Young lady, when did you conceive this child?"

The young woman thought for a moment.

"Six months ago."

"Dear lady, six months ago I was in meditation in a cave with two holy men. How could I both have been there and laying with you?"

Flustered, the lady repeated: "You are the father of my child."

"Dear lady, when you give birth to your child, please let us raise it as monk if a boy and as a nun if a girl."

"Then you would cheat me out of my dowry by not abandoning your robe to marry me."

"How could I cheat you, dear lady? For your child will be raised by men and women who will not ask anyone for gold to keep it well fed. Instead, alms will always keep it nourished. You could even nurse it, and be well looked after."

Sheepishly, the pregnant lady confessed:

"Brahmins offered to raise my baby if I accused you of being his father as to shame you into abandoning your Buddhadharma to marry me. Please forgive my trespass, my lord."

"Young lady, you have a choice: you may go back to the priests to tell them of your failure, and forfeit your child to them; or you may join us. We know of a childless couple who will treat you as their daughter and raise your child as their grandchild."

Thus, the pregnant peasant woman gave birth and raised her child. She cared for her foster parents until their death. Then she was accepted into the holy order of nuns.

And her child?

He became the wisest of the sangha, the first of the holy bastard sages of ancient India.

In his youth, he endured the gossip and rumors about his lineage without word.

Thus showing that even bastards can be pure and faithful to the Dharma, and unwed mothers as pure as devoted children and in their later age, as nuns.