Wednesday, May 14, 2025

7:00 - 8:15 PM ET

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Last year, author Vanessa Sasson joined us to discuss her book, The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women, a retelling of the story of early Buddhist women and their quest to seek ordination. Now, Vanessa returns to discuss her first novel, Yasodhara and the Buddha—an evocative story of the Buddha from the perspective of a forgotten woman: Yasodhara, the Buddha's wife.

Combining the spirit of fiction with the fabulism of Indian mythology and in-depth academic research, Vanessa writes with a strong feminist voice to bring Yasodhara's narrative to life. Here, we encounter Yasodhara as a fiercely independent, passionate, and resilient individual. We witness her joys and sorrows, her expectations and frustrations, her fairy-tale wedding, and her overwhelming devastation at the departure of her beloved.

It is through her eyes that we witness Siddhattha's slow transformation, from a sheltered prince to a deeply sensitive young man, revealing how he eventually renounces the throne, his wife, and newly born son to seek enlightenment.

The book includes a scholarly introduction to Yasodhara's narrative and offers extensive notes along with study questions, to help readers navigate the traditional literature in a new way, making this an essential book for anyone wanting to learn about Buddhist narratives.

“Sasson's Yasodhara and the Buddha explores the emotional dimensions to the story of the Buddha while also making new connections in familiar material ... to brilliant effect.” ―Times Literary Supplement

Meet the Author

Vanessa R. Sasson

Vanessa R. Sasson is a professor of Religious Studies at Marianopolis College where she has been teaching since 1999. She is also a Research Fellow at the University of the Free State and a Research Member at UQAM. Sasson is the author and editor of a number of academic books. Her most recent academic contribution is a volume with Kristin Scheible entitled, The Buddha: A Storied Biography (Oxford University Press). A few years ago, Sasson tried something new and converted her research into a novel. The book, Yasodhara and the Buddha (Bloomsbury 2021) was the result. It tells the story of the Buddha from the perspective of his wife Yasodhara, who was left behind. In 2023, she produced the sequel to Yasodhara: a book entitled, The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women (Equinox 2023). This book tells the story of how the first women asked the Buddha for ordination and the complicated response they received from him. The next novel is on its way.

More Information

  • Registration Deadline

    Registration for this program closes on May 14, 2025.

  • Program Recordings

    This program will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing after the live sessions. On-demand videos will be available to registered participants only for 90 days.

  • Additional Questions

    If you have additional questions please contact us at [email protected].