The past life Of Buddha And Yashodra

The links of buddha, and yashodra seem to extend in the future.

Once a young man strode into a city where there was likely to be some grand event which was to take place, owing to its decorations.

The young man tried to enquire the reason for the marvelous decorations happening, but none would stop and answer him. Each one went his way, very busily. The young man then stopped a beautiful girl who was passing by and enquired of the reason. The girl looked at him and answered his question affectionately, “It looks that you are new to the city. Everyone is busy decorating the place to welcome, the Lord, Dipankara, the Buddha"

She also stated, “I am carrying these five lotus flowers to offer to, Dipankara, the Buddha."

The young man was happy about the arrival of Dipankara, the Buddha. He exclaimed, “ I am glad that I have come at the right time. Will you give me one of these flowers to offer to the Lord as I do not have anything to offer him?"

The girl shyly expressed, “You can have all of them as the very moment I set my eyes on you I have given everything to you!"

The young man took her hand in his as a gesture of reciprocating her feelings. That evening the couple went to the gathering where the discourse of Dipankara, the Buddha was taking place. There was a huge crowd and the both stood behind. The young man threw a lotus flower towards the Lord which landed right at his feet. The girl then asked him to throw another on her behalf, which too luckily landed at the feet of the Lord.

Lord Dipankara, asked the persons who had offered the flowers to show up in front of him. The two youngsters came forward to his presence. Lord Dipankara, looked at them for sometime and said, “You will be together, life after life for many lives and assist each other in realising the ultimate goal of life"

The words of the master came to pass the way he had said, for the couple in their last life was none other than Gautama Buddha, the enlightened one and Yashodra! Yashodra was said to have attained enlightenment, the Buddha way!

There is another version regarding the relationship of the Buddha and Yashodra.

The young man in his previous life called Sumedha intends to buy a lotus flower from the girl, Sumidha or Bhadra in her previous life, on account of not finding a single one to offer to Dipankara as the king had bought them all. The young girl, on recognising his potential at an instant, offers to give five of the eight that she was holding if he promised to make her his wife in all their forthcoming existences. Dipankara here too recognises Sumedha as the future Buddha.