Let's hear it for the early Buddhist women! Mahajapapati was the first Buddhist nun and leader of the women's ordained sangha, and her two chief disciples were Khema and Uppalavanna. Maitrisiddhi explores some challenging material - and also very inspiring texts around the beginning of the bhikkhuni sangha. The talk also features Mara - the embodiment of everything that holds us back. How do we free ourselves from his insidious whispers? Talk given at Taraloka Retreat Centre as part of the series Daughters of the Buddha, 2025. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967