Lady of the Lotus

by William Edmund Barrett

Lady of the Lotus takes the reader to another time, another place: India, centuries before Christ. It is the story of a woman who discovers that the man she loves is destined for a path which will ultimately lead him away from her, toward a great destiny...the story of a woman who courageously seeks - and finds - a path of her own. It is a novel of love, a passionate saga of spiritual quest, a beautifully detailed portrait of an ancient civilization, and a novel which reveals the unsung human dimension of a legendary figure: Yaśodhara, wife of Siddhartha, Gautama Buddha.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Buddhism, India

404 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Willam Edmund Barrett was born in New York City in 1900. He was Roman Catholic which is reflected strongly in his works. On February 15, 1925 he was married to Christine M. Rollman.

He attended Manhattan College. In 1941 he became an aeronautics consultant for the Denver Public Library.

He was a member of PEN and the Authors League of America, and also the National Press Club of Washington, D.C. He was president of the Colorado Authors League from 1943–1944.

Three of his novels were the basis for film productions: The Left Hand of God, Lilies of the Field, and Pieces of Dream which was based on The Wine and the Music.

Reviews

[Ruby Grad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining version of the story of Siddhartha Gautama (who was to become the Buddha) and his wife, Yashodra. I am a Western-convert Buddhist in the Theravada tradition and am familiar with much of the scripture. The way this story is told varies, sometimes widely, from those scriptures, including the fact that Yashodra never reached full enlightenment nor did their son, Rahula. So while I found it enjoyable and entertaining, I was a bit put off by the variations from what I know as the Buddhist scripture.

[Jamini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautifully written, wonderful story of the wife of the Buddha, historical figure who has not been well studied or written about. Here William Barrett brings her beautiful life to light.

[Ambrosia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe there's a reason I'm not a Buddhist.

I admire a lot of what this book is attempting. And I realize that writing a story about the wife of one of history's most revered religious figures - especially one you, too, revere - is going to be a difficult task, no matter how thoroughly you research her background or the period. (And, indeed, the research is impeccable - I learned a lot of fascinating stuff about the time and place and originating culture of the Buddha's birth.)

But having now read all 373 pages of this telling of Yasodhara's story, I...can honestly say that I just don't get it. Maybe I'm too inculcated in the Western storytelling tradition: in order for there to be a story, people have to want things, enough to be willing to make sacrifices and undergo trials for it. And to a degree, Siddharta does this; he wants spiritual enlightenment, and sacrifices his prestigious social role and several years of his life seeking it. But Yasodhara is put in a passive role by birth and culture, and never quite seems to break out of it. Even when she expresses displeasure or desire for something else, she seems to let go of it just as quickly, with no particular striving to change. And while I realize that's very much the Buddhist philosophy, the way it's written makes it feel very much like things just happen to and around her, without her actions having much of an effect on anything.

Perhaps I'm just disappointed. I was pleased at the thought of a book that told the story of a major religious figure's wife - far too often, influential women in history have their tales ignored or actively suppressed. But for much of the book, it felt like the supposed protagonist could've been replaced by a life-size doll and the story would have come out the same. Not exactly a recipe for dynamic storytelling, and ultimately I found it something of a slog to finish.

[Marilyn Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little skeptical at first, as there is so little historic information on Yashodhara that I wasn't certain the author could pull off creating a credible picture of her life in the first century B.C. But I soon settled into her character. What REALLY made this book for me, however, was the transition from Siddhartha to the Buddha. There were many thought-provoking passages for study, and I found myself actually incorporating a small part of the Buddha's wisdom into my life. This is a very, very satisfying book, and I joyfully recommend it.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddha