Page 59 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018

q&A

VAneSSA R. SASSon
author
The role of wife

in Buddha’s life

The new book Yasodhara- A Novel About this book?
The Buddha’s Wife has been an eye — The pain is indeed
opener to the many facts revolving around immense. I felt her
the life and times of Buddha. It dwells not pain and some-
just on his less-known wife Yasodhara and times felt as though
on their only son Rahula but also focuses I was getting lost in
on the accompanying pain and sorrow it. I had a very dif-
and the challenges. humra quraishi ficult time relating
quizzes the Canada-based author, Vanessa to the Buddha for
R. Sasson, about her experience while a while as a result. I
retelling the story of Buddha from the could not understand his behavior, his
Yasodhara-
point of view of Yasodhara, who was selfishness. But with time, that passed. a Novel about
married to Siddhatha. I began to understand not just her pain, the buddha’s
but the pain that is life’s complexity. Wife
ediTed excerpTs from AN iNTervieW • The pain of the story does not belong by: Vanessa R sasson
speaking Tiger
exclusively to her. Everyone suffered 304 pp; 399
— the kingdom, the king, the horse
Why and how did you think in Kanthaka, the chariot driver, the min-
terms of writing this book and that isters. His decision to leave home broke
on a rather sensitive topic? everyone’s heart. And because of that,
I had just finished a big academic I had to imagine that it also broke than any other, because from her per-
project and was wondering what his. It was the only way I could come spective, it was devastating. I was there-
my next step would be. I considered to terms with the story. I could not fore forced to try to understand it from
another academic book, but the pro- relate to a Buddha who walked away his perspective and it was not easy. But
cess of academic writing suddenly without a second glance. I had to I think I made my peace with that point
seemed repetitive. While I am very imagine his pain, imagine the tor- of the hagiography. I interpreted it as a
grateful for all that I have learned as a ture he must have experienced as he kind of Buddhist upanayana, with Ra-
scholar, I realized that part of my trade negotiated the call he felt himself hula being offered his sacred education
is to stand outside the tradition and pulled to follow. He had the best possi- from his father, who is also now his
attempt to look in. It is very stand-off- ble life, with the most loving compan- guru. In this way, I think the Buddha’s
ish — like spending one’s life studying ion. It had to have been painful for him decision to take his son makes sense.
dance, but never quite trying to dance to leave, as much as it was painful for And, Yasodhara has to learn to let go.
oneself. So instead of launching my- her to be left behind. It is perhaps akin to our having to let
self into yet another study, I decided our children leave home to go to col-
to do things differently and attempt to Comment on the irony that looms lege. Granted, that happens at a much
participate in the tradition by writing large : Buddha not just left his wife later age, but I feel like it is a similar
the tradition (rather than writing about at a rather crucial juncture but even experience.
it). I wanted to feel the characters and took away his 7-year-old son with
become them. Not just analyze what him. How would you describe this You could have written this story as
others have imagined for me. pain inflicted on his wife? non-fiction but you opted to write it
The fact that the Buddha returned as novel. Why?
There is an immense pain in this seven or eight years later only to take I wanted to try to become the story and
story of Buddha’s wife. What were his son with him (and away from her) not stand outside it anymore. I have
your own personal reactions is perhaps the most difficult part of the written quite a bit as a scholar. It was
whilst researching and then writing story. I struggled with that scene more time to try something else.

Tehelka / 15 august 2018 59 www.Tehelka.com