Sujātā

According to legend, just before Siddhattha Gotama began the final meditation at the foot of the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gayā, a young woman named Sujātā offered him a bowl of milk rice and honey. This preparation, called khīrodana or pāyāya in Pāḷi, is made by boiling rice and milk until it becomes thick. This meal is said to have given the Buddha the strength he needed to continue his quest and finally attain enlightenment. Depictions of Sujātā offering her milk rice are commonly found in temple wall paintings throughout Asia, although the story is not found in the Tipiṭaka. However, a woman named Sujātā is mentioned as being the Buddha’s first female disciple (A.I,26).