Therigāthā

This is an anthology consisting of 34 poems from the Therīgāthā (Poems of the Elder Nuns). It is the ninth text in the Khuddaka Nikāya. The Therīgāthā contains a total of 73 poems, all attributed to early members of the monastic Saṅgha. Some of the poems are attributed to nuns well-known from other parts of the Canon—such as Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī and Uppalavaṇṇā—whereas the majority are attributed to nuns otherwise unknown. It is a landmark in the history of world literature. The Therīgāthā is the earliest extant text depicting women's spiritual experiences.