The Mustard Seed: A Story of Life, Loss, and Healing
A woman named Kisa Gotami had lost her only child, a son. Overcome with grief, she carried his body through the village, asking everyone if there was any way to bring him back to life. Desperate, she went to the Buddha for help.
“Master,” she cried, “Please, tell me what I can do to bring my son back to life. I will do anything.”
The Buddha, seeing her suffering, said, “There is one thing you must do. Go to the village and collect a mustard seed from a household where no one has ever died.”
Kisa Gotami, filled with hope, set out to find the mustard seed. She went door to door, asking for the seed. At each house, people were willing to give her one, but then they would tell her of someone they had lost—a parent, a sibling, a friend. She asked everyone, but no one could give her the mustard seed without loss.
Finally, she sat down and wept, realizing that death touches everyone. She returned to the Buddha, her heart heavy but with newfound understanding.
The Buddha said, “The suffering you feel is shared by all beings. Grief, loss, and pain are part of life, but so is the wisdom that comes from accepting them. In the moment we understand this, we can let go of suffering, for it is in knowing the impermanence of life that we find peace.”
[Buddhist stories]
“Master,” she cried, “Please, tell me what I can do to bring my son back to life. I will do anything.”
The Buddha, seeing her suffering, said, “There is one thing you must do. Go to the village and collect a mustard seed from a household where no one has ever died.”
Kisa Gotami, filled with hope, set out to find the mustard seed. She went door to door, asking for the seed. At each house, people were willing to give her one, but then they would tell her of someone they had lost—a parent, a sibling, a friend. She asked everyone, but no one could give her the mustard seed without loss.
Finally, she sat down and wept, realizing that death touches everyone. She returned to the Buddha, her heart heavy but with newfound understanding.
The Buddha said, “The suffering you feel is shared by all beings. Grief, loss, and pain are part of life, but so is the wisdom that comes from accepting them. In the moment we understand this, we can let go of suffering, for it is in knowing the impermanence of life that we find peace.”
[Buddhist stories]
