The Mustard Seed

The Mustard Seed or the Story of Kisa Gautami is a great story for anyone who is experiencing terminal illness or death in their family. After losing 4 family members in a pretty short time, I came across this story and I kept it close to my heart.  Suffering comes to all of us in life as does death. And we must realize we are not alone on this journey. We are all undergoing many similar experiences and we must love and respect one another as we deal with these days of our lives..

I hope this story helps you as much as it has made me realize that gratitude each and every day is a great way to deal with loved ones illnesses and death. Try to focus on the positives in life as we are only here for a short time and we are all here for a purpose..and try to take a walk each and every day to take in the beautiful nature that has been provided to us all..

Kisa Gautami was a young woman from a wealthy family who was happily married to an important merchant. When her only son was one-year-old, he fell ill and died suddenly. Kisa Gautami was struck with grief, she could not bare the death of her only child. Weeping and groaning, she took her dead baby in her arms and went from house to house begging all the people in the town for news of a way to bring her son back to life. Of course, nobody could help her but Kisa Gautami would not give up. Finally she came across a Buddhist who advised her to go and see the Buddha himself. When she carried the dead child to the Buddha and told Him her sad story, He listened with patience and compassion, and then said to her, "Kisa Gautami, there is only one way to solve your problem. Go and find me four or five mustard seeds from any family in which there has never been a death." Kisa Gautami was filled with hope, and set off straight away to find such a household. But very soon she discovered that every family she visited had experienced the death of one person or another. At last, she understood what the Buddha had wanted her to find out for herself — that suffering is a part of life, and death comes to us all. Once Kisa Guatami accepted the fact that death is inevitable, she could stop her grieving. She took the child's body away and later returned to the Buddha to become one of His followers.  Copyright 2008 BDEA/Buddhanet Buddhist Studies for Secondary Education, Buddha Darma Education Studies..