Buddha and the Mustard Seeds
Reflections on death
Near the monastery of the historical Buddha once lived a poor woman named "Kisa", she was pretty and always cheerful, people liked her. Despite her lowly background, the son of the local merchant fell in love with her, the parents were finally convinced by the love of the two, the marriage was agreed, the celebrations were lavish, the marriage very happy.
A healthy boy was born, the life of "Kisa" was now perfect, she was wealthy, still handsome, the couple loved each other, their existence favored by Fortuna and the gods.
So it seemed!
Because one day misfortune came to their house, their son just would not wake up in the morning, he was dead, died in the night, without signs, without illness, he did not move.
Kisa was struck by lightning, she knew only happiness, contentment and joy, a sorrow or torment was unknown to her, her life was so beautiful, she did not want to resign herself to the catastrophe, surely her son was just sleeping, would wake up soon.
The relatives came to support, to help and to mourn, but the Kisa did not want to see her fate, she was sure that her son would wake up again, "he is only sleeping" she cried.
She took the dead child and walked around, asking everywhere for a cure, in every house they told her that the child was dead and she was crazy, she did not let herself be distracted. An old woman advised her to go to the monastery of the Buddha, the white and enlightened teacher would surely know advice.
She arrived at the monastery and found the Buddha, laid the child at his feet and begged for help, asking if he knew a medicine that could "bring back" her son. The Buddha said "yes", he could help her, he knew the medicine that could 'cure' her son.
Kisa asked if he would give her the remedy, give her assistance. The Buddha said, "You must first give me mustard seed, a handful".
She asked if that was all, just mustard seeds? "Yes," said the Buddha, only mustard seeds, "white mustard seeds, a handful of seeds." "But", said the Buddha, "the mustard seeds must come from a house where no one has ever died".
The woman went, her son still in her arms, from house to house, everywhere people wanted to help her, almost all the inhabitants had mustard seeds, but in every house a family member had already died, the father, the mother, the grandparents. For many years and generations then houses were inhabited, children were born, grew up, grew old and died in the same house, in their hut, the course of events.
In the evening Kisa was totally exhausted, she could not find the seeds, everywhere she got the same information, gladly, we give you seeds, but someone has already died here. She began to think, it occurred to her that many people must have already died, over the years, over the generations, an infinite number of deaths had to be mourned, countless children were born, death was a constant in every house, not only they lost a child, other fellow men had to deal with similar strokes of fate.
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