267-Buddha and the Mustard Seeds- Buddhism in daily life

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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