Story of Kisa Gotami

Kisa Gotami was the daughter of a family lived in the village. She was a weak, delicate girl, often ill, not fit for hard work. The neighbours thought that she would never find a husband. But the beauty of her long, dark hair and shining eyes won the heart of a stranger and Kisa Gotami left the village to join the family of her husband. They treated her harshly because she was poor and tired easily under burden of work, but all that changed when Kisa Gotami gave birth to her son. Kisa Gotami delighted in her child. He was the joy of her life. Motherhood, too, brought respect and care from her relatives. Kisa Gotami had never known such happiness.

The boy grew strong and attractive. Then one day, when he was playing in the forest, a snake bit him on the ankle. Within hours, Kisa Gotami and all her houshold were pushed into mourning. Her dearest son was dead. Kisa Gotami was out of mind with grief. She would not eat or sleep. She walked, round the houses of the village, holding the dead body and pleading at every door for medicine to make her child well again. Her cries frightened the villagers.

But Kisa Gotami's grief moved the heart of one person in the village. He was a follower of the Buddha. Gently, he adivised that the Buddha might be able to give her medicine for her dead child.

That evening, Kisa Gotami started on her journey to meet the Buddha. All night she walked, carrying the dead child. She arrived at midday to find a large crowd gathering round the Buddha. She pushed her way through and laid her child on the ground before him. A deep silence fell on the crowd.

She told him her sad story and pleaded him to cure the dead Child. The Buddha listened with patience and compassion. He said 'I shall cure him if you can bring me a grain of mustard seeds from a house where no one has died.' ' Go to the City' he told her. ' Visit every house. Bring me a grain of mustard seeds from a house where no one had died. I shall wait for you'.

Kisa Gotami was so happy. At last, someone is listening. Here was the one who would help. Through the city, she walked, knocking on every door, pleading for a grain of mustard seeds if death had not entered there. She found herself listening to countless stories of sadness, the death of wives and husbands, of parents and children, of old age and sickness. In every house the story was different but the grief was the same, like Kisa Gotami's own grief.

At last the truth struck her, 'No house is free from death'. She laid the body of her child in the cremation ground and returned to the Buddha, who comforted her and preached to her the truth. That was the truth of the suffering of life. Then she became a follower of the Buddha.

The Buddha taught us to recognize that suffering is a fact of lif and that no one can avoid it, as stated in the First Noble Truth.