Buddha and the Grieving Mother – A Zen Buddhist Spiritual Story by Osho

A woman lost her young son; just a few days before her husband had died. Kissa Goutami was her name, and now her only son had died. She was in great despair, naturally the child was her only hope.

Buddha was staying in the town; people said:

“Don't cry and don't weep. Why don't you take the child to the Buddha? He is so com-passionate, he may revive him back to life.”

The woman rushed with the dead body of the child. Buddha looked at the woman, told the woman to put the child in front of him and said to her, “Yes, I will revive him, but you will have to fulfill one condition.”

The woman said, “I am ready to give even my life. Say any condition and I will fulfill it.”

Buddha said:

“It is a simple condition, I never make big requirements of people, only small requirements; this is a very simple thing. You just go into the town and bring a few mustard seeds. Just remember one thing: the mustard seeds should come from a house where nobody has ever died.”

The woman was in an insane state, she could not see the point. How can you find a house where nobody has ever died? She rushed with great hope and she knew that every house has mustard seeds because that was the only crop the people were growing. The whole village was doing the some work, growing mustard seeds—so there was no problem.

She knocked on many doors, the people said,:

“A few mustard seeds? We can bring cartloads of mustard seeds, but we can not fulfill the condition; many people have died in our house. So our mustard seeds won't do.”

By the evening the woman came to her senses. She had knocked on many doors; slowly slowly, she saw the point shot death is inevitable — it happens to everybody, that nobody can escape from it

She came back, she was a totally different woman when she came back in the evening. The child was there, Buddha was waiting. He said, “Where are the mustard seeds?”

The woman laughed, fell down at his feet and said:

“Initiate me into your path, because I have understood your message, that everybody has to die. Today my son has died, a few days before my husband died, a few days afterwards I am going to die. Before I die I want to see the deathless. Now I am not interested in my child being raised from the dead. Now I am interested myself in seeing the eternal life.”

Buddha said, -That was the purpose of sending you, so that you can be awakened.”

Buddha initiated Kissa Goutami.

Osho – The Dhommapado: The Way of the Buddha, Vol 6 Chapter #8: Everything is possible

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What Is the Spiritual Meaning of the “Buddha and the Grieving Mother” Story?

The story of Kissa Goutami, deeply entrenched in sorrow and despair, unveils the timeless truth that echoes through the corridors of our souls. It paints a tapestry of human existence, entwined with the profound cycle of life and death—a journey where pain becomes a portal for spiritual awakening.

In the depths of her anguish, Kissa Goutami sought solace in the presence of Buddha, a beacon of compassion and wisdom. Prompted by the townsfolk to seek miraculous revival, she stood before the sage, her heart heavy with grief, seeking a lifeline for her departed child.

Buddha, in his infinite compassion, laid forth a seemingly simple condition—a quest for mustard seeds from a house untouched by death. A quest that initially seemed tangible, yet swiftly revealed the ineffable truth: the inevitability of mortality. As she traversed the village, knocking on doors in pursuit of the elusive seeds, she encountered a profound realization—death, an immutable companion, traverses every threshold, touching every soul.

The evening shadows bore witness to her transformation. Returning not with mustard seeds but with an awakened consciousness, she stood before Buddha, her laughter echoing the rebirth of her spirit. In that moment, her plea shifted from the resurrection of her child to a yearning for an encounter with the eternal—the deathless essence beyond the temporal veil.

Buddha, in his wisdom, affirmed the purpose behind her quest—not for the acquisition of seeds, but for the awakening of her soul. Her journey symbolizes the universal human quest for transcendence—a quest that transcends the mere physicality of life and death, beckoning us to seek the timeless amidst the transient.

This parable resonates with the teachings of spiritual evolution and awakening. It beckons us to acknowledge the inevitability of the cycle of life and death, urging us to embrace the impermanence of existence as a catalyst for our spiritual growth.

In the words of Buddha, “That was the purpose of sending you, so that you can be awakened.” It reverberates through the corridors of our consciousness, inviting us to transcend the confines of earthly attachments and perceive the eternal essence within.

This tale stands as a mirror reflecting the universal truth: that amidst life's trials and tribulations, lies the opportunity for profound awakening and spiritual metamorphosis. It beckons us to traverse the path of spiritual enlightenment, where the transient nature of life serves as a catalyst for our soul's evolution toward the eternal.

Personal Reflection Questions

Spiritual stories are an opportunity to reflect on your own life. Here are 10 questions you can use to go deeper with the teachings in this story:

1. Facing Unbearable Loss: Reflect on moments of profound loss in your own life. How do you navigate through despair and hopelessness, and what insights can be drawn from Kissa Goutami's journey in facing the death of her son?
2. Desperation Leading to Spiritual Inquiry: Explore the role of desperation in prompting spiritual inquiry. How have moments of intense longing or despair propelled you to seek deeper meaning or understanding?
3. Hope Placed in External Solutions: Consider instances where you sought external solutions or interventions in moments of distress. How did these experiences shape your perception of hope, and what parallels can be drawn with Kissa Goutami seeking Buddha's help?
4. Conditions of Redemption: Contemplate the conditions or expectations you set for finding solace or redemption in challenging times. How do these conditions influence your journey through grief and healing?
5. Simple Requirements of Spiritual Guidance: Ponder the simplicity of Buddha's requirement – a few mustard seeds from a house where nobody has ever died. How might this simplicity reflect the uncomplicated nature of spiritual guidance in the face of complex human emotions?
6. Confronting Universal Mortality: Explore your own understanding and acceptance of mortality. How do you grapple with the inevitable reality of death, and in what ways does Kissa Goutami's realization resonate with your own perceptions?
7. Illusions Shattered by Reality: Reflect on instances in your life when illusions or comforting beliefs were shattered by a stark confrontation with reality. How did you navigate through the process of reconciling illusions with truth?
8. Knocking on Doors of Awareness: Consider the metaphor of knocking on doors to find mustard seeds from a house where nobody has ever died. In what ways do you actively seek understanding or meaning in various aspects of life, and how has this search transformed you?
9. Awakening to the Transcendent: Explore moments of personal awakening or realization, akin to Kissa Goutami's shift in perception. How have these moments redirected your focus from the transient to the transcendent?
10. Initiation into the Path of Eternal Life: Contemplate the idea of being initiated into a path that transcends life and death. How does Kissa Goutami's choice to pursue the eternal life align with your own spiritual aspirations, and what significance does this hold in your personal journey?