The Mustard Seed

A woman learns the inevitability of death.

The bones of the story:

Woman’s son dies, asks the Buddha to restore him, is told that this is possible if she can bring him one mustard see from a household that has never experienced death. Everyone has, and eventually woman realises the inevitability of death, buries her child, and can start grieving.

Example:

Sources:

• Based on C. Rhys Davids and K. Norman: Poems of Early Buddhist Nuns, Pali Text Society, pp.88-9, a translation of the Therigatha from the Pali Canon, and the commentary by Dhammapala (6th century AD) who claimed he was following traditional interpretations.

Classification:

TBC