Reading Notes: PDE The Wise Physician - Part D

Herbs (image source from Wikipedia)

Kisagotami was married to a wealthy man. She had one son and when the beautiful boy ran, he died. The young girl carried her dead child in her bosom and went house to house asking for medicine for him. The Buddhist mendicant thought she did not understand. He said, there is no such thing as good mood she asked for, but there is one Buddha that could give you medicine.

She went to Gautama and show her respect then said, "Lord and Master, do you know any medicine that will be good for my child?"

He responded he knows of some. It was custom that the patient had to provide herbs for the doctor. He asked for mustard-seed herbs that must come from houses that has no son, or husband, or parent, or slave has died. She went on carrying her dead child around the neighborhood and asking her friends if anyone sons or husband or parent or slave died in there. They all yelled at her saying how could she ask such a foul thing.

Finally, not a single household where no one had died and began to clear her mind. She left her child'd dead body in the forrest and returned to the Buddha for homage. He asked if she found her mustard seed and she said no. She explains how the people living are a few but the dead are many. The Buddha explained how the essential part of his system is the impermanency of all things until all her thoughts were cleared away. Then she would accept herself and become a disciple and enter the first Path.

Marie L. Shedlock, The Wise Physician, Link