GAUTAMI: O Mother, please give me some mustard seeds. My only child has died and the Buddha has told me that if I bring him some mustard seeds he will bring life back to my child.
LADY: Don’t worry. I will bring them to you.
GAUTAMI: O venerable lady, please wait. First tell me, has anybody died in your family?
LADY: When?
GAUTAMI: Any time.
LADY: Just last year I lost my husband.
(She begins to weep.)
GAUTAMI: Then I cannot take your mustard seeds.
(Gautami sheds bitter tears and goes to another house. A man opens the door.)
GAUTAMI: My Lord, please give me a few mustard seeds. I need them badly.
MAN: Certainly, I will give you mustard seeds. I shall get them for you.
GAUTAMI: First, please tell me, has anybody died in your family?
MAN: Ah, just last week I lost my wife, my dearest on earth.
GAUTAMI: Ah, then I cannot take the mustard seeds from you.
(Gautami again sheds bitter tears and goes to another house. A young girl opens the door.)
GAUTAMI: My child, you are so beautiful. Please bring me a few mustard seeds. Please go and ask your mother to give me some mustard seeds.
LITTLE GIRL: I know where my mother keeps mustard seeds. I will bring them for you.
GAUTAMI: Please tell me what your father does?
LITTLE GIRL: My father? (Starts crying.) My father is in Heaven. Just two months ago my father died all of a sudden.
GAUTAMI: My child, I cannot take your mustard seeds.
(Weeping, Gautami goes to another door.)From:Sri Chinmoy,Siddhartha becomes the Buddha, Sky Publishers, New York, 1973
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/sbb