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<\/p>\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ inner_shadow=”on” module_id=”blurb-tab2″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#f58a07″ background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(245,138,7,0.03)” custom_css_main_element=” padding: 0!important;||” global_module=”2172″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5,1_5″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”five-columns et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.9.7″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”79%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” z_index_tablet=”500″ make_fullwidth=”on”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Ages 4 – 7″ 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_builder_version=”4.9.7″ header_font=”|600|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#11a1b2″ header_font_size=”20px” background_enable_color=”off” background_layout=”dark” animation=”off” link_option_url=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/students\/ages-8-11″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Ages 12 – 14″ url=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/students\/ages-12-14″ image=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/136\/2021\/09\/white-manjusri.jpg” alt=”painting of Bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjusri” admin_label=”meditation Blurb” module_class=”blurb-5″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ header_font=”|600|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#11a1b2″ header_font_size=”20px” background_enable_color=”off” background_layout=”dark” animation=”off” 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custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Ages 17 – 18″ url=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/students\/ages-17-18″ image=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/136\/2021\/09\/Manjushri.jpg” alt=”Painting of Bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjushri” admin_label=”buddha Blurb” module_class=”blurb-5″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ header_font=”|600|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#11a1b2″ header_font_size=”20px” background_enable_color=”off” background_layout=”dark” animation=”off” link_option_url=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/students\/ages-17-18″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” module_id=”4-7″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”STORIES from the BUDDHIST TRADITION – aged 4 to 7″ admin_label=”KS1 Header” _builder_version=”3.21.1″ 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src=”https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/136\/2021\/07\/king-on-elephant.jpg” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.23″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_font=”|600|||||||” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_shadow_style=”preset3″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_toggle title=”Siddhartha and the Swan” admin_label=”Sidd Swan Toggle” module_id=”4-7_story-Siddhartha-swan” _builder_version=”3.16.1″]<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Easier to read pdf)<\/a><\/p>\n Long ago in far-away India, near the great Himalayan mountains, there lived King Sudhodana and his wife, Queen Maya. One day, the Queen gave birth to a baby boy, their first child. They called the baby Siddhartha.<\/p>\n Naturally, the King and Queen wanted their family and friends to see their new baby so, at their invitation, people came from far and wide. Among the visitors was a wise old fortune-teller who had come down from his home in the mountains. So the young prince Siddhartha grew up surrounded by luxury. The King watched over him and made sure that he had the best of everything. He was proud of his son and wanted him to be happy and enjoy the royal life.<\/p>\n One day, when the prince was seven years old, his father sent for him. Siddhartha learned his lessons well, as did his cousin, Devadatta. The two boys were about the same age and the king thought that they would be good company for one another. Every day, when his lessons were over, Prince Siddhartha would go and play in the palace grounds where all sorts of animals lived. He particularly liked to walk near the lake in the evening. Every year since he was a baby, a pair of beautiful white swans had nested there and he liked to sit and watch them.<\/p>\n Then, one evening, he saw three more beautiful wild swans flying overhead. Suddenly, as he watched, one of the swans faltered and fell to the ground. Just then, he heard a voice. \u201cWhere is it? I know it must be around here somewhere; I saw it fall!\u201d It was Devadatta, Prince Siddhartha\u2019s cousin, who came running up carrying his bow and arrow. \u201cI think I can help,\u201d a voice said. Looking up, they saw an old man standing in the doorway. He approached and looked at the wounded animal in Siddhartha\u2019s arms. All this time, Devadatta had stood silent. He remembered how kind his mother had been when he had once fallen and cut his leg badly. She had bandaged the cut and looked after him. He had never before stopped to think that animals had feelings – that they too felt pain and appreciated kindness.<\/p>\n And so the two boys cared for the swan until it was well again and, one evening, when its wing was completely healed, they led it down to the palace lake. Just then, the familiar sound of beating wings could be heard overhead.\u201cLook,\u201d said Devadatta. \u201cThe others have come back for her.\u201d [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Angulimala meets the Buddha” admin_label=”Angulilmala Toggle” module_id=”4-7_story-of-Angulimala” _builder_version=”3.16.1″]<\/p>\n (Easier to read pdf)<\/a><\/p>\n One hot day, the Buddha set off as usual to collect gifts of food from a nearby village. But as he approached the village, he realised that something was wrong. There was silence and the streets were deserted. \u201cWhat is going on?\u201d he wondered. \u201cWhere is everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n The Buddha carried on towards the nearby city to see if he could find out what had happened. The road to the city was full of people hurrying past him.\u201cWhy is everyone in such a rush?\u201d asked the Buddha.\u201cIt\u2019s that terrible robber, Angulimala,\u201d said a woman. \u201cHe\u2019s roaming the countryside around here. Even the King and his soldiers are afraid to try and catch him! We\u2019re going to the city for safety.\u201d\u201cWho is this robber, Angulimala, who makes everyone so afraid and unhappy?\u201d wondered the Buddha. \u201cI must go and meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Angulimala was sitting outside his den, planning the day\u2019s work.He was a fierce-looking character. He had huge, wild, staring eyes, and his face was covered in scars. Around his neck was the terrible necklace of fingers which had given him his name. So far there were ninety-nine fingers, chopped off the hands of the people he had robbed.\u201cOne more finger and my necklace will be complete!\u201d he gloated. \u201cI wonder who will be my next victim.\u201d<\/p>\n At that moment, the Buddha appeared, walking slowly and calmly.\u201cHow dare he walk past my den?\u201d thought Angulimala. \u201cI\u2019ll have one of his fingers to finish my necklace! That will teach him a lesson.\u201d Down he jumped and began to run after the Buddha. But, run as he might, he couldn\u2019t catch up with him.\u201cStop!\u201d shouted Angulimala. \u201cStand still!\u201dThe Buddha turned and looked Angulimala in the eye.\u201cI have stopped; I am still, Angulimala. It\u2019s you who needs to stop.\u201d\u201cDon\u2019t try to fool me!\u201d shouted Angulimala, waving his sword. \u201cI could see you were moving.\u201d\u201cAh,\u201d said the Buddha. \u201cBut I meant something else.\u201d\u201cSomething else?\u201d roared Angulimala, getting angry.\u201cI have stopped,\u201d repeated the Buddha. \u201cI am still, because I never harm, I never kill. You can\u2019t stop; you\u2019ll never be still, as long as you harm, as long as you kill.\u201d<\/p>\n No one had ever spoken to Angulimala like this before. He began to get a bit worried. This man clearly wasn\u2019t afraid of him. He became even more furious.\u201cDon\u2019t you know who I am?\u201d he screamed. \u201cI am Angulimala, the robber with the necklace of fingers. I am the terrible adventurer.\u201d\u201cWhat you need, my friend, is a real adventure,\u201d replied the Buddha.\u201c\u2018Friend?\u2019\u201d asked Angulimala. \u201cDid you say \u2018friend\u2019?\u201dAngulimala was very surprised. No one had called him \u201cfriend\u201d for a very long time. In fact, he didn\u2019t have any friends. Everyone was afraid of him.He remembered how, when he was little, he used to have friends. Then he had started to bully the smaller boys and girls until, in the end, no one wanted to be his friend. Then things had got worse and he had begun to steal from people\u2019s houses. Now he was the terrible robber from whom everyone ran away.\u201cWhat have I been doing?\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cNo wonder no one wants to be my friend.\u201d\u201cAngulimala,\u201d asked the Buddha kindly, \u201cwhy don\u2019t you come and live with me and my friends? If you were very brave you could make a fresh start. Now that would be a real adventure!\u201dAngulimala walked to the edge of the cliff and threw his sword and shield over.\u201cAre you sure this will be an adventure?\u201d he asked.\u201cOh yes,\u201d replied the Buddha. \u201cThe greatest adventure of your life!\u201d<\/p>\n That night, Angulimala stayed with the Buddha and his friends under the stars. These people were kind. They shared their food and talked to him. No one was afraid.Perhaps he could be different, he thought. Deep down, he was tired of his old life; all that robbing and hurting other people had never really made him feel happy. Although he knew it might be difficult to change, he decided to stay with the Buddha and his new-found friends.<\/p>\n In the morning, he threw away his terrible necklace of fingers. Then he cut off his long hair and beard and put on the same simple robes that the others wore. He was already feeling better.<\/p>\n One morning a week or two later, as Angulimala sat talking with the Buddha, the king suddenly appeared in the clearing.\u201cGood morning, your majesty,\u201d said the Buddha, smiling. \u201cWhere are your guards and attendants? Have you come alone?\u201d\u201cI didn\u2019t want to bring them with me,\u201d answered the king. \u201cIt might have attracted the attention of that robber, Angulimala. My people are terrified of him; even my soldiers refuse to go and search for him. What am I to do? It can\u2019t go on like this!\u201d\u201cWhat would you say if I told you that Angulimala was no longer a robber?\u201d asked the Buddha.The king smiled. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d he said. \u201cThat cut-throat!\u201d\u201cThat cut-throat\u201d, said the Buddha, \u201cis now as kind and gentle as any of my followers…\u201d\u201cImpossible!\u201d interrupted the king.\u201c…and he\u2019s sitting next to you!\u201d continued the Buddha.The king turned to look at Angulimala, who sat looking at him, smiling.\u201cYou? Angulimala?\u201d exclaimed the king, jumping up.\u201cHave no fear,\u201d said the Buddha. \u201cAngulimala is now a changed man.\u201dThe king smiled nervously. \u201cI\u2019m very pleased. What a relief! You\u2019re going to stay with the Buddha? Good, good … I must go now – such a busy day ahead.\u201d The king hastily said goodbye and hurried away as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n The Buddha smiled at Angulimala, who smiled back. Then he got up and went off to help his new friends collect their food for the day.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”The Lion and the Jackal” admin_label=”Lion Jackal Toggle” module_id=”4-7_story-of-lion-and-jackal” _builder_version=”3.16.1″]<\/p>\n (Easier to read pdf)<\/a><\/p>\n One day, a young lion was hunting in the hills when he found a cave. \u201cThis cave would make a perfect home for our family,\u201d he thought. \u201cIt will shelter us at night, and each morning we can go down to the river to catch some food. In fact, I think I\u2019ll catch some now,\u201d and he bounded down the hillside towards the river.<\/p>\n The young lion raced along the muddy bank and hurled himself over a bush in an attempt to catch a deer. He missed and landed instead right in the middle of a patch of deep mud. He struggled to get free, but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. The jackal knew that if she did not help him, he would slowly starve to death. \u201cDo you promise?\u201d she asked. \u201cAs the king of the beasts, I give you my word,\u201d said the lion.<\/p>\n Very cautiously, she crept across the dried mud towards the lion. Then she began to dig. One day, the lion and the jackal sat together on the ledge by the the river. As the dry months passed, the river dwindled and the lush green grass became brown and shrivelled. Each day the lion and the jackal hunted together but food became hard to find. The lion kept to his word and they shared out the catch, even when there was not really enough to go around. All the animals began to feel rather grumpy and bad-tempered.<\/p>\n One day, two of the older lions sat on the ledge watching the hunt. Before long, other rumours and tales were being told. The lion cubs and jackal pups began to squabble and fight when they played together.When anything went wrong, the lions would blame the jackals, and the jackals would blame the lions!<\/p>\n Then, one day when food was so scarce that no one had eaten for several days, one of the old lions spotted a jackal pup carrying a bone in its jaws. [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Kisa and the Mustard Seed” admin_label=”Kisa Toggle” module_id=”4-7_story-of-Kisa” _builder_version=”3.16.1″]<\/p>\n (Easier to read pdf)<\/a><\/p>\n Kisa grew up in an Indian village a long time ago. When she was quite young, she got married and went to live with her husband\u2019s family in a town called Kapilavattu. When she first moved in with them, things were difficult. She missed her village, her family and her friends. She felt that no one liked her and that everything she did was wrong. Then, when her son was born, everyone was very pleased and her life improved. But when the baby was still tiny, her husband died. Kisa was very upset. \u201cAt least I still have my little son,\u201d she thought.<\/p>\n One sad day, the baby also became very ill and died. Kisa was so unhappy that she just couldn\u2019t believe that her baby was dead. She thought he must be asleep. She wanted to find some special medicine that would make him better and began asking everyone. First she asked her neighbour. \u201cPlease, can you help me?\u201d Kisa asked the doctor. \u201cI need some special medicine for my baby.\u201d The Buddha was sitting in the shade of a tree talking to his friends when Kisa ran up to him. He could see straight away that she was very upset. \u201cHow can I help you?\u201d he asked. Quickly, Kisa set off into town to get the mustard seeds. At the first house a young woman answered the door. Kisa said goodbye and went on to the next house. An old man was sitting outside. As Kisa went from door to door, the answer was the same. Everyone had lost a loved one; if not last year, then a long time ago. Kisa had no mustard seeds but now she understood why she would not be able to find any. She looked at the little bundle in her arms. \u201cI am sorry, my little one, you have gone to another life and I did not want to let you go. Let us find a resting place for you.\u201d<\/p>\n In the evening, she returned to the Buddha. She was no longer carrying the little bundle. Her face was now much calmer. As the sun went down over Kapilavattu, Kisa and the Buddha talked. She told him about her life and her baby. He listened kindly. The Buddha reminded Kisa that plants grow in the spring, flower in the summer, and die in the winter – and that new plants grow the following year. Similarly, people are born and eventually die. Kisa now understood that was just how things are.<\/p>\n Talking to the Buddha and listening to his kind words helped Kisa a lot. That very evening she decided to become one of his followers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”The King’s Elephant” admin_label=”Kings elephant Toggle” module_id=”4-7_story-of-Kings-elephant” _builder_version=”3.16.1″]<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me,\u201d said the king, \u201cwhat future do you see for my son?\u201d
\u201cWell, your majesty,\u201d replied the old man, \u201cyour son could become a great king one day…\u201d
\u201cI knew it!\u201d exclaimed the king excitedly. \u201cHe will rule the kingdom after me.\u201d
\u201cOn the other hand,\u201d continued the old man, \u201che may choose to leave the palace and lead a simple life, devoting himself to helping others instead.\u201d
\u201cHe\u2019ll do no such thing!\u201d retorted the king. \u201cHe\u2019s going to be a king, like me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSiddhartha,\u201d he said, \u201cwhen you grow up you will be king and rule our kingdom. It is now time for you to begin your training.\u201d And so Siddhartha began his education. He was taught how to ride a horse, how to shoot an arrow; how to wrestle and use a sword: all the skills that a warrior king would need.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh no!\u201d cried Siddhartha. \u201cWhat can have happened?\u201d So as not to frighten it any more, Siddhartha went very quietly up to where the swan lay and began to stroke it gently. An arrow was sticking out of its wing.
\u201cNow I understand,\u201d said Siddhartha. \u201cSomeone has shot you.\u201d Taking great care, he removed the arrow and took off his shirt and wrapped it around the swan.
\u201cI\u2019ll look after you until your wing is better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, that\u2019s my swan! I shot it. Give it to me,\u201d he demanded.
\u201cYou can\u2019t have it,\u201d replied Siddhartha. \u201cIt\u2019s a wild swan. It doesn\u2019t belong to you.\u201d
\u201cI shot it so it\u2019s mine; everyone in this kingdom knows that,\u201d said Devadatta, getting angry.
\u201cYou\u2019re right, that is the law of our kingdom,\u201d replied Siddhartha, \u201cbut this swan isn\u2019t dead.She is injured and I want to help her get well again.\u201d The two boys began to argue.
\u201cStop,\u201d said Siddhartha. \u201cThis isn\u2019t helping. Let\u2019s go and ask the king and his wise ministers to help us settle this.\u201dWhen they got to the meeting hall, everyone looked very busy.
\u201cWe\u2019ve come to ask you to help us settle a disagreement,\u201d said Siddhartha. And the ministers listened as Siddhartha and Devadatta told them what had happened.
\u201c…and I shot the swan, so it rightfully belongs to me,\u201d concluded Devadatta. The ministers nodded their heads. It was indeed the law of the kingdom that an animal or bird belonged to whoever shot it.
\u201cThat would be so if it were dead,\u201d argued Siddhartha, \u201cbut I saved it. It is wounded but it is still alive.\u201d
Now the ministers shook their heads. They were puzzled. Who did the swan belong to?<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this swan could talk,\u201d said the old man, \u201cit would tell us that it wanted to be well again and be free to fly and swim with the other wild swans. None of us wants to feel pain or die and it is the same for the swan. It wants to live, so it should go to whoever wants to give it life.\u201d
\u201cLet it be so,\u201d said the king. \u201cSiddhartha shall keep the swan. Thank you, old man, for your wise advice.\u201d
But the old man had already disappeared, as quietly as he had come.<\/p>\n
Soon, the swan rose into the air to join her friends. She circled the lake one last time, as if to say goodbye before flying off towards the mountains in the North.<\/p>\nAngulimala meets the Buddha<\/h3>\n
![\"cartoon](\"https:\/\/clear-vision.org\/Images\/anguli.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Lion and the Jackal<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thebuddhistcentre.com\/stories\/schools\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/136\/2021\/07\/lion-jackal-300x262-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cOh no! I\u2019m stuck!\u201d he gasped. \u201cWhat can I do now? Perhaps, if I roar loud enough, one of the other lions may hear me.\u201d
All day long, the young lion roared, but no one came. He remained stuck in the mud, which had begun to dry, making it even harder for him to move.
\u201cWho can possibly help me?\u201d he groaned. \u201cMy friends don\u2019t know where I am, and all the other animals are afraid of me. I\u2019m going to die here. \u201dFor a whole week, he lay trapped in the mud.
\u201cI\u2019m done for,\u201d he thought. But suddenly he heard a sniffing noise.
\u201cPlease help!\u201d he gasped.
A grey head peered cautiously around the bush. It was a jackal.
\u201cDon\u2019t run away, jackal,\u201d said the lion. \u201cPlease save me.\u201d
\u201cWhy should I save you?\u201d replied the jackal. \u201cYou\u2019d just eat me as soon as you were out of that mud.\u201d
\u201cIf you help me now, I will always be your friend,\u201d said the lion. \u201cEverything I catch I will share with you and your family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would help if we had some water to soften the mud,\u201d she said. So she found a coconut shell and started to carry water to pour round the lion\u2019s legs.
\u201cYou loosen the mud around your paws and I\u2019ll push from under your stomach,\u201d said the jackal.\u201cOne last effort and you\u2019ll be free.\u201d And she stood back, hoping that she had been right to trust him.
\u201cThank you, jackal,\u201d said the lion. \u201cThank you for trusting me; thank you for helping me. From now on, I will always be your friend.\u201d With that, the lion went off and caught some food for them both. And so it was that the lion and the jackal became good friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t we all live here?\u201d said the lion. \u201cWe could shelter in these caves and even take turns to look after the little ones.\u201d
\u201cWhat a great idea!\u201d replied the jackal. The next day, the lions and the jackals all moved into their new home. Within a few hours, the lion cubs and the little jackal pups were making friends, playing together and chasing each other over the rocks.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust look at our young lion down there wasting his time. There\u2019s not enough food to go around, and our catch is still shared with all those jackals.\u201d
\u201cYes,\u201d agreed the other. \u201cIt\u2019s time we got rid of them and all their noisy pups.\u201d And so they went on.
Unfortunately, one of the sharp-eared jackals playing nearby overheard the old lions moaning and immediately went off and told his friends.
\u201cThose smelly old lions do nothing but sleep all day,\u201d he complained. \u201cAnd that young lion wouldn\u2019t catch anything without the help of our cunning mother jackal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose good-for-nothing jackals must becatching food and keeping it all for themselves,\u201dhe growled, and roughly snatched the bone fromthe puppy.
\u201cJust look at this,\u201d he said to the young lion, dropping the bone in front of him. \u201cAs well as sharing our food, those sly jackals are catching meat and keeping it for themselves. It\u2019s time we drove them out of here.\u201d
\u201cIt is a puzzle,\u201d said the young lion, \u201cbut the mother jackal is my friend. I will ask her about this.\u201d
So he took the bone over to where she sat. One of the jackal puppies was crying.
\u201c..and then that old lion took my bone away,\u201d whimpered the little pup.
The jackal shook her head as the young lion approached.
\u201cThis is no good,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we cannot live happily together we shall have to leave this ledge. How can we trust the lions when they steal from our pups?\u201d
\u201cWhere did the pup get this food from?\u201d asked the young lion.
\u201cThis isn\u2019t fresh food,\u201d said the mother jackal.\u201cHe\u2019s saved this bone from the catch we made last week.\u201d
\u201cOf course; now I understand,\u201d said the lion. \u201cI knew that we could trust each other. Spreading rumours and telling tales has undermined our friendship.\u201d
That night, he called the lion family together. He told them all about how the jackal had saved his life, and about the promise he had made to share his catch with the jackals and not harm them.The other lions hung their heads in shame.
\u201cWe are sorry,\u201d they said. \u201cWe had no idea. If that jackal had not trusted you and helped you, you would have died. Our unkind words have caused a lot of trouble and unhappiness. We must go and apologise at once.\u201d
And so they did – and from that day on, the two families lived as friends.<\/p>\nKisa and the Mustard Seed<\/h1>\n
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\u201cPlease, can you help me?\u201d she asked. \u201cI need some special medicine for my baby.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Kisa,\u201d said the woman, \u201cI\u2019m too busy to stop now. Why don\u2019t you ask the shopkeeper?\u201d Sadly, Kisa thanked her and went to find the shopkeeper. But the shopkeeper only told her to ask the doctor.<\/p>\n
The doctor looked at the baby in Kisa\u2019s arms. He could see that it was dead. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Kisa,\u201d he said. \u201cI haven\u2019t got the medicine you need.\u201d
Was there anyone who could help Kisa, he wondered? Then he remembered that the Buddha was staying nearby. He was wise and very kind. Maybe he would know how to help.\u201cKisa,\u201d he suggested, \u201cwhy don\u2019t you go and ask the Buddha?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Kisa,\u201d she replied. \u201cI have been looking everywhere for medicine for my son.\u201d
The Buddha looked at the little bundle in Kisa\u2019s arms. How could Kisa be helped to accept the truth that her little boy had really died?
\u201cKisa, if you want to make some medicine, you must have some mustard seeds,\u201d said the Buddha. \u201cGo into town and ask at each house, but you must only accept seeds from a house in which no one has died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould I have some mustard seeds to make some medicine?\u201d Kisa asked.
The woman went back inside and soon returned with some seeds.\u201cHere you are,\u201d said the woman, smiling.Kisa was just about to take the seeds when she remembered the Buddha\u2019s words.
\u201cOh, I nearly forgot,\u201d said Kisa. \u201cHas anyone died in this house?\u201d
\u201cAh, yes,\u201d replied the young woman. \u201cA few months ago my grandmother died, very peacefully. She was a lovely old lady and we remember her very fondly. But why do you ask?\u201d
\u201cThank you for getting me the seeds,\u201d said Kisa, \u201cbut I can only take them from a house in which no one has died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, have you got some mustard seeds to spare?\u201d she asked him. Slowly, the old man got up and went into the house. Soon he emerged with some seeds.
\u201cHere you are,\u201d he said, holding out his hand.Again, just as Kisa was about to take the seeds, she remembered what the Buddha had said.
\u201cHas anyone died in this house recently?\u201d she asked.
\u201cAh,\u201d replied the old man sadly, \u201cjust last year the lady of the house, my daughter, passed on. We all still miss her.\u201d
\u201cI am sorry to hear your sad news,\u201d said Kisa.
\u201cThank you for getting me the seeds, but I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t take them after all.\u201d
At the next house she came to, a young boy answered the door.\u201cPlease, have you got some mustard seeds to spare?\u201d she asked.\u201cI\u2019m sure we have,\u201d said the boy. \u201cWait there and I\u2019ll ask my mum.\u201d Soon the boy came back with the seeds. \u201cHere you are.\u201d
This time, Kisa remembered! \u201cCan you tell me please if anyone has ever died in this house?\u201d she asked.
\u201cYes,\u201d replied the boy quietly. \u201cWhen I was still a little baby, my dad died. I can\u2019t even remember him.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m sorry about your dad,\u201d said Kisa, \u201cand thank you for getting me the seeds, but I can\u2019t use them after all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you been able to find the mustard seeds, Kisa?\u201d he asked.
\u201cNo,\u201d she replied, \u201cbut now I understand that everyone loses people they love. I have laid my baby to rest, and am now at peace. Thank you.\u201d
\u201cYou have done well, Kisa,\u201d said the Buddha, \u201cfor there is nothing stronger in all the world than a mother\u2019s love. Would you like to stay with me for a while?\u201d<\/p>\nThe King’s Elephant<\/h1>\n
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