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Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said, “Here is mustard-seed; take it!” But when she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?” they answered her, “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.
Explanation:
Gowthami was optimistic that she could gather a handful of seeds elsewhere and bring her son back to life. She then begged for mustard seeds by visiting several homes. People sensed her suffering and came forward to give her some mustard seeds. However, everyone said "yes" when she asked if someone in their family had passed away, such as a son or daughter, a father or mother. Additionally, they requested that Gotami not remind them about the loss of their families, formerly the source of their greatest pain.
Soon Gotami began to realise that completing Buddha's task—obtaining mustard seeds from a family where no deaths had occurred—was neither simple nor possible after learning the same thing from every family she had encountered. It's because there were some fatal incidences in each of the homes where Gotami went to beg for mustard seeds.
Meaning of difficult words:
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S.No
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Words
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Meaning
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1.
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Alas | An expression of sadness or disappointment |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). The Sermon at Benares - Betty Renshaw (pp. 133-139). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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