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Once upon a time, under the shade of a grand Bodhi tree, sat the Buddha, a man known far and wide for his wisdom and compassion. On this peaceful day, a mother came to him, her heart heavy with sorrow. Tears streamed down her face as she approached.

“Why are you looking so sad?” Buddha asked, his voice as calm as the quiet morning.

The mother, with a voice trembling with grief, replied, “I’ve heard you’re a great and holy man who can do incredible things. I lost my son this morning. Please, can you bring him back to me and take away my pain?”

Buddha, understanding her deep sorrow, said, “I will help you, but first, you must do something for me.”

“Anything,” the mother said, willing to do whatever it took to see her son again.

“Go and bring me some mustard seeds from a house where no one has died,” Buddha instructed her.

Feeling hopeful for the first time since her loss, the mother thought the task would be easy. She hurried off to the first neighbour’s house and knocked on the door.

“Hello, how may I help you?” the neighbour greeted her.

“Has anyone died in this house?” the mother asked eagerly.

“Yes, my sister died two years ago,” replied the neighbour, sadness in her voice.

The mother felt a pang of sympathy. “I’m very sorry to hear that,” she said, giving the neighbour a comforting hug before moving on to the next house.

At the second house, she asked the same question, only to hear that the neighbour’s father had passed away six months ago. Once again, she offered her condolences and a hug, then went on her way.

Determined, she approached the third house. But like the others, this house too had seen death; the neighbour’s daughter had died just three days ago. The mother hugged this neighbour as well, her heart growing heavier with each visit.

Returning to the Buddha, empty-handed and disheartened, she realized a profound truth. “I couldn’t find any mustard seeds from a house untouched by death. But I’ve realized I’m not alone in my grief. Everyone experiences loss,” she shared with Buddha, her voice filled with a new understanding.

Buddha looked at her with kindness. “You have learned a very valuable lesson today. Death is a part of life, and it comes to everyone in the end. You are not alone in your sorrow.”

Through her journey, the mother found solace not in the return of her son, but in the shared experience of loss and the universal truth of life’s impermanence. This newfound wisdom brought her a sense of peace, as she understood that grief was a path walked by many, and in that shared journey, there was a kind of comfort.