Kisa Gotami and the mustard seed: Empathy

Kisa Gotami’s only child had died. Grief-stricken, she went door to door, begging for medicine to bring him back.

People turned her away—until someone gently guided her to the Buddha.
The Buddha listened with compassion. Then he said:
“Yes, I can help you. But first, bring me a mustard seed from a home that has never known death.”

She searched every home. Every home offered mustard seeds. But when she asked, “Has anyone died here?”, each one answered with stories of their own loss.

By nightfall, Kisa Gotami returned to the Buddha—no mustard seed in hand, but a heart transformed.

She had realized: grief is not hers alone. Suffering is a shared human experience. The Buddha didn’t offer her abstract wisdom. He offered empathy.

💡 In work, family, leadership, even brief encounters—empathy isn’t a soft skill.
It’s a bridge. A balm. A lifeline.

Sometimes, all someone needs is your presence.
Your listening. Your mustard seed.