Kisa Gotami

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on Buddhism
History of Buddhism Dharmic religions Timeline of Buddhism Buddhist councils
Foundations Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path The Five Precepts Nirvāna · Three Jewels
Key Concepts Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology · Dharma Samsara · Rebirth · Shunyata Pratitya-samutpada · Karma
Major Figures Gautama Buddha Nagarjuna · Dogen Buddha's Disciples · Family
Practices and Attainment Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment Paramis · Meditation · Laity
Buddhism by Region Southeast Asia · East Asia Tibet · India · Western
Schools of Buddhism Theravāda · Mahāyāna Vajrayāna · Early schools
Texts Pali Canon Pali Suttas · Mahayana Sutras Vinaya · Abhidhamma
Comparative Studies Culture · List of Topics Portal: Buddhism This box: view • talk • edit

Kisa Gotami was the wife of a wealthy man of Savatthi. Her story is one of the more famous ones in Buddhism. After losing her only child, Kisa Gotami became desperate and asked if anyone can help her. Her sorrow was so great that many thought she had already lost her mind. Someone told her to meet Buddha. Buddha told her that he would bring the child back to life if she could get white mustard seeds from a family where no-one has died. She desperately went from house to house, but to her disappointment, every house had someone who had died. Finally the realization struck her that there is no house free from death. She returned to the Buddha, who comforted her and preached to her the truth. She was awakened and entered the first stage of Arhatship. Eventually, she became an Arhat.

The following Dhammapada verse^[1] (in Pali and English) is associated with her story:

Yo ca vassasatam jeeve
apassam amatam padam
Ekaaham jeevitam seyyo
passato amatam padam

Though one should live a hundred years
without seeing the Deathless State,
yet better indeed, is a single day's life
of one who sees the Deathless State.

In the "Gotami Sutta" (SN 5.3), Bhikkhuni Kisa Gotami declares:

I've gotten past the killing of [my] sons,

have made that the end

to [my search for] men.

I don't grieve,

I don't weep....

It's everywhere destroyed — delight.

The mass of darkness is shattered.

Having defeated the army of death,

free of fermentations I dwell.^[2]