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Thinking about the Text 

Q1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for medicine that will cure her dead son. She does not get it because her son is dead, and there is no medicine that can bring a dead person back to life.

Q2. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for, the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: After speaking with the Buddha, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house a second time. This time, she asks for a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend. She does not get it because she finds that every single house she visits has experienced death.

Q3. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?
Answer: The first time, Kisa Gotami was only thinking about her own personal grief and loss. The second time, she understood that death is a universal and unavoidable part of life. Everyone in the world has experienced the pain of losing a loved one. Yes, this is exactly what the Buddha wanted her to understand.

Q4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was too lost in her own sorrow the first time to think clearly. The Buddha did not directly give her a lecture on death. Instead, he gave her a task that made her realize the truth for herself. By going from house to house and not being able to find a single one untouched by death, she learned through her own experience that death is common to all. This changed her understanding from a personal grief to a universal truth.

Q5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief’?
Answer: Selfishness is usually understood as being concerned only with one’s own needs and ignoring the needs of others. Yes, you can agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being selfish in her grief. At first, she was so consumed by her own pain that she couldn’t see that death and sorrow are a common experience for all people. She believed her pain was unique and the greatest, which is a form of being selfish.

Thinking about Language

Q1. This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.
● give thee medicine for thy child
Answer: give you medicine for your child
● Pray tell me
Answer: Please tell me
● Kisa repaired to the Buddha
Answer: Kisa went to the Buddha
● there was no house but someone had died in it
Answer: there was no house where someone had not died in it
● kinsmen
Answer: relatives or family members
● Mark!
Answer: Note! or Pay attention!

Q2. You know that we can combine sentences using words like and, or, but, yet and then. But sometimes no such word seems appropriate. In such a case we can use a semicolon (;) or a dash (-) to combine two clauses.
For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.
Break up the sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences?
Answer: The three simple sentences would be:

1. There is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying.
2. After reaching old age there is death.
3. Of such a nature are living beings.

The single sentence using semicolons has a better rhythm and flow. It sounds more poetic and thoughtful, connecting the three ideas together seamlessly. The three simple sentences feel choppy and disconnected.

Speaking 

Answer: This is a discussion-based activity. The Buddha’s ideas on the universality of grief are timeless. While modern psychology offers specific coping mechanisms like those listed in the texts, the core message of accepting death as an inevitable part of life is still very relevant. Discuss with your group how the modern texts provide practical advice (e.g., feelings to expect, how to help others) while the Buddha’s sermon provides a deeper, more philosophical and spiritual framework for understanding grief.

Writing 

Q. Write a page (about three paragraphs) on one of the following topics. You can think about the ideas in the text that are relevant to these topics, and add your own ideas and experiences to them.

1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea
2.Helping each other to get over difficult times
3. Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others
Answer: This is a writing activity where you choose one of the three topics and write a page (about three paragraphs).
1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea: Think about a time you taught someone something hard. How did you explain it? Did you use simple words, drawings, or real-life examples?

2. Helping each other to get over difficult times: How do people support each other through grief, illness, or loss? You can write about your own experiences or observations.
3. Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others: This topic relates to the Buddha’s lesson. You can write about how you balance your personal identity with the understanding that you are part of a larger human community.