Kisa Gotami

Kisa Gotami was the wife of a wealthy man of

first stage of enlightenment. Eventually, she became an Arahat

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" (

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]

Happy indeed is the mother
Happy indeed is the father
Happy indeed is the wife
Who is a lord so glorious

The story is the source of the popular aphorism: "The living are few, but the dead are many".

A literary tradition has evolved round the story of Kisa Gotami, much of it in oral form and in local plays in much of Asia. The

Therigatha (or "Verses of the Elder Nuns") in the Pali Canon recounts a version of the story. A number of popular similar alternative versions also exist.^[3] A similar story is told about the Greek philosopher Demonax, who promised a person he can summon his deceased son's shadow if provided with three names of people who never had to mourn in their lives.^[4]

In popular culture

The story of Kisa Gotami is recited by Australian musician Nick Cave in the song "Hollywood" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from their seventeenth studio album, Ghosteen (2019).^[5]

The kids animated television series Bluey retells the story in the season 1 episode "Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolf Hound".

The story of Kisa Gotami is recited in the eponymous episode 5, "The Parable of Kisa Gotami", of Thai Cave Rescue.

The story of Kisa is part of NCERT Class X English syllabus as Sermon at Benares.

Notes

^ Dhammapada, Ch. VIII, verse 114. See, for instance, Buddharakkhita (1996).[1]
^ Thanissaro (1998).
^ Richard Winter, Cambridge Buddhist Centre
^ Life of Demonax | Demonax The Works of Lucian of Samosata
^ Grow, Kory (10 October 2019). "Nick Cave Looks for Peace and Finds Hope on 'Ghosteen'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 November 2019.