กีสาโคตมีกับความทุกข์ ความเศร้า และความเห็นใจ : ถอดบทเรียนเพื่อสร้าง ความเข้มแข็งต่อจิตใจในยุคปัจจุบัน

Denpong Saenkum

Authors

Denpong Saenkum Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies,Khon Kaen University

Keywords:

Kisagotami, Grief, Suffering, Compassion, Mental Resilience

Abstract

This article explores the story of Kisagotami through the lens of suffering, grief, and psychological healing. It emphasizes that grief is a fundamental human experience of inherent value, not merely a condition to be hastily dismissed or denied. Kisagotami, a woman who suffered the profound loss of her beloved child, embarked on a journey to find a cure to bring her child back to life. Instead, she encountered the reality of death and came to realize the impermanence of all things. Her story illustrates how grief can serve as the starting point for spiritual transformation when one is able to confront truth with mindfulness and wisdom. Grief, rather than being a purely negative emotion, can foster a deeper understanding of life. This article argues that the tale of Kisagotami is not merely a Buddhist parable but a timeless lesson that can be applied to deepen self-understanding and empathy for others during times of suffering. Accepting and learning from sorrow is one path to developing inner strength and emotional intelligence. Particularly notable is the Buddha’s compassionate approach toward Kisagotami—not as a didactic instruction, but as a gesture of empathy aimed at guiding her to overcome suffering through her own realization. Thus, the story holds enduring significance across religious, psychological, and humanistic dimensions.

References

ชาญณรงค์ บุญหนุน. (2554). พุทธศาสนากับอารมณ์. ใน ชาญณรงค์ บุญหนุน (บ.ก.), อารมณ์กับจริยศาสตร์ (น. 36–141). กรุงเทพฯ: วิภาษา.

อรอุมา อสัมภินวัฒน์. (2558). พุทธวิธีการสอนสตรีในคัมภีร์พระพุทธศาสนา. วิทยานิพนธ์พุทธศาสตรมหาบัณฑิต สาขาวิชาพระพุทธศาสนา บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยมหาจุฬาลงกรณราชวิทยาลัย.

มหาวิทยาลัยมหามกุฏราชวิทยาลัย. (2531). พระสูตรและอรรถกถาแปล ขุททกนิกาย เถรีคาถา เล่มที่ 2 ภาคที่ 4. กรุงเทพฯ: มหามกุฏราชวิทยาลัย.

Anālayo, B., & Dhammadinnā, B. (2021). From compassion to self-compassion: A text-historical perspective. Mindfulness, 12(6), 1350-1360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01575-4

Bazzano, M. (2012). Spectre of the stranger: Towards a phenomenology of hospitality. Sussex Academic Press.

Bazzano, M. (2016). Deathlife, lifedeath. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 15(3), 256-262. https://doi.org/10.1080/14779757.2016.1204348

Bhushan, N. (2008). Toward an anatomy of mourning: Discipline, devotion and liberation in a Freudian-Buddhist framework. Sophia, 47, 57-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-008-0048-5

Biegler, P. (2011). The ethical treatment of depression: autonomy through psychotherapy. MIT Press.

Buddhaghosa, B. (1976). The path of purification (Visuddhimagga), volume two. Shambhala Publications. B. Nyanamoli Trans.

de la Harpe, S., Palermo, R., Brown, E., Fay, N., & Dawel, A. (2024). People attribute a range of highly-varied and socially-bound meanings to naturalistic sad facial expressions. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 48(3), 465-493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-024-00463-y

De Silva, P. (2011). Thinking and feeling: A Buddhist perspective. Sophia, 50, 253-263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-011-0248-2

Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1975). Unmasking the face: A guide to recognizing emotions from facial clues. Prentice-Hall.

Forgas, J. P. (2017). Can sadness be good for you?. Australian Psychologist, 52(1), 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12232

Freud, S., & Strachey, J. E. (1964). The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud. The Hogarth Press.

Goble, P. (2008). Bereavement in Buddhist teaching and practice. Bereavement Care, 27(2), 31-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/02682620808657718

Horwitz, A. V., & Wakefield, J. C. (2007). The loss of sadness: How psychiatry transformed normal sorrow into depressive disorder. Oxford University Press.

Kang, C., & Whittingham, K. (2010). Mindfulness: A dialogue between Buddhism and clinical psychology. Mindfulness, 1, 161-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-010-0018-1

Kornfield, J. (1993). A path with heart. Bantam Books.

Kuan, T. (2008). Mindfulness in early Buddhism: new approaches through psychology and textual analysis of Pali, Chinese, and Sanskrit sources. Routledge.

McArthur, M., Mansfield, C., Matthew, S., Zaki, S., Brand, C., Andrews, J. & Hazel, S. (2017). Resilience in Veterinary Students and the Predictive Role of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 44(1), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.0116-027R1

Miller, B. S. (1984). The Therīgāthā: Women's Songs of Early Buddhism. Journal of South Asian Literature, 19(2), 129-135. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40872698

Nakasone, R. Y. (1993). Suffering and healing: An interpretation of the Buddhist doctrine of the four noble truths. Journal of Medical Humanities, 14(2), 81-87. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01140208

Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032

Nesse, R. M. (1990). Evolutionary explanations of emotions. Human nature, 1, 261-289. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02733986

Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(5), 400–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x

Paramita, P. R. (2022). Metode Buddha Mengajar: Relevansinya Dalam Pembelajaran Abad 21. Jurnal Agama Buddha Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan, 8(2), 59-74. https://doi.org/10.53565/abip.v8i2.633

Sabir, F., Ramzan, N. & Malik, F. (2018). Resilience, self-compassion, mindfulness and emotional well-being of doctors. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 55–59. https://doi.org/10.15614/ijpp.v9i01.11743

Wallace, B. A. (1999). Boundless heart: The four immeasurables. Snow Lion Publications.

Zeman, J., Cameron, M., & Price, N. (2019). Sadness in youth: Socialization, regulation, and adjustment. In V. LoBue, K. Pérez-Edgar, & K. A. Buss (Eds.), Handbook of emotional development (pp. 227–256). Springer.