The House Without a Mustard Seed

There is a loneliness that comes not from being alone, but from feeling unseen. The House Without a Mustard Seed is a gentle Buddhist meditation on relational loneliness, attachment, and the quiet ache of being unchosen. Drawing from the ancient story of Kisagotami—a grieving mother sent to find a mustard seed from a house untouched by loss—this book offers a deeply human exploration of what it means to seek belonging in a world shaped by impermanence. Rather than offering advice or reassurance, Miles Kettering walks alongside the reader, using Buddhist teachings on attachment, non-self, and shared suffering to soften the inner stories that turn disconnection into shame. Each chapter unfolds as a contemplative narrative, inviting recognition rather than repair, understanding rather than fixing. This book is for those who have waited for replies that never came. For those who feel peripheral in relationships they care deeply about. For those who wonder, quietly, what their loneliness says about them. You will not find promises that others will change. What you may find is a steadier way to live with what hurts— and a form of belonging that does not depend on being chosen. Written in a calm, restorative voice, The House Without a Mustard Seed is meant to be read slowly, returned to often, and lived with over time. It offers companionship for moments of loneliness, and a reminder that you have not been left outside the human circle.