CHAPTER-8
THE SERMON AT BENARES
BETTY RENSHAW ✍
THE SERMON AT BENARES SUMMARY
About Buddha’s
Life
o
Birth of Buddha – Gautama Buddha was born in a royal family as a prince in North India
in 563 B.C. His childhood name was Siddhartha Gautama.
o
Sheltered Life – His father protected him from seeing sorrow, sickness, old age, or
death. He wanted Siddhartha to enjoy only comfort and happiness.
o
Four Sights – At the age of 26, Siddhartha saw:
Ø
an old man
Ø
a sick person
Ø
a dead body
Ø
a monk who had left worldly life in
search of peace.
These sights deeply changed his life.
o
Renunciation – Siddhartha left home, wife, and son to search for truth and to find
an end to suffering.
o
Enlightenment – After years of meditation under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya, he
attained enlightenment and became the Buddha (the Awakened One).
The Sermon at
Benares
o
Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares,
a holy city on the Ganges.
o
In the sermon, he taught about life,
suffering, and death.
Lesson on Life
and Death
o
Death is universal – Death comes to everyone. No one can avoid it.
o
Human sorrow – People cry and suffer when their loved ones die.
o
Wise people – The wise understand that death is natural. They do not grieve too
much, as it only increases pain.
o
Unwise people – Those who remain sad and attached are like a person standing in the
middle of a burning house. Sorrow burns them more.
The Story of Kisa
Gotami
o
Kisa Gotami’s grief – A young woman named Kisa Gotami lost her only child. She was filled
with pain and could not accept his death.
o
Her search – She carried her dead child to everyone, asking for medicine to bring
him back to life.
o
Meeting Buddha – People thought she had gone mad, but someone directed her to Buddha.
o
Buddha’s test – Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house
where no one had ever died.
o
Her realization – Kisa Gotami went from house to house. Everyone was ready to give
mustard seeds, but in every house, someone had died.
o
Truth of life – She understood that death is common to all. No family is free from
it.
o
Acceptance – She accepted her child’s death and learned that one should not be
selfish in grief.
Buddha’s
Teachings from the Story
o
Sorrow weakens – Grief only makes us weak. It cannot bring the dead back.
o
Path to peace – Peace comes when we understand that death is natural and inevitable.
o
Detach from selfish desires – The world is full of sufferings. By overcoming attachment and desire,
one can achieve calmness and enlightenment.
o
Immortality of the soul – Human beings should focus on living a righteous life, not crying over
death.
THE SERMON AT BENARES SHORT QUESTION
1.
Who was Gautama Buddha? When and where was he born?
Answer: Gautama Buddha, earlier known as Prince Siddhartha
Gautama, was born in 563 B.C. in North India. Protected from worldly sufferings
in childhood, he later meditated under a Peepal tree at Bodh Gaya and attained
enlightenment, becoming Buddha.
2. Elucidate any one quality that Siddhartha
demonstrated when he gave up his status and family. Explain your choice.
Answer: Siddhartha showed the quality of renunciation.
He left behind his royal life, wealth, and family to find truth and end human
suffering. This selfless act reflects his courage, wisdom, and deep desire for
enlightenment.
3. Do you think
being enlightened placed a far greater responsibility on the Buddha than being
king would have? Justify your stance.
Answer: Yes, enlightenment gave Buddha greater
responsibility than kingship. A king rules people’s lives, but Buddha guided
humanity towards truth and freedom from suffering. His teachings helped
countless people and future generations, making his duty far more important.
4. Mention the incident which prompted
Prince Siddhartha to become a beggar?
Answer: Prince Siddhartha once saw an old man, a sick man, a
dead body, and a monk while on a visit outside the palace. Shocked by human
suffering, he renounced royal life, became a beggar, and sought spiritual
knowledge.
5. The Buddha renounced his worldly life to
attain enlightenment. How might the sermon at Benares have helped Siddhartha
Gautama’s wife if she had heard it?
Answer: The sermon at Benares could have helped Siddhartha’s
wife understand that suffering and death are natural. It might have lessened
her grief, given her strength to accept reality, and guided her towards peace
through detachment and wisdom.
6. Why was Kisa sad? What did Gautama Buddha
tell her?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was sad because her only son had died.
Buddha told her to bring mustard seeds from a house untouched by death. When
she found none, she realized death is universal and accepted her grief calmly.
7. How can death be considered an equalizer?
Answer: Death is an equalizer because it comes to everyone,
whether rich or poor, king or beggar. It does not see status, power, or wealth.
In the end, all humans are equal before death.
8. Kisa understood the temporality of life
as she sat at the wayside watching the city lights. Can you think of any other
object or phenomenon, natural or manmade, that might similarly reflect the fragile
nature of human life? Justify your choice.
Answer: A blooming flower reflects the fragile nature of human
life. Its beauty is short-lived, as it soon withers and fades. Similarly, human
life is temporary, reminding us to value every moment before it passes away.
9. Grief is often seen as a measure of love.
Do you think the Buddha’s sermon undermines a mother’s love? Justify your
response.
Answer: Buddha’s sermon does not lessen a mother’s love.
Instead, it teaches that grief is natural but should not control life. By
showing that death is universal, it helps mothers accept loss with strength,
compassion, and understanding.
10. What message might the Buddha’s story
hold for those who are in positions of power and privilege?
Answer: Buddha’s story teaches the powerful and privileged to
look beyond wealth and status, understand others’ suffering, and act with
compassion. True greatness lies not in luxury but in helping the needy and
seeking deeper meaning in human life.
THE SERMON AT BENARES LONG QUESTION
1.
Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes
through a period grief in her life. How does she behave in those circumstances?
Answer: Life is full of sufferings, and Kisa Gotami experienced
deep grief after the death of her only child. She could not accept the reality
of death and carried her child’s body to her neighbours, asking for medicine to
bring him back to life. Everyone thought she had lost her senses, but someone
guided her to Gautama Buddha. Buddha gave her a simple task—to bring mustard
seeds from a house where no one had ever died. She went from door to door but
soon realized that death had touched every family. This experience made her
understand that death is natural and unavoidable. Buddha explained that wise
people accept this truth and do not waste life in endless mourning. By
realizing the universality of death, Kisa overcame her grief, found peace, and
gained strength to live with wisdom.
2.
"Sermon at Benares" could just as well be considered
another glimpse of India. If it were part of the story ‘Glimpses of India’,
what ideas, values, and/ or experiences would it highlight? How would you
present this historical part of India?
Answer: If The Sermon at Benares were included in
Glimpses of India, it would present the spiritual and philosophical
richness of India’s past. It would highlight the timeless wisdom of Gautama
Buddha, who preached about the universality of suffering, the impermanence of
life, and the path to inner peace. This glimpse would showcase the values of
compassion and empathy, seen in Buddha’s gentle guidance to Kisa Gotami,
helping her realize that death is a natural part of human existence. It would
also reflect India’s long-standing quest for truth and enlightenment, showing
how great thinkers shaped the country’s cultural and moral fabric. Presenting
this historical part would reveal India not only as a land of diversity and
traditions but also as a cradle of spiritual learning, where the pursuit of
peace and wisdom has
always been a guiding light.
3. Personal losses are a part and parcel of
life. Instead of wailing on them, we should move on in life. This message of
Gautama Buddha has become more relevant in modern times. Do you agree? Why/ why
not?
Answer: Yes, I completely agree with Gautama Buddha’s
message that personal losses are a natural part of life and we should learn to
move on. In modern times, this teaching has become even more relevant. Today,
life moves at a very fast pace and people face constant challenges,
responsibilities, and pressures. If they remain stuck in grief, it will only
harm their mental health, relationships, and professional growth. Buddha
reminds us that death is certain for everyone who is born, so crying endlessly
over loss brings no solution. Instead, we should stay calm, accept reality, and
focus on the people and opportunities still present in our lives. By moving
forward with courage and wisdom, we can honor the past while continuing to live
meaningfully. Thus, Buddha’s teaching provides strength to deal with life’s struggles
in today’s world.
4. What lesson on death and suffering did
the Buddha teach Gotami in the chapter, ‘The Sermon at Benaras’.
Answer: In The Sermon at Benares, Buddha taught Gotami an important
lesson about death and suffering. He explained that death is a universal truth
and no one can escape it. Whoever is born will certainly die one day, and this
cycle of life cannot be changed by grief or lamentation. Through the example of
the mustard seeds, Gotami realized that there is no house untouched by death.
Buddha emphasized that excessive mourning only increases pain and suffering,
while wisdom lies in accepting reality with calmness and courage. The wise do
not waste their energy in endless sorrow or in trying to change the inevitable.
Instead, they rise above personal grief and learn to live peacefully. Buddha’s
message teaches that one must face death and suffering with strength,
self-control, and understanding, as only then can true peace be attained.
THE SERMON AT BENARES EXTRACT BASED QUESTION
EXTRACT-1
“Not
from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the
contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make
himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. He who
seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief.
He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of
mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be
blessed.”
i.
According to
the extract, what makes a person suffer more? 1
A) Praying regularly
B) Weeping and grieving
C) Remembering the dead with respect
D) Living a simple life
ii.
Fill in the
blank (1 mark)
He who has drawn out the arrow and has become ______ will obtain peace of mind.
iii.
What does the
word lamentation in the extract mean? 1
iv.
Why does the
passage suggest that lamentation and grieving cannot bring peace of mind?2
EXTRACT-2
Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the
people pitied her and said, “Here is mustard-seed; take it!” But when she
asked, “Did
a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your
family?” they answered her, “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many.
Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved
one had died in it.
i.
The community’s response to Kisa in the above
extract was somewhat different from before. Why do you think that was the case?
a) They had learnt from Buddha’s sermons.
b) They were able to help Kisa in some way this time.
c) They understood parental grief.
d) They liked Kisa and enjoyed talking to her.
ii.
Which of the following options represent the
correct understanding of the word “poor” in the phrase “Poor Kisa Gotami”?
a) in need of money
b) weak
c) unfortunate
d) inferior
iii.
“Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” The
tone of the speaker(s) is
a) disillusioned.
b) sceptical.
c) ironic.
d) solemn.
iv.
Pick the option that explains — ‘…the living
few, but the dead many.’
a) It shows the high death rate and low birth rate in the city of Benares.
b) It highlights the holy status of Benares where many Hindus go to die.
c) It throws light on the numerous loved ones the villagers had lost over time.
d) It reflects that many children who had died in the village for various
reasons.
v.
Imagine you are a photo journalist visiting the
city at the time Kisa Gotami went from house to house. You documented her
experience given in the above extract in a photo series.
Your publisher wants to publish the photo series in three parts wherein Part 1 shows
Kisa’s visits to the houses; Part 2 depicts her conversations with people, and
Part 3 captures Kisa’s reflections at the end of the day sitting by the
wayside.
The publisher would also like you to choose titles for the series and its three
parts.
Look at the titles given below, and choose the options that provide the most
appropriate set of titles.
1) Series Title – From Darkness to Light.
Part I – Living in Loss; Part II – A Mother’s Journey; Part III – Mustard Seed
2) Series Title – Mustard Seed.
Part I – A Mother’s Journey; Part II – From Darkness to Light; Part III – Living
in Loss
3) Series Title – A Mother’s Journey.
Part I – Mustard Seed; Part II – Living in Loss; Part III – From Darkness to
Light
4) Series Title – Living in Loss.
Part I – From Darkness to Light; Part II – Mustard Seed; Part III – A Mother’s Journey
a) 1 and 2
b) 2 and 3
c) 3 and 4
d) 1 and 4
ANSWER
EXTRACT-1
i.(b), ii. composed, iii. It means an
expression of sorrow or grief,
iv. The passage suggests that lamentation and grieving only increase pain and
make the body suffer, but they do not save the dead. True peace of mind comes
only when one removes grief and attains composure.
EXTRACT-2
i.(b), ii.(c), iii.(d), iv.(c), v.(b)
0 Comments