Chapter 10 -The Sermon at Benares

1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house? What does she
ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
After the death of her only son, Kisa Gotami was overcome with grief. She
carried the dead body of her son in her arms and went from door to door
asking for medicine to cure her child, but nobody could provide any medicine.
For there is no such medicine available which can bring a dead person back to
life.

2. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the
Buddha. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Gautama Buddha asks Kisa to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house
where death had never knocked at the door. Kisa Gotami went from door to
door, but couldn’t find a single house where death had not taken a beloved
away. She could not get it as death is inevitable and anyone who is born is
bound to die one day.

3. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to
understand the first time? Was this what Buddha wanted her to understand?
After failing to procure a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death
had never knocked at the door, she sat down by the roadside feeling helpless.
She saw the lights of the city that flickered and extinguished. At last, it was
darkness everywhere.
She realised that death was common to all and she was being selfish in her
grief. Yes, this is what the Buddha wanted her to understand, that man is
mortal and that everyone who is born has to die one day.

4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In
what way did Buddha change her understanding?
Initially, Kisa could see only her grief and therefore asked for a medicine to
cure her son. When she met the Buddha, he wanted her to realize that death
was common to all human beings. In order to make her realize this, he asked
her to get a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death hadn’t
knocked at all. When she went from door to door the second time, she
understood this only the second time. All the families told her that there had
been a death. They also asked her not to remind them of their deep grief. she
felt dejected and understood that everyone was dealing with the loss of a loved
one. There was not a single house in the town, where death had not taken a
father, a mother, a sister, a brother, son or a daughter. Everyone, at some
point or the other, had experienced the death of their loved ones. Buddha
helped her to understand all this.
6. How do you usually understand the idea of selfishness? Do you agree with
Kisa Gotami that she was being selfish in her grief?
A selfish person is one who only thinks about himself or herself, and to some
extent Kisa Gotami was being selfish because we humans, even though know
this/ are aware of this, find it difficult to accept this harsh truth when it comes
to us personally. It is natural for us to die. We do not easily accept the death of
our loved ones. It was the same situation with Kisa Gotami. As it was her only
child, she did not want him to die and she finally went to the Buddha to ask for
help with the hope of reviving him. It was her immense love for her child that
made her lose her senses and become selfish. Kisa was not in a position to
think about other people’s grief. It is natural to feel sad over the death of near
and dear ones. Her reaction is a normal one. It is easy to say, but difficult to
put into practice.
In the end, she did understand that death is common to all. One who is born
has to die one day. One should not grieve over a thing that is common to all.

7. How can one attain peace? What lesson does this lesson teach you?
This lesson teaches the truth that one can attain peace only by renunciation,
that is by giving up all material gains. Too much affinity to material gains
brings grief, one cannot sleep peacefully and live life contentedly. One who can
overcome one’s greed, grief and lust can obtain peace.
This lesson,teaches us this value through the sermon of Lord Buddha. It also
teaches us that we all are mortals and will die one day. We should not grieve,
nor should we crave for material gains. We should accept that everything in
this life is transitory. We should be free from sorrow. The path to
enlightenment is to surrender all material gains and draw out the arrows of
lamentation, complaints and grief.