GRADE 10

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

FIRST FLIGHT PROSE
THE SERMON AT BENARES

SUMMARY

Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was born in a royal family. He was a prince. His
name was Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling. He studied
all the sacred Hindu scriptures. He returned a er four years. At the age of sixteen, he married a
princess. They had a son. For ten years the couple passed a happy life. Siddhartha had been
shielded from the su erings of the world. However, when he was twenty- ve, Siddhartha saw a
sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession. Finally, he came across a monk begging for
alms. This was his rst encounter with the harsh reali es of life. These sights made him so sad that
he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He le his family and became a beggar. He went out
into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.

Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down
under a peepal tree to meditate. He vowed to stay there un l he got enlightenment. A er seven
days, Gautama got the enlightenment. He named the tree as the ‘Bodhi Tree’ that is ‘The tree of
wisdom’. He Himself became known as ‘the Buddha’ which means ‘enlightened’ or ‘the awakened’.
He began to teach and to spread his message of wisdom and truth. He became known as the
Buddha (the enlightened).

Buddha gave his rst sermon at Benares. It is the holiest of places on the bank of the Ganges. His
rst sermon re ects his wisdom about one inscrutable kind of su ering i.e. death. Here, the
Buddha tells about the universality of death which is inevitable and can’t be escaped. A lady
named Kisa Gotami had an only son. One day, her son died. She wanted that her child should
become alive again. She wanted some medicine to bring her son back to life. People called her
mad. At last, she came across a man. He advised her to meet the Buddha. She approached Buddha
with a request to give her medicine so that her only son could be alive again. A er deep thought,
the Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds. But there was a condi on. She must
bring it from a house where no one had died. Kisa Gotami went from door-to-door to get the
mustard-seed. She found mustard seeds in every home but she could not nd a home where
nobody had died. By evening, she was sad and red. She saw the lights of the city. Soon there was
the darkness of the night everywhere. Now she considered the fate of man. Now she realised that
death is inevitable. No one can escape it. Death is a must for all. It spares none.

She came back to the Buddha and asked for his blessings. The Buddha in his sermon told her that
our life is brief and painful. Everyone who takes birth has to die. The vessel made by the po er is
not permanent. It has to break one day. In the same way, everyone has to die. Death spares none.
A father cannot save his son. Everyone grieves when someone dear dies. But grieving cannot bring
the dead back to life. So death and su erings are unavoidable. The wise persons do not grieve as
they know the truth. Weeping does not bring peace to the mind. On the other hand, a person’s
pain becomes greater by grieving. His body also su ers. One who has learnt to control his grief
shall have peace of mind. That person is blessed, who has overcome his sorrow.
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 FOCUS POINTS IN THE LESSON

1. Gautama Buddha was born a prince. He was named Siddhartha Gautama.

2. He was married at the age of sixteen and enjoyed the royal luxuries for ten years.
3. Up to the age of twenty- ve, he was shielded from the su erings of the world.
4. The sight of a sick man, then an aged man, and a funeral procession shocked him.
5. Finally, he saw a monk begging for alms.
6. He gave up royal pleasures and set out to seek enlightenment.
7. He wandered for seven years and nally sat down under a big tree in medita on.
8. Enlightenment came to him a er seven days.
9. He named the big tree the Bodhi Tree or Tree of Wisdom.
10. He was known as the Buddha or the Awakened or the Enlightened one.
11. The Buddha preached his rst sermon at the holy city of Benares on the River Ganges.
12. Kisa Gotami’s only son had died.
13. She had lost her senses and carried the dead boy to all her neighbours.
14. She asked them for medicines to cure him.
15. She prayed to the Buddha to give such a medicine that could cure her son and bring him back
to life.
16. The Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds from any house which has
not seen a single death.
17. She went from house to house and had no problem in ge ng a handful of mustard seeds.
However, she did have a problem in nding a house where no one had died.
18. She considered the fate of men and realised that she was sel sh in her grief.
19. Death is common to all.
20. Surrendering all sel shness leads to immortality.
21. All earthen pots end in being broken.
22. The world is a icted with death and decay.
23. He who has overcome all sorrows, will become blessed and an enlightened one.

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

Ques 1: When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house? What does she ask for? Does
she get it? Why not?

Answer: A er 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 that can
bring a dead person back to life.

Ques 2: Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house a er she speaks with the Buddha. What
does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?

Answer: Gautam 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 nd a single

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 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.

Ques 3: What does Kisa Gotami understand the second me that she failed to understand the
rst me? Was this what Buddha wanted her to understand?

Answer: A er 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 ickered and were ex nguished. At last, it was darkness everywhere.

She realized that death was common to all and she was being sel sh in her grief. This is what
Buddha wanted her to understand, that everyone who is born has to die one day.

Ques 4: Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second me? In what way did
Buddha change her understanding?

Answer: Earlier, she could see only her grief. When she went from door to door the second me,
she understood that everyone was dealing with the loss of a beloved one. There was not a single
house in the town, where death had not taken a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a son or a
daughter. Everyone, at some point or the other, has experienced the death of their loved ones.
Gautama Buddha helped her to understand all this, as he told her to bring a handful of mustard
seeds from a house where death had never knocked at the door. In this way she became aware
that death is common to all human beings.

Ques 5: How do you usually understand the idea of sel shness? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami
that she was being sel sh in her grief?

Answer: A sel sh person is one who only thinks about himself or herself, and to some extent, Kisa
Gotami was being sel sh. We are humans and it is natural for us to die. We do not easily accept
the death of our loved ones. The same has happened with Kisa Gotami. As it was her only child,
she did not want him to die and nally went to Buddha to ask for help. Kisa Gotami was sel sh in
her grief, as she wanted only her son to be brought back to life, she failed to understand that every
household would have many who are grieving the deaths of loved ones.

LONG QUESTIONS

1. Why did Kisa Gotami understand the message given by the Buddha only the second me? In
what way did the Buddha change her understanding?

Ans. Kisa Gotami had lost her only son and in grief, she carried her dead son to all her neighbours
to get him cured and restore him back to life. No one could help her. Finally, she went to the
Buddha asking him for medicine to cure her son. The Buddha felt that she needed to be
enlightened about the truth of life — that death and sorrow are inescapable. He could see that
grief had blinded her, and it would be di cult for her to accept the truth. So the Buddha told her
to procure mustard seeds from a house where none had died. Kisa Gotami went from door to door.
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 Then she realized that there was no house where no one had died and that death is common to all.
She came back to the Buddha where He sermonized her that life in this world is troubled and lled
with sorrows. He gave her examples of ripe fruits and earthen vessels whose ‘lives’ are short. In
this way, he made her realize that death is unavoidable and none —even the near and dear ones
— can save anyone from death.

2. The Buddha said, “The world is a ected by death and decay, therefore, the wise men do not
grieve, knowing the terms of the world.” Do you think the statement is appropriate even for
today’s life? Write your views in the context of the above statement.

Ans. The above statement holds true in today’s life as well. Buddha taught that death is common to
all mortals. Those who are born must die one day. Death is certain, it cannot be avoided. As ripe
fruits fall o the trees, so is the life of mortals. Life of a man is like an earthen pot that breaks and
meets its end. No amount of weeping and lamen ng can bring the dead back to life. So, wise men
do not grieve. They understand that it is the law of the world. Weeping and lamen ng produce no
gains. It rather spoils one’s health and gives more pain. If only one is able to take out the arrow of
lamenta on and get composed, one will get peace of mind. To overcome sorrow, one has to
become free of sorrow.

But in today’s world, man seems to have forgo en this. He makes all kinds of e orts to provide
himself with the comforts and thinks that money can provide that security and peace of mind. He
fails to understand that however rich he may become, he will have to die one day, and all the
riches that he has earned can in no way, save him from death. Wisdom is, in accep ng the truth
that death is inevitable and will come to one and all, and grief cannot be a solu on against death
but understanding the nature of death can be the solu on.

3. Through the story of Kisa Gotami, what did the Buddha try to preach to the common man?

Ans. Buddha said that death is common to all mortals. Those who are born must die one day. No
one cannot avoid it. Death is certain. He taught this, through the story of Kisa Gotami. Kisa was a
common woman whose son had died. She could not come to terms with his death, and carried her
son to neighbours reques ng them to give her medicine to cure him. People thought that she was
out of her senses. Then someone told her to approach Buddha. He asked her to procure a handful
of mustard seeds on a condi on that they should be procured from a house where no death has
ever taken place. Kisa could not nd such a house. She, sad and depressed, sat on the sideways
and watched the city lights that ickered and ex nguished. It made her realize that human lives
icker and ex nguish as well and that death is an unavoidable phenomenon. She thought herself
to be sel sh for thinking only about her grief.

4. What did Buddha say about death and su ering? Explain by giving examples from the text. OR
“‘they seek peace one should draw out the arrow of lamenta on.” What do you infer from the
Buddha’s statement?

Ans. Buddha said that death is common to all mortals. Those who are born must die one day. No
one cannot avoid it. Death is certain. As ripe fruits fall o the trees and meet their end, so do the
lives of the mortals. Life of a man is like an earthen pot that breaks and meets its end. No amount
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 of weeping and lamen ng can bring a dead person back to life. So, wise men do not grieve. They
understand that it is the law of nature. Also, weeping and lamen ng bring no gains. It rather spoils
one’s health and gives more pain. If only one takes out the arrow of lamenta on and get
composed one will get peace of mind, overcome sorrow, and eventually become free from sorrow.

5. What impression do you form of Lord Buddha a er reading the lesson, “The Sermon at
Benares”?

Ans. Buddha was born in North India as a prince and was named Siddhartha. Once he went out
hun ng. On the way, he saw a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession and a monk. He was
overcome with grief, seeing these sights as, so far, he had not known what sorrow was, having led
the life of a prince. This set him thinking, and he renounced all pleasures and luxuries that royalty
o ered him, and went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he
witnessed. A er a aining enlightenment, he gave his rst sermon at Benares. It re ects His
wisdom on ‘su ering’. He said the life of man is short, full of troubles and pain. Man is like ripe
fruit, just as the fruit falls from the tree when it is ripe, so also man dies when he gets old. Death is
inevitable, and in order to overcome the pain caused by death, one must draw out the arrow of
lamenta on. Buddha was a wise teacher who strived to make people understand the di cult
concept of su ering and death.

6. Describe the journey of Siddhartha Gautama becoming the Buddha.

Ans. Gautama Buddha began his life as a royal prince. He was named Siddhartha Gautama. At
twelve, Gautama was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures. At the age of sixteen,
he returned home to marry a princess. The prince was deliberately shielded from all su erings of
the world. But this a empt failed when the prince while out hun ng chanced upon a sick man.
Then, he saw an aged man. He also chanced to see a funeral procession. Finally, he saw a monk,
begging for alms. These sights of su ering, sickness and decay shocked and moved the prince. He
wanted to seek the nal solu on for all these sorrows and su erings. He wandered for seven years
in search of enlightenment. Finally, he sat down under a peepal tree. He meditated there un l he
was enlightened, and this happened a er seven days. He renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree or the
Tree of Wisdom. He became known as the Buddha or the Awakened or the Enlightened one. The
Buddha gave his rst sermon at Benares on the River Ganges.

7. Why did Kisa Gotami go to every neighbour? Why did she say, ‘How sel sh I am in my grief?’

Ans. Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. Naturally, she was lled with grief. She carried the dead child
to all her neighbours. She asked them for medicine. The people thought that she had lost her
senses in grief. She was asking for medicine for her dead son. A er mee ng the Buddha, she
followed His instruc ons. But she couldn’t get a handful of mustard seeds even from one family.
There was no family where no one had lost a child, a husband, parent or friend. Only then she
realised what the Buddha wanted her to understand. She realised that she was very sel sh in her
grief. She was grieving for her dead child. She forgot that death spares none, and that there were
mul tudes of people who had lost their loved ones too, but were helpless on the face of death.
She realised that no lamenta on or grieving can bring a dead person back to life again.
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 8. Describe the main teachings of the Buddha as highlighted in The Sermon at Benares.’

Ans. Before the age of twenty- ve, Siddhartha Gautam was carefully shielded from the su erings
of the world. When he saw a sick man, an aged man and a funeral procession for the rst me, he
was moved and shocked at the sights. He gave up his royal luxuries and went out in search of the
permanent solu on of all those su erings and sorrows. A er long medita ons, he got the
enlightenment or the wisdom about the nature of the phenomena around Him. He became known
as the Buddha or the Awakened one. He gave his rst sermon at Benares. Through Kisa Gotami,
the Buddha wanted to tell the world that death is the ul mate truth. All mortals are des ned to
die sooner or later. There is no family in the world where no one has lost a child, husband, parent
or friend. Lamen ng for a son or a parent is like showing sel shness in grief. No amount of
lamenta on or grieving can bring a dead man back to life. This world is a icted with death and
decay. He who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow. He will be the blessed one.

9. What does the Buddha say about the life of mortals in this world? How can one obtain peace of
mind?

Ans. The Buddha preached his rst sermon at Benares. He preached that all men, women and
children are mortals. And, all mortals are des ned to die. Actually, death and decay is the fate of all
mortals in this world. Death spares none. The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief. It is
combined with pain. Those who are born, cannot avoid dying. Actually, there is no means of
avoiding death and decay. The ripe fruits fall, so do the aged people of the world. One by one the
mortals are carried, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. Therefore, the wise do not grieve. No
amount of lamen ng or grieving can bring a dead man back to life. Weeping and grieving will never
give anyone the peace of mind. On the other hand, they will only compound the miseries. He who
has overcome all sorrows will become free from sorrows. He will become the blessed one.

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