The Sermon at Benares

 

Lesson The Sermon At Benares JKBOSE Tulip Class 10 Full Explanation, Summary in English and Hindi, Difficult Words

By MEENA CHOUDHARY

Class 10 The Sermon at Benares Chapter Introduction 

The Sermon at Benares throws light upon the early life of Lord Buddha who was originally born as a prince in the royal family. On being exposed to the sufferings of the world which he was earlier shielded from, he left his princehood and went in search of salvation thus leaving all the worldly pleasures behind. Upon attaining spiritual awakening, he gave his first sermon in the city of Benares hereby making a lady named Kisa Gotami realize that men are mortal and a wise person should not grieve at what is bound to happen for it only enhances pain and suffering.

Class 10 English Chapter 5 - From The Sermon At Benares

By Betty Renstaw

About the Author

Betty Renshaw Barber Clinton, MS Betty Louise Renshaw Barber was born in Shannon, Mississippi on September 3, 1927, to P. C. and Lillian Renshaw. After graduating valedictorian from Shannon High School, she went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mississippi College, and later a Master of Arts from Mississippi University for Women. She taught at the preschool level for several years, and eventually, she was able to pass her experiences on to others by teaching preschool teachers. Betty married Joseph Henry Barber, Jr. on December 23, 1950. They were married for 61 years.

                                   Betty Renstaw

Introduction to the lesson 

The Sermon at Benares- Summary

Gautama Buddha was born to a North Indian royal family as a prince and was named Siddhartha Gautama. When he was twelve years old, he was sent to a far away place to study Hindu sacred scriptures and upon returning four years later, he got married to a princess. Soon, they both had a son and they continued to live the royal life for about ten years. The royals were shielded from all the unpleasant experiences of the world until one day, on his way to hunt, the Prince met a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms. These experiences acted as eye-openers for him and thus, he left all the royalty behind to seek a higher sense of spiritual knowledge. Upon attaining salvation, he began preaching. He gave his first sermon in the city of Benares. There was a lady named Kisa Gotami whose son had died. Suffering with unending pain, she went from house to house looking for a medicine to bring her son back to life. People started thinking that the lady had lost her senses. One day, she met a man who directed her towards Lord Buddha who could possibly have a solution for her problem. Buddha asked her to look for mustard seeds and the seeds must be procured from a house that had seen no death. Reinstated with hope, Kisa Gotami once again went on a search from house to house but to her dismay, she could not find mustard seeds from a house that would fulfill Buddha’s condition. Disheartened, she sat at the edge of the road thus realising how selfish she had been. She became conscious to the fact that men were mortal and no one could escape the cycle of life. This was exactly what Buddha wanted her to understand. According to Lord Buddha, feelings of grief and sorrow only increases man’s pain and suffering thus, deteriorating his health. Therefore, a wise person fully aware about nature’s functioning must not grieve at something bound to happen and only then he can be happy and blessed.

The Sermon at Benares- Lesson & Explanation

GAUTAMA Buddha (563 B.C. – 483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

Gautama Buddha was born to a North Indian royal family as a prince and was named Siddhartha Gautama. He was sent to a far away place when he was twelve years old to study Hindu sacred scriptures and upon returning four years later, he got married to a princess. Soon, they both had a son and they continued to live the royal life for about ten years. The royals were shielded from all the unpleasant experiences of the world until the Prince met a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk looking for alms. These experiences acted as eye-openers for him and thus, he left all the royalty behind to seek a higher sense of spiritual knowledge.

Sacred- embodying the laws or doctrines of a religion
Scriptures- the sacred writings of a religion
Befitted- be appropriate for; suit
Chanced upon- came across by chance
Alms- money or food given to poor people; charity
Enlightenment- a state of high spiritual knowledge

He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings. At that point he became known as the Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened). The Buddha preached his first sermon at the city of Benares, most holy of the dipping places on the River Ganges; that sermon has been preserved and is given here. It reflects the Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.

Gautama Buddha went in search of enlightenment for about seven years before he finally came across a peepal tree and chose to sit under it till he became awakened.  When he finally attained salvation after 7 days, he decided to retitle the tree as the ‘Bodhi tree’ (which means the Tree of Wisdom) and he himself came to be known as ‘Buddha’ (which means The Awakened). He even began preaching his new realizations and his first sermon was given in the city of Benares. The city of Benares is known to be sacred as it resides on the banks of the river Ganges. The first sermon he gave was preserved and is famous till date (It is given below as well). It gives a new perspective to man’s unending sufferings.

Wandered- to move without a fixed course
Vowed- solemnly promise to do a specified thing
Preached- deliver a religious address to an assembled group of people
Sermon- a talk on religious or moral subject
Holy- sacred
Dipping places- bathing
Inscrutable- something which cannot be understood

Kisa Gotami had an only son, and he died. In her grief she carried the dead child to all her neighbours, asking them for medicine, and the people said, “She has lost her senses. The boy is dead.” At length, Kisa Gotami met a man who replied to her request, “I cannot give thee medicine for thy child, but I know a physician who can.” And the girl said, “Pray tell me, sir; who is it?” And the man replied, "Go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha.” Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried, “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.”

It talks about a lady named Kisa Gotami whose son had recently died. Struck with unending pain and sorrow, she took her son door to door requesting for a wonder drug that could bring his son back to life.  Quite obviously, everyone thought that the lady had lost her ability to think clearly. Going on from door to door, she finally came across a man who couldn’t offer any medicine but led her to Sakyamuni, the Buddha. Filled with hope, the lady visited Gautama Budhha and begged him for a cure for her child.

The Buddha answered, “I want a handful of mustard seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added, “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

Just as the man said, Gautama Buddha had a solution. He asked Kisa Gotami to get a handful of mustard seeds. Restored with hope, Kisa Gotami thought it to be a very simple task until Lord Buddha instilled a condition that “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

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.

Once again, Kisa Gotami went from door to door, but this time, she was looking for mustard seeds. Many had mustard seeds to offer but none of them could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family. Upon being asked, people requested her not to remind them of their deepest griefs. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a suitable home to get mustard seeds for his son.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished again. And she thought to herself, “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.”

All hope was lost for Kisa Gotami and thus, in extreme anguish and pain, she found herself a place to ponder at the edge of the road. She continuously watched city lights blinking and observed them till there was just darkness all around. After deep reflection, she realised that man’s fate was just like these city lights that flicker and extinguish repeatedly. The cycle of birth and death is nature’s way of working. Suddenly, she became conscious as to how selfish she had been in her sorrow and that one who was born must rest eternally. Men are mortal and the ones that are immortals have covered a path free from all worldly pleasures.

The Buddha said, ‘‘The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling, so mortals when born are always in danger of death. As all earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals. Both young and adult, both those who are fools and those who are wise, all fall into the power of death; all are subject to death.

According to Lord Buddha, the life of mortals is troubled because they have not made peace with the fact that the one who is born, must rest eternally. There is no way a living being can avoid facing death. Just like a ripe fruit is more prone to falling, an aged mortal is bound to die. Just like all earthen vessels break at some point, so do men. Whether old or young, foolish or wise, death leaves none.

“Of those who, overcome by death, depart from life, a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their relations. Mark! while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world. 

The only way death works is by withdrawing the person from the living world i.e, the person ceases to exist. No one has control over death, neither a father can save his son nor a kinsmen his relative. Just like an ox is taken to the slaughter house to be killed, so does death do with mortals, leaving none behind. Thus, the one who knows this truth and doesn’t grieve at his loss is the one who has been called wise by Lord Buddha.

Kinsmen- a man who is one of a person’s blood relations
Lamenting- express regret or disappointment about something
Slaughter- killing of animals for food
Afflicted- affect adversely

“Not from weeping nor from grieving will any one 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.”

According to Lord Buddha, one should not grieve, weep or be miserable at something which is bound to happen for it will keep man away from obtaining peace of mind. It will only multiply the pain and suffering thus leading to physical weakness and moreover, no amount of grief would bring back the dead. It is very important to understand that one must move past feelings like sorrow and grief as it is the only way that leads to the path of salvation.

The Sermon At Benaras Class 10 English J&K Bose Lesson Question and Answers

1. What is a sermon? How is it different from a lecture?
Ans. A sermon is a religious or moral talk usually given by a religious leader to liberate the people from their sinful nature and mould them towards the right path. It is quite different from a lecture. A lecture is a deliverance provided by a subject expert on any topic-scientific, social, political etc to make the audience understand some concept. The lectures are delivered in classrooms.

OR

Ans. A sermon is a religious talk or a speech made by a renowned, religious personality in order to make people morally and spiritually uplifted and enlightened.

It is different from a lecture. Lecture means a general topic related to any subject given in a college or university.

2. When her son died, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans. When her only son died, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking if she can get some medicine that can save her son’s life who has died. She does not get any medicine because the boy was dead and possibly the dead cannot come to senses with any medicine.

OR

Ans. Kisa Gotami goes from house to house in the hope of getting some wonder drug with which would rekindle the life in her dead child. She is unable to get that medicine. It is a universal truth that once somebody dies, no medicine can bring back life in him or her. Death is the final destination of life’s journey.

3. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What she asks for the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans. After she speaks with the Buddha, Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house the second time. As per the directions of the Buddha, she now asks the people for a handful of mustard seeds provided they have not lost anyone in their families. But she could not get the mustard seeds because there is not a single house where no one has lost child, husband, parent or friend.

OR

Ans. When Kisa Gotami asks for Buddha’s help he asks her to bring a handful of mustard seed. But there is a condition that the mustard seed should be from a house where nobody has ever died. Death is as certain as birth. Nothing is immortal on this Earth. Everything gets finished off in due course of time. Kisa Gotami is up to an impossible task of finding a household where nobody had ever died.

4. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?
Ans. Kisa Gotami understands that death is inevitable. It is common to all.No one can escape it. She realises the fact that the fate of men is like the lights which flicker up and extinguish again. The Buddha also wanted her to understand the same fact.

OR

Ans. Kisa Gotami, at first, is not able to understand the mysterious reality of life and death because she being a mother is very distressed and disheartened by the death of her only son. But when the Buddha tells her to get the mustard seeds from the family which has never encountered death, she returns unsuccessful and ponders over the reality of life. The Buddha wanted her to realise that death is an unavoidable reality of life.

OR

After she was unable to find a house as per Buddha’s criteria she understands the inevitability of death. She understands how futile it is to cry endlessly over the death of someone. She understands that life should go on as people carry on with their life after abrupt intervals of tragedies in their lives. The Buddha wanted her to realize that death is an unavoidable reality of life.

5. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? In what way did Buddha change her understanding?
Ans. Kisa Gotami understands this the second time only because she does not find any family where no one has died. She realises the fact that all people are to fall into the power of death. The Buddha changes her understanding simply by making her fetch a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has died. She goes from house to house but She does not find a single house where no one has lost child, husband, parent or friend. In this way, she comes to know that death is common to all.

OR

Ans. Kisa Gotami, at first, was very emotional and hopeless at the death of her only son. She felt that this tragedy had befallen only her. But when she went to get the seeds to cure her son, she grieved all those families in order to overcome her own grief. She felt that she had been very selfish in her cause and understood that death was common to all and it led a human being to immortality without a wink of selfishness.

OR

When she was seeking for miracle medicine she was not in a position to understand the certainty of death. She was only thinking about her grief when she went in search of mustard seeds she could understand that grief strikes everybody. She understood that she was not the only person on this planet who had lost a dear child. Buddha guided her to discover the sorrow of others. Most of us have a tendency to think about ourselves and that is why we feel extremely happy or extremely sad. If we try to take a wider perspective then we can be in a position to withstand ups and downs if life in a better way.

6. How do you usually understand the idea of selfishness? Do you agree with Lisa Vitamin that she was being selfish in her grief?
Ans. A selfish man is one who acts for his own sake. One whose actions are directed to benefit oneself owns selfishness. It is the pursuit of something regardless of their nature and gratification of emotions regardless of their source.
We agree that Kisa Gotami was being selfish in her grief because she desired the medicine that can cure her dead boy which was not possible.

OR

Ans. Selfishness is a preoccupation with me, me and me. It means to harm the interests of others in order to fulfil our personal interests. It also means to make personal benefits by depriving others of those benefits.

Kisa Gotami was certainly ’selfish in her grief’ because in order to cure her son from an incurable disease of death, she made many families remember their beloved members who had died. Thus, in order to overcome her grief, she grieved many mothers and families and was obviously ’selfish’.

The Sermon at Benares CBSE- Question and Answers

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

Ans When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house requesting for a wonder drug that could bring her son back to life. No, she could not get it because there is no medicine that can bring a dead man back to life.

2. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for, the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?

Ans Upon seeing the Buddha, Kisa Gotami is refilled with hope and thus, she goes again from house to house looking for mustard seeds just as Lord Buddha had asked her. Many had mustard seeds to offer but none of them could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family. Therefore, she couldn’t find mustard seed for her son.

3. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?

Ans When Kisa Gotami failed to find mustard seeds that could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family, she became disheartened. After deep reflection, she realised that the man’s fate was just like the city lights that flickered and extinguished repeatedly. The cycle of birth and death was nature’s way of working. Suddenly, she became conscious as to how selfish she had been in her sorrow and that one who was born must rest eternally. Men are mortal. Yes, this is exactly what Lord Buddha wanted her to understand.

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

Ans Kisa Gotami was too overwhelmed with sorrow and pain that her ability to think clearly got clouded. She couldn’t realise that no one can escape the cycle of death. When Kisa Gotami failed to find mustard seeds that could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family, she became disheartened. After deep reflection, she made peace with the terms of the world. Lord Buddha played a major role in facilitating the shift in her understanding by teaching her a lesson that one must not grieve for what is bound to happen for it will only deepen the pain and suffering.