Chapter 8 – The Sermon at Benares Solutions

Content structure

  • 1. Theme of The Sermon at Benares
  • 2. Summary of The Sermon at Benares
  • 3. Word Meanings
  • 4. Exercise questions and answers (NCERT)
    • 4A. Thinking about the text
    • 4B. Thinking about Language
    • 4C. Writing

1. Theme of The Sermon at Benares

  • The story shows that suffering is a part of human life and the way to find peace is by accepting reality.
  • Gautama Buddha’s teachings help people understand loss and pain by guiding them on the path of wisdom and understanding.
  • The story teaches that grieving brings more pain but peace comes when we accept life’s truth calmly and wisely. Those who do can free themselves from sorrow and find true peace.

This story teaches us that death is a natural part of life and we need to understand and accept it. It also shows how Buddha’s wise teachings helped people feel calm and peaceful by thinking clearly and understanding the truth.

2. Summary of The Sermon at Benares

“The Sermon at Benares” is a story about the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. He was born as Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who lived in comfort and luxury but when he was 25 years old he saw a sick man, an old man, a funeral, and a monk for the first time. These sights deeply affected him and made him realize that sickness, suffering, and death are natural parts of life and no one can escape them. This understanding led him to leave his palace, wife and son in search of true wisdom and peace. He spent seven years in deep meditation and finally became enlightened under a peepal tree from then on he was called the Buddha which means “the awakened one.” Buddha began traveling and teaching people about life, suffering, and the way to find peace. His first sermon was given at Benares, a holy city in India. In this story, we learn about a woman named Kisa Gotami, who was heartbroken after her only son died. In deep sorrow she went from house to house asking for medicine to bring her son back to life. People thought she had lost her senses because of this behavior but one kind man told her to go to Buddha. Kisa Gotami met Buddha and begged him for help. Buddha gently told her that he could give her medicine if she brought him a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died. She was filled with hope and went from house to house but in every home someone had died like a parent, a child, a husband, or a friend. Slowly, she realized that death comes to everyone and no family is free from it. She also understood that her pain was not only hers but something everyone goes through. She returned to Buddha with a wiser and calmer mind. Buddha then gave his famous sermon at Benares where he explained that life is full of suffering and that death is natural and certain. Just like ripe fruits fall from a tree. He said that grieving cannot bring the dead back it only adds more pain and makes the body weak also true peace comes when we let go of grief and accept the truth of life calmly and wisely. Those who understand this truth and accept it can free themselves from sorrow and be truly blessed.

This story has been taken from the book Values and Voices: A College Reader written by Betty Renshaw and published in 1975.

3. Word Meanings

WordMeanings
Chanced uponFound by surprise
EnlightenmentGreat understanding
SermonA talk about good things
Dipping placesHoly river spots
InscrutableHard to understand
Valley of desolationan area which is filled with deep sorrow
MortalsPeople who can die
Afflicted withSuffering from something
LamentationCrying sadly
BefittedRight or suitable
PreachedTaught or gave a speech
PitiedFelt sorry for someone
FlickeredShined on and off
Flicker upLighted for a short time
LamentingShowing sadness
GrieveFeel very sad

4. Exercise questions and answers (NCERT)

4A. Thinking about the text

1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans: Kisa Gotami asks for medicine to bring her dead son back to life but she does not get it because no medicine can bring a dead person back. The people she talks to feel sad for her but they kindly tell her that no medicine can bring her son back.

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: Kisa Gotami asks for a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has ever died but she does not get any because every family has lost someone they loved. Through this, she learns that death is a natural part of life that every person must face.

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: Kisa Gotami understands that death happens in everyone’s life and that her sadness is not only hers. She realizes that losing loved ones is a part of life and that many people feel the same kind of pain.
Yes, this is the lesson the Buddha wanted her to understand, that death is a natural part of life and comes to everyone. A person who holds on to grief feels more pain, but true peace comes from accepting the truth with wisdom and calmness.

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 very sad and upset the first time, so she couldn’t think clearly. Her mind was filled with pain, and she was only focused on bringing her son back.
The Buddha didn’t tell her the truth directly. Instead, he gave her a task that helped her find the truth on her own. Kisa Gotami went from house to house and saw that every family had lost someone. This helped her understand that death happens to everyone and it is a natural part of life.

5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief ’?
Ans: People usually understand selfishness as thinking only about themselves and not caring about others. A selfish person only thinks about their own feelings, problems and forgets that others might be hurting too.
Yes, Kisa Gotami was being selfish at first because she was thinking only about her own pain and didn’t notice that others also feel the same kind of sadness. She finally understood that everyone suffers when a loved one is lost, the Buddha helped her see this and change the way she was thinking.

4B. Thinking about Language

I. This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.

  • give thee medicine for thy child
  • Pray tell me
  • Kisa repaired to the Buddha
  • there was no house but someone had died in it
  • kinsmen
  • Mark!

Ans:

Give thee medicine for thy childGive you medicine for your child
Pray tell mePlease tell me / Kindly tell me
Kisa repaired to the BuddhaKisa went to the Buddha
There was no house but someone had died in itEvery house had experienced a death
KinsmenRelatives / Family members
Mark!Listen carefully! / Take note

II. Here is a sentence from the text that uses semicolons to combine clauses. Break up the sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences?

For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.

Ans: The three simple sentences are

  • Those who are born cannot avoid dying.
  • After reaching old age, there is death.
  • This is the nature of all living beings.

The original sentence with semicolons sounds more poetic and deep which matches the style of the Buddha’s sermon. It feels like a wise thought that makes the reader think more deeply. The three shorter sentences are easier to read and understand, especially for younger students so each forms of the sentence have their own value. The longer one makes the message feel more serious and thoughtful, while the shorter ones make the meaning easier to understand.

4C. Writing

Write a page (about three paragraphs) on one of the following topics. You can think about the ideas in the text that are relevant to these topics, and add your own ideas and experiences to them.

  • 1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea
  • 2. Helping each other to get over difficult times
  • 3. Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others

Ans:

Teaching Someone a New or Hard Idea

People frequently struggle to understand new concepts, which is quite normal. The most helpful thing is when someone teaches with kindness and patience. An excellent teacher or friend can explain topics in simple language, using fun examples or illustrations to make them easier to understand. In Kisa Gotami’s case, the Buddha did more than just tell her about death; he gave her something to do that helped her understand it for herself. It’s a wise and kind way of teaching. Learning becomes easier when we help one another with care and love.

Helping Each Other in Hard Times

Life is not always easy and many people go through sad or difficult moments. A person may feel unhappy, lonely, or scared when something bad happens. Kisa Gotami felt deeply alone after losing her child but when she learned that other families had also lost loved ones she began to feel less alone. A caring friend does not need to solve every problem. A kind person can simply stay close, listen, or offer a hug, as that care can bring comfort and make others feel stronger and happier. People make the world better when they care for each other.

Thinking About Ourselves and Others

Every person in this world is unique in their own way, with different faces, thoughts, feelings, and dreams. However we are also part of a big world where many people go through similar experiences. Kisa Gotami saw that many families had felt the pain of losing someone they loved, and she understood that her sadness was not just her own. That understanding helped her feel calmer and more at peace. It helps people feel better when they know they are not alone and encourages kindness, understanding, and connection among all human beings.

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