Chapter 8 – The Sermon at Benares Additional Questions and Answers

Content structure

A. Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)
B. Fill in the blanks
C. True or False
D. Short questions & answers
E. Long questions & answers

A. Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. What was Gautama Buddha’s real name?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Siddhartha Gautama
(c) Chanakya
(d) Vivekananda

Ans: (b) Siddhartha Gautama

2. Where did Siddhartha sit to meditate?
(a) Under a mango tree
(b) On a mountain
(c) Under a peepal tree
(d) Near a river

Ans: (c) Under a peepal tree

3. What does “Buddha” mean?
(a) The kind one
(b) The rich one
(c) The awakened one
(d) The peaceful one

Ans: (c) The awakened one

4. What was Gautama Buddha before he left his home?
(a) A farmer
(b) A king
(c) A prince
(d) A teacher

Ans: (c) A prince

5. Where did Buddha give his first sermon?
(a) Lumbini
(b) Kapilavastu
(c) Benares
(d) Bodh Gaya

Ans: (c) Benares

6. Where did the old man tell Kisa Gotami to go?
(a) To a doctor
(b) To a king
(c) To Buddha
(d) To a priest

Ans: (c) To Buddha

7. What did Buddha teach about life?
(a) Life is always happy
(b) Life is full of suffering
(c) Life is full of joy
(d) Life never changes

Ans: (b) Life is full of suffering

8. What did Kisa Gotami learn from this task?
(a) Money is important
(b) People are rude
(c) Everyone faces death
(d) Her son would return

Ans: (c) Everyone faces death

9. What example did Buddha give to explain death?
(a) Like trees growing
(b) Like stars shining
(c) Like ripe fruits falling
(d) Like rivers flowing

Ans: (c) Like ripe fruits falling

10. What kind of suffering did Buddha talk about in his sermon?
(a) Hunger
(b) Loneliness
(c) Death
(d) Fear

Ans: (c) Death

11. What is the name of the tree where Buddha got enlightenment?
(a) Neem Tree
(b) Wisdom Tree
(c) Bodhi Tree
(d) Banyan Tree

Ans: (c) Bodhi Tree

12. Who cannot save us from death, according to Buddha?
(a) Teachers
(b) Parents
(c) Friends
(d) All of them

Ans: (d) All of them

13. How long did Buddha meditate before he became enlightened?
(a) One day
(b) Three days
(c) Seven days
(d) Ten days

Ans: (c) Seven days

14. What do people get when they accept the truth?
(a) Anger
(b) Peace of mind
(c) Riches
(d) Power

Ans: (b) Peace of mind

15. What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring?
(a) A pot of water
(b) A gold coin
(c) A handful of mustard seeds
(d) A flower

Ans: (c) A handful of mustard seeds

B. Fill in the blanks

1. Siddhartha Gautama lived in ___________ India. (northern)
2. These sights made him leave his home to search for _______________. (truth or wisdom)
3. At the age of 25, he saw a sick man, an old man, a dead man, and a ____________. (monk)
4. In the story, the woman who lost her son was named ______________. (Kisa Gotami)
5. Kisa Gotami did not find any house free from _______________. (death)
6. Buddha compared life to a ripe fruit that can ____________ at any time. (fall)
7. Those who accept life’s truth can become free from _______________. (sorrow)
8. Siddhartha Gautama left his palace to find answers about _________________. (suffering)
9. Buddha traveled from place to place to teach people about ______________. (life)
10. He promised not to move from his place until he found _______________. (enlightenment)

C. True or False

1. The mustard seeds helped bring her son back to life. (False)
S/S: The seeds didn’t bring him back; they helped her understand an important lesson.

2. Buddha believed only old people die. (False)
S/S: He taught that everyone, young or old, wise or simple, must die one day.

3. Crying can bring the dead back to life. (False)
S/S: Buddha said crying only causes more pain and doesn’t change anything.

4. Buddha compared death to ripe fruits falling from a tree. (True)
S/S: He used this example to show that death is natural and happens to all.

5. Kisa Gotami understood that death comes to everyone. (True)
S/S: Her journey helped her see that death is a part of life for all.

6. The story teaches us to accept death as a part of life. (True)
S/S: It tells us that everyone faces loss, and peace comes when we accept it.

7. Buddha became enlightened under a neem tree. (False)
S/S: He became enlightened under a peepal tree, which is called the Bodhi Tree.

8. Buddha gave his first sermon at Bodh Gaya. (False)
S/S: He gave his first sermon at Benares, a holy city in India.

9. Siddhartha Gautama saw suffering for the first time when he was 25. (True)
S/S: At 25, he saw a sick man, an old man, a dead body, and a holy man.

10. Gautama Buddha was born as a king. (False)
S/S: He was born as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama.

D. Short questions & answers

1. Where was Siddhartha Gautama born?
Ans: Siddhartha Gautama was born in northern India where he lived in a big palace with all the comforts of royal life. He didn’t know anything about sadness or suffering, as he never went outside the palace.

2. What did Siddhartha learn after seeing the sick man, old man, and funeral?
Ans: Siddhartha learned that sickness, old age, and death happen to everyone. He also realized that no one can escape these problems so he began to think deeply about life and decided to find a way to bring real peace and end suffering for all people.

3. Where did he sit to meditate?
Ans: He sat under a peepal tree and decided not to move until he found true knowledge. He meditated there deeply, thinking about the truths of life, suffering, and how people could find peace in their hearts.

4. Where did he sit to meditate?
Ans: He sat under a peepal tree and decided not to move until he found true knowledge. He meditated there deeply, thinking about the truths of life, suffering, and how people could find peace in their hearts.

5. What did Kisa Gotami want?
Ans: Kisa Gotami wanted to bring her dead son back to life. She believed that someone might have medicine to save him, so she begged people in her village to help and give what she needed.

6. What special request did Buddha make to Kisa Gotami?
Ans: Buddha made a special request to Kisa Gotami by asking her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died. His aim was not to cure her son but to help her understand that death comes to every family.

7. What did Kisa Gotami understand about death and sorrow after meeting Buddha?
Ans: Kisa Gotami learned that death is a natural part of life and not something only she had to face. She understood that every family loses loved ones, and everyone feels sad when someone close to them dies.

8. When was Gautama Buddha born?
Ans: Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. and lived until 483 B.C, during ancient times in India.

9. Can a father save his son from death, according to Buddha?
Ans: No. According to Buddha, a father cannot save his child from death because everyone has to face it alone, no matter how close they are to their family.

10. What message does Buddha give about sorrow and peace?
Ans: Buddha said that when people accept death and stop holding on to sadness, they can find peace in their hearts and live a happy, calm life.

E. Long questions & answers

1. Describe Siddhartha Gautama’s early life before he became the Buddha.
Ans: Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 B.C. into a royal family in northern India and lived a life of comfort and luxury. At the age of twelve he was sent away to study the Hindu sacred scriptures and after completing his education he returned home to marry a princess. The couple had a son and continued to live the royal life for ten years. Until the age of twenty-five Siddhartha was kept away from the sufferings of the world but everything changed when he came face to face with sickness, old age and death.

2. Why did Siddhartha Gautama leave his home and family?
Ans: Siddhartha Gautama left his home, wife and child when he was twenty-five years old, after seeing the suffering outside the palace. He came across a sick man an old man, a dead body and a monk. These sights made him realize the pain and truth of human life. This understanding led him to give up his luxurious life and begin a journey in search of truth and enlightenment. His goal was to find a way to overcome suffering and understand the real meaning of life.

3. What were the four sights that changed Siddhartha’s life?
Ans: Siddhartha Gautama was twenty-five years old when he saw four sights during a hunting trip that deeply moved him. He saw a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms. These four sights gave him his first experience of human suffering since he had always been kept inside the palace away from the outside world. This experience created a strong desire in him to understand the meaning of life and suffering. He then decided to leave behind his royal life to find truth and peace.

4. How did Siddhartha Gautama become the Buddha?
Ans: Siddhartha Gautama travelled for seven years in search of the truth about life and a way to end suffering. One day he sat under a peepal tree and began to meditate deeply. He promised not to get up until he found the answers. Siddhartha meditated for several days with deep focus and faced many struggles, and in the end discovered the truth he had long searched to find. He gained understanding and came to be known as the Buddha, which means “the Enlightened One,” and from that day he began teaching others the path to peace and freedom from suffering.

5. What did Buddha say about death and sorrow in his sermon?
Ans: Buddha said in his sermon that death is a natural part of life and that all living beings must die, whether they are young or old, wise or foolish. He explained that grieving cannot bring the dead back and only increases pain. Buddha gave the example of ripe fruits that can fall at any moment to show that human life is just as uncertain. He advised people to accept death calmly and not hold on to sorrow. According to him, those who accept the truth of life and give up grief can find peace of mind. Buddha believed that true wisdom means understanding that sorrow cannot change what has already happened.

6. What is the central message of Buddha’s teachings?
Ans: Buddha’s central message is that suffering is a natural part of life but people can overcome it through understanding, acceptance and right thinking. He taught that death, getting old and weak are unavoidable. Buddha explained that grief and weeping do not help the dead but only add pain to the living. Buddha taught that true wisdom comes from accepting sorrow calmly, understanding that holding on too tightly can cause pain and seeing life as it really is, which helps a person find peace of mind. His teachings guide people toward a peaceful and meaningful life.

7. What did Buddha mean by “drawing out the arrow of lamentation”?
Ans: Buddha explained that “drawing out the arrow of lamentation” means people should remove sorrow and grief from their hearts. He said that removing sadness is like taking out an arrow that stops pain and helps the mind become calm. Buddha believed that holding onto grief only increases suffering. A person can find true peace by accepting life’s truths and stopping feeling sad. Buddha’s teaching encourages people to move on from loss and live peacefully, accepting the natural order of life.

8. What example did Buddha use to explain the nature of death?
Ans: Buddha used simple examples to explain the nature of death, saying that just like ripe fruits are likely to fall, human life is always close to death. He also compared people to clay pots, which are sure to break one day. These examples helped people understand that death is natural and unavoidable. Buddha used common images from daily life to teach deep truths in an easy-to-understand way, and his aim was to help people accept death without fear or sorrow.