Read The Sermon at Benares complete summary, difficult words with meanings, short and long questions and answers. Exam-oriented, easy language content for Class 10 English UP Board students.
About the Lesson
The Sermon at Benares is a spiritual and moral lesson based on the teachings of Gautam Buddha. It explains the universal truth of suffering, death and impermanence. Through a simple story, the lesson teaches that death is inevitable and no one can escape it. The lesson encourages people to accept reality, control desires, and follow the Eightfold Path to achieve peace and freedom from sorrow.
About the Author – Betty Renshaw
Betty Renshaw was a writer who adapted and presented the teachings of Gautam Buddha in a simple and meaningful way. Her writing style is clear and easy to understand. She focuses on moral values and spiritual lessons. Through this lesson, she helps students learn life’s deepest truths in a simple story form.
Summary of the Lesson
The Sermon at Benares is based on the teachings of Gautam Buddha, who was born as a prince but later became a great spiritual teacher. He left his royal life in search of truth and enlightenment. After years of meditation, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. After this, he began to spread his teachings to remove human suffering.
The lesson begins with the story of Kisa Gotami, a young woman who lived in the city of Benares. She had a happy life with her husband and only son. One day, her son suddenly died. She could not accept his death. She became mad with grief. She carried the dead child in her arms and went from house to house. She begged people to give her medicine to bring her son back to life.
People felt pity for her, but no one could help her. Some laughed at her. Others felt sorry but remained silent. At last, someone advised her to go to Gautam Buddha, who was known for his wisdom and kindness. Kisa Gotami went to Buddha with great hope. She requested him to give her medicine to cure her son.
Buddha listened to her patiently. He did not directly say that the child was dead. Instead, he asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds. He added one condition. The mustard seeds must come from a house where no one had ever died. Kisa Gotami agreed happily and went to search for such a house.
She went from door to door. Every family gave her mustard seeds. But when she asked whether anyone had died in the family, the answer was always “yes.” Some had lost parents, some children, and some relatives. Slowly, she realized the truth. Death is common to all. No house was free from death.
At last, Kisa Gotami understood that her suffering was not unique. Everyone in the world experiences loss and death. She returned to Buddha without the mustard seeds. She accepted the truth calmly. She understood that life is temporary and death is unavoidable.
Buddha then preached his sermon at Benares. He taught that human life is full of suffering. Birth, old age, disease, and death are sources of pain. Desire is the root cause of suffering. People suffer because they want things that are temporary. When desires are not fulfilled, sorrow follows.
Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths:
- Life is full of suffering.
- Desire is the cause of suffering.
- Suffering can end by controlling desire.
- The Eightfold Path leads to the end of suffering.
The Eightfold Path includes right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. By following this path, a person can achieve Nirvana, a state of peace and freedom from sorrow.
Buddha also taught that everything in the world is impermanent. Nothing lasts forever. Wise people understand this truth and do not grieve too much over loss. He advised people to remain calm, kind, and disciplined. He encouraged self-control, compassion, and wisdom.
The lesson ends with a strong message. We should accept reality and face life with courage. Death is natural and unavoidable. Attachment brings sorrow. Peace comes from understanding and acceptance.
Thus, The Sermon at Benares teaches us how to live a peaceful life by controlling desires, accepting truth, and following the path of righteousness.
100 Difficult Words with Meanings
- Sermon – (सरमन) – उपदेश
- Enlightenment – (एनलाइटनमेंट) – आत्मज्ञान
- Suffering – (सफरिंग) – दुख
- Grief – (ग्रीफ) – शोक
- Mortal – (मॉर्टल) – नश्वर
- Inevitability – (इनएविटेबिलिटी) – अनिवार्यता
- Impermanent – (इम्परमैनेंट) – अस्थायी
- Attachment – (अटैचमेंट) – आसक्ति
- Desire – (डिज़ायर) – इच्छा
- Renunciation – (रेननन्सिएशन) – त्याग
- Wisdom – (विज़डम) – बुद्धिमत्ता
- Meditation – (मेडिटेशन) – ध्यान
- Nirvana – (निर्वाणा) – मोक्ष
- Preach – (प्रीच) – उपदेश देना
- Reality – (रियालिटी) – वास्तविकता
- Compassion – (कम्पैशन) – करुणा
- Sorrow – (सॉरो) – दुख
- Salvation – (सैल्वेशन) – मुक्ति
- Doctrine – (डॉक्ट्रिन) – सिद्धांत
- Philosophy – (फिलॉसफी) – दर्शन
- Awareness – (अवेयरनेस) – जागरूकता
- Consciousness – (कॉन्शसनेस) – चेतना
- Mourning – (मॉर्निंग) – विलाप
- Tragedy – (ट्रेजडी) – दुखद घटना
- Detached – (डिटैच्ड) – विरक्त
- Disciple – (डिसाइपल) – शिष्य
- Monastery – (मोनास्ट्री) – मठ
- Truth – (ट्रुथ) – सत्य
- Path – (पाथ) – मार्ग
- Discipline – (डिसिप्लिन) – अनुशासन
- Patience – (पेशेंस) – धैर्य
- Calmness – (कामनेस) – शांति
- Ignorance – (इग्नोरेंस) – अज्ञान
- Knowledge – (नॉलेज) – ज्ञान
- Control – (कंट्रोल) – नियंत्रण
- Greed – (ग्रीड) – लालच
- Hatred – (हेट्रेड) – घृणा
- Peace – (पीस) – शांति
- Truthful – (ट्रुथफुल) – सत्यवादी
- Accept – (एक्सेप्ट) – स्वीकार करना
- Temporary – (टेम्पररी) – अस्थायी
- Eternal – (इटरनल) – शाश्वत
- Pain – (पेन) – पीड़ा
- Birth – (बर्थ) – जन्म
- Death – (डेथ) – मृत्यु
- Old age – (ओल्ड एज) – बुढ़ापा
- Disease – (डिज़ीज़) – रोग
- Cure – (क्योर) – इलाज
- Medicine – (मेडिसिन) – दवा
- Mustard – (मस्टर्ड) – सरसों
- Seed – (सीड) – बीज
- Householder – (हाउसहोल्डर) – गृहस्थ
- Village – (विलेज) – गाँव
- City – (सिटी) – नगर
- Reality – (रियालिटी) – सच्चाई
- Lesson – (लेसन) – शिक्षा
- Teachings – (टीचिंग्स) – उपदेश
- Example – (एग्ज़ाम्पल) – उदाहरण
- Faith – (फेथ) – आस्था
- Belief – (बिलीफ) – विश्वास
- Experience – (एक्सपीरियंस) – अनुभव
- Wisdom – (विज़डम) – विवेक
- Silence – (साइलेंस) – मौन
- Search – (सर्च) – खोज
- Understanding – (अंडरस्टैंडिंग) – समझ
- Mind – (माइंड) – मन
- Body – (बॉडी) – शरीर
- Soul – (सोल) – आत्मा
- Journey – (जर्नी) – यात्रा
- Goal – (गोल) – लक्ष्य
- Reality – (रियालिटी) – यथार्थ
- Human – (ह्यूमन) – मानव
- Life – (लाइफ) – जीवन
- Nature – (नेचर) – प्रकृति
- World – (वर्ल्ड) – संसार
- Teach – (टीच) – सिखाना
- Follow – (फॉलो) – पालन करना
- Path – (पाथ) – मार्ग
- Righteous – (राइटियस) – धर्मिक
- Moral – (मॉरल) – नैतिक
- Value – (वैल्यू) – मूल्य
- Thought – (थॉट) – विचार
- Speech – (स्पीच) – वाणी
- Action – (एक्शन) – कर्म
- Effort – (एफर्ट) – प्रयास
- Right – (राइट) – सही
- Wrong – (रॉन्ग) – गलत
- Simple – (सिंपल) – सरल
- Message – (मैसेज) – संदेश
- Truthful – (ट्रुथफुल) – सच्चा
- Loss – (लॉस) – हानि
- Painful – (पेनफुल) – पीड़ादायक
- Universal – (यूनिवर्सल) – सार्वभौमिक
- Common – (कॉमन) – सामान्य
- Suffering – (सफरिंग) – पीड़ा
- End – (एंड) – अंत
- Hope – (होप) – आशा
- Accept – (एक्सेप्ट) – स्वीकार करना
- Calm – (काम) – शांत
- Peaceful – (पीसफुल) – शांतिपूर्ण
Very Short / Short Answer Questions with Answers
Q.5. Why was Kisa Gotami sad? What did she do in her hour of grief?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was sad because her only son had died. She could not accept his death. In her grief, she carried the dead child in her arms. She went from house to house. She begged people for medicine to cure him.
Q.6. What did Buddha do after he had attained enlightenment?
Answer: After attaining enlightenment, Buddha began to preach his teachings. He taught people about suffering and truth. He gave his first sermon at Benares. He showed the path to end sorrow. He guided people to live a peaceful and simple life.
Q.7. Where and when did Siddhartha become the Buddha?
Answer: Siddhartha became the Buddha at Bodh Gaya. He attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. He meditated deeply for many days. After gaining true knowledge, he became known as Gautam Buddha, the Enlightened One.
Q.8. Which people are referred to as ‘wise’ by the Buddha in his sermons?
Answer: Buddha called those people wise who understood life’s truth. Wise people accept death calmly. They do not grieve too much. They control desire and attachment. They know that life is temporary. Such people live in peace.
Q.9. How did the Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life?
Answer: Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring mustard seeds from a house without death. She went everywhere but found death in every family. Then she understood the truth. Death is common to all. Life is temporary and unavoidable.
Q.10. What sights moved Siddhartha to seek the path of enlightenment?
Answer: Siddhartha saw four sights. He saw an old man, a sick man, and a dead body. These sights showed him suffering and death. He also saw a monk. These sights made him think deeply and seek enlightenment.
Q.11. What did Kisa Gotami learn from the flickering of lights?
Answer: Kisa Gotami learned that life is short and temporary. Like flickering lights, human life ends soon. Nothing in this world lasts forever. Death comes to all. This lesson helped her accept her son’s death calmly.
Q.12. What was the result of the sights that Siddhartha saw?
Answer: The sights filled Siddhartha with sadness and concern. He understood human suffering. He realized that wealth and pleasure are meaningless. He decided to leave the palace. He began a search for truth and enlightenment to end suffering.
Q.13. What did Buddha ask the girl to bring for curing the child?
Answer: Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds. The seeds had to come from a house where no one had died. This condition helped her realize the truth of death and accept reality.
Long Answer Questions with Easy Answers
Q.1. Why did Kisa Gotami say, “How selfish am I in my grief”? What did she realise about the fate of mankind?
Answer: Kisa Gotami said this when she understood the truth of life. She realised that death comes to everyone. No family is free from sorrow. She thought only about her own pain before. Later, she understood that all humans suffer loss. Death is common. Grief is shared by all mankind.
Q.2. What did Buddha say about the mortals of the world?
Answer: Buddha said that all mortals are subject to birth, old age, disease, and death. No one can escape death. Life is temporary. People suffer because of desire and attachment. Wise people accept truth calmly. Understanding this reality brings peace. Ignorance increases sorrow in the world.
Q.3. How did Siddhartha Gautam get enlightenment? Why did he name the big tree as the ‘Bodhi Tree’?
Answer: Siddhartha Gautam got enlightenment through deep meditation. He sat under a big tree and controlled his desires. He realised the truth of life and suffering. He became the Buddha. He named the tree the ‘Bodhi Tree’ because he gained wisdom and enlightenment there.
Q.4. Why did Kisa Gotami understand the message given by the Buddha only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was blinded by grief at first. She could not accept the truth. Buddha sent her to collect mustard seeds from a house without death. This made her realise reality herself. Buddha changed her understanding through experience, not words. She learned that death is universal.
Q.5. Why does Kisa feel disappointed after going from door to door?
Answer: Kisa felt disappointed because every house had experienced death. She could not find a single house without loss. This showed her that suffering is common. Her hope to bring her son back died. She realised that her pain was not special. Death touches every family.
Q.6. Why was Kisa Gotami in so much grief? What did she learn in the end?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was in great grief because her only son had died. She loved him deeply. She could not accept his death. In the end, she learned that death is natural and unavoidable. She understood that attachment causes sorrow. Acceptance brings peace to life.
Q.7. How did Gautam Buddha convince Kisa Gotami that death is unavoidable?
Answer: Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring mustard seeds from a house where no one had died. She failed to find such a house. This made her realise that death is everywhere. Buddha used this simple task to teach her the truth. Death cannot be avoided.
Q.8. What did Kisa Gotami learn about ‘Death’?
Answer: Kisa Gotami learned that death is a natural part of life. It comes to everyone. No one can stop it. Life is temporary. Attachment increases sorrow. Accepting death brings peace. This understanding helped her overcome her grief and live with wisdom and calmness.
Q.9. Why was Kisa Gotami sad? What lesson did she learn in the end?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was sad because her son died suddenly. She could not bear the loss. She wanted him back. In the end, she learned that death is common to all. No one escapes it. She learned acceptance, truth, and the value of detachment in life.
Q.10. Describe the sights that moved Buddha.
Answer: Siddhartha saw four sights. He saw an old man, a sick man, and a dead body. These showed him human suffering. He also saw a peaceful monk. These sights made him think deeply. He understood the pain of life. This moved him to seek enlightenment.
No comments:
Post a Comment