The Sermon at Benares Class 10 Notes, Summary & Question Answers

1. Chapter Introduction

“The Sermon at Benares” focuses on the life of Gautama Buddha, his journey to enlightenment, and his very first sermon delivered in the holy city of Benares. The chapter beautifully brings out the profound truth of life through the story of a grieving mother, Kisa Gotami. It teaches us that death is inevitable and common to all, and true peace of mind can only be achieved by letting go of sorrow and attachment.

2. Characters Detail

• Gautama Buddha: Born as Prince Siddhartha, he gave up his royal life and family at the age of 25 to seek enlightenment. After attaining ultimate knowledge, he became the Buddha (the Awakened One) and spent his life preaching the truth about suffering and death.
• Kisa Gotami: A grieving mother who lost her only son. She was driven to madness by her sorrow and desperately searched for a medicine to bring him back to life, until the Buddha opened her eyes to the reality of the world.

3. Full Summary

The Early Life of Prince Siddhartha

Gautama Buddha was born as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in northern India. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures. He returned after four years and married a princess. They had a son and lived a luxurious royal life for ten years, completely shielded from the sufferings of the outside world.

The Sights of Suffering and Renunciation

When the prince was twenty-five, he went out for hunting and chanced upon four sights that changed his life forever. He saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession, and finally, a monk begging for alms. These sights filled him with deep sorrow. Realizing that the world is full of suffering and death, he immediately left his palace, his family, and his royal life to wander the world in search of enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

Enlightenment and The First Sermon

Siddhartha wandered for seven years. Finally, he sat down under a Peepal tree, vowing to stay there until he attained enlightenment. After seven days, he got enlightened and renamed the tree the ‘Bodhi Tree’ (Tree of Wisdom). He became known as the Buddha (The Awakened or The Enlightened). He preached his very first sermon at the city of Benares, the holiest of the dipping places on the River Ganges.

The Tragedy of Kisa Gotami

In Benares, there was a woman named Kisa Gotami. She had an only son, and he died. In her extreme grief, she carried the dead child to all her neighbors, begging them for medicine to cure him. People thought she had lost her senses. Eventually, a man advised her to go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha, as he was the only physician who could give her the medicine.

The Buddha’s Condition

Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha and begged for help. The Buddha agreed to cure her son but put forth a condition: she had to bring a handful of mustard seeds. Kisa Gotami was overjoyed, but the Buddha added one more rule—the mustard seeds must be taken from a house where no one had ever lost a child, husband, parent, or friend to death.

The Ultimate Realization

Kisa Gotami went from door to door. People were willing to give her the mustard seeds, but when she asked if anyone had died in their family, every house had a tragic story of losing a loved one. She realized that the living are few, but the dead are many. Tired and hopeless, she sat by the roadside and watched the city lights flicker and extinguish. She finally realized the profound truth the Buddha wanted to teach her: death is common to all, and human life is like those lights—it flickers and is extinguished forever. She understood that she was being selfish in her grief.

4. Multiple Choice Questions (10 MCQs)

5. Short Answer Questions (35 Words)

6. Long Answer Questions (60-70 Words)