The Sermon at Benares Summary | Class 10 | Betty Renshaw | Chapter 10

The Sermon at Benares Summary | Class 10 by Betty Renshaw | Chapter 10 | First Flight |

The Sermon at Benares Summary

The Sermon at Benares is authored by Betty Renshaw. It revolves around the journey of Gautama Buddha from a Prince to a saint.

Gautama Buddha was born in northern India in a royal family. At the age of 12, he was sent for his schooling. Having completed his studies, after four years, he came back to home and soon got married to a princess from whom he had a son as well. He had been living a luxurious life until he saw a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for food and money. All that moved Buddha inside out and he decided to look for enlightenment giving up all the luxuries of his life.

He wandered here and there aimlessly for almost seven years in order to seek enlightenment. Ultimately, he sat under a peepal tree until he found the enlightenment. He named the tree as Buddha tree and started teaching and sharing all his knowledge with people and became famous as Buddha. He delivered his first sermon at the city of Benaras.

The author narrates a story of Kisa Goswami whose only son had died. She was so grieved that she carried his dead body to each and every home of her neighbourhood asking for medicines and help. Everyone consoled and pitied her but they were helpless and could not do anything against the wish of God. One of her neighbours advised her to go to Buddha for he was the only one who could sort out her problem.

She expressed her grief on the loss of her son and asked for help from Buddha. Gautama asked her to fetch a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has ever died or people have not lost their loved ones. Kisa thought it was a child’s play. She went to end number of houses but couldn’t find a single one where the death had not knocked the door. She sat down hopelessly and soon realized that there was not even a single one in the entire village who had not lost his loved one. Death is inevitable but equal to all.

Buddha’s message delivered to Kisa Goswami in the end brings a massive transition in her life.

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Important Questions/Answers

Question 1 : Why did Gautama Buddha give up all his luxuries?

Answer : Gautama Buddha had been living a luxurious life until he saw a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for food and money. The pain he saw in the eyes of others moved Buddha inside out. As a result, he decided to look for enlightenment giving up all the luxuries of his life.

Question 2 : How was Gautama Buddha brought up?

Answer : Gautama Buddha was born with a silver spoon. He was a prince therefore brought up like every other prince of this world. He went to a good school and later married to a princess. He lived luxurious life.

Question 3 : When did Gautama Buddha manage to attain enlightnment?

Answer : Having seen the agony of others, Gautma Buddha started wandering here and there aimlessly for almost seven years in order to seek enlightenment. Ultimately, he sat under a peepal tree and kept on sitting there meditating until he found the enlightenment. He named the tree as Buddha tree and started teaching and sharing all his knowledge with people and became famous as Buddha.

Question 4 : What made Kisa Goswami grieved? What did She ask Gautama Buddha to do?

Answer : Kisa Goswami only son had died. She was so helpless and sad that she carried his dead body to each and every home of her neighbourhood asking for medicines and help but all in vain. Everyone consoled and pitied her but they were helpless and could not do anything against the wish of God. She wanted Gautama Buddha to revive her child.

Question 5 : What did Gautama Buddha ask Kisa Goswami to do in order to revive her child? What lesson did she manage to learn from that episode?

Answer : When Kisa Goswami requested Buddha to revive her child, latter asked her to  fetch a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died or people had not lost their beloved. She ran from post to pillar but failed to find out a single one where no one had ever passed away. She got to learn the lesson that death is inevitable and no one can escape from it.

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