CBSE Class 10 English HOTs The Sermon at Benares

The Sermon at Benares

Summary

This is the story of Gautam Buddha and a woman named Kisa Gotami. Gautam Buddha is born into royalty and lives the first twenty five years as such. However, when he is exposed to human suffering, he leaves all his wordly duties and looks for enlightenment. He attains it under a peepal tree. He gives his first sermon to share his understandings at Benares. In his sermon, he tells about a woman whose son dies. She goes from house to house asking for a medicine to save him but is sent away by all as her son is already dead. One person guides her to Buddha saying that he will resolve her problem. Buddha sends her in search of mustard seeds from a house where there never has been a death. She goes from house to house and realises that everyone has lost a loved one sometime or the other. Thus, she understands the secret of life and death. All mortals have to meet their death whether they are rich or poor, wise or foolish, young or old. The earlier one accepts it, the earlier one finds peace.

Extract Based Questions

Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

I. GAUTAMA Buddha (563 B.C. – 483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

Question. What does the extract state about Gautama Buddha?
1. Gautama Buddha was a Prince.
2. Gautama Buddha lived a princely life.
3. Gautama Buddha was home schooled.
4. Gautama Buddha learned the Hindu sacred scriptures.
5. Gautama Buddha continued living in royalty.
Choose the correct option from the following:
(a) (1), (2) and (4)
(b) (2), (3) and (4)
(c) Only 2
(d) (2) and (5)

Answer : A

Question. What could be inferred from the word “heretofore” in the extract?
(a) From Now On
(b) Hence Forth
(c) Upto This Time
(d) Afterwards

Answer : C

Question. Select the option which displays an example of ‘chanced upon’ in relation with the extract.
(a) Jack played football with his friends in the neighbouring grounds.
(b) Jack found some old valuable coins in a box while cleaning the attic.
(c) The little girl took a try and jumped over the fence.
(d) The little girl’s painting was picked up as the winning one by a panel of judges.

Answer : B

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) Gautama Buddha ruled his people with justice.
(2) He left the palace with his wife and son.
(a) (1) is true and (2) true.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (2) further relates to (1).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : D

Question. From the options given below, identify the reason for Gautama Buddha to leave his royal lifestyle.
(a) He was shielded from the suffering of the world.
(b) He had wanted to see the outside world.
(c) He wanted to witness the sorrow.
(d) He wanted to understand the sorrows he had witnessed.

Answer : D

II. Kisa Gotami met a man who replied to her request, “I cannot give thee medicine for thy child, but I know a physician who can.” And the girl said, “Pray tell me, sir; who is it?” And the man replied, "Go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha. Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried, “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.” The Buddha answered, “I want a handful of mustard seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added, “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

Question. What made Kisa Gotami approach the Buddha?
1. She was told that Gautama Buddha was a prophet.
2. She was told that Gautama Buddha was a physician.
3. She was told that Gautama Buddha was caring.
4. She was told that Gautama Buddha could cure.
5. She was told that Gautama Buddha was enlightened.
Choose the correct option from the following
(a) (1), (2) and (4)
(b) (2), (3) and (4)
(c) (1), (3), and (5)
(d) (2) and (4)

Answer : D

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) Kisa Gotami was an old woman.
(2) She had a deceased son.
(a) (1) is false and (2) true.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (2) further relates to (1).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : A

Question. Which literary device is used in the line-‘Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha’ in the extract?
(a) Irony
(b) Symbolism
(c) Stylistic
(d) Paradox

Answer : C

Question. Select the option which is the synonym of ‘went to ’ in the extract.
(a) Preserve
(b) Repaired
(c) Procure
(d) Surrender

Answer : B

Question. From the options given below, identify what exactly Buddha wanted to tell the woman in “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”
(a) It is possible to cure her son.
(b) Bring a handful of mustard seed.
(c) No human being is immortal.
(d) Man has to undergo illness.

Answer : C

III. The Buddha said, ‘‘the life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling, so mortals when born are always in danger of death. As all earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals. Both young and adult, both those who are fools and those who are wise, all fall into the power of death; all are subject to death.

Question. What does the Buddha emphasise in the extract?
1. Life can be taken care of.
2. All living things have an end.
3. Living beings cannot reign over death.
4. Mortals have to face death.
5. Earthen vessels are not subjected to destruction.
Choose the correct option from the following
(a) (1), (2) and (4)
(b) (2), (3) and (4)
(c) (1), (3), and (5)
(d) (2) and (5)

Answer : B

Question. Which word in the extract means “hurt feelings” in the extract?
(a) mortality
(b) death
(c) pain
(d) danger

Answer : C

Question. From the options given below, identify the conclusion of the Buddha’s saying:
(a) One can live if they take care of themselves.
(b) Fools fall into the power of death.
(c) Death is inevitable.
(d) Wise can prevail over death.

Answer : C

Question. Select the option which displays ‘death’.
(a) The branch of a tree fell on the little girl who was standing under it and was injured.
(b) James was swimming on the beach and was caught in a whirlpool. He did not survive.
(c) Rita saved her friend by rushing her to the hospital in the nick of time.
(d) The boy was playing with a sharp object and had a bleeding finger. His mother bandaged it and the wound healed.

Answer : B

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) All living beings are subject to death.
(2) The wise can never fall into the power of death.
(a) (1) is true and (2) false.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (2) further relates to (1).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : A

IV. “Not from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief. He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be blessed.”

Question. What does the Buddha emphasise in the following words?
“Not from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer.”
1. Everyone must grieve for a lost one.
2. Weeping will cause pain.
3. Grieving will keep away one’s serenity.
4. The body will suffer.
5. Grieving and sorrow will bring tranquility.
Choose the correct option from the following.
(a) (1), (2) and (4)
(b) (2), (3) and (4)
(c) (1), (3), and (5)
(d) (2) and (5)

Answer : B

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) He who seeks peace should continue lamenting.
(2) He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow oflamentation.
(a) (1) is true and (2) false .
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (2) further relates to (1).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : B

Question. Which word in the extract means ‘express sadness over something’?
(a) Sick
(b) Pale
(c) Lamentation
(d) Blessed

Answer : C

Question. Select the option which displays an example of ‘physical weakness’.
(a) Ram had dengue and was looking sick and pale.
(b) James slipped into the pool. He did not know how to swim.
(c) Little Rita could not keep the kettle down since it was at a height and filled with hot water.
(d) Jane wanted to take her dog for a walk but couldn’t since it was raining heavily.

Answer : A

Question. From the options given below, identify to what is the conclusion of the Buddha’s saying.
(a) By grieving for your loved ones you can stay happy and blessed.
(b) You are responsible for death.
(c) Death can be avoided.
(d) One must not grieve at something bound to happen.

Answer : D

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. When was Budhha sent for Schooling?
(a) At the age of eight
(b) At the age of ten
(c) At the age of twelve
(d) At the age of fourteen

Answer : C

Question. The phrase, ‘befitted royalty’ may be best replaced by:
(a) Expected of royalty
(b) Suiting royalty
(c) Royalty itself
(d) As per royal requirements

Answer : A

Question. How old was Siddhartha when he renounced the princely life?
(a) 22
(b) 32
(c) 35
(d) 25

Answer : D

Question. Gautama was___________shielded from the sufferings of the world. Indicate the closest meaning to before now.
(a) henceforth
(b) from before
(c) heretofore
(d) earlier

Answer : C

Question. Why do you think the Prince was shielded from the sufferings of the world?
(a) As a prince he was not expected to cure the sufferings of people.
(b) He was considered very weak by his parents.
(c) The negativities of life could to prove to be detrimental for the prince.
(d) He was mentally hinged ,so Royal court was apprehensive

Answer : C

Question. What motivated the Prince to wander away?
(a) The sights of sorrow and pain.
(b) The desire to find remedies to sorrow and pain of his people.
(c) He was tired of palace life.
(d) He didn’t care about his family.

Answer : B

Question. ‘Vowed to stay until enlightenment came’. What does this exactly mean?
(a) The wandering hermit was expecting a Guru to guide him.
(b) He was tired after wandering and so he rested.
(c) Promised himself to seek enlightenment through meditation.
(d) He was lost and decided not to return to the palace.

Answer : C

Question. In the passage, enlightenment of the Prince can be most equated to:
(a) fruits of meditation
(b) unraveling
(c) seeking light
(d) realisation

Answer : D

Question. Where did he vow to stay until his enlightenment came?
(a) His palace
(b) Under peepal tree
(c) Under banyan tree
(d) Under a tree

Answer : B

Question. Siddhartha decided to_________ enlightenment. Fill in the blank identifying the correct word that means the same as Quest in the passage.
(a) Search
(b) Look
(c) Seek
(d) Find

Answer : C

Question. Which option correctly replaces the underlined word in the title The Sermon at Benares?
(a) Lecture by a professor
(b) Lecture by a teacher
(c) Lecture by a preacher
(d) Lecture by a student

Answer : C

Question. Benares is the holy place for dipping in the River ________.
(a) Indus
(b) Yamuna
(c) Godavari
(d) Ganges

Answer : D

Question. In the lesson ‘The Sermon at Benaras’, relate the words suffering: agony: mysterious: __________
(a) incomprehensible
(b) misery
(c) inscrutable
(d) unimaginable

Answer : C

Question. The sermon at Benares has been preserved and is given here. What is the sermon about?
(a) Mystery of death.
(b) Mystery of suffering.
(c) A woman named Kisa Gotami.
(d) How Buddha revived the dead.

Answer : C

Question. Why was Kisa Gotami carrying her dead child to all her neighbours?
(a) She was overcome with grief
(b) She was not ready to accept the fact of her child’s death.
(c) She needed medicines
(d) She was building up the hysteria

Answer : B

Question. Identify the apt word in the sentence ‘Kisa Gotami carried her dead son asking for medicine. People said she has lost her senses’ it meant that she ____.
(a) was possessed
(b) was mystified
(c) was insane
(d) was perplexed

Answer : C

Question. The man who tried to help Kisa Gotami addressed the Buddha as___________ (choose the apt word)
(a) doctor
(b) sage
(c) physician
(d) healer

Answer : C

Question. The man asked the girl to go to Sakyamuni which is the name of _______________.
(a) A jungle
(b) A monastery
(c) A physician
(d) Buddha

Answer : D

Question. What quantity of Mustard seeds did Buddha ask for?
(a) A sackful
(b) A handful
(c) A pinch
(d) A cup

Answer : B

Question. Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to collect a handful of mustard seeds from the house where death was never experienced. Buddha wanted her to understand the truth___________.
(a) that grief was natural
(b) that Death is not avoidable
(c) grief cannot revive death
(d) her selfishness

Answer : B

Question. Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha as per the context of the lesson it meant that she_____________.
(a) hurried
(b) went to
(c) addressed
(d) adored

Answer : B

Question. Kisa Gotami was happy when Buddha told her to get a handful of mustard seed with a condition “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.” She ________.
(a) She never realised what it meant in her grief
(b) She thought she would procure it in her grief
(c) She was confident she would get it in her grief
(d) She was happy, it was a simple task in her grief

Answer : A

Question. Kisa Gotami was ___________ at first when she was asked to bring a handful of mustard seed.
(a) Hopeful
(b) Happy
(c) Confused
(d) Dismissive

Answer : B

Question. “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.” What was the Buddha trying to tell that kisa Gotami did not understand in her grief? Pick the odd one out
(a) Death is common.
(b) Death is rare.
(c) There is no one who has no grief.
(d) There is no place where there is no grief.

Answer : B

Question. Kisa Gotami went from house to house. The people __________.
(a) welcomed her
(b) were annoyed with her
(c) they pitied her
(d) they comforted her

Answer : C

Question. Hearing the comments “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” Kisa Gotami was_______ (describe in one word)
(a) desperate
(b) exhausted
(c) frustrated
(d) tired

Answer : C

Question. What view actually opened Kisa Gotami’s mind about life?
(a) Buddha’s words
(b) The flickering lights
(c) The deaths
(d) The night

Answer : B

Question. Kisa Gotami saw ‘lights .. extinguished again’. What does the writer exactly mean by this?
(a) Kisa Gotami found the ray of hope slowly dying away.
(b) It was getting late in the night.
(c) Kisa Gotami, will have to wait till dawn.
(d) It was getting late and she must hurry to get the mustard seeds.

Answer : A

Question. What did Kisa Gotami finally realise?
(a) She was unnecessarily grieving her child’s death.
(b) No point in grieving as her child was already dead.
(c) It was foolish to grief.
(d) She realized that the experience of death in this world was
not unique for her alone.

Answer : D

Question. Kisa Gotami realises her ___________when she hears that there is no house that has not experienced death.
(a) dismay
(b) confusion
(c) frustration
(d) selfishness

Answer : D

Question. Considering her selfish grief Kisa Gotami realised that there is ………. .
(a) inevitable misery
(b) inevitable grief
(c) inevitable death
(d) inevitable mortality

Answer : C

Question. In the lesson ‘the Sermon at Benares’, relate the words Lights: extinguish: life: ___________.
(a) ages
(b) death
(c) revives
(d) flickers

Answer : B

Question. What did Kisa Gotami overlook in her own grief according to the Sermon at Benares?
(a) The torture she was inflicting on others.
(b) The torture she was inflicting on herself.
(c) Death is inevitable.
(d) Death was avoidable.

Answer : B

Question. How selfish am I in my grief! Were Kisa Gotami’s thoughts. Since……
(a) in her grief she was thinking about her own loss
(b) in her grief she asked for help
(c) in her grief she was awakening the grief of death in others
(d) in her grief she was reminding the others of their grief of a lost one.

Answer : D

Question. In the lesson The Sermon at Benares, which symbols have been used to create a positive effect on Kisa Gotami?
(a) Mustard seed; death
(b) Mustard seed: life
(c) Light: flickering
(d) Light: extinguished

Answer : D

Question. Which option correctly replaces the underlined word in the given line from Sermon at Benares? Valley of desolation.
(a) Area filled with joy.
(b) Area filled with sorrow.
(c) Area filled with beauty.
(d) Not clear.

Answer : B

Question. What was the lesson Kisa Gotami learned from the collection of mustard seeds?
(a) Death is inevitable.
(b) Life can be prolonged.
(c) Dead can be revived.
(d) Overcome death.

Answer : A

Question. Kisa Gotami’s consideration was that of:
(a) Life and death
(b) Fate of men
(c) The darkness of night
(d) The flickering lights

Answer : B

Question. Kisa Gotami finally realised that_______.
(a) death can be averted
(b) grief is the ultimate solution
(c) death is common and the ultimate truth
(d) death is reversible.

Answer : C

Question. Indicate which of these is an incorrect statement is relating to the sermon of Buddha.
(a) Humans are troubled and weep over death.
(b) Humans are combined their grief and instil pain.
(c) Humans are immortal.
(d) Humans are in danger of death.

Answer : C

Question. Buddha tried to tell Kisa Gotami______indicate the incorrect statement.
(a) all humans need to grieve
(b) grief increases the pain
(c) there is no point in grieving over the dead.
(d) by grieving one cannot save the dead.

Answer : A

Question. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling so also mortals when born are always in danger of death. Means____.
(a) there is an end to everything
(b) there is an end to mortals
(c) there is no end to mortals
(d) there is no end to any thing

Answer : A

Question. How did Buddha suggest a way to overcome sorrow due to death?
(a) By crying out loud in grief.
(b) By accepting death as a natural process of life.
(c) By talking to friends about grief and sharing of facts could ease pain.
(d) By shutting away from the world and meditating for a brief while.

Answer : B

Question. The Buddha in his sermon compares life of mortal men to a living and non-living thing identify the right answer.
(a) Earthen Pot and raw fruits.
(b) Earthen Pot and old man.
(c) Earthen pot and ripe fruits.
(d) Ripe fruits and mortal man.

Answer : C

Question. “Of those who, overcome by death, __”
(a) depart from life.
(b) become immortal.
(c) become free.
(d) become dead.

Answer : A

Question. While relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. What is the ideal meaning?
(a) The dead are carried and relatives lament while the ox is alive and taken to be killed no lamentation.
(b) There is grieving for the dead and grieving for the life that is going to be dead.
(c) There is no point of grieving over any life.
(d) Humans lament for the dead while no one laments for life.

Answer : C

Question. Buddha in the lesson ‘Sermon at Benares’ specifies that there is no______for death. Select the appropriate word.
(a) similarity
(b) discrimination
(c) distinction
(d) mediocrity

Answer : C

Question. Identify the apt word for afflicted from the following:
(a) relieved
(b) distressed
(c) comforted
(d) solace

Answer : B

Question. Buddha advises people that a wise man who________natures functioning should never be upset at the happenings.
(a) thinks of
(b) understands
(c) ignores
(d) adheres to

Answer : B

Question. The wise do not grieve since they know the ______ of the world.
(a) conditions
(b) terms
(c) nature
(d) atmosphere

Answer : A

Question. In the lesson ‘Sermon at Benares’ relate the words livings: living: nonliving: wise; ________.
(a) unwise
(b) fools
(c) Sane
(d) insane

Answer : B

Question. The Buddha indirectly tries to tell the grieving Kisa Gotami in comparison to her grieving …….. Identify the incorrect statement.
(a) wise men understand the law of nature
(b) wise men do not grieve
(c) grieving and lament can revive a mortal
(d) grieving spoils one’s health and increases pain.

Answer : C

Question. What should the primary focus of humans be according to the Sermon at Benares?
(a) Focus on sorrow and overlook things that keep us happy.
(b) Focus on things that make us happy and grieve for lost ones.
(c) Focus on both sorrow and things that make us happy.
(d) Neglect sorrows and focus on things that make us happy.

Answer : D

Question. In the lesson Sermon at Benares, what does ‘composed’ indicate?
(a) In a state of tranquility.
(b) In a state of being ruined.
(c) In a state of mourning.
(d) In a state of discomfort.

Answer : A

Question. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, complaint and grief is to_____.
(a) stay composed
(b) stay poised
(c) stay self-centered
(d) stay overwrought

Answer : A

Question. According to the Sermon at Benares sorrow __________man’s suffering leading to physical and mental torture.
(a) decreases
(b) adds to
(c) accelerates
(d) slows down

Answer : C

Question. To obtain peace of mind one has to avoid:
(a) luxuries
(b) the things of this world
(c) lamentation and grief
(d) addiction

Answer : C

Question. In the lesson ‘Sermon at Benares’ relate the words Pain: suffering: grief:________
(a) trouble
(b) death
(c) affliction
(d) lamentation

Answer : D

Question. What is the meaning of lamentation?
(a) expression of sorrow.
(b) expression of gratefulness.
(c) expression of joy.
(d) expression of laughter.

Answer : A

Question. Buddha taught the simple meaning that _____________ in his Sermon at Benares.
(a) Man has to succumb to death to get peace of mind
(b) Man can get peace of mind by lamenting
(c) Man cannot get peace of mind by grieving
(d) Man can grieve and be happy

Answer : C

Text Book Questions

Question. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for medicine to cure her son. She does not get any because there is no medicine to bring back the dead.

Question. 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?
Answer: Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house in search of mustard seeds from a house where no death has ever taken place. She does not find such a house because there can be no family where they haven’t lost a loved one.

Question. 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?
Answer: The second time around Gotami understands the truth about life. She realises that death is common to all. No mortal is above death. Buddha wanted her to understand this truth of life.

Question. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Answer: The second time Kisa Gotami wanted a medicine for her dead son and she was sent to the house which had not seen death and then she realises that death is common to all. The first time she was seeing only her own grief, but the second time she saw the grief was there for all.

Question. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief ’?
Answer: Selfishness means thinking about oneself and wanting things for one’s own needs. Kisa Gotami was being selfish in her grief because she was only thinking of her own loss and was looking for a way to remove it not realising that death is common to all. 

Thinking about Language

Question. 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.
❶ give thee medicine for thy child—Give you medicine for your child.
❶ Pray tell me---Please tell me.
❶ Kisa repaired to the Buddha---Kisa went to the Buddha.
❶ there was no house but someone had died in it—There was no house where someone had not died.
❶ kinsmen—Relatives
❶ Mark!—Pay attention, mark my words

Question. 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.
There is no way that those who have been born can avoid dying.
After reaching old age there is death.
Such is the nature of living things.
A single sentence using semicolons has a better rhythm. 

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. What was Gautam Buddha’s life before he became Buddha?
Answer: Buddha was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later, he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty.

Question. Why did the Buddha choose Benares to preach his first sermon?
Answer: Benares is the most holy dipping spot/destination on the River Ganges, which is usually crowded with pilgrims who come to get a dip, thus, getting rid themselves of their sorrows and sufferings. Buddha’s aim was to lessen the suffering of human.

Question. How does Kisa compare the city lights to the fate of men?
Answer: Kisa considered the fate of men like the city lights that flicker up in the evening and are extinguished again. Similarly, the lives of men also flicker and then are extinguished.

Question. Who, according to Buddha, will obtain peace?
Answer: According to Buddha, he who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, complaint and grief. He, who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed, will obtain peace of mind.

Question. Mention the incident which prompted Prince Siddhartha to become a beggar ?
Answer: Once Prince Siddhartha had gone for hunting where he came across a sick man, an aged man, a monk asking for alms and also witnessed a funeral procession. Unable to understand those sufferings, he became a beggar and went in search of spiritual knowledge.

Question. What did Kisa Gotami learn in the end ?
Answer: In the end, Kisa Gotami realised and learnt that death is common to all and that no one could avoid dying. People weep over their dead ones but it is only the wise who do not grieve as they have accepted the truth. A person should only try to seek inner peace.

Question. What did the Buddha want Kisa Gotami to understand ?
Answer: Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to understand that death is common to all and no one could avoid dying, no one can save their relatives. So the wise do not grieve after accepting this truth of dead.

Question. What did the Buddha do after he had attained enlightenment ? Why ?
Answer: Prince Siddhartha Gautama was deeply pained by the sufferings he saw around him and left house to seek the truth of life. After wandering for seven years, he finally sat under Peepal tree to meditate till he received the enlightenment. Wisdom of the law that governs the cycle of birth and death dawned on him and ‘The Buddha’ set out to share it with the world to relieve the mortals of their sufferings.

Question. Kisa Gotami again goes from house-to-house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for the second time ? Does she get ? Why not ?
Answer: Kisa Gotami goes from house to house to bring some mustard seeds where no death had taken place as asked by Buddha to cure her son. But she was unable to find such a house where no death had taken place. It made her realise that death is inevitable and that no one can deny the nature’s cycle.

Question. How did Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life ?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was devastated by the death of her only son and wandered door to door, seeking help. Someone directed her to Sakyamuni, the Buddha, who asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds. This raised a hope in Gotami’s heart that her son could be revived. But the condition imposed by Sakyamuni was that the seeds should be from a house where people had not lost a loved one to death. Kisa Gotami’s futile search made her realize the bitter truth that sorrows are a part and parcel of life and one can attain peace only by acceptance.

Question. 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. In her hour of grief, she went from house to house in search of a medicine to cure him. She had become selfish in wanting her son back.

Question. What does the Buddha say about the world ?
Answer: The Buddha says that everything in this world is subject to death. He further says that the world is deeply affected by suffering, disease or pain. Inevitably there is death and decay.

Question. Who was Gautama Buddha ? When and where was he born ?
Answer: Gautama Buddha was a Prince who was named Siddhartha Gautam by his parents. He was born in 563 B.C. in North India. He had been shielded from the sufferings of the world. He attained enlightenment under a Peepal tree and named the tree as ‘Tree of Wisdom’.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Describe the journey of Sidhartha Gautama becoming the Buddha.
Answer: Gautama Buddha began his life as a royal prince. He was
named Siddhartha Gautama. At twelve, Gautama was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures. At the age of sixteen, he returned home to marry a princess. The prince was deliberately shielded from all sufferings of the world by his family. But this attempt was failed when the prince chanced upon a sick man while he was out hunting. Then, he saw a weak aged man and a funeral procession. Finally, he saw a monk, begging for alms. These sights of suffering, sickness and decay, shocked the prince. He wanted to seek the final solution of all these sorrows and sufferings. He wandered for seven years in search of enlightenment. Finally, he sat down under a fig tree. He meditated there until he was enlightened after seven days. He renamed the tree as the Bodhi Tree or the Tree of Wisdom. He then finally came to be known as the ‘Buddha’, the ‘Awakened’ or the Enlightened one. The Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares on the River Ganges

Question. How did the Prince come to be known as Buddha?
Answer: At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince saw human sufferings. He was born into the royal household and hence, he had all the privileges in life. His father had taken care not to expose him to the harshness of the world. But the prince, one night, goes to explore the world outside the palace where he sees the pain of people. These sights so moved him that he went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree as the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings. At that point, he became to be known as the Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened).

Question. What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn the second time that she had failed to learn the first time?
Answer: Kisa Gotami understood that death is common to all and that she was being selfish in her grief. She understood this only the second time because it was then that she found that there was not a single house where somebody’s beloved had not died. At the first time, she was only thinking about her grief and was therefore, asking for a medicine that could bring back her son. At second time, when she met Buddha, he asked her to get a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died. He did this purposely to make her realise that there was not a single house where no beloved had ever died, and that death is natural. When she went to all the houses for the second time, she felt dejected that she could not gather the mustard seeds. Then, when she sat and thought about it, she realised that the fate of men is such that they live and die. Death is common to all. This was what Buddha had intended her to understand.

Question. What does the Buddha make Gotami understand and how?
Answer: When Kisa Gotami came to him looking for a medicine to bring her dead son back to life, Buddha realised that she did not understand the truth about life and death. If he would have lectured her that time she must have not understood the philosophy of life. So, he wished to practically teach her the truth about life the way he himself had learnt it. He sends her looking for mustard seeds from a house where no one has died. On not finding such a house, Gotami realises what Buddha was trying to make her understand. She understands that death is common to all and in her grief she was being selfish in believing that only she had to face such grief. She understands that to obtain peace, one has to accept death as part of our being.

Question. What lesson on death and suffering did the Buddha teach Gotami in the chapter, ‘The Sermon at Benares’?
Answer: In his sermon at Benares, Buddha taught Gotami that the life of mortals is brief, troubled and combined with pain. Death is common for all, it cannot be avoided. He compares human life to ripe fruits that eventually decay or as earthen vessels that will break someday. Neither a father nor his kinsmen can save anyone. Weeping or grieving cannot bring back the dead to life nor bring peace of mind but can only cause pain and suffering to the grieving body. One should accept death without lamentation, complaint and overcome sorrow and grief thus bringing peace of mind, which is a blessing. 

Question. Through ‘The Sermon at Benares’, the Buddha preached that death is inevitable and we need to overcome the suffering and pain that follows. Based on your reading of the lesson, write how one should cope with the death of a loved one.
Answer: Everything we need to achieve has to undergo pain and suffering. We must let go of grief, sorrow and even the fear of death to step out into the world to achieve something. World is afflicted with death and decay, nothing is spared and no one can avoid it. If we fear or grieve over the death of our loved one, it will not lessen our sorrow nor will the person come back to life, in fact, we will end up spoiling our own health and losing our peace of mind. Surrendering selfishness and leading a virtuous life is the safest option. 

Question. “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain......” With this statement of the Buddha, find out the moral value that Kisa Gotami learnt after the death of her child.
Answer: Kisa Gotami learnt that death and suffering are the part and parcel of life. Nothing is everlasting and one has to accept this truth in the hour of grief. In order to detach themselves from the worldly life and the farsightedness to gain peace of mind one must remain calm and composed. Weeping and grieving does not bring peace of mind but only pain, which affects the body. People who are wise, never complain or lament over their loss. They accept the truth and are blessed with it. So, the wisdom lies in the fact that people should not get distressed with pain, suffering or death.

Question. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes through a period of grief in her life. How does she behave in those circumstances ? What lesson does a reader learn from the story of her life ? Give any two points how you would like to act in the midst of adverse circumstances.
Answer: Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. Grief-stricken, she went about asking people for medicine to revive her dead son. At the behest of a man, she went to the Buddha who said he would cure her son only if she could gather some mustard seeds from a house where no death had ever occurred. After knocking several doors and being unsuccessful, she realised that death was common to all and it could not be avoided. No one can save anyone, so, weeping over a dead soul was fruitless. It was wise to stop grieving and accept the truth. Grieving over what is lost would only cause pain and suffering and doing that too, cannot bring one back to life. Accept life as it comes, be grateful and live it to the fullest with peace of mind and good health.

Question. What lesson on death and suffering did Buddha teach Gotami in the chapter, ‘The Sermon at Benares’?
Answer: — that life of mortals is troubled, brief, combined with pain
— death is common to all
— like ripe fruits, earthen vessels of human lives will break/ decay (death) one day
— neither father nor kinsmen can save anyone
— weeping and grieving will never bring back the dead alive
— one should accept death

Question. How does Gautam Buddha make the human beings realize that death is common to all ?
Answer: Value Points :
• life full of troubles and grief
• combined with pain after death
• death cannot be avoided
• no use crying/mourning
• all are subject to death

Question. How do you usually understand the idea of selfishness ? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was
‘selfish’ on her grief ? Is it natural for people to be selfish at times ?
Answer: ‘Selfishness’ means when a person does something only for his own benefit or thinks only about himself/ herself. Kisa Gotami was selfish in wanting her dead son to be alive. It was a mother’s love which had blinded her. She was wrong in wanting that. She could not see the reality of life. It is perfectly natural for anyone to be selfish at times. When this desire becomes harmful to others or the demands become unrealistic, it is wrong. A little bit of selfishness is there in generally everyone and it is natural to be so. As all earthern vessels made by a Potter breaks in the end, so is the life of the mortals. All are subject to death. We should accept this fact.

Question. How did Buddha make Kisa Gotami realise about the reality of death ?
Answer: Value Points :
Kisa’s son had-died-went to Buddha for making him alive—was sent to bring some mustard seeds from a house where no death had occurred—couldn’t get. Buddha made her realise that death is common to all.

Reference to Contrxt Questions

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

Question. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the prince heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while going out on hunting, chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once became a beggar and went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.
(a) Who was ‘he’ in the passage ? When and where was ‘he’ born ?
(b) Mention the incident which prompted ‘him’ to become a beggar ?
Answer: (a) ‘He’ was Gautam Buddha, a Prince who was named Siddhartha Gautam by his parents. He was born in 563 B.C. in North India.
(b) Once Prince Siddhartha had gone for hunting where he came across a sick man, an aged man, a monk asking for alms and also witnessed a funeral procession. Unable to understand those sufferings, he became an ascetic and went in search of spiritual knowledge.

Question. And she thought to herself, “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.” The Buddha said, ‘‘The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.
(a) Why was Kisa Gotami sad ? What did she do in her hour of grief ?
(b) What did the Buddha want Kisa Gotami to understand ?
Answer: (a) Kisa Gotami was sad because her only son had died. In her hour of grief, she went from house to house in search of a medicine to cure him. She had become selfish in wanting her son back.
(b) Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to understand that death is common to all and no one could avoid dying. No one can save their relatives. So wise do not grieve after accepting this truth of dead.

Mark! While relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.

(a) What is the fate of mortals?
(a) They will die.
(b) They will come back to life.
(c) They will kill others.
(d) They will get killed.

Answer : A

(b) Choose the answer that lists the correct option about the meaning of the Buddha’s message.

(a) Option 1
(b) Option 2
(c) Option 3
(d) Option 4

Answer : C

(c) What do the relatives do when one dies?
(a) They participate in rituals.
(b) They do the rituals.
(c) They lament deeply.
(d) They make merry.

Answer : C

(d) What do the wise men know?
(a) Their friends
(b) Their relatives
(c) Their parents
(d) The facts of life

Answer : D

(e) The extract uses the phrase, ‘… Knowing the terms of the world.’ Which of the following expressions is incorrect with respect to the word ‘terms’?

(a) Option 1
(b) Option 2
(c) Option 3
(d) Option 4

Answer : D