NCERT MCQ Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8 The Sermon at Benares

Siddhartha Gautama began life as a prince in northern India. He was shielded from the world’s sufferings until, at age twenty-five, he encountered sickness, old age and death, which deeply affected him and led to his quest for enlightenment.

Siddhartha Gautama left his luxurious royal life after seeing a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession and a monk. These sights moved him to seek enlightenment regarding the sorrows of life.

After years of wandering, Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under a peepal tree. He later named it the Bodhi Tree, meaning Tree of Wisdom and began to teach his new understanding as the Buddha.

The Buddha preached his first sermon at Benares, the holiest of the dipping places on the River Ganges, sharing his wisdom about suffering and the path to overcoming it.

Kisa Gotami, stricken with grief after her only son died, sought Buddha’s help. Her story is central to the lesson on dealing with sorrow and accepting the reality of death.

Buddha told Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard-seed from a house where no one had lost a loved one. This task taught her the universality of death and grief.

Kisa Gotami found that every family had experienced the death of a loved one. There was no house from which she could procure mustard-seed as Buddha required, highlighting that death comes to all.

After failing in her quest, Kisa Gotami understood that death spares no one and that her grief was not unique, leading to acceptance and peace.

Buddha compared human life to ripe fruits that are always in danger of falling, emphasizing the uncertainty and inevitability of death.

Buddha uses the analogy of earthen pots that eventually break to illustrate the fragile and impermanent nature of human life.

The Buddha taught that no father or kinsman can prevent the death of a loved one, emphasizing the inevitability of mortality for all living beings.

Buddha explained that wise people do not grieve for those lost to death, as they understand the natural law of the world and accept it peacefully.

The Buddha likens people being taken away by death to oxen led to the slaughter, demonstrating the certainty and impartiality of death.

According to Buddha, weeping and grieving do not bring peace but rather increase suffering and make the body weak and ill. Peace comes from letting go of sorrow.

Buddha encourages his followers to “draw out the arrow” of lamentation and grief from their hearts, which brings true peace and liberation from sorrow.

Kisa Gotami realizes that grief can be selfish and that true peace is attained by surrendering all selfish attachment and accepting the universality of suffering.

Buddha taught that there is no means by which those who are born can avoid dying; death is a certainty for all living beings, regardless of wisdom or strength.

Buddha emphasized that instead of grieving, one should draw out grief and cultivate peace of mind, leading to true blessing and freedom from sorrow.

After seeking mustard-seed from every house and finding grief everywhere, Kisa Gotami understands that death is a universal experience and overcomes her personal sorrow.

The Buddha concludes that he who has overcome all sorrow and has become composed will be free from sorrow and truly blessed, having found the peace that surpasses worldly suffering.