The Sermon at Benares
Before You Read
1. What is a sermon? How is it different from a lecture or a talk?
Answer: A sermon is a speech or discourse mainly dealing with a religious, spiritual or moral subject.
A lecture generally aims to teach or explain an academic subject, while a talk may be an informal discussion on any topic. A sermon usually tries to guide people morally or spiritually.
The word “sermon” can also be used humorously to mean a long piece of advice or scolding.
2. Give the meanings of the following words and phrases.
Afflicted with: suffering from pain, illness or trouble.
Be composed: remain calm and controlled.
Desolation: a state of great sadness, emptiness or ruin.
Lamentation: an expression of deep sorrow.
Procure: obtain or get something.
Be subject to: be likely or required to experience something.
3. Who delivered the Sermon on the Mount? Who delivered the Sermon at Benares?
Answer: The Sermon on the Mount is associated with Jesus Christ.
The Sermon at Benares was delivered by Gautama Buddha.
Thinking About the Text
4. When Kisa Gotami’s son dies, what does she ask from house to house? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: After the death of her only son, Kisa Gotami carries the child from house to house asking people for medicine that could bring him back to life.
She does not get such medicine because her son is already dead, and no medicine can reverse death. The people understand this, although Kisa Gotami is initially unable to accept it because of her intense grief.
5. What does Kisa Gotami ask for the second time after meeting the Buddha? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: The second time, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for a handful of mustard seeds.
The Buddha has given her one condition: the seeds must come from a house where no child, parent, husband, wife or friend has ever died.
Although people are willing to give her mustard seeds, she cannot find a single household untouched by death. Therefore, she fails to obtain the seeds under the Buddha’s condition.
6. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand earlier?
Answer: Kisa Gotami finally understands that death is universal and unavoidable.
At first, she sees only her personal suffering and believes that her son’s death is a unique tragedy. After visiting many homes, she discovers that every family has experienced the loss of someone dear.
She realises that suffering and death are part of human life.
7. Was this what the Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to understand?
Answer: Yes. The Buddha wanted her to understand that death is common to all living beings and cannot be escaped.
Instead of simply telling her this truth, he allowed her to discover it through her own experience. This helped her accept the reality of her son’s death more deeply.
8. Why could Kisa Gotami understand the truth only the second time?
Answer: The first time, Kisa Gotami was overwhelmed by grief and could think only about her own loss.
The second time, she visited many families and learned that every household had experienced death. This practical experience broadened her understanding and showed her that her sorrow was part of a universal human experience.
9. How did the Buddha change Kisa Gotami’s understanding?
Answer: The Buddha did not try to force Kisa Gotami to accept the truth through words alone.
Instead, he asked her to bring mustard seeds from a house untouched by death. When she failed to find such a house, she realised for herself that death comes to every family.
Thus, the Buddha guided her from personal grief towards acceptance and wisdom.
10. What does Kisa Gotami mean when she says that she was “selfish in her grief”?
Answer: Kisa Gotami means that she had been so absorbed in her own sorrow that she had failed to recognise the suffering of others.
She wanted her son alone to escape death, although death is a natural part of life for everyone.
Her grief was understandable, but she later realised that she was not the only person to suffer such a loss.
11. What is generally meant by selfishness?
Answer: Selfishness means thinking mainly about one’s own wishes, needs or suffering without considering the experiences or needs of others.
In Kisa Gotami’s case, the word is used to describe how her grief initially prevented her from seeing that loss was common to all people.
Additional Questions and Answers
12. Who was Gautama Buddha before he became the Buddha?
Answer: Before becoming the Buddha, he was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama.
He was born into a royal family and spent the early part of his life protected from the suffering of the outside world.
13. At what age was Siddhartha sent away for schooling?
Answer: Siddhartha was sent away for schooling at the age of twelve.
14. How long did he study the Hindu sacred scriptures?
Answer: He studied for about four years before returning home.
15. What experiences made Siddhartha think deeply about human suffering?
Answer: Siddhartha had been protected from the painful realities of life, but later he encountered a sick person, an old person, a funeral procession and a holy man.
These experiences made him realise that illness, old age and death are unavoidable parts of human existence. They inspired him to search for deeper truth.
16. Why did Siddhartha leave his royal life?
Answer: Siddhartha left his comfortable royal life because he wanted to understand the causes of suffering and discover a path towards spiritual wisdom.
The suffering he had seen outside the palace disturbed him deeply and made ordinary luxury seem meaningless.
17. How did Siddhartha become the Buddha?
Answer: Siddhartha spent several years seeking the truth about life and suffering.
Finally, he sat in meditation beneath a sacred tree and decided not to leave until he gained understanding. After deep meditation, he attained enlightenment.
From then on, he became known as the Buddha, meaning “the Enlightened One”.
18. Why did Kisa Gotami go to the Buddha?
Answer: Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha because her only son had died and she desperately wanted him to be restored to life.
She believed that the Buddha might be able to give her a remedy for her suffering.
19. What did the Buddha advise Kisa Gotami to do?
Answer: The Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a household where no one had ever died.
This apparently simple task was intended to help her discover that death had touched every family.
20. What did Kisa Gotami learn from her search for mustard seeds?
Answer: She learned that no family is free from death and sorrow.
Her search helped her understand that death is a universal law of life and that her own grief was part of a much larger human experience.
21. What is the central teaching of the Buddha’s sermon?
Answer: The central teaching is that all living beings are mortal and that suffering becomes greater when people refuse to accept the natural reality of death.
Peace comes through understanding, acceptance and freedom from excessive attachment.
22. What does the story teach us about grief?
Answer: The story teaches that grief is natural, but it becomes easier to bear when we understand that loss is a universal human experience.
Acceptance does not erase sorrow, but it can help a person move from despair towards calmness and understanding.
23. Why did the Buddha choose a practical method instead of simply explaining the truth to Kisa Gotami?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was too overwhelmed by sorrow to understand an abstract explanation.
By sending her from house to house, the Buddha allowed her to experience the truth directly. Personal discovery made the lesson more meaningful and convincing.
24. Why was Kisa Gotami unable to find a house untouched by death?
Answer: She was unable to find such a house because every family had lost someone at some point.
This showed her that death is not an unusual event affecting only a few people; it is part of every human life.
25. What is the significance of the mustard seeds in the story?
Answer: The mustard seeds become a teaching device.
The Buddha knows that Kisa Gotami will easily find mustard seeds, but she will never find a household where nobody has died. Through this search, she learns the universality of death.
Long Answer Questions
26. Describe the life of Gautama Buddha.
Answer: Gautama Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama in northern India.
As a child and young man, he lived a protected royal life. He studied sacred scriptures and later married.
For many years, he was kept away from the painful realities of life. However, when he eventually saw sickness, old age, death and a holy man, he became deeply disturbed by human suffering.
He left his royal life and spent years searching for spiritual truth. Finally, through deep meditation, he attained enlightenment and became known as the Buddha.
He then began teaching others about suffering, wisdom, acceptance and the path towards inner peace.
27. Describe how the Buddha taught Kisa Gotami the truth about death.
Answer: Kisa Gotami was unable to accept the death of her only son and went from house to house asking for medicine.
Someone directed her to the Buddha. Instead of simply telling her that her son could not be brought back, the Buddha asked her to bring mustard seeds from a house in which nobody had ever died.
Kisa Gotami visited many homes. People were ready to give her mustard seeds, but every family had experienced the death of a loved one.
Gradually, she realised that death was common to everyone and that she was not alone in her suffering.
Through this practical lesson, the Buddha helped her accept the natural law of life and death.
28. What transformation takes place in Kisa Gotami?
Answer: At the beginning, Kisa Gotami is overwhelmed by personal grief and refuses to accept her son’s death.
She desperately searches for medicine that could restore him to life.
After meeting the Buddha and visiting many households, her understanding changes. She discovers that every family has experienced death.
Her grief becomes less self-centred, and she begins to accept mortality as a universal truth.
Thus, she moves from denial and desperation towards understanding and acceptance.
29. Explain the message of “The Sermon at Benares”.
Answer: “The Sermon at Benares” teaches that death is unavoidable and that no person can escape the natural cycle of life.
Human beings suffer deeply when they become excessively attached and refuse to accept change and loss.
Through Kisa Gotami’s experience, the Buddha teaches that sorrow is shared by all people. Wisdom lies in understanding this truth and accepting what cannot be changed.
The lesson therefore emphasises acceptance, compassion and emotional wisdom.
Thinking About Language
30. Rewrite the old-fashioned expressions in modern English.
(i) “Give thee medicine for thy child.”
Answer: Give you medicine for your child.
(ii) “Pray tell me.”
Answer: Please tell me.
(iii) “Kisa repaired to the Buddha.”
Answer: Kisa went to the Buddha.
(iv) “There was no house but someone had died in it.”
Answer: There was no house in which no one had died.
(v) “Kinsmen”
Answer: Relatives or family members.
(vi) “Mark!”
Answer: Notice! / Pay attention!
Semicolon Exercise
31. Break the following idea into three simple sentences.
Answer:
- No living being can avoid death.
- Death comes after life and old age.
- Such is the nature of all living beings.
The combined sentence using semicolons has a more continuous and formal rhythm, while the three short sentences are simpler and easier to understand.
Speaking
32. Do the Buddha’s ideas about grief still have meaning today?
Answer: Yes, the Buddha’s ideas still have meaning because people continue to experience loss and grief.
Modern approaches also recognise that grief is natural and that different people respond to loss in different ways. Support from family, friends and community can help a grieving person.
The Buddha’s teaching adds another important idea: understanding that suffering and death are universal may help a person gradually accept loss.
Therefore, both emotional support and acceptance can be valuable when dealing with grief.
Writing
33. Teaching Someone to Understand a Difficult Idea
Teaching someone a difficult idea requires patience and a simple approach.
Sometimes merely explaining an idea is not enough. A person may understand better when the idea is connected with a real-life example or experience.
The Buddha teaches Kisa Gotami in this way. Instead of directly telling her that death is universal, he gives her a task through which she discovers the truth herself.
Therefore, practical experience can often make difficult ideas easier to understand.
34. Helping Each Other During Difficult Times
Difficult times become easier when people support one another.
A person who is suffering may need someone who can listen patiently, provide comfort and help with everyday responsibilities.
Family members, friends and neighbours can play an important role by showing care and understanding.
Sharing sorrow does not remove the problem completely, but it can reduce loneliness and give people the strength to face difficult situations.
35. Thinking of Oneself as One Among Billions
Every person is unique, with different talents, thoughts and experiences.
At the same time, we are all part of humanity and share many common experiences. Happiness, fear, illness, loss and death are part of human life everywhere.
Recognising this can make us more understanding and compassionate towards others.
We should value our individuality while also remembering that we are connected to a much larger human community.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why was Kisa Gotami sad?
(a) She had lost her money
(b) Her only son had died
(c) She was ill
(d) She had lost her house
Answer: (b) Her only son had died
2. What did Kisa Gotami initially ask her neighbours for?
(a) Food
(b) Money
(c) Medicine
(d) Shelter
Answer: (c) Medicine
3. What did Kisa Gotami search for the second time?
(a) Rice
(b) Medicine
(c) Mustard seeds
(d) Flowers
Answer: (c) Mustard seeds
4. From what kind of house did the Buddha ask her to obtain the mustard seeds?
(a) A rich house
(b) A house where no one had ever died
(c) A large house
(d) A house near a temple
Answer: (b) A house where no one had ever died
5. What did Kisa Gotami finally realise?
(a) Money solves all problems
(b) Death is common to everyone
(c) Her son was only sleeping
(d) The Buddha could restore life
Answer: (b) Death is common to everyone
6. Kisa Gotami felt that she had been selfish in her—
(a) happiness
(b) anger
(c) grief
(d) work
Answer: (c) Grief
7. What was Gautama Buddha’s original name?
(a) Gautama
(b) Siddhartha Gautama
(c) Prince Ashoka
(d) Devadatta
Answer: (b) Siddhartha Gautama
8. Gautama Buddha began his life as a—
(a) scholar
(b) merchant
(c) prince
(d) teacher
Answer: (c) Prince
9. At what age was Siddhartha sent away for schooling?
(a) Ten
(b) Twelve
(c) Fourteen
(d) Sixteen
Answer: (b) Twelve
10. How long did Siddhartha study before returning home?
(a) Two years
(b) Three years
(c) Four years
(d) Seven years
Answer: (c) Four years
11. What did Siddhartha go out into the world to seek?
(a) Wealth
(b) Political power
(c) Enlightenment
(d) Fame
Answer: (c) Enlightenment
12. Under what kind of tree did Siddhartha meditate before attaining enlightenment?
(a) Sacred fig or peepal tree
(b) Mango tree
(c) Banana tree
(d) Coconut tree
Answer: (a) Sacred fig or peepal tree
13. What does the word “Buddha” mean?
(a) King
(b) Teacher
(c) Enlightened One
(d) Holy River
Answer: (c) Enlightened One
14. What does “procure” mean?
(a) Lose
(b) Obtain
(c) Destroy
(d) Refuse
Answer: (b) Obtain
15. What does “lamentation” mean?
(a) Expression of sorrow
(b) Celebration
(c) Silence
(d) Anger
Answer: (a) Expression of sorrow
16. What does “kinsmen” mean?
(a) Strangers
(b) Relatives
(c) Teachers
(d) Monks
Answer: (b) Relatives
17. Why could Kisa Gotami not find the required mustard seeds?
(a) Mustard seeds were rare
(b) Nobody wanted to help her
(c) Every household had experienced death
(d) The market was closed
Answer: (c) Every household had experienced death
18. What was the Buddha trying to teach Kisa Gotami?
(a) How to grow mustard
(b) That death is unavoidable
(c) How to become rich
(d) That illness can always be cured
Answer: (b) That death is unavoidable
19. What is the major theme of the lesson?
(a) Adventure
(b) Acceptance of death and suffering
(c) Wealth and success
(d) Childhood
Answer: (b) Acceptance of death and suffering
20. What quality did the Buddha show while dealing with Kisa Gotami?
(a) Anger
(b) Impatience
(c) Wisdom and compassion
(d) Fear
Answer: (c) Wisdom and compassion
21. Why did the Buddha make Kisa Gotami visit many houses?
(a) To punish her
(b) To help her discover the truth through experience
(c) To collect food
(d) To find a doctor
Answer: (b) To help her discover the truth through experience
22. The story teaches that all living beings are—
(a) immortal
(b) free from suffering
(c) mortal
(d) equally wealthy
Answer: (c) Mortal
23. What helped Kisa Gotami overcome her narrow view of grief?
(a) Wealth
(b) Seeing that every family had experienced loss
(c) Leaving the village
(d) Forgetting her son
Answer: (b) Seeing that every family had experienced loss
24. The Buddha’s teaching mainly leads Kisa Gotami towards—
(a) revenge
(b) acceptance and understanding
(c) fear
(d) anger
Answer: (b) Acceptance and understanding
Teacher Generate Question Answer
- When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: After the death of her only son, Kisa Gotami carries his body from house to house, asking for medicine to bring him back to life. No, she does not get it. The neighbors think she has lost her mind because it is impossible to provide medicine for someone who is already dead. They understand, even if she does not yet, that death is inevitable and irreversible. - 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 it? Why not?
Answer: Following the Buddha’s instruction, she goes from house to house asking for a handful of mustard seeds. However, there was a condition: the seeds had to come from a house where no one had ever lost a child, husband, parent, or friend. She does not get the seeds. While every household was willing to give her mustard seeds, she could not find a single home that had not been touched by death. - 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, Kisa Gotami understands that death is common to all and that she was being “selfish” in her grief. She realizes that the world is full of suffering and that no one is exempt from the cycle of life and death. This is exactly what the Buddha wanted her to realize. Rather than simply telling her the truth, he allowed her to discover it herself through her own experience, which made the lesson much more powerful. - Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did Buddha change her understanding?
Answer: The first time, she was blinded by her personal pain and could only see her own loss. The Buddha changed her understanding by giving her a practical task that forced her to interact with the grief of others. By hearing the stories of every family in the village, she shifted her perspective from her individual sorrow to a universal truth. She saw that “the living are few, but the dead are many,” which helped her accept her son’s passing as part of the natural order. - How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief’?
Answer: Typically, selfishness is defined as thinking only of one’s own interests without regard for others. In Kisa Gotami’s case, she was “selfish in her grief” because she expected her son to be spared from a fate that eventually claims everyone.
Agreement: Yes, her grief was selfish in the sense that she wanted to pull her son back from the natural cycle of death, ignoring the fact that every human being suffers the same loss.
Nuance: However, this “selfishness” is a very human and relatable reaction to extreme tragedy. The Buddha did not judge her for it but used it as a teaching moment to move her toward enlightenment and peace.
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