Class 10 English Notes Chapter 10 (The Sermon at Benaras) – First Flight Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 10, 'The Sermon at Benares' from your 'First Flight' book. This chapter is significant not just for its narrative but for the profound philosophical ideas it presents, often touched upon in various competitive exams. Pay close attention to the details about Gautama Buddha's life and the core message illustrated through Kisa Gotami's story.

Chapter 10: The Sermon at Benares - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction:

• The chapter details the journey of Siddhartha Gautama to becoming the Buddha ('The Enlightened One').
• It focuses on his first sermon delivered at Benares (modern-day Varanasi), considered the holiest of bathing places on the River Ganges.
• The sermon explains the nature of life, death, suffering, and the path to peace, illustrated through the poignant story of Kisa Gotami.

2. Gautama Buddha's Life Journey:

• Early Life: Born as Siddhartha Gautama (around 563 BC - 483 BC) into royalty in North India. Lived a protected, luxurious life as a prince for about 25 years.
• The Turning Point (The Four Sights): Shielded from worldly sufferings, his perspective changed upon witnessing:
  • An old man
  • A sick man
  • A funeral procession (a dead man being carried)
  • A monk begging for alms
• These sights made him realize the inevitability of suffering, old age, disease, and death.
• Renunciation: At age 25, he left his palace, wife, newborn son, and all worldly possessions to seek enlightenment and understand the cause of sorrow.
• Search for Enlightenment: He wandered for seven years, seeking wisdom from various teachers and practicing severe austerities, but found no definitive answers.
• Enlightenment: Finally, he sat down under a Peepal tree (later known as the Bodhi Tree) in Bodh Gaya, vowing not to rise until enlightenment came. After seven days, he attained enlightenment and understood the cause of suffering and the way to end it. He was now 'The Buddha'.
• First Sermon: He decided to share his understanding. His first sermon was delivered at the city of Benares.

3. The Story of Kisa Gotami:

• The Grief: Kisa Gotami was a young woman whose only son had died. Consumed by grief, she carried his dead body from house to house, asking for medicine to revive him. People thought she had lost her senses.
• Meeting the Buddha: Someone directed her to the Buddha, who was known for his wisdom.
• The Buddha's Task: Instead of giving her false hope or a direct lecture, the Buddha asked her to bring him a handful of mustard seeds.
• The Condition: The crucial condition was that the mustard seeds must come from a house where no one – child, husband, parent, or friend – had ever died.
• The Realization: Kisa Gotami went from door to door, but could not find a single house untouched by death. Every family had experienced loss. The common reply was, "Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many."
• Acceptance: Weary and hopeless, she sat down by the wayside, watching the city lights flicker and extinguish. This sight made her realize the transient nature of human life – it flickers and dies just like the lights. She understood that death is common to all and that her grief was selfish in its intensity, blinding her to the universal nature of sorrow.
• Understanding the Sermon: Kisa Gotami finally understood the Buddha's lesson: death is inevitable and universal.

4. The Core Message of the Sermon (Buddha's Teachings):

• Universality of Death: Death is common to all living beings. No one can escape it, just as ripe fruits are destined to fall or earthen vessels made by a potter are bound to break.
• Nature of Suffering: Life is filled with suffering, pain, decay, and death.
• Futility of Excessive Grief: Weeping and lamenting do not bring back the dead. Instead, they cause more pain, make the body suffer, and disrupt peace of mind. Excessive grief only deepens the sorrow.
• The Path to Peace:
  • Understanding the law of nature (that all beings are mortal).
  • Accepting the inevitable.
  • Overcoming sorrow, lamentation, and grief.
  • The wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.
  • One who has overcome sorrow will be free from sorrow, be blessed, and obtain peace of mind (Nirvana/Salvation).
• Metaphor: The Buddha uses the metaphor of an "arrow of lamentation." He who wishes for peace must "draw out the arrow" of weeping, complaint, and grief.

5. Key Themes:

• Mortality and the inevitability of death.
• Suffering as an inherent part of life.
• The nature of grief and the wisdom of acceptance.
• Enlightenment and the path to peace.
• Compassion and skillful teaching (Buddha's method with Kisa Gotami).

6. Significance for Exams:

• Understand the biographical details of Buddha's early life and enlightenment.
• Know the story of Kisa Gotami and its purpose in illustrating Buddha's teachings.
• Be clear about the central message: acceptance of death's universality is key to overcoming suffering and finding peace.
• Recognize the metaphors used (e.g., earthen vessels, ripe fruits, city lights, arrow of lamentation).
• The location 'Benares' is important.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What was Gautama Buddha's name before he attained enlightenment?
   a) Rahul
   b) Siddhartha Gautama
   c) Suddhodana
   d) Devadatta

2. Which sight did not prompt Siddhartha Gautama to leave his palace?
   a) An old man
   b) A sick man
   c) A wealthy merchant
   d) A funeral procession

3. Where did Gautama Buddha attain enlightenment?
   a) Under a Banyan tree in Lumbini
   b) Under a Peepal tree in Bodh Gaya
   c) Under a Mango tree in Sarnath
   d) Under an Ashoka tree in Benares

4. What did Kisa Gotami initially seek after her son's death?
   a) Money for a funeral
   b) Blessings from the Buddha
   c) Medicine to revive her son
   d) A place to bury her son

5. What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring him?
   a) Holy water from the Ganges
   b) A handful of mustard seeds
   c) Flowers from an untouched garden
   d) A piece of silk from a loom

6. What was the condition attached to Buddha's request to Kisa Gotami?
   a) The item must be given freely.
   b) The item must be brought before sunset.
   c) The item must come from a house where no one had ever died.
   d) The item must be collected only from relatives.

7. What did Kisa Gotami realize by watching the flickering city lights?
   a) That she was tired and needed rest.
   b) That human life is transient and subject to death.
   c) That the city was beautiful at night.
   d) That light always overcomes darkness.

8. According to the Buddha's sermon, what is the consequence of weeping and grieving?
   a) It brings back the dead.
   b) It helps attain peace of mind.
   c) It leads to greater pain and suffering.
   d) It shows respect for the deceased.

9. Buddha compared human life to:
   a) Flowing rivers and high mountains
   b) Earthen vessels made by a potter and ripe fruits
   c) Strong trees and blooming flowers
   d) Shining stars and the vast sky

10. According to the Buddha, how can one obtain peace of mind?
    a) By praying intensely
    b) By performing rituals
    c) By accumulating wealth
    d) By overcoming sorrow and accepting mortality

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b) Siddhartha Gautama
2. c) A wealthy merchant
3. b) Under a Peepal tree in Bodh Gaya
4. c) Medicine to revive her son
5. b) A handful of mustard seeds
6. c) The item must come from a house where no one had ever died.
7. b) That human life is transient and subject to death.
8. c) It leads to greater pain and suffering.
9. b) Earthen vessels made by a potter and ripe fruits
10. d) By overcoming sorrow and accepting mortality

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the core message and the illustrative story is crucial. Good luck with your preparation!