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Summary of The Sermon at Benaras NCERT Class 10
The story ‘The Sermon at Benaras’ has been taken from Betty Renshow’s titled ‘ Values and Voices. A college reader 1975’. The text highlights the teaching of wisdom by Buddha to his first sermon at Benaras. This was given after he atteained enlightenment. In this sermon, Buddha talked about the incident which was related to the death of Kisa Gotami’s the only son. In this prose he told that we must not be sad about the death of our near and dear ones. Nobody is free from the death. When we overcome grief, could get free from sorrows. Then we get peace.
Gautam Buddha’s Early Life-‘The Sermon at Benaras’
Gautama Buddha was born is 563 BC. He was born as a prince. His early name was Siddhartha Gautama. He was born in the province of Lumbini, Nepal , Northern India. His mother died seven days after his birth. When he was twelve, he went for education in the Hindu Sacred scriptures. Four years later he came home. Then he married Yashodhara, a princess. Then , they had a son Rahula. Since the for ten years he lived a royal life which was free from all sufferings of the world.
Gautama Feels Sufferings Of The World-‘The Sermon at Benaras’
When Gautama Buddha was twenty-five years old he saw the sufferings in the world. One day, while hunting , Buddha saw a sick man , an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk eagerly begging for food and money. These sights had a deep impact on him. He left his royal life and comfort to seek enlightenment about the sorrows he had experienced.
Gautama Seeks Enlightenment
Aimlessly, he travelled for seven years. Then, he sat under peepal tree until he attained enlightenment. After meditation Buddha achieved enlightenment. Buddha meditated under the tree. After he was renamed the tree ‘Bodhi Tree’ ( The tree of wisdom or awakening). Then Buddha began to teach his new understandings. After he was named as Buddha, that means the ‘Awakened’ or the ‘Enlightened’. As Buddha , Gautama gave his first sermon in Benaras, which is the holiest places of dipping on the river Ganges. Then, Buddha spent next forty-five years for spreading his message. He was establishing his orders of monks and nuns. Buddha was receiving the patronage of kings and merchants. Buddha’s sermons established Buddha’s wisdom about sufferings.
The First Sermon at Buddha
In the text ‘The Sermon at Benaras’ , Kisa Gotami had only a son. Suddenly the son had died . Then she was very sad. Then Kisa Gotami decided and she caried her dead son to all her neighbours. She asked medicines for her dead child. Suddenly, she met a man. The man told her to go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha to get solution for her problem. Then she went to Buddha. Gotami asked Buddha how to cure her dead son. Buddha told Gotami a handful of mustard-seed from a house where no one a family member had lost his life. She went to find that house for mustard seed. But Gotami could not find any house where no one a family member had ever died. Kisa Gotami became hopeless. Being tired he sat down at the roadside. Then she saw the city lights were shinning in darkness. The she realized that human life is same for everyone. Gotami also realized that all human beings will have to die. Nobody can escape from it. The only person who can be immortal is the person who is not selfish at all.
Certainty of Death
In the text ‘The Sermon at Benaras’ Buddha teaches us that death is inevitable and everyone must accept it. Buddha tells that human life is full of pain and sufferings. Everybody must die one day. It is impossible to avoid death. Death is inevitable to all irrespective of caste , creed and religion of human beings. Selfish people who lament over earthly sorrow, only suffer. But the wise men understand the unavoidability of death. Death and decay are equal into the universe. So we should not lament over it. In one word, death is a part of life. So death is only the fate of all living beings.
Grieving can not bring a dead person back to life. So, men do not lament, grieve and complain. Thus they enjoy a peaceful life, away from sorrow. So, one who move on enjoys a blessed life.
Word Meanings from the text The ‘Sermon at Benaras’
Sacred- Holy Vowed- a serious promise to do something
Scriptures-The holy writings of a religion. Awakened- Enlightened
Befitted-Apt/ Perfect/ Appropriate Sermon-A talk on a religious or moral subject
Heretofore- Before Now Inscrutable-Impossible to understand or interpret
Shielded- Protected Repaired-Went
Alma- Money or food given to the poor Procure- Obtain
Enlightenment-A state of highly spiritual knowledge. Beloved-Dearly loved
Chanced Upon -Came across by chance Weary- Feeling or showing extreme tiredness
Wandered- moved in a leisurely or aimless way Flickered- Shone unsteadily
Extinguished-Put out Kinsmen-Near Relatives
Valley of Desolation- Place filled with deep sorrow Lamenting-Expressing sorrow, regret or unhappiness
Mortals- Those bound to die Slaughter- The killing of animals for meat
Earthen-Made pf baked or fired clay Afflicted- Affected
Dipping places- Bathing places Royalty- Related to Kings
Befitted Royalty- Deserves royalty Funeral Processions- Procession of a dead man taken to the
Monk- A hermit cremation ground
Mooved-Shook Seek-to find for desired things
Concerning- Related to Witness-See for oneself