Sermon at Benares Extra Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
Question 1. When was Siddhartha Gautama born?
Answer: Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 or 480 B.C.
Question 2. At what age was Siddhartha married?
Answer: He was married at the age of sixteen.
Question 3. What did Gautama happen to see one day?
Answer: One day, Gautama happened to see a sick man, an old man, a dead man’s funeral procession, and a monk.
Question 4. At what age did Gautama leave home for enlightenment?
Answer: He left home at the age of twenty-nine for enlightenment.
Question 5. How long did Gautama wander in search of wisdom?
Answer: He wandered for six years in search of wisdom.
Question 6. After how many days of meditation did he attain enlightenment?
Answer: He attained enlightenment after meditating for forty-nine days.
Question 7. What is the meaning of Buddha?
Answer: The meaning of Buddha is the Awakened One or Enlightened One.
Question 8. Where did the Buddha give his first sermon?
Answer: Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath.
Question 9. What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring?
Answer: Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a mustard seed from a household where no one had died.
Question 10. What did Kisa Gotami realize in the end?
Answer: In the end, she realized the universality of death and the nature of human suffering
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Kisa compared human life to an inanimate object. What is it and why does she do so?
Answer: Kisa compared human life to the lights of the city, which flicker and extinguish, and the darkness of night spreads everywhere. Similarly, human life begins, flickers, and then extinguishes. She made this comparison because she was in great grief over the death of her child.
Question 2. Where and when did Siddhartha become the Buddha?
Answer: Siddhartha became the Buddha under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, at the age of 35, after meditating for seven weeks.
Question 3. Which people are referred to as “wise” by the Buddha in his sermons?
Answer: In his sermons, the Buddha referred to wise people as those who do not grieve, knowing the nature of the world and understanding that death is inevitable for all beings, regardless of age or wisdom.
Question 4. Why was Kisa Gotami sad?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was sad because her only son had died. She was grief-stricken and desperately sought a cure for her son, but ultimately realized the universality of death through the Buddha’s teachings.
Question 5. Why was Gautama known as the Buddha?
Answer: Gautama became known as the Buddha after attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. The title “Buddha” means “the Awakened One” or “the Enlightened One.”
Question 6. How did the Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life?
Answer: The Buddha taught Kisa Gotami the truth of life by asking her to find a mustard seed from a household where no one had died. Through this task, Kisa realized the inevitability of death and the universality of human suffering.
Question 7. Describe the life of Gautama Buddha before enlightenment.
Answer: Before attaining enlightenment, Gautama Buddha lived as a prince in luxury. However, he became aware of suffering and renounced his princely life to seek enlightenment and liberation from suffering.
Question 8. To seek peace, one has to draw out the arrow of lamentation. State two values projected through the statement.
Answer: The statement emphasizes the futility of lamentation in overcoming sorrow and the importance of acceptance and inner peace in the face of inevitable suffering and loss.
Question 9. What sights moved Siddhartha Gautama to seek the path of enlightenment?
Answer: Siddhartha Gautama was moved to seek the path of enlightenment after encountering a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession, and a monk begging. These sights exposed him to the realities of suffering, old age, and death.
Question 10. What did the Buddha preach to the people?
Answer: The Buddha preached the universal truth of impermanence, suffering, and the path to liberation from suffering through understanding, ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom. He taught that attachment and ignorance lead to suffering, and that enlightenment is attainable through the Noble Eightfold Path.
Question 11. What happened to Kisa Gotami’s son? What did she ask her neighbours to give her?
Answer: Kisa Gotami’s son had passed away. She went from house to house seeking medicine for her deceased son, hoping to revive him. However, she received no medicine as her son was already dead.
Question 12. How do weeping and grieving affect us? (The Sermon at Benares)
Answer: Weeping and grieving bring no solace. They spoil one’s health and serve no purpose. Only by removing the arrow of lamentation and finding composure can one overcome sorrow and attain peace, as emphasized in the Sermon at Benares.
Question 13. Mention the incidents which prompted Prince Siddhartha to become a beggar.
Answer: Prince Siddhartha, while out for a hunt, encountered a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession, and a monk begging. These encounters with suffering and impermanence moved him deeply, leading him to renounce his princely life and seek enlightenment.
Question 14. What did Kisa Gotami learn in the end?
Answer: In the end, Kisa Gotami realized the universality of death and the inevitability of loss. Despite her efforts to find a solution for her grief, she understood that death is an integral part of life and that all beings must face it.
Question 15. What does the Buddha say about the world?
Answer: The Buddha teaches that the world is characterized by impermanence, suffering, and death. He emphasizes that all beings are subject to mortality and that life is transient and filled with pain. True peace and immortality are found through the purification of the mind and the elimination of selfish desires.
Question 16. Who was Gautam Buddha? When and where was he born?
Answer: Gautam Buddha, originally Prince Siddhartha, attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha, meaning the Awakened One. He was born in Lumbini, which is in present-day Nepal, and his teachings have profoundly influenced spiritual and philosophical thought.
Question 17. Kisa Gotami was selfish and grief-stricken. Justify.
Answer: Kisa Gotami’s intense grief over the death of her son led her to act selfishly, seeking a cure that was impossible to find. She became consumed by her own sorrow and failed to recognize the universal truth of death and suffering, clinging to the hope of a miraculous solution.
Question 18. What does she ask for the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?
Answer: Kisa Gotami, upon the Buddha’s instruction, asked for a handful of mustard seeds from a household where no death had occurred. Despite her efforts, she could not find such a house, realizing the universality of death and the futility of her quest.
Question 19. Who was Gautama Buddha?
Answer: Gautama Buddha, originally Prince Siddhartha, was a spiritual leader and teacher who founded Buddhism. Born in ancient India, he renounced his princely life to seek enlightenment and ultimately achieved awakening under the Bodhi tree.
Question 20. How did Siddhartha Gautama get the name of Buddha?
Answer: Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, gaining profound insights into the nature of existence and suffering. After his awakening, he began teaching others about his discoveries, earning the title of Buddha, which means the Enlightened One.
Question 21. What did Buddha ask the lady to do?
Answer: Buddha instructed the lady to procure a handful of mustard seeds from a household where no one had ever experienced the loss of a child, husband, parent, or friend, as a condition for him to help her.
Question 22. What does Gautama Buddha say about the life and death of human beings?
Answer: Gautama Buddha teaches that human life is fraught with troubles, brief, and filled with pain. He emphasizes the inevitability of death, stating that once born, mortals cannot avoid death.
Question 23. Can an aggrieved person get peace of mind by weeping or grieving?
Answer: No, an aggrieved person cannot find peace of mind through weeping or grieving. Instead, these actions exacerbate one’s suffering, leading to deterioration in health and well-being.
Question 24. Where did Buddha preach his first sermon?
Answer: Buddha preached his first sermon at Sarnath, a sacred site near Varanasi, also known as Benares, located along the banks of the River Ganges.
Question 25. With what does Buddha compare the death and decay of human beings?
Answer: Buddha compares the death and decay of human beings to the inevitability of ripe fruit falling and earthen vessels ultimately breaking. Just as fruits ripen and fall, and vessels made by a potter end up broken, human life is subject to death and decay.
Question 26. Describe the early life of Gautama Buddha.
Answer: Gautama Buddha, originally named Siddhartha Gautama, lived a princely life of luxury shielded from the sufferings of the world until the age of twenty-nine. He was married to Yashodhara and had a son. However, encounters with suffering led him to renounce his princely life in search of enlightenment.
Question 27. What were the sights that moved and shocked Gautama?
Answer: Gautama was deeply moved and shocked when he encountered a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession, and a monk begging for alms. These sights exposed him to the realities of suffering, old age, death, and the ascetic path.
Question 28. What did Kisa Gotami do when her only son died? What did her neighbors think about her?
Answer: When Kisa Gotami’s only son died, she carried his body to her neighbors, seeking a cure for his death. Her neighbors thought she had lost her senses as they knew death was inevitable and could not be reversed.
Question 29. How did Kisa Gotami go to the Buddha? What did Buddha ask Gotami to do?
Answer: Kisa Gotami was advised to seek help from the Buddha. She approached him and was instructed to bring back a handful of mustard seeds from a household where no one had experienced the loss of a loved one.
Question 30. Did Kisa Gotami get a handful of mustard seeds as directed by the Buddha?
Answer: Kisa Gotami, despite her efforts, could not find a household where no one had experienced the loss of a loved one. She realized the universality of death and the futility of her quest.
Question 31. Why did Kisa Gotami say, ‘How selfish am I in my grief!’ What did she realize about the fate of mankind?
Answer: Kisa Gotami recognized her own selfishness in grieving excessively for her son. She realized that death is an unavoidable fate for all beings and that her grief could not change this fundamental truth.
Question 32. What did Buddha say about the mortals of the world?
Answer: Buddha explained that human life is filled with suffering, brief, and subject to death. Just as ripe fruits are prone to fall, mortals are always at risk of death. All beings are subject to the impermanence of life.
Question 33. Can grieving and lamentation avoid death and decay in this world? What did the Buddha say in this regard?
Answer: Grieving and lamentation cannot prevent death and decay in this world. Buddha emphasized that wise individuals do not grieve excessively. He taught that lamentation only leads to greater suffering and that overcoming sorrow leads to freedom from it.
Question 34. What did the Buddha want Kisa Gotami to understand?
Answer: The Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to comprehend the universality of death and the inevitability of loss. He aimed to guide her towards acceptance and understanding of the nature of existence.
Question 35. What did Kisa Gotami realize at last?
Answer: Kisa Gotami ultimately realized the universal truth of death and the transient nature of life. She understood that her grief could not alter the inevitable and recognized the selfishness of her sorrow.
Question 36. Describe the main message that the lesson ‘The sermon at Benares’ gives to the readers.
Answer: The main message of “The Sermon at Benares” emphasizes the transient and sorrowful nature of human existence. It teaches the importance of overcoming attachment and understanding the impermanence of life to attain true peace and liberation from suffering.
Question 37. How did Siddhartha Gautama get enlightenment? Why did he name the fig tree as the Bodhi tree?
Answer: Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment through deep meditation and profound insights into the nature of suffering. He sat under a fig tree, vowing not to rise until he attained enlightenment. Upon achieving awakening, he named the fig tree the Bodhi tree, symbolizing the tree of wisdom and enlightenment.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. With the statement of the Buddha, “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain,” identify the moral value that Kisa Gotami learned after visiting each house and being unable to procure the mustard seeds she wanted.
Answer: Kisa Gotami lost her only son. In her grief, she carried her dead child to all her neighbors, asking them to provide medicine. A man suggested she seek help from the Buddha. Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds but from a house where no one had lost a loved one. Despite visiting numerous houses, Kisa couldn’t find such a place. Buddha made her realize that the life of mortals is troubled and filled with pain. Kisa understood the reality and recognized the common fate of mankind.
Question 2. Explain how the world is afflicted by death and decay according to the Buddha, expanding this thought by revisiting Kisa Gotami’s experience when she approached Buddha for a solution.
Answer: When Kisa Gotami sought help from the Buddha to revive her son, he instructed her to procure mustard seeds from a house where no death had occurred. Despite her efforts, every household she visited had experienced death. Feeling weary and hopeless, Kisa realized the inevitability of death as darkness enveloped the city. She understood the Buddha’s message that life is filled with troubles, and the world is afflicted by death and decay. It became clear to her that grieving over the unavoidable was futile.
Question 3. Why did Kisa Gotami understand the message given by the Buddha only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Answer: Kisa Gotami initially approached the Buddha in grief, seeking medicine to revive her son. Buddha, recognizing her need for enlightenment, instructed her to procure mustard seeds from a household untouched by death. Visiting various homes, Kisa grasped the universality of death and returned to Buddha, realizing her selfishness. The Buddha’s teaching made her comprehend that death is inevitable for all, changing her perception of grief and sorrow.
Question 4. The Buddha said, “The world is affected by death and decay, therefore the wise men do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.” Do you think the statement is appropriate even for today’s life? Write your views in the context of the above statement.
Answer: The Buddha’s statement holds relevance in contemporary life. Death and decay are inevitable aspects of human existence, applicable across cultures and eras. Understanding this truth can alleviate unnecessary grief and suffering. In today’s world, where individuals strive for material wealth and success, the reminder of life’s impermanence can foster appreciation for the present moment and promote inner peace amidst life’s challenges.
Question 5. How did the Buddha make Kisa Gotami realize the reality of death?
Answer: Kisa Gotami, grieving over her son’s death, sought help from the Buddha. He instructed her to procure mustard seeds from a household untouched by death. Despite her efforts, Kisa couldn’t find such a place, realizing the universality of death. As darkness fell, symbolizing life’s fleeting nature, Kisa comprehended the Buddha’s teachings. She acknowledged death’s inevitability, recognizing her previous selfishness in grief.
Question 6. How did Buddha seek and achieve enlightenment?
Answer: Siddhartha Gautama embarked on a quest for enlightenment after witnessing human suffering. Renouncing his royal privileges, he pursued ascetic practices for years. Seated beneath a fig tree, he resolved to attain enlightenment. After intense meditation, Siddhartha achieved profound insight, becoming the Buddha. Renaming the tree the Bodhi Tree, symbolizing wisdom, he commenced his teachings, illuminating the path to liberation.
Question 7. Through the story of Kisa Gotami, what did the Buddha try to preach to the common man?
Answer: Through Kisa Gotami’s story, the Buddha conveyed the inevitability of death and the futility of excessive grief. By seeking mustard seeds from households untouched by death, Kisa recognized the universality of mortality. The Buddha aimed to enlighten individuals about life’s impermanence and the importance of acceptance in overcoming suffering.
Question 8. What does the Buddha say about death and suffering? Explain with examples from the text.
Answer: The Buddha emphasizes the universality of death and suffering, inherent in human existence. He compares life to ripe fruits falling and earthen vessels breaking, illustrating life’s transient nature. Despite grief and lamentation, death remains inevitable. Through Kisa Gotami’s story, the Buddha underscores the futility of excessive sorrow, urging individuals to embrace impermanence and find peace within.
Question 9. What impression do you form of Lord Buddha after reading the lesson, “The Sermon at Benares”?
Answer: After reading “The Sermon at Benares,” Lord Buddha emerges as a compassionate teacher, imparting profound wisdom to alleviate human suffering. Through Kisa Gotami’s narrative, he illuminates the path to enlightenment, emphasizing acceptance and inner peace amidst life’s challenges. Buddha’s teachings resonate with timeless truths, guiding individuals towards liberation from worldly attachments.
Question 10. Who was Gautama Buddha? What made him renounce his royal life and become a monk?
Answer: Gautama Buddha, born Siddhartha Gautama, renounced his royal privileges in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Despite a life of luxury, Siddhartha encountered human suffering, prompting him to seek profound truths. Witnessing sickness, old age, and death, he embarked on a spiritual quest, ultimately renouncing his princely status to pursue asceticism. Through meditation, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha, and dedicated his life to teaching the path to liberation.
Question 11. Why did Siddhartha come to be called the Buddha? Where did he give his first sermon?
Answer: Siddhartha, upon attaining enlightenment, earned the title “Buddha,” signifying the awakened or enlightened one. He delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, near Varanasi, known as Benares, elucidating the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Through his teachings, the Buddha illuminated the path to liberation from suffering, inspiring countless followers across generations.
Question 12. How did the Buddha make Kisa Gotami realize that death is inevitable?
Answer: The Buddha instructed Kisa Gotami to procure mustard seeds from households untouched by death, emphasizing death’s universality. Despite her efforts, Kisa couldn’t find such a place, realizing the inevitability of death. As darkness enveloped the city, symbolizing life’s impermanence, Kisa comprehended the Buddha’s teachings, acknowledging death’s universal truth.
Question 13. Describe the journey of Siddhartha Gautama to become the Buddha.
Answer: Siddhartha Gautama’s journey to enlightenment began with witnessing human suffering, prompting his renunciation of princely comforts. Embracing asceticism, he pursued spiritual truths for years until seated beneath a fig tree, he resolved to attain enlightenment. After intense meditation, Siddhartha achieved profound insight, becoming the Buddha, and commenced his teachings, guiding humanity towards liberation from suffering.
Question 14. Why did Kisa Gotami visit every neighbor? Why did she say, “How selfish I am in my grief”?
Answer: Kisa Gotami visited each neighbor seeking a cure for her dead son, blinded by grief. Recognizing her need for enlightenment, the Buddha instructed her to procure mustard seeds from households untouched by death. Unable to find such a place, Kisa realized the universality of death and acknowledged her selfishness in grief, embracing acceptance and understanding.