This post ‘The Sermon at Benares NCERT Solutions Class 10 English’ provides NCERT solutions for Class 10th English First Flight Chapter 8 The Sermon at Benares. I recommend read the summary of The Sermon at Benares first to understand the questions of this chapter better.
BEFORE YOU READ (Activity)
Q.1. What is a sermon? Is it different from a lecture or a talk? Can this word also be used in a negative way or as a joke?
Ans. A sermon is a religious or moral talk, usually given by a religious leader, that teaches people how to live rightly. A lecture gives information on a subject and a talk is more informal, while a sermon always carries a moral or spiritual message. Yes, the word can be used jokingly or negatively for a long, boring piece of advice, as in “my mother’s sermon about getting my work done on time”.
Q.2. Meanings of the words given in the box:
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| afflicted with | affected by suffering, disease or pain |
| be composed | to be calm and in control of one’s feelings |
| desolation | a state of deep sorrow and emptiness |
| lamentation | expression of sorrow; weeping and wailing |
| procure | to obtain or get something |
| be subject to | to be under the power or control of something |
Q.3. Have you heard of the Sermon on the Mount? Who delivered it? Who delivered a sermon at Benares?
Ans. The Sermon on the Mount was delivered by Jesus Christ. The sermon at Benares was delivered by Gautama Buddha.
The Sermon at Benares Thinking About the Text Question Answer
Q.1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans. She asks her neighbours for medicine to cure her dead son. She does not get it, because no medicine can bring a dead person back to life. People said she had lost her senses, as the boy was already dead.
Q.2. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for, the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans. The second time she asks for a handful of mustard seed from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She does not get it, because there was no house where some beloved one had not died. Death had visited every home.
Q.3. 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?
Ans. The second time she understood that death is common to all, and that she was not alone in her grief. Her lives-flicker-and-are-extinguished reflection made her realise that no one can escape death. Yes, this is exactly what the Buddha wanted her to learn; he wanted her to discover this truth by herself rather than be told.
Q.4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
Ans. The first time she was blinded by her personal grief and could think only of her own son. The second time, going from house to house, she met the sorrow of every family and saw that death is universal. The Buddha changed her understanding through practical experience instead of a lecture. By giving her an impossible task, he made her find the truth herself, so the lesson became permanent.
Q.5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief’?
Ans. Selfishness usually means thinking only of one’s own comfort and interests without caring for others. Yes, to some extent Kisa Gotami was right. In her grief she thought only of her own loss and believed her sorrow was the greatest, forgetting that countless others had suffered the same pain. However, a mother’s grief for her only child is natural, so her feeling can also be called human rather than purely selfish.
The Sermon at Benares Thinking About Language
I. Rephrase these old-fashioned words and phrases in current English:
| Old-fashioned expression | In current language |
|---|---|
| give thee medicine for thy child | give you medicine for your child |
| Pray tell me | Please tell me |
| Kisa repaired to the Buddha | Kisa went to the Buddha |
| there was no house but someone had died in it | there was no house in which someone had not died |
| kinsmen | relatives / family members |
| Mark! | Listen! / Note this carefully! |
II. Break up the sentence into three simple sentences:
Original: “For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.”
Three simple sentences:
- There is no means by which those who have been born can avoid dying.
- After reaching old age there is death.
- Living beings are of such a nature.
Which has a better rhythm? The single sentence joined by semicolons has a better rhythm. The three clauses flow smoothly into one another and build up the idea like a chant, which suits the solemn tone of a sermon. The three separate sentences sound abrupt and lose this musical effect.
