The Sermon at Benares Summary Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8

Key Points of the Story

• Prince Siddhartha Gautama's early life in northern India, his marriage, and his awakening to the world's sufferings.
• The pivotal moment when Siddhartha Gautama, witnessing various forms of human suffering, decides to seek enlightenment.
• Siddhartha Gautama's seven years of wandering before attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree.
• The transformation of Siddhartha Gautama into the Buddha, the Awakened One, and his decision to teach his newfound wisdom.
• The story of Kisa Gotami, who seeks a cure for her dead child and learns a profound lesson from the Buddha.

Detailed Summary 

Gautama Buddha, who lived from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C., started off as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in northern India. When he was twelve, he was sent for schooling in the Hindu sacred texts. After returning home four years later, he married a princess, had a son, and lived luxuriously for a decade. However, at around the age of twenty-five, his life took a profound turn. 
One day, while out hunting, the prince encountered the harsh realities of life for the first time. He witnessed a sick man, an elderly man, a funeral procession, and a monk begging for alms. These scenes deeply affected him, prompting him to seek enlightenment regarding the suffering he had seen. Thus began his quest for understanding. For seven years, Gautama wandered in search of truth and finally sat beneath a peepal tree, vowing not to rise until he attained enlightenment. After seven days of meditation, he achieved enlightenment and renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree, symbolizing wisdom. From this point on, he began to teach and share his newfound insights, earning the title of Buddha, meaning the Awakened or the Enlightened One. The Buddha delivered his first sermon in the sacred city of Benares, situated along the River Ganges. This sermon, which we have preserved, reflects his profound wisdom on a particular type of suffering. It serves as a testament to his understanding of human existence and the path to liberation from suffering.

A poignant story within the chapter revolves around Kisa Gotami, a mother who experienced immense grief upon losing her only son. Desperate for a cure, she sought help from her neighbors, carrying her dead child to each household in search of medicine. Sadly, most people dismissed her as being out of her senses since death is an inevitable part of life. In her quest for a solution, Kisa Gotami met a man who directed her to the Buddha, known for his profound wisdom and healing abilities. Pleading with the Buddha to save her son, she was given a task. The Buddha requested a handful of mustard seeds but with a condition—they must come from a household untouched by the sorrow of losing a loved one. Driven by hope, Kisa Gotami went from house to house, asking for the mustard seeds. However, she soon realized that every family had experienced the pain of loss. 

This realization brought her face to face with the universal truth of mortality and the inevitability of death. As she sat by the wayside, contemplating the transient nature of life and the selfishness of her grief, Kisa Gotami underwent a profound transformation. She understood that death is a shared experience among all beings and that true liberation comes from relinquishing selfish desires and attachments. The Buddha’s teachings further elaborate on the nature of life and death, emphasizing the transient and painful aspects of human existence. He highlights the futility of excessive grieving and the necessity of accepting the impermanence of life. True peace, he suggests, can only be attained by letting go of sorrow and embracing a tranquil state of mind. In conclusion, the chapter delves into the core teachings of the Buddha, focusing on the universal truths of suffering, impermanence, and the path to liberation. Through the stories of Gautama Buddha and Kisa Gotami, readers are invited to reflect on the nature of existence and the profound wisdom that can lead to inner peace and enlightenment.

Theme/ Message

• The universality of suffering and the impermanence of life.
• The importance of letting go of selfishness and embracing selflessness.
• The inevitability of death and the transience of human existence.

Message:

• Through the story of Kisa Gotami, the narrative emphasizes the need to accept the natural cycle of life and death.
• The Buddha's teachings highlight the futility of excessive grief and the path to inner peace through detachment from worldly sorrows.
• The overarching message underscores the significance of overcoming selfish desires and embracing the universal truth of impermanence.

Difficult Words

1. Enlightenment: A state of high spiritual knowledge or awakening.
2. Sorrows: Feelings of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortunes.
3. Bodhi Tree: Tree of Wisdom under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment.
4. Pitied: Felt sorrow or sympathy for someone's suffering.
5. Desolation: A state of complete emptiness or destruction.
6. Immortality: The state of living forever; eternal life.
7. Mortals: Human beings subject to death; earthly inhabitants.
8. Lamentation: The passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.
9. Composed: Having one's feelings and expressions under control; calm and self-possessed.
10. Transience: The state of lasting only for a short time; impermanence.