THE SERMON AT BENARES

I. Answer the following in 40-50 words:

a. What ‘sorrows’ did Siddharth Gautama chance to see? What effect did they have on
him?
During his early life, Siddhartha Gautama lived a royal and luxurious life and was
shielded from the sufferings of the world. But when he was twenty five, while going
for hunting one day, he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and
finally, a monk begging for alms. Thus he was exposed to the sufferings of the world.
These sights moved him such a lot that he gave up all worldly pleasures and went out
into the world to seek enlightenment. He finally attained salvation under a peepal
tree at Bodhgaya and thus became Buddha.
b. Gotami comes to Buddha with a hope and that hope rises further when she meets
him. However it is shattered when she goes from door to door on his bidding. Why?
With lots of hopes Kisa Gotami visits Gautama Buddha and he asks her to procure a
handful of mustard seeds from a house where death has never knocked at the door.
She becomes happy and hopeful as she feels that procuring mustard seeds wouldn’t
be a problem. Gotami goes from door to door but is not able to find a single house
where death has not taken a beloved family member away. Thus she fails to procure
mustard seeds. Her futile attempt helped her realize the truth of life –No one can
escape the cycle of life. She also realises that death is inevitable and anyone who is
born is bound to die one day.
c. According to the Buddha, why do the wise not grieve?
According to Gautama Buddha, the world is affected by suffering, death, and decay.
Not from weeping nor from grieving, will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the
contrary, his pain will be the greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself
sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. Therefore, the wise do
not mourn, knowing the terms of the world. He who seeks peace should draw out
the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief.
4.Answer the following question in 100-120 words:
Weeping and grieving only compound human pain and suffering. Discuss with special
reference to ‘The Sermon at Benares’.
The above-said statement holds true concerning today’s life as well. Buddha said that death
is common to all mortals. Those who are born must die one day. Death is certain, can’t be
avoided. As ripe fruits fall off the trees, so is the life of mortals. Life of a man is like an
earthen pot that breaks and meets its end. No amount of weeping and lamenting can bring
the dead back to life. So, wise men don’t grieve. They understand that it is the law of the
world. Weeping and lamenting produce no gains. It rather spoils one’s health and gives more
pain. Only if you take out the arrow of lamentation and get composed, you will get peace of
mind.