NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter 8: The Sermon at Benares

Complete solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8 – “The Sermon at Benares” by Betty Renshaw: an original summary, theme and message, word meanings, and every textbook exercise (Thinking about the Text, Thinking about Language, Talk about it) answered in full. We keep each question exactly as printed in the NCERT book and add extra questions, MCQs and Assertion–Reason practice for exams.

Class: 10 Subject: English Book: First Flight Type: Prose (Chapter 8) Author: Betty Renshaw Session: 2026–27
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About the author

“The Sermon at Benares” is an extract introduced by Betty Renshaw, an American teacher and writer, in her well-known college textbook Values and Voices: A College Reader (1975). Renshaw frames the ancient teaching of Gautama Buddha for modern readers. The Buddha himself (563 B.C. – 483 B.C.) was born a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in northern India; after seeing sickness, old age, death and a begging monk, he renounced palace life, sought enlightenment under the Bodhi (peepal) tree, and preached his first sermon at Benares (Varanasi) on the banks of the Ganga.

Summary

The lesson opens with a short life-sketch of Gautama Buddha. Born a prince and shielded from suffering, Siddhartha was shaken at about twenty-five when he chanced upon a sick man, an old man, a funeral procession and a begging monk. Moved by these sights, he left his kingdom to find the meaning of human sorrow. He wandered for seven years and finally attained enlightenment under a peepal tree, which he renamed the Bodhi Tree. He then became the Buddha – “the Enlightened One” – and delivered his first sermon at the holy city of Benares.

The central story is that of Kisa Gotami, a woman whose only son had died. Mad with grief, she carried the dead child from house to house begging for medicine to bring him back. People thought she had lost her senses. At last a man directed her to the Buddha. The Buddha did not refuse her; instead he asked her to fetch a handful of mustard-seed – but only from a house where no one had ever lost a child, husband, parent or friend.

Kisa Gotami went from door to door, but in every home someone dear had died: “the living are few, but the dead are many.” Weary and hopeless, she sat by the wayside watching the city lights flicker up and die out, and understood that death is common to all. She realised how selfish her private grief had been. Returning, she heard the Buddha teach that mortal life is troubled and brief, that no one – young or old, wise or foolish – can escape death, and that weeping brings only more pain. The wise, knowing the nature of the world, do not grieve; only the one who draws out the arrow of grief and becomes composed wins true peace of mind.

Theme & message

The central theme is the universality of death and the futility of unending grief. Through Kisa Gotami’s search for the impossible mustard-seed, the Buddha gently teaches that loss is not personal but shared by all of humanity. Real peace comes not from denial or weeping but from acceptance and detachment – from “drawing out the arrow of lamentation.” The lesson urges the reader to overcome sorrow through wisdom, compassion and inner composure rather than through false hope.

Word meanings

Word / PhraseEnglish meaningHindi meaning
sermona religious or moral talkधर्मोपदेश
heretoforeuntil now; before thisइससे पहले
chanced uponcame across by chanceसंयोगवश मिल गया
almsmoney or food given to the poorभिक्षा, दान
enlightenmenta state of high spiritual knowledgeज्ञान / बोधि
vowedmade a solemn promiseप्रण लिया
dipping placesbathing ghats on a holy riverस्नान घाट
inscrutablesomething which cannot be understoodअबोध्य / रहस्यमय
griefdeep sorrowशोक, दुंख
physiciana doctorचिकित्सक
repaired (to)(stylistic) went toचली गई / पहुँची
procureto obtain or getप्राप्त करना
pitiedfelt sorrow or sympathy forदया की
wearyvery tired and exhaustedथका हुआ
flickeredburned unsteadily; shone faintlyटिमटिमाना
extinguishedput out; endedबुझ गया
desolationan area filled with deep sorrowविरानी / शून्यता
immortalitythe state of living foreverअमरत्व
mortalsthose bound to die; human beingsनश्वर प्राणी
kinsmenmembers of one’s family; relativesसगे-संबंधी
afflicted withaffected by suffering, disease or painग्रस्त / पीड़ित
lamentationexpression of sorrow; weeping aloudविलाप / शोक प्रकट करना
composedcalm and in control of oneselfशांत / धीर

Thinking about the Text

1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?

ANSWERWhen her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for a medicine that would cure (bring back to life) her dead child. She does not get it. This is because death has no medicine – no remedy can bring a dead person back to life. The people thought she had lost her senses, for the boy was already dead.

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?

ANSWERThe second time, on the Buddha’s advice, she asks for a handful of mustard-seed – but only from a house where no one had ever lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She does not get it. Every household had lost some loved one to death, so there was no house that could give her such mustard-seed. As the people told her, “the living are few, but the dead are many.”

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?

ANSWERThe second time, Kisa Gotami understands that death is common to all – no family in the world is untouched by it. She realises that her grief is not unique and that no one can escape death. Yes, this was exactly what the Buddha wanted her to understand. Instead of preaching to her directly, he made her discover this truth herself by sending her in search of the impossible mustard-seed.

4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?

ANSWERThe first time, Kisa Gotami was so overcome by personal grief that she could think only of her own loss; she was searching for medicine to undo death, which is impossible. The Buddha did not argue with her; he set her a task that led her, house by house, to see that death visits every home. Through this experience she changed from a grieving mother lost in selfish sorrow to a calmer person who accepts death as a universal truth. The Buddha thus replaced her false hope with wisdom and inner peace.

5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief’?

ANSWERUsually ‘selfishness’ means caring only about one’s own wishes and ignoring others. In its ordinary sense, a grieving mother is not selfish – her sorrow is natural and deserves sympathy. However, I agree with Kisa Gotami’s deeper insight: she calls herself ‘selfish’ because she had been thinking only of her own loss as if it were the greatest in the world, forgetting that every person suffers the same fate. Once she saw that death is common to all, she realised that mourning endlessly for oneself is a kind of selfishness, and that wisdom and detachment bring real peace.

Thinking about Language

I. This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.

Old-fashioned expressionIn current language
give thee medicine for thy childgive you medicine for your child
Pray tell mePlease tell me
Kisa repaired to the BuddhaKisa went to the Buddha
there was no house but someone had died in itthere was no house in which someone had not died
kinsmenrelatives / family members
Mark!Listen carefully! / Note this!

II. You know that we can combine sentences using words like and, or, but, yet and then. But sometimes no such word seems appropriate. In such a case we can use a semicolon (;) or a dash ( — ) to combine two clauses. … Here is a sentence from the text that uses semicolons to combine clauses. Break up the sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences?

ANSWEROriginal sentence: “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.”Broken into three simple sentences:1. There is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying.2. After reaching old age there is death.3. Of such a nature are living beings.Which reads better: The single sentence joined by semicolons has a better rhythm. The semicolons link the three closely related ideas into one flowing, solemn statement that suits the Buddha’s sermon, while the three separate sentences sound short and broken.

Talk about it

The Buddha’s sermon is over 2500 years old. Given below are two recent texts on the topic of grief [‘A Guide to Coping with the Death of a Loved One’ and Amitai Etzioni’s ‘Good Grief’]. Read the texts, comparing them with each other and with the Buddha’s sermon. Do you think the Buddha’s ideas and way of teaching continue to hold meaning for us? Or have we found better ways to deal with grief? Discuss this in groups or in class.

ANSWER (points for discussion)How they are alike: All three texts accept that grief is natural and that loss is a part of human life. The Buddha says “death is common to all”; the modern guide lists common feelings of grief; Etzioni too writes that “there is no set form for grief.”How they differ: The Buddha urges acceptance and detachment – we should draw out “the arrow of lamentation” and become composed. The modern guide describes grief scientifically (sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, loneliness) and advises support and patience. Etzioni rejects fixed ‘stages’ of grief and finds comfort in doing things for one another – keeping busy and supporting the bereaved.Do the Buddha’s ideas still hold meaning? Yes. His central truth – that death is universal and that endless grieving brings only more pain – remains valid even today. Modern approaches add emotional support, counselling and community help, which are valuable too. So we have not really replaced the Buddha’s wisdom; we have added gentler, more practical ways of coping alongside it. (Share your own view in class.)

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Who was Gautama Buddha before he gained enlightenment?

ANSWERBefore enlightenment he was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, born in northern India. He grew up shielded from suffering, married a princess and lived a royal life for ten years before renouncing it to seek the truth about sorrow.

2. What four sights changed the Prince’s life?

ANSWERWhile out hunting, the Prince chanced upon a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights of suffering moved him so deeply that he left the palace to seek enlightenment.

3. Why did the Buddha ask for mustard-seed from a particular kind of house?

ANSWERHe asked for mustard-seed only from a house where no one had ever lost a loved one so that Kisa Gotami herself would discover, by going from door to door, that death touches every family and that her grief was not unique.

4. What did Kisa Gotami realise as she watched the city lights?

ANSWERWatching the lights flicker up and go out, she realised that human lives are like those lights – they too flare up and are extinguished. She understood that death is common to all and felt how selfish her private grief had been.

5. According to the Buddha, how can a person gain true peace of mind?

ANSWERThe Buddha says that weeping and grieving only increase pain. A person gains peace of mind by drawing out “the arrow of lamentation, complaint and grief” and becoming composed. One who overcomes all sorrow becomes free from sorrow and is blessed.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. How does the Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth about death without preaching to her directly?

ANSWERWhen Kisa Gotami begs for medicine to revive her dead son, the Buddha does not scold her or lecture her about death. Instead, he gives her a task: to bring a handful of mustard-seed from a house where no one has ever lost a child, husband, parent or friend. As she goes from house to house, she finds that every home has known death – “the living are few, but the dead are many.” Through this personal experience she discovers for herself that death is universal and that her grief is shared by all. This indirect method makes the truth her own realisation, giving her lasting wisdom and inner peace.

7. “The Sermon at Benares teaches acceptance rather than escape from sorrow.” Discuss with reference to the Buddha’s words.

ANSWERThe Buddha does not promise an escape from death or sorrow; instead he teaches acceptance of life as it is. He says the life of mortals is “troubled and brief and combined with pain,” and that no one – young or old, wise or foolish – can avoid death. He compares mortals to ripe fruits in danger of falling and to earthen pots that must break. He warns that weeping and lamenting only make a person sick and pale without saving the dead. True relief comes from drawing out the arrow of grief and becoming composed. Thus the sermon urges calm acceptance and detachment, not denial or false hope, as the path to lasting peace.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. What was Gautama Buddha’s name as a prince?

(a) Sakyamuni   (b) Siddhartha Gautama   (c) Kisa Gotami   (d) Ananda

2. At what age did the Prince first encounter the sufferings of the world?

(a) About twelve   (b) About sixteen   (c) About twenty-five   (d) About forty

3. Under which tree did the Buddha attain enlightenment?

(a) A banyan tree   (b) A peepal tree   (c) A mango tree   (d) A neem tree

4. The Buddha preached his first sermon at:

(a) Bodh Gaya   (b) Lumbini   (c) Benares   (d) Kapilavastu

5. The word ‘Buddha’ means:

(a) the King   (b) the Awakened or Enlightened   (c) the Healer   (d) the Wanderer

6. What did Kisa Gotami carry from house to house at first?

(a) Mustard-seed   (b) Her dead son   (c) A lamp   (d) Medicine

7. The Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of:

(a) rice   (b) gold   (c) mustard-seed   (d) flowers

8. The mustard-seed had to come from a house where:

(a) no one had lost a loved one   (b) a king lived   (c) a physician lived   (d) no one was poor

9. What did Kisa Gotami finally understand?

(a) Mustard-seed is rare   (b) Death is common to all   (c) Her son was alive   (d) The Buddha was a doctor

10. According to the Buddha, peace of mind is gained by:

(a) weeping for the dead   (b) drawing out the arrow of grief and becoming composed   (c) searching for medicine   (d) leaving the city

Answer key: 1-(b)   2-(c)   3-(b)   4-(c)   5-(b)   6-(b)   7-(c)   8-(a)   9-(b)   10-(b)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Kisa Gotami could not find the mustard-seed the Buddha asked for.

Reason (R): Every house she visited had lost some loved one to death.

ANSWER(a) Both true, and R correctly explains A – since death had touched every home, no house could give the required seed.

2. Assertion (A): The Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to fetch a handful of mustard-seed.

Reason (R): The mustard-seed itself was the medicine that could bring her son back to life.

ANSWER(c) A is true – the Buddha did ask for mustard-seed; but R is false, because the seed was not a medicine. It was a means to make her realise that death is common to all.

3. Assertion (A): The Buddha taught that weeping cannot save the dead.

Reason (R): He said grief only makes a person sick and pale without bringing back the lost one.

ANSWER(a) Both true, and R correctly explains A – the Buddha taught that lamentation increases pain and does not save the dead.

4. Assertion (A): The Prince left his royal life to seek enlightenment.

Reason (R): The sights of a sick man, an old man, a funeral and a monk moved him deeply.

ANSWER(a) Both true, and R correctly explains A – these four sights of suffering drove him to renounce the palace and seek the truth.

5. Assertion (A): Kisa Gotami realised that her grief was selfish.

Reason (R): She understood that death is common to all and not her loss alone.

ANSWER(a) Both true, and R correctly explains A – seeing that everyone suffers loss, she recognised that mourning only her own grief was selfish.
A–R key: 1-(a)   2-(c)   3-(a)   4-(a)   5-(a)

 

Exam tips

• Remember the four sights (sick man, old man, funeral, begging monk) that led Siddhartha to renounce his kingdom – this is a frequent short-answer question.

• The mustard-seed condition (“from a house where no one has ever died”) is the heart of the story – learn it word-for-word in meaning.

• Quote the Buddha’s key idea – “draw out the arrow of lamentation” – to score full marks in long answers on grief and acceptance.

• In value-based answers, link the theme to acceptance, compassion and the universality of death.

FAQs

Who is the author of ‘The Sermon at Benares’?

The extract is introduced by Betty Renshaw in her textbook Values and Voices: A College Reader (1975). It presents the first sermon of Gautama Buddha.

Why did Kisa Gotami go from house to house?

First she went begging for medicine to revive her dead son; later, on the Buddha’s advice, she went seeking mustard-seed from a home that had never known death.

What is the main message of the chapter?

Death is common to all living beings, and endless grief only adds to pain. True peace comes from accepting loss and overcoming sorrow with composure.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT First Flight textbook; the summary, word meanings and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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