The Sermon at Benares Class 10 English Exam Questions

Please refer to The Sermon at Benares Class 10 English Exam Questions provided below. These questions and answers for Class 10 English have been designed based on the past trend of questions and important topics in your class 10 English books. You should go through all Class 10 English Important Questions provided by our teachers which will help you to get more marks in upcoming exams.

Class 10 English Exam Questions The Sermon at Benares

Class 10 English students should read and understand the important questions and answers provided below for The Sermon at Benares which will help them to understand all important and difficult topics.

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. What made Gautama Buddha seek enlightenment?
Ans. At the age of twenty-five, Gautama Buddha went out for hunting. Till then he had been shielded from the sufferings of the world. While out for hunt, he saw a sick man, an aged man and a funeral procession. Finally, he saw a monk begging for alms. The suffering of these people made him seek enlightenment in the outer world.

Question. How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a normal process?
Ans. Kisa Gotami was devastated by the death of her only son. When, Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where people had not lost aloved one to death, her futile search for such a house made her realise the bitter truth that everything in this world is subject to death. She eventually realised that life and death is a normal process and is common to all.

Question. Who according to Buddha will obtain peace?
Ans. According to Buddha, he who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, complaint and grief from his chest. He, who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed, will obtain peace of mind.

Question. What did Gautama Buddha do after he became a beggar?
Ans. He felt sick and worthless due to the suffering the world was going through. He went out into the world to seek enlightenment which was concerned with the sorrows of the world. He wandered for seven years. Finally, he sat down under a fig tree. He vowed to stay under the tree until enlightenment came. He got it after seven days. He renamed it the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom).

Question. When and where was Gautama Buddha born? Why did he decide to leave the palace?
Ans. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. in northern India. For some time, Buddha was kept away from all the sorrows of life. Once he saw a sick man, a beggar, an aged man and a funeral procession. He realised that the world was full of sorrow. He wanted to attain knowledge about the ways of life. So, he decided to leave the palace to get enlightened.

Question. What was Gautam Buddha’s life before he became Buddha?
Ans. Buddha was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for being schooled in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later, he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty.

Question. What is the fate of living beings as per Gautama Buddha?
Ans. The fate of living beings as per Gautama Buddha is pre-decided and inevitable. It is that the living beings are to die after reaching a certain age. In fact, everyone has to die some day or the other. This is the real life cycle. Those who are born have to die one day. As all earthen vessels made by the potter break, so does the life of mortals end when they reach a certain age and fulfill their purpose of life.

Question. How does Kisa compare the city lights to the fate of men?
Ans. Kisa considered the fate of men like the city lights that flicker up in the evening and are extinguished again. Similarly, the lives of men also flicker and then are extinguished.

Question. What kind of suffering is reflected in the sermon?
Ans. Grief over the death of a loved one is the main theme of this sermon. People fail to understand that death is common to all. All mortals have to die one day. There is no use of lamenting. One does not get peace of mind unless one overcomes the sorrows.

Question. Why did Kisa Gotami come to Gautama Buddha?
Ans. Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. She was a simplehearted woman. She didn’t understand anything about life and death. So she took her dead child to her neighbours for medicines to bring him back from death. A man told her to go to Gautama the Buddha. He said that Buddha would do something to revive her dead child.

Question. Who do not grieve as the world is afflicted with death and decay?
Ans. The world undergoes the cycle of life and death. Anything that is born has to die one day. It is afflicted with death and decay. No one can save the other from death. But the wise men do not grieve. They know the terms and nature of the world.

Question. Why did the Buddha choose Benares to preach his first sermon?
Ans. Benares is the most holy destination along the River Ganges, which is usually crowded with pilgrims who come to get a dip, thus, getting rid of their sorrows and sufferings. Buddha’s aim was to lessen the suffering of human so, he chose Benares to preach his first sermon.

Question. Why did Kisa Gotami come to Gautama Buddha?
Ans. Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. She was a simplehearted woman. She didn’t understand anything about life and death. So she took her dead child to her neighbours for medicines to bring him back from death. A man told her to go to Gautama the Buddha. He said that Buddha would do something to revive her dead child. 8. What is the fate of living beings as per Gautama Buddha?
Ans. The fate of living beings as per Gautama Buddha is pre-decided and inevitable. It is that the living beings are to die after reaching a certain age. In fact, everyone has to die some day or the other. This is the real life cycle. Those who are born have to die one day. As all earthen vessels made by the potter break, so does the life of mortals end when they reach a certain age and fulfill their purpose of life.

Question. How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a normal process?
Ans. Kisa Gotami was devastated by the death of her only son. When, Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where people had not lost aloved one to death, her futile search for such a house made her realise the bitter truth that everything in this world is subject to death. She eventually realised that life and death is a normal process and is common to all.

Question. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings. (a) Who is ‘He’ here? Why did ‘he’ wander for seven years?
(b) After the enlightenment, what did he come to be known as?
Ans. (a) He is Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of a large kingdom in North India. Once on a hunt, he came across the harsher truths of life, sickness, old age and death. Disillusioned with his luxurious life, he left his kingdom and wandered for seven years to find the meaning of life.
(b) Once he sat under the Bodhi tree, he remained there till he found enlightenment. Once he understood the true meaning of life, he began preaching to people and came to be called Buddha.

Question. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans. When Kisa Gotami’s son died, she went from house to house, and asked for some medicine that would cure her child.
No, she did not get it because her child was dead and no medicine could have brought him back to life.

Question. According to Buddha, who are wise men?
Ans. According to Buddha, wise men are those people who never complain or lament over their loss. They accept the truth and move on such people are calm and composed. They lead a blessed and peaceful life.

Question. 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. After talking to Lord Buddha, Kisa Gotami again went house to house to get mustard seed from a family wherein no one has died.
No, Kisa Gotami could not get anything because there is no person or family in the world wherein there has been no death. Everyone has faced the loss of a beloved member.

Question. Do you think being enlightened placed a far greater responsibility on the Buddha than being king would have? Justify your stance.
Ans. Yes, enlightenment placed far greater responsibilities than being a king would have on Buddha. As a king, he was more concerned with the physical well-being of only his countrymen but now he had an obligation to take care of the whole of humanity.
As Buddha, he owed the responsibility of preaching and educating the people about the truth that he had realised.

Question. According to Kisa Gotami, what is the greatest grief of life?
Ans. According to Kisa Gotami, the greatest grief in life is the death of one’s loved ones. Therefore, instead of lamenting on it, the wise should accept the truth of death. Weeping will only increase the pain and disturb the peace of mind of a person.

Question. What do you know about the early life of Buddha?
Ans. The early life of Buddha was filled with royal pleasure and happiness. Lord Buddha was born in a royal family as Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling in Hindu sacred scriptures. Four years later, he got married to a princess and had a son.

Question. 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. Kisa Gotami understood the second time that death is common to all. She understood that she was being selfish in her grief. There was no house where some beloved had not died.
Yes, this was what the Buddha wanted her to understand.

Question. Elucidate any one quality that Siddhartha demonstrated when he gave up his status and family. Explain your choice.
Ans. Siddhartha demonstrated compassion, kindness and his determination in his decision to leave behind his family and prince hood. He felt sympathetic towards others. He was disturbed to see people’s sufferings and wanted to find out a solution to eradicate their sufferings and diseases.

Question. How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a process?
Ans. Kisa Gotami realised that life and death is a normal process when she went from house to house but was unable to find one house where nobody had died. It was when she sat down that she realised that death is common to everyone. Those who are born will die one day.

Question. What was the effect of observing the sufferings of the world on Buddha?
Ans. The sights of suffering sick man, old man, funeral process and a beggar had a deep impact on Buddha. He was so affected by the sufferings that he at once left his royal life in search of enlightenment and an understanding of the world around him.

Question. What did the Buddha do after he had attained enlightenment?
Ans. After the Buddha had attained enlightenment, he started teaching and sharing his new understandings. He spread his preachings far and wide so that people could come to know the truth. He wanted people to understand the world so that they could live peacefully.

Question. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief ’?
Ans. I usually understand the idea of selfishness as being concerned only about one’s own interests. I also understand it to mean showing complete disregard for others’ interests.
Yes, I agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief ’. In her son’s death, she was unable to see that death is something that strikes all living beings.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Through ‘The Sermon at Benares’, the Buddha preached that death is inevitable and we need to overcome the suffering and pain that follows. Based on your reading of the lesson, write how one should cope with the death of a loved one.
Ans. Everything we need to achieve has to undergo pain and suffering. We must let go of grief, sorrow and even the fear of death to step out into the world to achieve something. World is afflicted with death and decay, nothing is spared and no one can avoid it. If we fear or grieve over the death of our loved one, it will not lessen our sorrow nor will the person come back to life, in fact, we will end up spoiling our own health and losing our peace of mind. Surrendering selfishness and leading a virtuous life is the safest option.

Question. What truth of life does Gautama, the Buddha give out in his first sermon? What moral teaching does he preach about the truths or sufferings of life?
Ans. Buddha said in his first sermon that human life is brief. It is troubled and painful. There is no means by which one can avoid dying. Both young and adult, fools or wise fall prey to death. One will not be able to obtain peace of mind from weeping or grieving. On the contrary, his pain will increase and his body will suffer. One who seeks peace of mind shall find it only if he overcomes all sorrows. The wise know the truth of life which says that those who are born are to die one day. So one shouldn’t grieve on deaths.

Question. What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn the second time that she had failed to learn the first time?
Ans. The poet wants to regain the qualities of animals as in, animals are natural and do not adapt to material goods like human beings do. This natural aspect of animals has helped them maintain their values. Humans, in order to possess more and more, have forgotten their kindness and innocence. Animals do not complain about their situation, they are considered to be happier than humans. Animals live in natural surroundings, they accept their natural lives. Humans, on the other hand, have never accepted nature, i.e., they complain about it and try to change it, leading to an unhappy life. Animals are free from any possession and are also free from sins, worries and complaints. The poet desires to imbibe these selfless and natural qualities of animals.

Question. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes through a period of grief in her life. How does she behave in those circumstances? What lesson does a reader learn from the story of her life? Give any two points how you would like to act in the midst of adverse circumstances.
Ans. Kisa Gotami’s only son had died. Grief-stricken, she went about asking people for medicine to revive her dead son. At the behest of a man, she went to the Buddha who said he would cure her son only if she could gather some mustard seeds from a house where no death had ever occurred. After knocking several door and being unsuccessful, she realised that death was common to all and it could not be avoided. No one can save anyone, so, weeping over a dead soul was fruitless. It was wise to stop grieving and accept the truth.
Grieving over what is lost would only cause pain and suffering and doing that too, cannot bring one back to life. Accept life as it comes, be grateful and live it to the fullest with peace of mind and good health.

Question. What does the Buddha make Gotami understand and how?
Ans. When Kisa Gotami came to him looking for a medicine to bring her dead son back to life, Buddha realised that she did not understand the truth about life and death. If he would have lectured her that time she must have not understand the philosophy of life. So, he wished to practically teach her the truth about life the way he himself had learnt it. He sent her looking for mustard seeds from a house where no one had died. On not finding such a house, Gotami realised what Buddha was trying to make her understand. She understood that death is common to all and in her grief she was being selfish in believing that only she had to face such grief. She understood that to obtain peace, one has to accept death as a part of our being.

Question. The sight of a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk made Siddhartha leave his home and go out in search of enlightenment. What lesson about life do you learn from this episode?
Ans. Siddhartha lived a life full of luxuries till the age of twenty-five. Once when he went outside to hunt, he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and finally, a monk begging for alms. The sight moved Siddhartha so much that he left the home and went in search of enlightenment. The incident revealed an inevitable truth i.e., life is short. Beauty, riches, comforts, etc., are all transitory and will vanish one day. If we all understand this fact and work towards making our life valuable for others, there would be no fight, grudges and pain. When somebody does wrong, he/she forgets that one day they are going to be punished for their wrong deeds. In our trouble, we should have faith in God to struggle in life and wait for good times to come.

Question. “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain….” With this statement of the Buddha, find out the moral value that Kisa Gotami learnt after the death of her child.
Ans. Kisa Gotami learnt that death and suffering are the part and parcel of life. Nothing is everlasting and one has to accept this truth in the hour of grief. In order to detach themselves from the worldly life and the farsightedness to gain peace of mind, one must remain calm and composed. Weeping and grieving does not bring peace of mind but only pain, which affects the body. People who are wise, never complaint or lament over their loss. They accept the truth and are blessed with it. So, the wisdom lies in the fact that people should not get distressed with pain, suffering or death.

Question. How can one attain peace? Does the lesson teach you something? Explain in your own words the theme of the lesson.
Ans. One can attain peace by renunciation, i.e., by giving up all material gains. Too much affinity to material gains brings grief, one cannot even sleep, pondering over how to attain one’s material gains like amassing one’s fortune, conquering countries, enriching one’s property. One who can overcome one’s greed, grief and lust can obtain peace of mind.
This lesson, taught us Buddha’s Sermon. The sermon teaches us that we all are mortals, so we will die one day. We should not grieve, nor should we crave for material gains. Surrender of our selfishness, lust and grief leads us to the path of immortality. Life is short, men are mortal and everything is transitory. So, we should be free from sorrow. Path to enlightenment is to surrender all material gains and draw out the arrow of lamentation, complaints and grief from one’s chest.

Question. “Personal losses are a part of life. Instead of wailing on them, we should move on in life.” This message of Gautama Buddha has become more relevant in modern times. What do you think? Comment.
Ans. Every one of us has had our fair share of personal loses in our lives. But like Gautama Buddha said, ‘Instead of wailing on them, we should move on in life’ It is such a good advice that we must all learn to abide by it. It is always hard when you lose your loved ones but there’s nothing we can do. Humans are mortal and we have to face this reality sooner or later. Most people cling on to their dearly beloved of the past, even long after they are gone. This is more common nowadays and it leads to depression which is a serious mental health issue. This may lead to the worst as well i.e., death. Though it is easier said than done, we all must move on in life. I think the advice is appropriate.

Question. Why did Gotami go to the Buddha? What lesson did he teach her?
Ans. Kisa Gotami was a young woman who belonged to a wealthy family. She was married to a merchant. When her one-year old child fell ill and died, she was grief-stricken and couldn’t bear his death. She took her dead child in her arms and went door to door begging everyone to tell the way to get her child back to life. Nobody helped her and instead thought her to be crazy but she didn’t give up. Then she came across a Buddhist who suggested her to meet Buddha as only he could help him. That’s why Gotami went to Buddha.
Buddha taught her the lesson of life and truth. When she told Buddha the whole story, he listened to it with patience and asked her to collect mustard seeds from house where no one had ever died. She went from house to house but she couldn’t find a signle house where no one had ever died. Ultimately, she understood what Buddha had been trying to explain her that suffering is inevitable and in this way, she realised that death is the ultimate truth and one has to meet his destined end one day, no one can avoid it. So, she took her child away and became Buddha’s follower.

Question. What lesson on death and suffering did the Buddha teach Gotami in the chapter, “The Sermon at Benares’?
Ans. In his Sermon at Benares, Buddha taught Gotami that the life of mortals is brief, troubled and combined with pain. Death is common for all, it cannot be avoided. He compares human life to ripe fruits that eventually decay or as earthen vessels that breaks someday. Neither a father nor his kinsmen can save anyone. Weeping or grieving cannot bring back the dead to life nor bring peace of mind but can only cause pain and suffering to the grieving body.
One should accept death without lamentation, complaint and overcome sorrow and grief thus bringing peace of mind, which is a blessing.

Question. Through ‘The Sermon at Benares’, the Buddha preached that death is inevitable and we need to overcome the suffering and pain that follows. Based on your reading of the lesson, write how one should cope with the death of a loved one.
Ans. Everything we need to achieve has to undergo pain and suffering. We must let go of grief, sorrow and even the fear of death to step out into the world to achieve something. World is afflicted with death and decay, nothing is spared and no one can avoid it. If we fear or grieve over the death of our loved one, it will not lessen our sorrow nor will the person come back to life, in fact, we will end up spoiling our own health and losing our peace of mind. Surrendering selfishness and leading a virtuous life is the safest option.

Question. “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain….” With this statement of the Buddha, find out the moral value that Kisa Gotami learnt after the death of her child.
Ans. Kisa Gotami learnt that death and suffering are the part and parcel of life. Nothing is everlasting and one has to accept this truth in the hour of grief. In order to detach themselves from the worldly life and the farsightedness to gain peace of mind, one must remain calm and composed. Weeping and grieving does not bring peace of mind but only pain, which affects the body. People who are wise, never complaint or lament over their loss. They accept the truth and are blessed with it. So, the wisdom lies in the fact that people should not get distressed with pain, suffering or death.

Question. Through the story of Kisa Gotami what did the Buddha try to preach to the common man?
Ans. The lesson on death and suffering that Buddha taught Gotami was that, these are part and parcel of life. No one can avoid this truth. One has to meet one’s destined end one day. Whoever has come into this world will die one day. Thus, in the hour of grief for a loved one who has died, one must remain calm and composed. Then one doesn’t occupy himself with grief. Otherwise, they will feel the pain more.
However, those persons who are wise never complain or lament over their loss. They never try to bring back to life their loved ones who are dead, as Gotami wanted to do. They accept the truth and overcome their sorrow. Persons who overcome their sorrow will be blessed. So, wisdom is in the fact that people should not get distressed with pain, suffering or death.

Question. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes through a period of grief in her life.
How does she behave in those circumstances?
or
Why did Gotami go to the Buddha? What lesson did he teach her?
or
How did the Buddha make Kisa Gotami realise the reality of death?
Ans. After the death of Kisa Gotami’s only child, she became very sad. She carried her dead child to her neighbours in order to get medicine to bring him to life. Her neighbours thought that she had gone insane as she was unable to accept the fact that her child is dead. It was then that someone suggested her to meet Gautama Buddha. When she met Gautama Buddha, he gave her an exercise to do. She was asked to collect mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died. She went from one house to another but was unable to find a single house in the town where no one had died. This way she realised that death is a part of life and anyone who is born is bound to die one day.
Thus, Buddha changed her understanding of death by this exercise. Buddha told her that only the wise do not grieve and they accept the reality. Mourning brings only pain and sufferings to the body. One, who is composed, obtains peace of mind and will be free from sorrow and be blessed. This gave her strength to overcome grief.

Question. What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn the second time that she had failed to learn the first time?
Ans. Kisa Gotami had lost her only son and in grief, she carried her dead son to all her neighbours to get him cured and restored back to life. Finally, she went to the Buddha asking him for medicine to cure her boy. The Buddha felt that she needed to be enlightened about the truth of life that death and sorrow are inseperable.
He could see that grief had blinded her, and it would be difficult for her to accept the truth. So, the Buddha told her to procure mustard seeds from a house where none had died. Kisa Gotami went door to door. Then, she realised that there was no house where no one had died and that death is common to all.
She came back to the Buddha where he told her that life in this world is troubled and filled with sorrows. He gave her examples of ripe fruits and earthen vessels whose ‘lives’ are short. This way he made her realise the second time that death is unavoidable and none even the near and dear ones can save anyone from death.

Question. Describe the journey of Siddhartha Gautama becoming the Buddha.
Ans. Gautama Buddha was born in 563 BC in a royal family. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling. He studied all the sacred Hindu scriptures. At the age of sixteen, he married a princess and later they had a son. He lived a royal life for ten years and was shielded from the sufferings of the world.
However, when he was twenty five, he saw a sick man, then an aged man and a funeral procession. Finally, he came across a monk begging for alms. This was his first encounter with the harsh realities of life. These sights made him so sad that he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He left his family and became a monk. He went out into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.
Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down under a big peepal tree to mediate. He vowed to stay there until he got enlightenment. After seven days, Gautama got enlightenment. He became known as ‘The Buddha’ which means ‘enlightened’ or ‘the awakened’. He began to teach and spread his message of wisdom and truth.

Extract Based Questions :

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
The Buddha preached his first sermon at the city of Benares, most holy of the dipping places on the River Ganges; that sermon has been preserved and is given here. It reflects the Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.
(i) Where did Buddha preach his first sermon?
(ii) What does the sermon preached by Buddha reflect?
(iii) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘impossible to understand’.
(iv) How Benares is described in the lesson?
(v) What do you understand by the term Buddha?
Ans. (i) Buddha preached his first sermon at Benares.
(ii) It reflects Buddha’s wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering.
(iii) ‘Inscrutable’ from the extract means ‘impossible to understand’.
(iv) Benares is described in the lesson as the holiest of the dipping places on the river Ganges.
(v) Buddha means the awakened or the enlightened.

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree and began to teach and to share his new understandings. At that point he became known as the Buddha.
(i) What was the name of the peepal tree under which Buddha sat?
(ii) What did Siddhartha do while sitting under the tree?
(iii) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘solemnly promise to do a specified thing’.
(iv) After how many days Siddhartha got enlightenment?
(v) Siddhartha come to known as ………… after enlightenment.
Ans. (i) The name of the peepal tree under which Buddha sat was Bodhi Tree.
(ii) Siddhartha began to teach and share his new understandings while sitting under the tree.
(iii) ‘Vowed’ from the extract means ‘solemnly promise to do a specific thing’.
(iv) Siddhartha got enlightenment after seven days of his vow that he would sit until enlightenment came.
(v) Siddhartha came to know as Gautama Buddha after enlightenment.