The Sermon at Benares - Q&A

Activity (Page 111)

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 (as in "my mother's sermon about getting my work done on time...")?

A sermon is a talk on a religious or moral subject, typically given during a church service or by a religious leader. Yes, it is different from a lecture (which is usually academic) or a casual talk. Yes, the word can be used in a negative way or as a joke to describe a long or tedious moral lecture or reproof, especially from a parent.

2. Find out the meanings of the words and phrases given in the box.

afflicted with: suffering from or affected by (a problem, pain, or disease).
be composed: to be calm and in control of one's feelings.
lamentation: the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.
desolation: a state of complete emptiness or destruction; deep sorrow or loneliness.
procure: to obtain or get something, especially with care or effort.
be subject to: likely to be affected by or to experience something (usually negative).

3. Have you heard of the Sermon on the Mount? Who delivered it? Who do you think delivered a sermon at Benares?

Yes, the Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings credited to Jesus Christ. The sermon at Benares was delivered by Gautama Buddha.

Thinking about the Text (Page 113)

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

When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for medicine to cure her child. No, she does not get it. She does not get it because her son is dead, and there is no medicine that can bring a dead person back to life. People thought she had lost her senses.

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?

The second time, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for a handful of mustard seeds. However, the condition was that the seeds must come from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent, or friend. No, she does not get it. She fails to get it because she could not find a single house where no beloved one had died; death is common to all.

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?

The second time, Kisa Gotami understands that death is common to all and that she was being selfish in her grief. She realized that men's lives flicker up and are extinguished, and there is no way to avoid death. Yes, this is exactly what the Buddha wanted her to understand—that suffering and death are part of the natural order and one must accept them to find peace.

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

Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time because the Buddha's condition (finding a house with no death) forced her to witness the universality of grief firsthand. Instead of simply preaching to her, the Buddha gave her a task that made her realize the truth through her own experience. This practical lesson shifted her focus from her personal loss to the shared human condition of mortality.

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

'Selfishness' is usually understood as caring only about one's own needs or wishes without thought for others. Yes, I agree that Kisa Gotami was being 'selfish in her grief' in the sense that she was so wrapped up in her own sorrow that she wanted to change the law of nature (death) just for her son, forgetting that everyone else also suffers the loss of loved ones.

Thinking about Language (Page 114)

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.

1. give thee medicine for thy child

give you medicine for your child

2. Pray tell me

Please tell me

3. Kisa repaired to the Buddha

Kisa went to the Buddha

4. there was no house but someone had died in it

there wasn't a single house where someone had not died / everyone had lost a family member

5. kinsmen

relatives / family members

6. Mark!

Listen! / Pay attention!

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?

For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.

Three simple sentences:
1. There is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying.
2. After reaching old age there is death.
3. Of such a nature are living beings.

Comparison: The single sentence using semicolons has a better rhythm. It flows more smoothly and connects the related ideas of birth, aging, and nature into a continuous thought, whereas the separate sentences feel choppy and disjointed.

Writing (Page 116)

Write a page (about three paragraphs) on one of the following topics. You can think about the ideas in the text that are relevant to these topics, and add your own ideas and experiences to them.

1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea

2. Helping each other to get over difficult times

3. Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others

(Sample Answer for Topic 1: Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea)

Teaching someone a difficult truth often requires more than just words; it requires experience. In the story of Kisa Gotami, the Buddha did not simply tell her that "death is inevitable." He knew that a grieving mother, blinded by pain, would not accept a philosophical lecture. Instead, he used a practical method of discovery. By asking her to find a house untouched by death, he allowed her to learn the truth for herself. This suggests that the best way to teach a difficult idea is to guide the learner to find the answer on their own.

In our own lives, we often face similar situations. For example, telling a child that "fire is hot" might not be as effective as letting them feel the warmth from a safe distance. When we want someone to understand a complex or painful concept, providing them with an activity or a perspective that relates to their personal experience is powerful. It shifts the learning from passive listening to active realization.

Therefore, teaching is not just about transferring information; it is about creating an environment where understanding can dawn. Patience and empathy are key. Just as the Buddha waited for Kisa Gotami to return from her hopeless search to teach her the lesson of mortality, we must allow others the time and space to process new ideas and come to terms with them in their own way.