Class X English (First Flight) Chapter

Sermon at Benaras

The key to enlightenment is the way of the Buddha

Introduction

The Sermon at Benares throws light upon the early life of Lord Buddha who was originally born as a prince in the royal family. On being exposed to the sufferings of the world which he was earlier shielded from, he left his prince hood and went in search of salvation thus leaving all the worldly pleasures behind. Upon attaining spiritual awakening, he gave his first sermon in the city of Benares hereby making a lady named Kisa Gotami realise that men are mortal and a wise person should not grieve at what is bound to happen for it only enhances pain and suffering.

About the Characters

Buddha- Gautama Buddha is the founder of the Buddhist Religion. He was a spiritual teacher who had gained enlightenment after seeing the World’s pains and greed.

Kisa Gotami- She was a young mother whose only son had died. She was a loving and caring mother, but at the same time, she became selfish and wanted to get her son back after death

The Sermon at Benares- Summary

Gautam Buddha (563 B.C to 483 B.C) was a prince. His parents had named him Siddhartha Gautama. He had been shielded from the sufferings of the world. When he was twelve years old, he was sent to a far away place to study Hindu sacred scriptures and upon returning four years later, he got married to a princess. Soon, they both had a son and they continued to live the royal life for about ten years. The royals were shielded from all the unpleasant experiences of the world until one day, on his way to hunt, the Prince met a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms. These experiences acted as eye-openers for him and thus, he left all the royalty behind to seek a higher sense of spiritual knowledge. Upon attaining salvation, he began preaching. He gave his first sermon in the city of Benares. There was a lady named Kisa Gotami whose son had died. Suffering from unending pain, she went from house to house looking for a medicine to bring her son back to life. People started thinking that the lady had lost her senses. One day, she met a man who directed her towards Lord Buddha who could possibly have a solution for her problem. Buddha asked her to look for mustard seeds and the seeds must be procured from a house that had seen no death. Reinstated with hope, Kisa Gotami once again went on a search from house to house but to her dismay, she could not find mustard seeds from a house that would fulfill Buddha’s condition. Disheartened, she sat at the edge of the road thus realising how selfish she had been. She became conscious of the fact that men were mortal and no one could escape the cycle of life. This was exactly what Buddha wanted her to understand. According to Lord Buddha, feelings of grief and sorrow only increases man’s pain and suffering thus, deteriorating his health. Therefore, a wise person fully aware about nature’s functioning must not grieve at something bound to happen and only then he can be happy and blessed.

Text & Explanation

GAUTAMA Buddha (563 B.C. – 483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling 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. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

WORD MEANINGS

Sacred- embodying the laws or doctrines of a religion

Scriptures- the sacred writings of a religion

Befitted- be appropriate for; suit

Chanced upon- came across by chance

Alms- money or food given to poor people; charity

Enlightenment- a state of high spiritual knowledge

Exp- Gautama Buddha was born to a North Indian royal family as a prince and was named Siddhartha Gautama. He was sent to a far away place when he was twelve years old to study Hindu sacred scriptures and upon returning four years later, he got married to a princess. Soon, they both had a son and they continued to live the royal life for about ten years. The royals were shielded from all the unpleasant experiences of the world until the Prince met a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk looking for alms. These experiences acted as eye-openers for him and thus, he left all the royalty behind to seek a higher sense of spiritual knowledge.

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. At that point he became known as the Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened). 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.

WORD MEANINGS

Wandered- to move without a fixed course

Vowed- solemnly promise to do a specified thing

Preached- deliver a religious address to an assembled group of people

Sermon- a talk on religious or moral subject

Holy- sacred

Dipping places- bathing

Inscrutable- something which cannot be understood

Exp- Gautama Buddha went in search of enlightenment for about seven years before he finally came across a peepal tree and chose to sit under it till he became awakened. When he finally attained salvation after 7 days, he decided to retitle the tree as the ‘Bodhi tree’ (which means the Tree of Wisdom) and he himself came to be known as ‘Buddha’ (which means The Awakened). He even began preaching his new realizations and his first sermon was given in the city of Benares. The city of Benares is known to be sacred as it resides on the banks of the river Ganges. The first sermon he gave was preserved and is famous till date (It is given below as well). It gives a new perspective to man’s unending sufferings.

Kisa Gotami had an only son, and he died. In her grief she carried the dead child to all her neighbours, asking them for medicine, and the people said, “She has lost her senses. The boy is dead.”

At length, Kisa Gotami met a man who replied to her request, “I cannot give thee medicine for thy child, but I know a physician who can.”

And the girl said, “Pray tell me, sir; who is it?” And the man replied, "Go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha.”

Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried, “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.”

WORD MEANINGS

Repaired -went to (a stylistic use)

Exp- It talks about a lady named Kisa Gotami whose son had recently died. Struck with unending pain and sorrow, she took her son door to door requesting for a wonder drug that could bring his son back to life. Quite obviously, everyone thought that the lady had lost her ability to think clearly. Going on from door to door, she finally came across a man who couldn’t offer any medicine but led her to Sakyamuni, the Buddha. Filled with hope, the lady visited Gautama Budhha and begged him for a cure for her child.

The Buddha answered, “I want a handful of mustard-seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added, “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said, “Here is mustard-seed; take it!” But when she asked, “Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?” they answered her, “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished again. And she thought to herself, “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.”

WORD MEANINGS

Valley of desolation - an area which is filled with deep sorrow

Exp- Just as the man said, Gautama Buddha had a solution. He asked Kisa Gotami to get a handful of mustard seeds. Restored with hope, Kisa Gotami thought it to be a very simple task until Lord Buddha instilled a condition that “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

Once again, Kisa Gotami went from door to door, but this time, she was looking for mustard seeds. Many had mustard seeds to offer but none of them could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family. Upon being asked, people requested her not to remind them of their deepest griefs. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a suitable home to get mustard seeds for his son.

All hope was lost for Kisa Gotami and thus, in extreme anguish and pain, she found herself a place to ponder at the edge of the road. She continuously watched city lights blinking and observed them till there was just darkness all around. After deep reflection, she realised that man’s fate was just like these city lights that flicker and extinguish repeatedly. The cycle of birth and death is nature’s way of working. Suddenly, she became conscious as to how selfish she had been in her sorrow and that one who was born must rest eternally. Men are mortal and the ones that are immortals have covered a path free from all worldly pleasures.

The Buddha said, ‘‘The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. 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. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling, so mortals, when born, are always in danger of death. As all earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals. Both young and adult, both those who are fools and those who are wise, all fall into the power of death; all are subject to death.

“Of those who, overcome by death, depart from life, a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their relations. Mark! while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.

“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. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief. He who has drawn out the arrow and has become composed will obtain peace of mind; he who has overcome all sorrow will become free from sorrow, and be blessed.”

WORD MEANINGS

Kinsmen- a man who is one of a person’s blood relations

Lamenting- express regret or disappointment about something

Slaughter- the killing of animals for food

Afflicted- affect adversely

mortals - those bound to die

Exp- According to Lord Buddha, the life of mortals is troubled because they have not made peace with the fact that the one who is born, must rest eternally. There is no way a living being can avoid facing death. Just like a ripe fruit is more prone to falling, an aged mortal is bound to die. Just like all earthen vessels break at some point, so do men. Whether old or young, foolish or wise, death leaves none.

The only way death works is by withdrawing the person from the living world i.e, the person ceases to exist. No one has control over death, neither a father can save his son nor a kinsmen his relative. Just like an ox is taken to the slaughter house to be killed, so does death do with mortals, leaving none behind. Thus, the one who knows this truth and doesn’t grieve at his loss is the one who has been called wise by Lord Buddha.

According to Lord Buddha, one should not grieve, weep or be miserable at something which is bound to happen for it will keep man away from obtaining peace of mind. It will only multiply the pain and suffering thus leading to physical weakness and moreover, no amount of grief would bring back the dead. It is very important to understand that one must move past feelings like sorrow and grief as it is the only way that leads to the path of salvation.

Question and Answers (From text Book)

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

Ans -When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house requesting for a wonder drug that could bring her son back to life. No, she could not get it because there is no medicine that can bring a dead man back to life.

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?

Ans -Upon seeing the Buddha, Kisa Gotami is refilled with hope and thus, she goes again from house to house looking for mustard seeds just as Lord Buddha had asked her. Many had mustard seeds to offer but none of them could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family. Therefore, she couldn’t find mustard seed for her son.

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?

Ans -When Kisa Gotami failed to find mustard seeds that could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family, she became disheartened. After deep reflection, she realised that the man’s fate was just like the city lights that flickered and extinguished repeatedly. The cycle of birth and death was nature’s way of working. Suddenly, she became conscious as to how selfish she had been in her sorrow and that one who was born must rest eternally. Men are mortal. Yes, this is exactly what Lord Buddha wanted her to understand.

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

Ans -Kisa Gotami was too overwhelmed with sorrow and pain that her ability to think clearly got clouded. She couldn’t realise that no one can escape the cycle of death. When Kisa Gotami failed to find mustard seeds that could fulfill Lord Buddha’s condition of having seen no deaths in the family, she became disheartened. After deep reflection, she made peace with the terms of the world. Lord Buddha played a major role in facilitating the shift in her understanding by teaching her a lesson that one must not grieve for what is bound to happen for it will only deepen the pain and suffering.

EXTRA QUESTIONS BASED ON LESSON

Extract Based Questions

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

Question 1. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the prince heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while going out on hunting, chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once became a beggar and went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

(a) Who does ‘he’ refer to here ?

(b) What did the prince chance to see while out on hunting ?

(d) When was Buddha sent for Schooling ?

Answer: (a) ‘He’ is referred to Buddha.

(b) When the prince went out on hunting he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and a monk begging for alms.

(d) At the age of 12

Question 2. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms.

(a) Name the Prince.

(b) What are the sights of sufferings that the Prince saw ? (Any 2)

(d) What was the Prince’s age in the passage ?

Answer: (a) Name of the prince was Siddhartha.

(b) On his way to hunting, the prince saw a sick man, and a funeral procession.

(d) The Prince’s age was Twenty five.

Question 3. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while coming out of hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once became a beggar and went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a fig 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 the Prince ? Mention any two sights which moved the Prince.

(b) What did he do after he became enlightened ?

(d) Where did Buddha sit ?

Answer: (a) Gautam Buddha is the Prince. The sight of an aged main and a funeral procession were the two sights that moved the Prince.

(b) Buddha renamed the tree the ‘Bodhi Tree’ (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings.

(d) Buddha sat under a ‘Fig tree’.

Question 4. The Buddha answered : “I want a handful of mustard seeds.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, then Buddha added: The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend.”

(a) Identify T in the passage.

(b) What did the Buddha ask the girl for ?

(d) What did Buddha add?

Answer: (a) T in the passage is Buddha.

(b) The Buddha asked the girl for a handful of mustard seeds.

(d) Buddha added that the seeds should be from a house where there was no loss.

Question 5. The Buddha said: “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching at certain age, there is death; of such a nature are living beings. As ripe fruits are early in danger of falling, so mortals when born are always in danger of death.

(a) What did the Buddha say about the life of the people ?

(b) What does the ripe fruit fear ?

(d) What is natural ?

Answer: (a) The Buddha said that the life of the mortals in this world is troubled, brief and combined with pain.

(b) The ripe fruit fears falling down.

(d) Deathe is natural.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words )

Question 1. Who was Gautam Buddha ? When and where was he born ?

Answer: Gautam Buddha was a Prince who was named Siddhartha Gautam by his parents. He was born in 563 B.C. in North India. He had been shielded from the sufferings of the world. He attained enlightenment under a Peepal tree and named the tree as ‘Tree of Wisdom’.

Question 2. Mention the incident which prompted Prince Siddhartha to become a beggar ?

Answer: Once Prince Siddhartha had gone for hunting where he came across a sick man, an aged man, a monk asking for alms and also witnessed a funeral procession. Unable to understand those sufferings, he became a beggar and went in search of spiritual knowledge.

Question 3. Why was Kisa Gotami sad ? What did she do in her hour of grief?

Answer: Kisa Gotami was sad because her only son had died. In her hour of grief, she went from house to house in search of a medicine to cure him. She had become selfish in wanting her son back.

Question 4. What did the Buddha want Kisa Gotami to understand ?

Answer: Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to understand that death is common to all and no one could avoid dying. No one can save their relatives. So wise do not grieve after accepting this truth of dead.

Question 5. Kisa Gotami again goes from house-to-house after she speaks with the Buddha. What does she ask for the second time round ? Does she get ? Why not ?

Answer: Kisa Gotami goes from house to house to bring some mustard seeds where no death had taken place as asked by Buddha to cure her son. But she was unable to find such a house where no death had taken place. It made her realise that death is evitable and that no one can deny the nature’s cycle.

Question 6. What did Kisa Gotami learn in the end ?

Answer: In the end, Kisa Gotami realised and learnt that death is common to all and that no one could avoid dying. People weep over their dead ones but it is only the wise who do not grieve as they have accepted the truth. A person should only try to seek inner peace.

Question 7. How did Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life ?

Answer: Kisa Gotami was devastated by the death of her only son and wandered door to door, seeking help. Someone directed her to Sakyamuni, the Buddha, who asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds. This raised a hope in Gotami’s heart that her son could be revived. But the condition imposed by Sakyamuni was that the seeds should be from a house where people had not lost a loved one to death. Kisa Gotami’s futile search made her realize the bitter truth that sorrows are a part and parcel of life and one can attain peace only by acceptance.

Question 8. What did the Buddha do after he had attained enlightenment ? Why ?

Answer: Prince Siddhartha Gautama was deeply pained by the sufferings he saw around him and left house to seek the truth of life. After wandering for seven years, he finally sat under Peepal tree to meditate till he received the enlightenment. Wisdom of the law that governs the cycle of birth and death dawned on him and ‘The Buddha’ set out to share it with the world to relieve the mortals of their sufferings.

Question 9. What does the Buddha say about the world ?

Answer: The Buddha says that everything in this world is subject to death. He further says that the world is deeply affected by suffering, disease or pain. Inevitably there is death and decay.

Question 10. Why did Prince Siddhartha leave the palace and become a beggar?

Answer: Once Prince Siddhartha, while hunting saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms. Looking at this, he left the palace and became a beggar to search for enlightenment.

Question 11. What do you know about the early life of Buddha?

Answer: Gautama Buddha was born in a royal family. His childhood name was Siddhartha. At the age of 12, he was sent away for schooling in Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he got married to a princess.

Question 12. Where did Buddha preach his first sermon?

Answer: Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon at the city of Benares, which is regarded as the holiest of the bathing places on the river Ganges.

Question 13. How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a process?

Answer: Kisa Gotami went from house to house but was unable to find one house where nobody had died. She was tired and hopeless and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the city as they flickered up and were extinguished again. She realised that similar to the city lights human lives also flicker up for some time and are extinguished again.

Question 14. What was the effect of the sufferings of the world on Buddha?

Answer: At the age of 25, while hunting, one day Buddha saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms. These moved him so much that he went out into the world to seek enlightenment.

Question 15. According to Kisa Gotami what is the greatestgrief of life?

Answer: According to Kisa Gotami, the greatest grief in life is the death of one’s loved ones and one’s inability to stop them from dying. Therefore, instead of lamenting on it, the wise should not grieve. Weeping will only increase the pain and disturb the peace of mind of a person

Question16. Why was Kisa Gotami sad? What did she do in her hour of grief?

Answer: Kisa Gotami was sad over the death of her only son. In the hour of grief, she went door to door in order to find medicine for her son that could bring him to life.

Question 17. What did the Buddha do after he had attained enlightenment?

Answer: When Buddha Attained enlightenment, he started preaching and telling people about life and its meaning. He spread his preachings far and wide so that people

Long Answer Type Question (100-120 words )

Question 1. How did Buddha make Kisa Gotami realise about the reality of death ?

Answer: When Kisa’s only son had died, she went to Buddha. Being plunged into deep grief, first she went to every neighbour, asking for medicine for her dead son. She had lost all her senses and forgot that no medicine could bring back the dead. Then she went to Buddha for making his son alive. Buddha asked her to bring some mustard seeds from a house where no death had occurred. But she couldn’t get find such a house. Buddha made her realise that death is common to all. So in the midst of adverse circumstances, we should not lament.

Question 2. How do you usually understand the idea of selfishness ? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was ‘selfish’ on her grief ? Is it natural for people to be seflish at times ?

Answer: ‘Selfishness’ means when a person does something only for his own benefit or thinks only about himself/ herself. Kisa Gotami was selfish in wanting her dead son to be alive. It was a mother’s love which had blinded her. She was wrong in wanting that. She could not see the reality of life. It is perfectly natural for anyone to be selfish at times. When this desire becomes harmful to others or the demands become unrealistic, it is wrong. A little bit of selfishness is there in generally everyone and it is natural to be so.

Question 3. How does Gautam Buddha make the human beings realize that death is common to all ?

Answer: In his first sermon, Buddha makes the human being realise that death is common to all. It is true that human life is full of troubles and grief. After the death of the loved one, one’s feelings are combined with pain. But life can’t stop here. Death is inevitable. It cannot be avoided. So in such adverse situations, there is no use of crying and mourning. If we accept this universal truth of inevitable death, it will not only lessen the pain but also help us to tackle the situation.

Question 3. The Buddha said, ‘The world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.’ Do you think the statement is appropriate even for today’s life ? Write your views in the context of the above statement.

Answer: ‘Sakyamuni’s’ first Sermon at Benares was to accept death as a fact, as a truth that cannot change Grieving and lamenting cannot lessen the pain or revive a dead one, but only make life more difficult.

‘Man is mortal’, is a harsh reality which is as steadfast as the various other natural phenomena. The cycle of birth and cfeath is eternal and continues ceaselessly. Acceptance of this truth is important and in the light of the transient nature of life, one must strive to do at least one good deed every day and live life to the fullest.

Question 4. 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.

Answer: Life is full of trials and tribulations. Kisa Gotami also passes through a grief in her life when her only son died. She went from house to house in search of a medicine to cure him. She had become selfish in wanting her son back, but later she realised that man is immortal. The lesson we learn from her story is that peace of mind cannot be obtained by grieving. I would try to overcome my sorrow and accept the fact that human life is mortal, when faced with such a situation.

Question 5. Answer the following question in 80-100 words : .

“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.

Answer: When Kisa’s only son had died, she went to Buddha. Being plunged into deep grief, first she went to every neighbour, asking for medicine for her dead son. She had lost all her senses and forgot that no medicine could bring back the dead. Then she went to Buddha for making his son alive. Buddha asked her to bring some mustard seeds from a house where no death had occurred. But she couldn’t find such a house. Buddha made her realise that death is common to all. So in the midst of adverse circumstances, we should not lament.

Question 6. 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?

Answer: 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. 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 has ever died. She went from one house to another but was unable to find a single house where no one has 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. could come to terms with the truth.

Question 7. Personal losses are a part and parcel 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. Do you agree ? Why /why not?

Answer: Yes, I agree with the message that Gautama Buddha has given about life. In the modem times, people have a lot to explore and move with the world at the same pace. If people don’t understand the practicality of life, they will be under stress which would in turn affects, their personal and professional lives. People need to understand that everyone who is born will have to die one day. There is no use being sad or crying over the loss. People should remain calm and composed in such situations. They should face the truth and move on in life.

Question 8. What did Buddha say about death and suffering?

Answer: After enlightenment, Buddha started to spread his teachings about life, truth and the likes of it. He told that death and suffering are the part and parcel of life. None can avoid this truth. One has to meet one’s destined end one day. Whoever has come to the world, will die one day. In the hour of grief, one must remain calm and composed so that grief doesn’t overcome one. People who are wise, never complain or lament over their loss. They accept the truth and be blessed with it. So, the wisdom lies in the fact that people should not get distressed with pain, suffering and death.

MAKE ENGLISH EASY - VK Taylor

VK Taylor