Chapter 8 of 28

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Rajasthan (RBSE)Class 10 English★ 4–6 marks · RBSE Class 10 English board (First Flight — Prose)

The Sermon at Benares

RBSE Class 10 English (First Flight) — the life of Gautama Buddha and his first sermon at Benares. The story of Kisa Gotami, whose grief at her son's death leads the Buddha to teach that death is common to all, and that wisdom and peace come from accepting the inevitable rather than resisting it. Summary, themes and RBSE board-pattern questions with answers.

⏱ 20 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Recount the key events of Gautama Buddha's life leading to enlightenment
2Narrate the story of Kisa Gotami and the mustard seeds
3Explain the lesson that death is universal and grief must be overcome
4Summarise the Buddha's teaching from the sermon
5Answer reference-to-context and value-based questions on the chapter

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Why this chapter matters

A profound, widely-loved chapter that the RBSE board favours for value-based and long-answer questions on grief, acceptance and wisdom. The Kisa Gotami story is memorable and reliably scored.

The Sermon at Benares — RBSE Class 10 English (First Flight)

A mother, mad with grief, carries her dead child from door to door begging for a medicine to bring him back. The Buddha does not deny her pain — he sends her on a strange errand that teaches her, and us, the hardest truth of all: death comes to everyone, and no life escapes it. This chapter is that timeless lesson in acceptance.

1. Who was the Buddha?

Gautama Buddha (born Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563 BCE) was an Indian prince who was shielded from all suffering by his father. At twelve he was sent for schooling; at about twenty-five, seeing for the first time a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession, and a wandering monk, he was shaken by the reality of suffering and death. He left his palace, wife and son to seek "enlightenment" — an understanding of suffering.

After wandering for seven years, he meditated under a peepal (fig) tree at Bodh Gaya until, on the seventh day, he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha ("the Awakened One" / "the Enlightened One"). He then went to Benares (Varanasi), where he preached his first sermon.

2. The story of Kisa Gotami

A woman named Kisa Gotami lost her only son and, wild with grief, carried the dead child from house to house asking for medicine to bring him back to life. People thought she had lost her senses. At last a man directed her to the Buddha.

The Buddha told her he could help — but she must first fetch him a handful of mustard seeds. However, there was one condition: the seeds must come from a house "where no one — no son or daughter, parent or servant — has ever died."

3. The lesson she learns

Kisa Gotami went from house to house. People readily offered her the mustard seeds — but in every single house, someone had died. "The living are few, but the dead are many," she was told again and again. She could not find a single home untouched by death.

Slowly the truth dawned on her: she was being selfish in her grief — death is common to all. No one escapes it. Comforted by this understanding, she gave up her hopeless search, buried her child, and returned to the Buddha, who taught her:

The world is afflicted with death and decay; the wise do not grieve, knowing the nature of the world. Weeping and grieving cannot bring back the dead; instead they only bring more pain and harm to the body. One who overcomes sorrow and gives up grief will find peace of mind and be blessed.

4. Themes

Death is inevitable and universal — no one, however powerful or beloved, escapes it.
Acceptance brings peace — grief cannot undo death; wisdom lies in accepting the nature of life.
Overcoming sorrow — clinging to grief only harms us; letting go brings calm and blessing.
Compassion and the sharing of suffering — realising that others suffer too eases our own pain.

5. Closing thought

The Buddha's genius in this sermon is not to argue Kisa Gotami out of her grief, but to let her discover the truth herself through the mustard-seed errand. When she sees that every home has known death, her private sorrow becomes part of a shared human condition, and that recognition brings her peace. The message is gentle but unflinching: we cannot escape death, but we can escape being destroyed by grief — by accepting the nature of the world and letting sorrow go.

For the RBSE board, remember the key events of the Buddha's life (the four sights, leaving the palace, enlightenment under the tree, the sermon at Benares), the story of Kisa Gotami and the mustard seeds, and the teaching that death is universal and that peace comes from accepting it. Value-based questions on grief, acceptance and wisdom are common.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

The Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama (c.563 BCE), a prince who sought enlightenment

Became 'the Enlightened One'.

The four sights

A sick man, an old man, a funeral, a monk

Led him to leave the palace.

Enlightenment

Attained under a peepal tree; then preached at Benares

His first sermon.

Kisa Gotami

A grieving mother seeking to revive her dead son

Sent to fetch mustard seeds.

The condition

Seeds from a house where no one has ever died

No such house exists.

The lesson

Death is common to all; grieving cannot undo it — accept and find peace

Wisdom over sorrow.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying the Buddha promised to revive the child

✓ He did not promise to bring the son back. He set the mustard-seed task so Kisa Gotami would discover for herself that death is universal.

WATCH OUT

✗ Getting the condition for the seeds wrong

✓ The seeds had to come from a house where NO ONE (son, daughter, parent or servant) had ever died — an impossible condition.

WATCH OUT

✗ Missing why Kisa Gotami changed

✓ Every house had known death, so she realised death is common to all and that her grief, though real, was universal — which brought her peace.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing the four sights

✓ The four sights that changed Siddhartha were a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession (a dead body), and an ascetic/monk.

WATCH OUT

✗ Reducing the message to 'be sad'

✓ The teaching is the opposite — grief cannot bring back the dead and only harms us; accepting death's inevitability brings peace and blessing.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Oral comprehension checks

In-text questions on the Buddha's life and Kisa Gotami

Questions

Thinking about the Text

The mustard-seed task; the lesson; the Buddha's teaching

Questions

Thinking about Language / Writing

Vocabulary, word study, and a short writing task

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Fact-recall

What was the Buddha's name before enlightenment, and where did he attain it?

▶ Show solution

✦ Answer: he was Siddhartha Gautama; he attained enlightenment while meditating under a peepal (fig) tree.

Q2EASY· Fact-recall

What did the Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring him?

▶ Show solution

✦ Answer: a handful of mustard seeds — from a house where no one had ever died.

Q3EASY· Comprehension

Why could Kisa Gotami not find the mustard seeds she needed?

▶ Show solution

Because in every house she visited, someone had died — there was no house untouched by death.

✦ Answer: because death had visited every home, so no qualifying house existed.

Q4MEDIUM· Buddha's life

What four sights changed the course of Siddhartha's life?

▶ Show solution

Step 1 — He saw a sick man, an aged man and a funeral procession (a dead body).

Step 2 — He then saw a wandering monk (ascetic).

Step 3 — Shaken by suffering and death, he left his palace to seek enlightenment.

✦ Answer: a sick man, an old man, a funeral, and a monk.

Q5MEDIUM· Realisation

What did Kisa Gotami finally understand, and how did it change her?

▶ Show solution

Step 1 — She realised that death comes to everyone — 'the living are few, but the dead are many' — so her grief, though real, was not hers alone.

Step 2 — This understanding calmed her; she gave up her hopeless search, buried her child and found peace.

✦ Answer: she understood that death is universal, which comforted her and ended her desperate grief.

Q6MEDIUM· Teaching

What is the Buddha's teaching about grief in the sermon?

▶ Show solution

Step 1 — The world is subject to death and decay, and the wise do not grieve, knowing this is the nature of life.

Step 2 — Weeping cannot bring back the dead and only brings pain; one who overcomes sorrow finds peace of mind and is blessed.

✦ Answer: grief cannot undo death and only harms us; accepting life's nature and giving up sorrow brings peace.

Q7HARD· Method

How did the Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth about death without simply telling her?

▶ Show solution

Step 1 — Instead of arguing with her grief, he agreed to help if she brought mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died.

Step 2 — As she went door to door, she found that every family had lost someone — the seeds were easy to get, but the impossible condition was never met.

Step 3 — Through her own experience, she discovered that death is common to all.

Step 4 — This self-realisation, far more than a lecture, brought her understanding and peace.

✦ Answer: the mustard-seed errand let her discover for herself that death touches every home — a lesson learned through experience, not words.

Q8HARD· Value-based

What values and wisdom can we draw from 'The Sermon at Benares'?

▶ Show solution

Step 1 — Acceptance — death is inevitable and part of life; resisting this truth only deepens suffering.

Step 2 — Overcoming grief — clinging to sorrow harms us; letting go brings peace of mind.

Step 3 — Compassion and shared humanity — knowing that others also suffer eases our own pain.

Step 4 — Wisdom — true understanding and calm come from facing life's realities, not denying them.

✦ Answer: acceptance of death, overcoming grief, compassion through shared suffering, and the peace that wisdom brings.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Siddhartha Gautama (c.563 BCE), a sheltered prince, saw four sights: a sick man, old man, funeral, monk.
•He left his palace, wife and son to seek enlightenment; attained it under a peepal tree.
•He became the Buddha ('the Enlightened One') and preached his first sermon at Benares.
•Kisa Gotami, grieving her only son, sought medicine to revive him.
•The Buddha asked for mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died.
•Every house had known death — 'the living are few, but the dead are many'.
•She realised death is common to all, found peace, and gave up her grief.
•Teaching: grief cannot undo death; accepting life's nature and giving up sorrow brings peace and blessing.

Rajasthan (RBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4–6 marks

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / extract-based	1	1–2	Buddha's life facts, the mustard-seed condition
Short answer	2–3	1–2	The four sights; Kisa Gotami's realisation; the teaching
Long answer	4	1	How the Buddha taught her; value-based question

Prep strategy

Learn the key events of the Buddha's life in order
Master the Kisa Gotami story and the impossible mustard-seed condition
Be ready to state the teaching (death is universal; overcome grief for peace)
Prepare a value-based answer on acceptance and wisdom

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Coping with loss

The sermon offers timeless comfort and perspective for anyone facing grief and bereavement.

Emotional resilience

Its message of acceptance builds the resilience to handle life's inevitable sorrows.

Ethics and philosophy

A classic text for discussing suffering, impermanence and the human condition.

Empathy

Recognising shared suffering fosters compassion for others.

Value education

A staple text for moral and value-based learning.

Understanding Buddhism

It introduces the Buddha's life and core teachings, important cultural knowledge.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Give the Buddha's life events in correct order for biography questions.
Explain the mustard-seed task as the way the truth was taught through experience.
State the teaching precisely (death universal; grief cannot undo it; acceptance brings peace).
In value-based answers, name the values (acceptance, overcoming grief, compassion, wisdom).
For extract questions, identify the speaker and the moment.
Quote the idea 'the living are few, but the dead are many' where apt.

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

The core teachings of Buddhism — the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
Impermanence (anicca) as a philosophical idea across traditions.
The parable as a teaching device in world literature and religion.
How grief and mourning are understood in psychology.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

RBSE Class 10 Board (BSER Ajmer)High — value-based and long-answer questions most years

NTSE / state scholarshipLow–Medium — comprehension and GK on the Buddha

CBSE/other board EnglishHigh — same prescribed text

UPSC / GKMedium — Buddha's life and teachings are common GK

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Yes. RBSE prescribes the NCERT reader 'First Flight' for Class 10 English, so this chapter is the same. RBSE (BSER Ajmer) sets the exam pattern and marking.

Because no such house exists — death has touched every family. By sending Kisa Gotami on this errand, the Buddha let her discover for herself that death is universal, which brought her the understanding and peace that words alone could not.

That death comes to everyone and no home escapes it — 'the living are few, but the dead are many'. Realising her grief was part of a shared human condition, she stopped her desperate search, accepted her son's death, and found peace.

That death and decay are the nature of the world, and grieving cannot bring back the dead — it only causes more pain. The wise accept this truth; one who overcomes sorrow finds peace of mind and is blessed.

A sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession (a dead body), and a wandering monk. Confronted with suffering and death for the first time, Siddhartha left his royal life to seek enlightenment.

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