The
Sermon at Benares by Betty Renshaw
Genre: Prose /
Religious Discourse
Theme: Buddhist Philosophy of Life and Death
📖 About the
Author: Betty Renshaw
- Betty
Renshaw is known for her writings and
compilations on moral, spiritual, and ethical topics.
- In The
Sermon at Benares, she retells the story of Gautama Buddha, his
enlightenment, and his teachings about life, suffering,
and death.
- The text is
a simplified version of Buddha’s first sermon delivered at Benares
(Varanasi).
🌿 Summary of the
Lesson
1. Early Life of Gautama Buddha
- Born as Siddhartha
Gautama, a prince in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal) around 563 B.C.
- Lived a luxurious
life shielded from all forms of pain and sorrow.
- Married at
sixteen and had a son.
2. The Great Renunciation
- At the age
of 25, Siddhartha went out to see the world.
- He saw four
sights: an old man, a sick person, a dead body,
and a monk.
- These
experiences deeply moved him, revealing that suffering is universal.
- He
renounced worldly pleasures, left his family, and became a seeker of
truth.
3. Enlightenment
- After
years of meditation and self-denial, under the Bodhi tree at Bodh
Gaya, he attained Enlightenment.
- He became
the Buddha, meaning “The Awakened One.”
4. The First Sermon at Benares
- Buddha
delivered his first sermon at Benares (Varanasi).
- He
preached about the truths of life, suffering, and death.
5. The Story of Kisa Gotami
- A young
woman named Kisa Gotami lost her only son.
- She was
overcome with grief and went from house to house begging for medicine to
bring her son back to life.
- People
thought she had gone mad until someone suggested she meet Gautama
Buddha.
6. The Lesson to Kisa Gotami
- Buddha
told her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no
one had died.
- Kisa went
door to door, but every home had faced death.
- She then
realized that death is common to all; no one escapes it.
- This
understanding calmed her grief.
- She
accepted the truth of impermanence and became a disciple of
Buddha.
💡 Main Themes
- Universality
of Death – Death is inevitable; every living being
must face it.
- Impermanence
of Life – Everything that is born must die;
nothing is permanent.
- Acceptance
of Suffering – One must accept sorrow as a natural
part of existence.
- Detachment – Freedom
from attachment and desire brings peace.
- Spiritual
Enlightenment – Real wisdom comes from understanding
the truth of life and death.
🪷 Moral / Message
- Life and
death are part of nature’s law.
- Grief
cannot bring the dead back.
- True peace
comes from accepting reality and overcoming attachment.
- Wisdom
lies in understanding that all beings are mortal.
🗝️ Important
Characters
|
Character |
Description |
|
Gautama
Buddha |
The founder
of Buddhism; teaches the truth about suffering, impermanence, and peace. |
|
Kisa Gotami |
A young woman
who loses her only son and learns the truth of life through Buddha’s
teaching. |
🏙️ Important
Places
|
Place |
Significance |
|
Lumbini |
Birthplace of
Siddhartha Gautama. |
|
Bodh Gaya |
Place where
Buddha attained Enlightenment. |
|
Benares
(Varanasi) |
Where Buddha
delivered his first sermon. |
🗣️ Important
Vocabulary / Word Meanings
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Sermon |
A religious
or moral talk or teaching. |
|
Benares |
Ancient city
on the River Ganga (now Varanasi). |
|
Enlightenment |
Gaining deep
spiritual knowledge and understanding. |
|
Grief |
Deep sorrow
or sadness. |
|
Disciple |
A follower of
a spiritual teacher. |
|
Mustard seed |
Tiny seed
symbolizing a common household item. |
|
Mortality |
The state of
being subject to death. |
|
Renounce |
To give up
worldly pleasures. |
|
Impermanent |
Not lasting
forever; temporary. |
|
Meditation |
Deep thought
or reflection for spiritual growth. |
📘 Important Questions with Answers
1. Who was Gautama Buddha?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini
about 563 B.C. He lived a luxurious life but left his palace to seek
enlightenment. After years of meditation, he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi
tree and became known as Buddha, meaning “The
Awakened One.”
2. What made Prince Siddhartha leave his home
and become a monk?
Answer:
When Prince Siddhartha saw an old man, a sick man,
a dead
body, and a monk, he realized that suffering
and death are unavoidable parts of life. This realization led
him to renounce worldly pleasures and seek a way to overcome suffering.
3. Where did Gautama Buddha deliver his first
sermon and why is it important?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon at Benares (Varanasi), one of the holiest
cities of India. It is important because it contains the core
teachings of Buddhism, explaining the truth of suffering,
death, and peace through acceptance.
4. What problem did Kisa Gotami face?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami’s only son had died, and she was
overcome with grief. Unable to accept his death, she went from house to house
asking for medicine to bring him back to life.
5. What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring and
why?
Answer:
Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from
a house where no one had ever died. He knew
she would not find such a house, and through this experience, she would
understand that death is universal.
6. What realization did Kisa Gotami come to
after visiting many houses?
Answer:
She realized that death is common to all families,
and no one
escapes it. Her grief lessened as she accepted that death is a
natural part of life.
7. What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn from
Buddha’s teaching?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami learned that grief cannot bring the dead back to life.
She understood that the wise accept death calmly
and that peace comes from accepting reality rather than
resisting it.
8. What is the central theme of “The Sermon at
Benares”?
Answer:
The central theme is the universality of death and the impermanence
of life. Buddha teaches that one must accept
sorrow and detachment to find true peace and enlightenment.
9. How did Kisa Gotami’s attitude change after
meeting Buddha?
Answer:
Before meeting Buddha, Kisa Gotami was filled with despair
and denial. After meeting him and realizing the truth, she
became calm,
wise, and understanding, accepting death as a natural part of
existence.
10. What message does Buddha give about life
and death?
Answer:
Buddha teaches that life is temporary and death is
inevitable. Suffering comes from attachment and ignorance. Understanding
and accepting impermanence leads to spiritual peace and freedom
from sorrow.
11. Why did Buddha use the example of the
mustard seed in his sermon?
Answer:
Buddha used the mustard seed as a symbolic
and practical lesson to help Kisa Gotami understand the truth
herself. By searching for mustard seeds from a house untouched by death, she
experienced the universality of suffering firsthand.
12. What is the moral lesson of the story?
Answer:
The story teaches that death is natural and inevitable.
We should not grieve endlessly but accept the truth of impermanence. True
wisdom and peace come from acceptance, not resistance.
13. What do the “four signs” seen by Buddha
symbolize?
Answer:
The four signs—an old man, a sick man, a dead body, and a monk—symbolize
the realities
of life: aging, sickness, death, and renunciation. They
awakened Buddha to the truth that worldly pleasures cannot protect anyone from
suffering.
14. What does the story of Kisa Gotami teach
about human suffering?
Answer:
It teaches that suffering is universal, and no one’s
life is free from loss or pain. Acceptance of this truth brings
wisdom and inner peace.
15. How does “The Sermon at Benares” reflect
Buddhist philosophy?
Answer:
The story reflects Buddhist ideas of impermanence, suffering, and detachment.
It emphasizes the Middle Path—a balanced way of
living that avoids extremes of luxury and hardship—and encourages understanding
rather than denial of life’s truths.
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