CBSE Class 10 English First Flight The Sermon at Benares Summary & Notes

✍️ Written By Arushi Kaul
🗓️ Publish on January 11, 2024

Chapter 8 in the Class 10 English textbook, titled ‘First Flight,’ features a prose piece called “The Sermon at Benares” by Betty Renshaw. This chapter illuminates the teachings of Lord Buddha, which carry a deep-rooted significance in our everyday life.

CBSE Class 10 English The Sermon at Benares Summary

The Sermon at Benares highlights the important teachings of Lord Buddha. Originally a prince named Siddhārtha Gautama in North India, he left home at the age of twelve to study Hindu scriptures. After coming back four years later, he married a lovely princess. They had a healthy son and lived a royal life for another ten years, protected from the hardships occurring in the world due to his royal status.

One day, while hunting, the Prince encountered a sick person, an elderly individual, a funeral procession, and a monk seeking alms. Moved by these sights, he left his royal life to seek enlightenment. After seven years of spiritual quest, he attained Salvation under the Bodhi Tree and began teaching as the Buddha, the Enlightened One. His first sermon was in Benares, by the river Ganges. In one teaching, he spoke of Kisa Gotami, a grief-stricken woman who had lost her only son and, in her sorrow, sought help from others to bring him back to life.

One day, a man suggested Kisa Gotami seek guidance from Lord Buddha for her son’s cure. Buddha instructed her to collect mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever experienced loss. Filled with hope, she searched every house but found none. Realizing the impossibility, Kisa understood the universal truth: all humans are mortal, and death is inevitable. This lesson from Buddha made her realize that life and death are part of the natural cycle, and no one can escape it.

Lord Buddha shared an important lesson that feeling of sorrow and grief only makes a person’s suffering worse. It harms health and makes the situation more difficult. A wise person understands how nature works and doesn’t lose hope or stay in constant grief for something that is inevitable. Only then can one find joy and stay happy and blessed in life.

Conclusion of The Sermon at Benares

The chapter – The Sermon at Benares explains Lord Buddha’s most important teachings that brought peace to a grieving mother named Kisa Gotami, who had suffered the loss of her son. By understanding the deep truth of life, Kisa Gotami set herself free from the never-ending sadness that had taken hold of her. This important lesson from Lord Buddha not only made Kisa Gotami feel better but also stands as a lasting guide for anyone looking to ease the unavoidable pains of life. It shows how knowing and accepting things can help us go beyond suffering and discover peace within ourselves.

We trust that this summary of the CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Prose, “The Sermon at Benares,” has provided you with a quick grasp of the chapter. Stay connected with GK Publications for the latest updates on CBSE and study materials. Explore sample papers and question papers from various years to enhance your preparation for the Board exams.