Summary of Chapter "The Sermon at Benares" Class 10 English
The chapter "The Sermon at Benares" is a retelling of the first sermon given by Gautama Buddha after attaining enlightenment. It is a foundational text of Buddhism and contains the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
The sermon begins with Buddha addressing a group of five monks who have been following him since he left his palace to seek enlightenment. He tells them that he has found the path to the end of suffering and that he will now teach it to them.
Buddha then explains the Four Noble Truths:
- Dukkha: Suffering is an inherent part of life.
- Samudaya: The cause of suffering is attachment and desire.
- Nirodha: There is a way to end suffering.
- Magga: The Eightfold Path is the way to end suffering.
The Eightfold Path is a set of eight practices that lead to enlightenment and the end of suffering. The eight practices are:
- Right Understanding
- Right Thought
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration
Buddha then goes on to explain each of the Eightfold Paths in more detail. He ends the sermon by urging his followers to practice the Eightfold Path so that they too can attain enlightenment and end their suffering.
Themes
The main themes of the chapter are suffering and its cause, and the path to liberation from suffering. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and the need to work towards one's own salvation.
Significance
The Sermon at Benares is a significant text in Buddhism because it contains the core teachings of the Buddha. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are the foundation of Buddhist practice and have helped millions of people around the world to find peace and happiness.
HINDI SUMMARY
**कक्षा 10 अंग्रेजी अध्याय "बनारस में उपदेश" का सारांश**
अध्याय "बनारस में उपदेश" ज्ञान प्राप्त करने के बाद गौतम बुद्ध द्वारा दिए गए पहले उपदेश का पुनर्कथन है। यह बौद्ध धर्म का एक मूलभूत पाठ है और इसमें चार आर्य सत्य और अष्टांगिक मार्ग शामिल हैं।
उपदेश की शुरुआत बुद्ध द्वारा पांच भिक्षुओं के एक समूह को संबोधित करने से होती है जो ज्ञान प्राप्त करने के लिए अपना महल छोड़ने के बाद से उनका अनुसरण कर रहे हैं। वह उनसे कहता है कि उसे दुखों के अंत का मार्ग मिल गया है और वह अब उन्हें यह सिखाएगा।
बुद्ध फिर चार आर्य सत्य बताते हैं:
1.दुक्खा: दुख जीवन का एक अंतर्निहित हिस्सा है।
2. समुदय : दुख का कारण मोह और कामना है।
3. निरोध: दुख को खत्म करने का एक तरीका है।
4. मग्गा: अष्टांगिक मार्ग दुख को समाप्त करने का मार्ग है।
अष्टांगिक मार्ग आठ प्रथाओं का एक समूह है जो आत्मज्ञान और दुख के अंत की ओर ले जाता है। आठ प्रथाएँ हैं:
1. सही समझ
2. सम्यक विचार
3. सम्यक वाणी
4. सम्यक कर्म
5. सम्यक आजीविका
6. सम्यक प्रयास
7. सम्यक सचेतनता
8. सम्यक एकाग्रता
इसके बाद बुद्ध अष्टांगिक मार्गों में से प्रत्येक को अधिक विस्तार से समझाते हैं। उन्होंने अपने अनुयायियों से अष्टांगिक मार्ग का अभ्यास करने का आग्रह करते हुए उपदेश समाप्त किया ताकि वे भी आत्मज्ञान प्राप्त कर सकें और अपनी पीड़ा समाप्त कर सकें।
**विषय-वस्तु**
अध्याय का मुख्य विषय दुख और उसका कारण, और दुख से मुक्ति का मार्ग है। अध्याय व्यक्तिगत जिम्मेदारी के महत्व और स्वयं के उद्धार की दिशा में काम करने की आवश्यकता पर भी जोर देता है।
**महत्व**
बनारस का उपदेश बौद्ध धर्म में एक महत्वपूर्ण पाठ है क्योंकि इसमें बुद्ध की मूल शिक्षाएँ शामिल हैं। चार आर्य सत्य और अष्टांगिक मार्ग बौद्ध अभ्यास की नींव हैं और इसने दुनिया भर में लाखों लोगों को शांति और खुशी पाने में मदद की है।
Meaning of difficult words: | | | |
| S.No | Words | Meaning | |
| 1 | Sacred | Related to religion or something of great respect | धर्म या अत्यंत सम्माननीय किसी चीज़ से संबंधित |
| 2 | Prince | Refers to the son of a king | एक राजा के पुत्र को संदर्भित करता है |
| 3 | Befit | To be suitable for something or someone | किसी चीज़ या व्यक्ति के लिए उपयुक्त होना |
| 4 | Funeral | A ceremony held after a person's death | किसी व्यक्ति की मृत्यु के बाद आयोजित एक समारोह |
| 5 | Heretofore | Until now | अब तक |
| 6 | Alms | Clothing, money or food given to poor people | गरीब लोगों को दिए गए कपड़े, पैसे या भोजन |
| 7 | Procession | An organised body of people walking in a formal manner | औपचारिक ढंग से चलने वाले लोगों का एक संगठित समूह |
| 8 | Enlightenment | The state of having attained spiritual knowledge or insight | आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान या अंतर्दृष्टि प्राप्त होने की अवस्था या भाव |
| 9 | Sermon | A talk or lecture on a religious or moral subject | किसी धार्मिक या नैतिक विषय पर बातचीत या व्याख्यान |
| 10 | Preserve | Maintain something in its original state | किसी चीज़ को उसकी मूल स्थिति में बनाए रखना |
| 11 | Inscrutable | Something difficult to understand | कुछ समझना मुश्किल है |
| 12 | Grief | Great sorrow especially caused by someone's death | विशेषकर किसी की मृत्यु से होने वाला बड़ा दुःख |
| 13 | Physician | A person who cures physical or mental illness | वह व्यक्ति जो शारीरिक या मानसिक बीमारी का इलाज करता हो |
| 14 | Procure | To obtain something, especially with care and effort | कुछ प्राप्त करना, विशेषकर देखभाल और प्रयास से |
| 15 | Alas | An expression of sadness or disappointment | दुःख या निराशा की अभिव्यक्ति |
| 16 | Flicker | To shine or burn with fluctuating light and darkness | उतार-चढ़ाव वाली रोशनी और अंधेरे के साथ चमकना या जलना |
| 17 | Extinguish | To make a burning light stop shining | जलती हुई रोशनी को चमकाना बंद करने के लिए |
| 18 | Desolation | A state of emptiness or destruction | ख़ालीपन या विनाश की अवस्था |
| 19 | Immortality | Eternal life | अनन्त जीवन |
| 20 | Lament | To express great sorrow or sadness for something | किसी बात के लिए अत्यधिक दुख या उदासी व्यक्त करना |
| 21 | Afflict | Cause trouble or pain to | कष्ट या पीड़ा पहुँचाना |
| 22 | Slaughter | To kill many in a violent way | बहुतों को हिंसक तरीके से मारना |
| 23 | Decay | The state or process of rotting | सड़ने की अवस्था या प्रक्रिया
|
The Sermon at Benares
Oral Comprehension Check (Page 135)
Question 1:
When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why
not?
Answer:
Kisa Gotami was overcome with grief and agony when her only son died. She carried her son’s dead body in
her arms and went from one house to another, asking for medicine that could cure her child, but nobody
could help. Since her son was dead, it wasn’t possible for anyone to give her any medicine and bring the
dead person back to life.
Question 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?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had
lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She went from door to door, but couldn’t find a single house where
death had not knocked on their door and taken away their beloved one. She did not find any such house as
death is inevitable, and all mortals who come to this world are bound to die someday.
Question 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?
Answer:
When Kisa Gotami failed to procure a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death never took away
any beloved one, she became weary and helpless and sat down by the roadside. While sitting there, she
observed the flickering and extinguishing of lights, and finally, the darkness of the night reigned everywhere.
This incident made her realise that death is inevitable and she was being selfish in her grief and agony. She
understood that in this valley of desolation, there is always a path that leads man, who has surrendered all
his selfishness, to immortality
Yes, this is what Buddha wanted her to understand that every mortal being who is born in this world is
bound to die one day.
Question 4:
Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did the Buddha change
her understanding?
Answer:
In the first instance, Kisa Gotami could only see her grief of losing her young son. But, when she went from
one house to another the second time to procure a handful of mustard seeds to save her dead son, she
understood that everyone was dealing with the loss of a dear one. Not a single house was left untouched by
death, where people had not lost their son, husband, parent or friend. At some point in time, everyone has
experienced the pain of death and losing their loved ones. Feeling dejected, she sat down and realised that
death is inevitable and the fate of mortal beings is to live and die someday. Through this instance, Gautama
Buddha helped her to understand that death is common to all mortal beings and that everyone is bound to
die one day or the other.
Question 5:
How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being
‘selfish in her grief’?
Answer:
A selfish person is one who is extremely preoccupied with himself or herself. In the story, Kisa Gotami was
also being selfish in her grief because she was just thinking about her own pain. So when she lost her child,
she wanted to bring him back to life by any means and finally went to Buddha to ask for help. He gave her
the ultimate lesson of life that humans are mortal beings, and it is natural for everyone to die. Although we
may find it difficult to accept the death of our loved ones, death is inevitable and is bound to happen sooner
or later.
Thinking about Language (Page 136)
Question 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.
give thee medicine for thy child
Pray tell me
Kisa repaired to the Buddha
there was no house but someone had died in it
kinsmen
Mark!
Answer:
Give you medicine for your child
Please tell me
Kisa went to the Buddha
There was not a single house where no one had died
Relatives
Listen
Question 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.
She has no interest in music; I doubt she will become a singer like her mother.
The second clause here gives the speaker’s opinion on the first clause. 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 who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age
there is death; of such a nature are living beings.
Answer:
The single sentence using semicolons has a better cadence and rhythm. This implies that the three parts of
the sentence are connected to each other in their meanings. The second clause gives detailed information
about the first clause. The third clause is, therefore, directly related to both the first and the second clauses.
Their meanings are conveyed in a better way when they are joined by semicolons.
Writing (Page 138)
Question 1:
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
Answer:
Activity to be done by yourself.
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