NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares

NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares are provided here. This story includes many questions that are important for exams. We have solved all the NCERT questions of the lesson with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments & homework. We have provided NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 10 The Sermon at Benares in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.

Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 10 NCERT Questions and Answers

Thinking About the Text

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: After the death of her only son, Kisa Gotami was overcome with grief. She carried the dead body of her son in her arms and went from door to door asking for medicine to cure her child, but nobody could provide any medicine. For there is no such medicine available which can bring a 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? Does she get it? Why not?

Answer: When she met the Buddha, he asked her to get a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She went from house to house, but could get the mustard seeds because there was not a single house where no one had died in the family.

Question 3. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what Buddha wanted her to understand?

Answer: After failing to procure a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death had never knocked at the door, she sat down by the roadside feeling helpless. She saw the lights of the city that flickered and were extinguished. At last, it was darkness everywhere.

She realised that death was common to all and she was being selfish in her grief. Yes, this is what Buddha wanted her to understand, that everyone who is born has to die one day.

Question 4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did 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 of time, everyone had 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 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: Selfishness is preoccupation with I, me, and myself. Kisa Gotami was not in a position to think about other people’s grief. It is natural to feel sad over death of near and dear ones. But most people carry on their next responsibility of performing last rites of the dead. People seldom carry a dead body in the hope of some miracle happening to that. The family and the society always come to be those in hour of grief. But later on, life goes on. But Kisa Gotami was so engrossed in her sorrow that she forgot to think about the live members of the family and society.