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CBSE Class 10 English
First Flight - Chapter 10
THE SERMON AT BENARES
Author: Betty Renshaw
Subject: Gautama Buddha's Life and Teachings
Academic Year: 2025-2026
Pattern: CBSE 2025-26 (5 Exercises per Worksheet - 18 Marks Each)
Source: englishwithmrk.co.in
Chapter Overview & Key Content
About the Author - Betty Renshaw
Betty Renshaw is known for her accessible retellings of religious and philosophical teachings. In "The Sermon at Benares," she presents the life and first sermon of Gautama Buddha in a clear, engaging manner suitable for young readers. The chapter focuses on how Buddha discovered the truth about suffering and mortality, making profound spiritual concepts understandable through the story of Kisa Gotami.
Chapter Summary - Part I: Buddha's Life
Birth and Early Life: Gautama Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of the Sakya clan in North India around 563 BC. His father, a king, shielded him from the harsh realities of life, keeping him within palace walls surrounded by luxury and pleasure. Siddhartha grew up in comfort, married young, and had a son.
The Four Sights: At age 25, Siddhartha ventured outside the palace for the first time and encountered what are known as the "Four Sights": a sick man, an old man, a dead body being carried for funeral, and finally, a monk who had renounced worldly life. These sights deeply disturbed him and awakened him to the reality of human suffering.
The Great Renunciation: Troubled by what he had seen, Siddhartha left his palace at night, abandoning his royal life, wife, and newborn son. He wandered for seven years as an ascetic, seeking answers to questions about suffering, old age, and death.
Enlightenment: After years of meditation under a peepal tree (later known as the Bodhi tree) in Bodh Gaya, he attained enlightenment—complete understanding of life and suffering. He became "Buddha" (the Awakened One or Enlightened One).
First Sermon: Buddha delivered his first sermon at Benares (modern-day Varanasi), where he taught about the nature of suffering and the path to overcome it.
Chapter Summary - Part II: Kisa Gotami's Story
Kisa Gotami's Grief: Kisa Gotami was a young mother whose only son died. Overwhelmed with grief, she couldn't accept his death. Carrying the dead child, she went from house to house desperately seeking medicine to revive him. People thought she had gone mad with sorrow.
Meeting the Buddha: Someone advised her to meet the Buddha, who might have a solution. When she approached him with her dead son, the Buddha listened compassionately. He told her he could help if she brought him a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died.
The Search: Kisa Gotami went from house to house asking for mustard seeds. People were willing to give her the seeds, but when she asked if anyone had died in their house, everyone answered "yes." Every family had lost someone—a father, mother, sister, brother, child, or other relative. She couldn't find a single house untouched by death.
The Realization: By nightfall, weary and worn out, Kisa Gotami realized the truth Buddha wanted her to discover: death is universal and inevitable. No one can escape it. She understood that she wasn't alone in her grief—everyone suffers loss.
The Lesson: She returned to Buddha without the mustard seeds but with a changed heart. She had learned that the living are few, but the dead are many. Attachment and grief are natural, but we must accept mortality as part of life. She became Buddha's follower.
Buddha's Teaching: Through this experience, Buddha taught that those who grieve excessively weaken themselves. Death is inevitable; mourning cannot bring back the dead. Peace comes only through accepting this truth and letting go of excessive grief and selfish attachments.
Key Characters
- Gautama Buddha (Siddhartha): Compassionate, wise, enlightened, teacher, patient, understanding of human suffering
- Kisa Gotami: Grieving mother, desperate, seeking hope, eventually gains wisdom and acceptance
- Siddhartha's Father (the King): Protective, wanted to shield son from suffering
- The People of Benares: Represent universal human experience of loss and death
Key Themes
- Mortality and Death: Death is universal and inevitable
- Suffering (Dukkha): All life involves suffering
- Acceptance: Peace comes from accepting life's realities
- Wisdom through Experience: Kisa Gotami learns by experiencing universal truth
- Compassion: Buddha's gentle teaching method
- Detachment: Freedom from excessive attachment leads to peace
- Enlightenment: Understanding truth brings liberation
Important Quotes & Teachings
- "Those who grieve excessively can only weaken themselves."
- "The living are few, but the dead are many."
- "Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads to immortality."
- "He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, complaint, and grief."
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Integrated Grammar Worksheets (CBSE 2025-26 Pattern)
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Each worksheet: 5 exercises • 18 marks • Complete answer keys
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INTEGRATED GRAMMAR WORKSHEET 1
Based on: The Sermon at Benares
Time: 45 minutes | Marks: 18
Name: ________________________ Class: X Roll No: ____
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1. Read the conversation between Kisa Gotami and Buddha. Then report it by completing the sentences that follow using appropriate expressions. (1 × 4 = 4)
Kisa Gotami: Can you give me medicine to bring my son back to life?
Buddha: I can help you, but first bring me mustard seeds from a house where no one has died.
Kisa Gotami: I will search every house in the city.
Buddha: Go, and you will find your answer.
Kisa Gotami approached Buddha desperately. She asked him (a) __________________________________. Buddha replied that (b) __________________________________ but first she should bring him mustard seeds from a house where no one had died. Kisa Gotami promised that (c) __________________________________. Buddha told her (d) __________________________________ and she would find her answer.
2. Choose the correct word from the options given to complete the following passage. (1 × 3 = 3)
Death (a) __________ (is / are / was / were) inevitable and universal. Everyone (b) __________ (experience / experiences / experiencing / experienced) loss at some point. This reality (c) __________ (teach / teaches / teaching / taught) us about the impermanence of life.
3. Do as directed. (1 × 3 = 3)
(a) We __________ accept the realities of life with grace. (Provide a suitable Modal: should / would / might)
(b) Suffering __________ wisdom to those who reflect on it. (Use the verb 'bring', according to the subject)
(c) Accepting death is difficult but necessary. (Identify whether the underlined word is a Gerund or Participle)
4. The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the incorrect words and the correction in your answer sheet. (1 × 4 = 4)
| Text | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Buddha were a great teacher. | were | was |
| (a) He teach people about life and death. | ______ | ______ |
| (b) Kisa Gotami lose her only son. | ______ | ______ |
| (c) She was very much sad and desperate. | ______ | ______ |
| (d) Buddha's teaching helps her understood death. | ______ | ______ |
5. Rearrange the following words/phrases into meaningful sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
(a) universal / death / and / inevitable / is
Answer: _________________________________________________
(b) suffering / part / is / of / life / a / natural
Answer: _________________________________________________
(c) wisdom / brings / acceptance / peace / and
Answer: _________________________________________________
(d) grief / excessive / weakens / us
Answer: _________________________________________________
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INTEGRATED GRAMMAR WORKSHEET 2
Based on: The Sermon at Benares
Time: 45 minutes | Marks: 18
Name: ________________________ Class: X Roll No: ____
© englishwithmrk.co.in | Practice exercises with detailed explanations
1. Read the conversation between young Siddhartha and his father. Then report it by completing the sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
Siddhartha: Father, why have I never seen suffering outside the palace?
King: I wanted to protect you from the harsh realities of life.
Siddhartha: Can suffering be avoided by hiding from it?
King: I only wished for your happiness, my son.
Young Siddhartha questioned his father. He asked (a) __________________________________ suffering outside the palace. The king explained that (b) __________________________________ from the harsh realities of life. Siddhartha enquired (c) __________________________________. The king replied that (d) __________________________________ for his happiness.
2. Choose the correct word from the options given to complete the following passage. (1 × 3 = 3)
Enlightenment (a) __________ (come / comes / coming / came) through deep understanding. Buddha (b) __________ (meditate / meditates / meditated / meditating) for years under the Bodhi tree. His teachings (c) __________ (inspire / inspires / inspired / inspiring) millions across centuries.
3. Do as directed. (1 × 3 = 3)
(a) People __________ learn to accept life's uncertainties. (Modal: must / might / would)
(b) Neither grief nor sorrow __________ (bring / brings) back the dead.
(c) The suffering people needed guidance. (Identify: Gerund or Participle)
4. The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. (1 × 4 = 4)
| Text | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Siddhartha leave the palace at night. | leave | left |
| (a) He wants to find answers to life's questions. | ______ | ______ |
| (b) After seven years, he achieves enlightenment. | ______ | ______ |
| (c) His first sermon was deliver at Benares. | ______ | ______ |
| (d) Many people becomes his followers. | ______ | ______ |
5. Rearrange the following words/phrases into meaningful sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
(a) truth / seeking / enlightenment / leads / to
Answer: _________________________________________________
(b) attachments / cause / worldly / suffering
Answer: _________________________________________________
(c) compassion / taught / and / Buddha / wisdom
Answer: _________________________________________________
(d) mortal / are / beings / all
Answer: _________________________________________________
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INTEGRATED GRAMMAR WORKSHEET 3
Based on: The Sermon at Benares
Time: 45 minutes | Marks: 18
Name: ________________________ Class: X Roll No: ____
© englishwithmrk.co.in | Comprehensive practice materials
1. Read the conversation between Kisa Gotami and a householder and report it by completing the sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
Kisa Gotami: Can you give me some mustard seeds?
Householder: Certainly, I have plenty of mustard seeds.
Kisa Gotami: Has anyone died in your house?
Householder: Yes, we lost my father last year. Death visits every home.
Kisa Gotami visited many houses. She asked a householder (a) __________________________________. The householder agreed and said that (b) __________________________________. Kisa Gotami then asked (c) __________________________________. The householder confirmed that (d) __________________________________ and death visited every home.
2. Choose the correct word from the options given. (1 × 3 = 3)
Spiritual wisdom (a) __________ (help / helps / helping / helped) people find peace. Those who (b) __________ (seek / seeks / seeking / sought) truth eventually find it. This journey (c) __________ (transform / transforms / transforming / transformed) their understanding.
3. Do as directed. (1 × 3 = 3)
(a) We __________ overcome grief through understanding and acceptance. (Modal: can / would / might)
(b) Meditation __________ the mind and soul. (Use verb 'calm')
(c) Understanding truth brings liberation. (Identify: Gerund or Participle)
4. Correct the errors in the following passage. (1 × 4 = 4)
| Text | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. The sermon were delivered at Benares. | were | was |
| (a) It contains important lesson about life. | ______ | ______ |
| (b) Kisa Gotami realize the truth about death. | ______ | ______ |
| (c) No house was untouched from sorrow. | ______ | ______ |
| (d) She finds peace through acceptances. | ______ | ______ |
5. Rearrange the words/phrases into meaningful sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
(a) common / death / all / is / to
Answer: _________________________________________________
(b) lessons / teaches / experience / valuable
Answer: _________________________________________________
(c) path / right / the / shows / teacher / a / good
Answer: _________________________________________________
(d) peace / acceptance / through / comes
Answer: _________________________________________________
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INTEGRATED GRAMMAR WORKSHEET 4
Based on: The Sermon at Benares
Time: 45 minutes | Marks: 18
Name: ________________________ Class: X Roll No: ____
© englishwithmrk.co.in | Expert-designed assessment materials
1. Read the conversation and complete the reported speech. (1 × 4 = 4)
Student: Why did Buddha leave his palace and family?
Teacher: He wanted to find answers to the questions of suffering and death.
Student: Did he find the answers?
Teacher: Yes, after seven years of meditation, he attained enlightenment.
A student was curious about Buddha's life. The student asked (a) __________________________________. The teacher explained that (b) __________________________________ to the questions of suffering and death. The student enquired (c) __________________________________. The teacher confirmed that (d) __________________________________ he had attained enlightenment.
2. Choose the correct word to complete the passage. (1 × 3 = 3)
Loss and grief (a) __________ (is / are / was / were) universal human experiences. Everyone (b) __________ (face / faces / facing / faced) them eventually. Understanding this reality (c) __________ (provide / provides / providing / provided) comfort.
3. Do as directed. (1 × 3 = 3)
(a) Spiritual seekers __________ practice patience and perseverance. (Modal: must / might / would)
(b) Each of Buddha's teachings __________ (has / have) profound meaning.
(c) The enlightened master taught compassion. (Identify: Gerund or Participle)
4. Identify and correct the errors. (1 × 4 = 4)
| Text | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. Buddha teaches at Benares. | teaches | taught |
| (a) His sermon was heard from thousands of people. | ______ | ______ |
| (b) The teaching helps people understand lifes. | ______ | ______ |
| (c) Kisa Gotami's story are very touching. | ______ | ______ |
| (d) She learn a important lesson about mortality. | ______ | ______ |
5. Rearrange into meaningful sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
(a) impermanence / of / reality / is / the / life
Answer: _________________________________________________
(b) liberation / detachment / brings
Answer: _________________________________________________
(c) philosophy / profound / Buddha's / was
Answer: _________________________________________________
(d) suffering / inevitable / is / but / overcome / can / be
Answer: _________________________________________________
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INTEGRATED GRAMMAR WORKSHEET 5
Based on: The Sermon at Benares
Time: 45 minutes | Marks: 18
Name: ________________________ Class: X Roll No: ____
© englishwithmrk.co.in | Final comprehensive assessment
1. Read and report the conversation. (1 × 4 = 4)
Disciple: Master, how can we overcome sorrow?
Buddha: By understanding that suffering is part of life and accepting it.
Disciple: Is it possible to be completely free from pain?
Buddha: Yes, through right understanding and detachment from worldly desires.
A disciple sought wisdom from Buddha. The disciple asked (a) __________________________________. Buddha advised that (b) __________________________________ and accepting it. The disciple further asked (c) __________________________________. Buddha confirmed that (d) __________________________________ through right understanding and detachment from worldly desires.
2. Choose the correct word. (1 × 3 = 3)
True wisdom (a) __________ (come / comes / coming / came) from within. People who (b) __________ (reflect / reflects / reflecting / reflected) on life's truths gain understanding. This knowledge (c) __________ (free / frees / freeing / freed) them from suffering.
3. Do as directed. (1 × 3 = 3)
(a) We __________ embrace life's realities with courage and wisdom. (Modal: should / would / might)
(b) Compassion __________ the foundation of Buddha's teachings. (Use verb 'form')
(c) Seeking truth requires dedication. (Identify: Gerund or Participle)
4. Correct the errors. (1 × 4 = 4)
| Text | Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| e.g. This lesson teach us about life. | teach | teaches |
| (a) Buddha's wisdom are timeless and universal. | ______ | ______ |
| (b) His teachings helps millions find peace. | ______ | ______ |
| (c) We should learn to accept lifes challenges. | ______ | ______ |
| (d) The story have a profound message. | ______ | ______ |
5. Rearrange into meaningful sentences. (1 × 4 = 4)
(a) transient / is / life / and / precious
Answer: _________________________________________________
(b) wisdom / peace / eternal / brings
Answer: _________________________________________________
(c) teachings / Buddha's / humanity / inspire
Answer: _________________________________________________
(d) truth / liberates / understanding / the
Answer: _________________________________________________
Answer Keys with Marking Scheme
🔐 Complete Answer Keys Available
Detailed solutions • Step-by-step explanations • Marking scheme
Access at englishwithmrk.co.inSample Answers: Worksheet 1
Exercise 1: Reported Conversation
(a) if he could give her medicine to bring her son back to life [1]
(b) he could help her [1]
(c) she would search every house in the city [1]
(d) to go [1]
Exercise 2: Choose Correct Word
(a) is [1]
(b) experiences [1]
(c) teaches [1]
Exercise 3: Do As Directed
(a) should [1]
(b) brings [1]
(c) Gerund [1]
Exercise 4: Error Correction
(a) Incorrect: teach | Correct: taught [1]
(b) Incorrect: lose | Correct: lost [1]
(c) Incorrect: very much | Correct: very [1]
(d) Incorrect: understood | Correct: understand [1]
Exercise 5: Rearrange Sentences
(a) Death is universal and inevitable. [1]
(b) Suffering is a natural part of life. [1]
(c) Acceptance brings wisdom and peace. [1]
(d) Excessive grief weakens us. [1]
📥 Download Complete Answer Keys for All 5 Worksheets at englishwithmrk.co.in
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