The Sermon at Benares Theme | Class 10 | First Flight | Point wise | Deep Analysis

Take a closer look at “The Sermon at Benares,” based on the themes of understanding and accepting that death is natural from your Class 10 English book, First Flight. We’re going to talk about the main idea this story in a simple way, breaking it down point wise.  This post is for students who want to understand the story better and for teachers who are looking for ways to make this story clearer to their students. Let’s dive into what The Sermon at Benares theme is- 

The Sermon at Benares Theme in Short

“The theme is understanding and accepting that death cannot be avoided.”

Theme Justification-

Let’s see how this theme is applicable to the chapter “Sermon at Benaras”-

The theme is shown in Kisa Gotami’s story. She looks for medicine to bring her dead son back to life but learns from Buddha that death happens to everyone. She understands that loss and sadness are normal parts of life and accepts that death is a natural part of living.

Also Read:

• Hard Words : The Sermon at Benares
• Who delivered the Sermon at Benares? What did he preach?
• The Sermon at Benares NCERT Solutions
• Why did the Budha choose Benares to preach his first Sermon?
• Where did Gautam Buddha preach his first sermon? What was it all about?
• The Sermon at Benares Extract Based MCQ questions

List of Themes-

Let’s see some more themes appropriately applicable on the chapter “Sermon at Benaras”

1. Accepting death
2. Everyone suffers
3. Letting go of grief
4. Showing Helpfulness
5. Life and death cycle
6. Learning from experience
7. Being selfless in loss

Also Read:

• What is a sermon? How is it different from a lecture?
• Describes the teaching of the Budha.
• What did the Budha do after getting Enlightenment? Why?
• How according to Budha can one obtain peace of mind?
• What did the Budha ask Kisa Gotami to do? Why? Or Why did the Budha ask Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds?
• How did the Buddha respond to Kisa Gotami’s request? What can be inferred about his method of teaching from the same?

Point wise details-

Let’s see in detail how these themes are connected to the chapter “Sermon at Benaras”- 

1. Accepting death: Kisa Gotami searches for medicine for her dead son. Buddha helps her realise that death is a natural part of life that everyone must accept.

2. Everyone suffers: Kisa Gotami learns that every family she visits has lost someone. This shows that suffering and loss are common to all people.

3. Letting go of grief: Buddha teaches Kisa Gotami that holding on to grief only brings more pain. She learns to let go and find peace.

Also Read:

• What did Buddha say about death and suffering? Explain by giving examples from the text.
• Describe the journey of Siddhartha Gautama becoming the Buddha.
• What did Buddha say about the mortals of the world?
• Why did Kisa go to Gautam Buddha?
• What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the first time? Was this what Buddha wanted her to understand?

4. Showing compassion: The people Kisa Gotami meets feel sorry for her and offer help. This shows the importance of being kind to others in pain.

5. Life and death cycle: Buddha explains that life is like ripe fruits falling from a tree. Everyone who is born will eventually die.

6. Learning from experience: Through her journey, Kisa Gotami gets knowledge. She understands the nature of life and death through her own experience.

7. Being selfless in loss: Kisa Gotami realises that her grief was selfish. She learns to think of others and their losses, not just her own.

Question: Write the theme of the chapter “The Sermon at Benares.” Explain how Kisa Gotami’s experience with Buddha helps her understand this theme.

Answer- The theme of the chapter “The Sermon at Benares” is about understanding and accepting that death is natural. Kisa Gotami’s journey shows this theme. In the beginning, she searches for medicine to revive her dead son, believing her grief is unique.

Buddha guides her to understand that death happens to everyone. As Kisa Gotami visits various homes, she learns that every family has faced loss, revealing that suffering is a common experience. Buddha teaches her that clinging to grief only adds to her pain and encourages her to let go and find peace.

By explaining the cycle of life and death, comparing it to ripe fruits falling from a tree, Buddha helps her accept the natural order. Kisa Gotami’s experience shows that recognizing the universality of suffering leads to wisdom and helps shift focus from personal grief to understanding and compassion for others.