The Sermon at Benares
The Sermon at Benares
The Sermon at Benares Summary in English
The Sermon at Benares Introduction in English
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was a philosophical fellow even in his childhood. He was sent for schooling at the age of twelve. He was married at the age of sixteen. They had a son. When he was twenty-five years old, one day when he was going for hunting he caught sight of a sick man, an aged man, a dead man’s funeral procession and a monk. He realised that this world is a home of sufferings. He left home in search of wisdom. He wandered for seven years and got enlightenment.
The Sermon at Benares Summary in English
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was born in a royal family. He was a prince. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve he was sent away for schooling. He studied all the sacred Hindu scriptures. He returned after four years. At the age of sixteen he married a princess. They had a son. For ten years the couple passed a happy life. Siddhartha had been shielded from the suffering of the world. However, when he was twenty-five, Siddhartha saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession. Finally, he came across a monk begging for alms. This was his first encounter with the harsh realities of life. These sights made him so sad that he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He left his family and became a beggar. He went out into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.
Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down under a fig tree to meditate. He vowed to stay there until he got enlightenment. After seven days, Gautama got enlightenment. He named the tree as the ‘Bodhi Tree’, that is ‘The tree of wisdom’. He became known as the Buddha’ which means “enlightened’ or ‘the awakened’. He began to teach and to spread his message of wisdom and truth. He became known as the Buddha (the enlightened).
Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares. It is the holiest of places on the bank of the Ganges. His first sermon reflects his wisdom about one inscrutable kind of suffering i.e. death. Here, the Buddha tells about the universality of death which is inevitable and can’t be escaped.
A lady named Kisa Gotami had an only son. One day, her son died. She wanted that her child should become alive again. She wanted some medicine to bring her son to life. People called her mad. At last she came across a man. He advised her to meet the Buddha. She approached Buddha with a request to give her a medicine so that her only son could be live again. After a deep thought, the Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard-seed. But there was a condition. She must bring it from a house where no one had died. Kisa Gotami went from door-to-door to get the mustard-seed. She found mustard-seed in every home but she could not find a house where nobody had died. By evening, she was sad and tired. She saw the lights of the city. Soon there was darkness of the night. Now she considered the fate of man. Now she realised that death is inevitable. No one can escape it.
She came back to the Buddha and asked for his blessings. The Buddha in his sermon told her that our life is brief and painful. Everyone who takes birth has to die. The vessel made by the potter is not permanent. It has to break one day. In the same way, everyone has to die. Death spares none. A father cannot save his son. Everyone grieves when someone dear dies. But grieving cannot bring the dead back to life. So death and sufferings are unavoidable. The wise persons do not grieve as they know the truth. Weeping does not bring peace to the mind. On the other hand a person’s pain becomes greater by grieving. His body also suffers. One who has learnt to control his grief shall have peace of mind. That person is blessed, who has overcome his sorrow.
The Sermon at Benares Summary in Hindi
The Sermon at Benares Introduction in Hindi
(गौतम बुद्ध का जन्म 563 ई०पू० में हुआ था। वह बचपन से ही दार्शनिक विचारों का था। बारह वर्ष की आयु में उसे शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के लिए भेजा गया। सोलह वर्ष की आयु में उसकी शादी हो गई। उनका एक बेटा था। जब वह पच्चीस वर्ष का था, एक दिन जिस समय वह शिकार करने जा रहा था तो उसकी नज़र एक बीमार आदमी, एक वृद्ध आदमी, एक मृत आदमी की शव-यात्रा और एक भिक्षु पर पड़ी। उसने महसूस किया कि यह संसार दुःखों का घर है। उसने ज्ञान की खोज में घर छोड़ दिया। वह सात साल तक भटकता रहा और ज्ञान की प्राप्ति हो गई।)
The Sermon at Benares Summary in Hindi
गौतम बुद्ध का जन्म 563 ई०पू० में हुआ था। उसका जन्म एक शाही परिवार में हुआ था। वह एक राजकुमार था। उसका नाम सिद्धार्थ गौतम था। बारह साल की उम्र में उसे स्कूली शिक्षा के लिए भेजा गया। उसने सारे पवित्र हिन्दू धार्मिक ग्रंथों का अध्ययन किया। वह चार वर्ष बाद लौटा। सोलह साल की उम्र में उसकी शादी एक राजकुमारी से हुई। उनका एक बेटा हुआ। दस साल तक इस युगल ने बड़ा प्रसन्नतापूर्वक जीवन व्यतीत किया। सिद्धार्थ को अब तक संसार के दुःखों से दूर रखा गया था। मगर जब वह पच्चीस साल का था तो सिद्धार्थ ने एक बीमार व्यक्ति देखा, फिर एक बूढ़ा व्यक्ति देखा और फिर उसने एक शव-यात्रा देखी। अंत में, उसने एक भिक्षु को देखा जो भीख माँग रहा था। यह उसका जीवन की वास्तविकताओं से पहला साक्षात्कार था। इन दृश्यों ने उसे इतना उदास कर दिया कि उसने सांसारिक सुखों को त्याग देने का प्रण कर लिया। उसने अपने परिवार को छोड़ दिया और एक भिक्षु बन गया। वह संसार में आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान की खोज में निकल पड़ा।
सिद्धार्थ गौतम सात साल तक ज्ञान और सच्चाई की खोज में भटकता रहा। अंत में, वह मनन करने के लिए एक वट वृक्ष के नीचे बैठ गया। उसने प्रण किया कि वह वहाँ पर तब तक बैठा रहेगा जब तक उसे ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं हो जाती। सात दिन के बाद उसे आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान मिला। उसने उस वृक्ष का नाम ‘बोधि वृक्ष’ रख दिया अर्थात् ‘ज्ञान का वृक्ष’ । उसे लोग ‘बुद्ध’ के नाम से जानने लगे अर्थात् “ज्ञान वाला” अथवा “जागृत”। उसने शिक्षा देना और ज्ञान और सच का संदेश फैलाना आरंभ कर दिया।
बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश बनारस में दिया। यह गंगा के तट पर सबसे पवित्र स्थान है। उसका पहला उपदेश रहस्यमयी कष्ट अर्थात् मृत्यु के बारे में उसके ज्ञान को दर्शाता है। इसमें बुद्ध मृत्यु की सार्वभौमिकता के बारे में बताता है जोकि अटल है और उससे बचा नहीं जा सकता।
किसा गौतमी नाम की एक स्त्री का एकमात्र बेटा था। एक दिन उसके बेटे की मृत्यु हो गई। वह चाहती थी कि उसका बेटा फिर से जीवित हो जाए। वह चाहती थी कि कोई ऐसी औषधि मिल जाए जो उसके बेटे को जीवित कर दे। लोगों ने उसे पागल कहा। आखिर उसे एक आदमी मिला। उसने उसे सलाह दी कि वह बुद्ध से मिले। वह बुद्ध के पास आई और उससे प्रार्थना की कि वह उसे कोई औषधि दे ताकि उसका बेटा फिर से जी उठे। काफी गहरे विचार के बाद बुद्ध ने उसे कहा कि वह एक मुट्ठी भर सरसों के बीज ले आए। मगर एक शर्त थी। उसे सरसों उस घर से लानी थी जहाँ कोई भी व्यक्ति नहीं मरा था। किसा गौतमी सरसों लाने के लिए घर-घर गई। उसे सरसों तो हर घर में मिली मगर ऐसा कोई घर नहीं मिला जहाँ कभी किसी की मृत्यु नहीं हुई हो। शाम तक, वह उदास हो गई और थक गई। उसने शहर की रोशनियाँ देखीं। शीघ्र ही रात का अंधेरा हो गया। अब उसने मनुष्य के भाग्य के बारे में सोचा। अब उसने महसूस किया कि मौत अवश्यम्भावी है। इससे कोई भी नहीं बच सकता।
वह बुद्ध के पास लौट आई और उससे आशीर्वाद माँगा। अपने उपदेश में बुद्ध ने उसे बताया कि हमारा जीवन संक्षिप्त और कष्टपूर्ण है। हर प्राणी जो जन्म लेता है, मरता है। कुम्हार द्वारा बनाया गया बर्तन स्थायी नहीं है। एक दिन इसे टूट जाना है। इसी प्रकार हर व्यक्ति को मरना है। मौत किसी को नहीं छोड़ती। कोई पिता अपने बच्चे को नहीं बचा सकता। जब कोई प्रिय मरता है तो हर व्यक्ति रोता है। मगर रोने से मरा हुआ व्यक्ति वापस नहीं आ जाता। इसलिए मौत और कष्ट अटल हैं। अक्लमंद व्यक्ति अफसोस नहीं करते क्योंकि वे सच को जानते हैं। रोने से मन को शांति नहीं मिलती। इसके विपरीत विलाप करने से व्यक्ति की पीड़ा बढ़ जाती है। उसके शरीर को भी कष्ट होता है। वह व्यक्ति जिसने अपने दुःख पर काबू पाना सीख लिया है, उसे मन की शांति मिलती है। जिसने अपने दुःख पर काबू पा लिया है, उसे आशीर्वाद मिलता है।
English The Sermon at Benares Important Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
When was Siddhartha Gautama born ?
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 B.C.
Question 2.
At what age was Siddhartha married ?
Answer:
He was married at the age of sixteen years.
Question 3.
What did Gautama chance to see one day?
Answer:
One day he chanced to see a sick man, an old man, a dead man’s funeral procession and a monk.
Question 4.
At what age did Gautama leave home for enlightenment ?
Answer:
He left home at the age of twenty-five for enlightenment.
Question 5.
How long did Gautama wander in search of wisdom ?
Answer:
He wandered for seven years in search of wisdom.
Question 6.
After how many days of meditation did he get enlightenment ?
Answer:
He got enlightenment after the meditation of seven days.
Question 7.
What is the meaning of Buddha ?
Answer:
The meaning of Buddha is the Awakened or Enlightened.
Question 8.
Where did Buddha give his first sermon ?
Answer:
Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares.
Question 9.
What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring ?
Answer:
Buddha asked Gotami to bring a handful of mustard-seeds from a house where no one had died.
Question 10.
What did Kisa Gotami realise in the end ?
Answer:
In the end she realised that death is inevitable.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Gautama Buddha? Where was he born ?
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was a prince in northern India. He was born in a royal family. His full name was Siddhartha Gautama and he was sent away for schooling at the age of twelve. He married Yashodhara when he returned after four years.
(गौतम बुद्ध उत्तर भारत का एक राजकुमार था। उसका जन्म एक शाही परिवार में हुआ था। उसका पूरा नाम सिद्धार्थ गौतम था और उसे बारह वर्ष की आयु में शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के लिए भेजा गया। जब वह चार वर्ष बाद लौटा तो उसकी शादी यशोधरा से कर दी गई।)
Question 2.
How did Siddhartha Gautama get the name of Buddha? (सिद्धार्थ गौतम ने बुद्ध का नाम कैसे हासिल किया ?)
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama sat under a big peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. He was enlightened after seven days. He began to teach and share his new understandings. Then he came to be known as Buddha.
(सिद्धार्थ गौतम यह प्रतिज्ञा करके पीपल के एक बड़े पेड़ के नीचे बैठ गए कि जब तक ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं होगी उठेंगे नहीं। सात दिन के पश्चात् उन्हें ज्ञान की प्राप्ति हुई। उन्होंने अपने नए ज्ञान का प्रचार-प्रसार करना शुरु कर दिया। तब वे बुद्ध के नाम से जाने जाने लगे।)
Question 3.
What did Buddha ask the lady to do? (बुद्ध ने महिला से क्या करने को कहा ?)
Answer:
Buddha asked the lady to bring a handful of mustard-seeds. But these must be taken from a house where no one had ever lost a child, husband or a friend. Then he would be able to help her..
(बुद्ध ने महिला से एक मुट्ठी सरसों के बीज लाने को कहा। लेकिन उसे ये बीज एक ऐसे घर से लाने थे जिसमें कभी किसी बच्चे, पति या मित्र की मृत्यु न हुई हो। तब वह उसकी मदद कर सकेगा।)
Question 4.
What does Gautama Buddha say about the life and death of human beings ? (गौतम बुद्ध मनुष्यों के जीवन और मृत्यु के बारे में क्या कहते हैं ?)
Answer:
Gautama Buddha says that the life of human beings in this world is troubled, brief and combined with pain. It is because there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying.
(गौतम बुद्ध कहते हैं कि इस संसार में मनुष्यों का जीवन कष्टों से भरा और पीड़ा से युक्त है। ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि ऐसा कोई तरीका नहीं है कि जिसने जन्म लिया है वह मृत्यु से बच जाए।)
Question 5.
Can an aggrieved person get peace of mind by weeping or grieving? (क्या एक दुःखी आदमी रोने से और विलाप करने से शांति हासिल कर सकता है ?)
Answer:
No, nobody can get peace of mind by weeping or grieving. Rather, his pain will be greater and his body will suffer by doing so. He will make himself sick and pale.
(नहीं, कोई भी व्यक्ति रोने या विलाप करने से मन की शांति हासिल नहीं कर सकता है। बल्कि, उसकी पीड़ा और ज्यादा होगी और ऐसा करने से उसका शरीर भी पीड़ित होगा। वह अपने-आपको बीमार और कमजोर बना लेगा।)
Question 6.
Where did Buddha preach his first sermon? (बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश कहाँ दिया था ?)
Answer:
After attainment of enlightenment, Buddha preached his first sermon at the holy city of Benares. which is situated on the sacred river Ganges.
(ज्ञान की प्राप्ति के पश्चात्, बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश पवित्र नगरी बनारस में दिया था जोकि पवित्र नदी गंगा के तट पर स्थित है।)
Question 7.
Why did the Buddha choose Benares to preach his first sermon?
(बुद्ध ने अपना पहला धर्मोपदेश का प्रचार करने के लिए बनारस को क्यों चुना?)
Answer:
Benares is considered to be the most holy place on the banks of the sacred river Ganges. Many people come here to get rid of their sorrows and sufferings and to repent for their sins. As the Buddha wanted to lesson their sorrows and sufferings, he chose Benares to preach his first sermon.
(बनारस को पवित्र नदी गंगा के किनारे सबसे पवित्र स्थान माना जाता है। बहुत-से लोग अपने दुःखों और कष्टों से छुटकारा पाने के लिए आते हैं। जैसा कि बुद्ध अपने दुःखों और कष्टों को कम करना चाहते थे। उन्होंने अपने पहले धर्मोपदेश का प्रचार करने के लिए बनारस को चुना।)
Essay Type Question
Question 1.
Who was Gautama Buddha? What made him renounce his royal life and become a monk ?
(गौतम बुद्ध कौन थे ? किस कारण से वे अपना शाही जीवन छोड़कर भिक्षु बन गए ?)
Answer:
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 B.C. He was born in a royal family. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of twelve, he was sent away for schooling. He studied all the sacred Hindu scriptures. At the age of sixteen he married a princess. They had a son. For ten years the couple passed a happy life. Siddhartha had been shielded from the sufferings of the world. However, when he was twenty-five, Siddhartha saw a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession. Finally, he came across a monk begging for alms. This was his first encounter with the harsh realities of life. These sights made him so sad that he decided to renounce the worldly pleasures. He left his family and became a monk. He went out into the world to seek spiritual knowledge.
” (गौतम बुद्ध का जन्म 563 ई०पू० में हुआ था। उनका जन्म एक शाही परिवार में हुआ था। उनका नाम सिद्धार्थ गौतम था। बारह वर्ष की आयु में, उसे शिक्षा ग्रहण करने के लिए भेज दिया गया। उन्होंने हिन्दू धर्म के सभी पवित्र धार्मिक ग्रन्थों का अध्ययन किया। सोलह वर्ष की आयु में एक राजकुमारी से उसकी शादी हो गई। उनका एक बेटा था। दस वर्ष तक दम्पति खुशहाल जीवन व्यतीत करते रहे। सिद्धार्थ को संसार के कष्टों से दूर रखा गया था। लेकिन, जब वह पच्चीस वर्ष का था तो एक दिन उसने एक बीमार आदमी को, एक वृद्ध आदमी को, एक मृत आदमी की शव-यात्रा को देखा। अंत में, उसने एक भिक्षु को देखा जो भिक्षा माँग रहा था। जीवन की कड़वी सच्चाइयों से यह उसका पहला साक्षात्कार था। इन दृश्यों ने उसे इतना उदास कर दिया कि उसने सांसारिक सुखों का त्याग करने का मन बना लिया। उसने अपने परिवार का त्याग कर दिया और एक भिक्षु बन गया। वह बाहरी संसार में आध्यात्मिक ज्ञान की खोज में चला गया।)
Question 2.
Why did Siddhartha come to be called the Buddha ? Where did he give his first sermon? (सिद्धार्थ को बुद्ध क्यों कहा जाने लगा ? उन्होंने अपना पहला उपदेश कहाँ दिया ?)
Answer:
Siddhartha Gautama wandered for seven years in search of wisdom and truth. Finally, he sat down under a big peeple tree to meditate. He vowed to stay there until he got enlightenment. After seven days, Gautama got enlightenment. He named the tree as the ‘Bodhi Tree’. , that is ‘The tree of wisdom.’ He became known as the Buddha’ which means ‘enlightened’ or the awakened’. He began to teach and to spread his message of wisdom and truth. The Buddha gave his first sermon at Benares. It is the holiest of places on the bank of the Ganges. His first sermon reflects his wisdom about one kind of suffering i.e. death. Here the Buddha tells about the universality of death which is inevitable and can’t be escaped.
(सिद्धार्थ गौतम ने सात वर्ष तक ज्ञान और सत्य की खोज की। अंत में वे पीपल के एक बड़े पेड़ के नीचे समाधि में बैठ गए। उन्होंने प्रतिज्ञा की कि जब तक ज्ञान की प्राप्ति नहीं होगी उठेंगे नहीं। सात दिनों के बाद गौतम को ज्ञान की प्राप्ति हुई। उन्होंने उस वृक्ष का नाम ‘बोधि वृक्ष’ अर्थात् ‘ज्ञान का वृक्ष’ रख दिया। वे बुद्ध के नाम से जाने जाने लगे जिसका अर्थ है ‘प्रकाशमयी’ और ‘जागृत’ । उन्होंने ज्ञान और सच्चाई के अपने संदेश का प्रचार करना शुरु कर दिया। बुद्ध ने अपना पहला उपदेश बनारस में दिया। यह गंगा के तट पर स्थित स्थानों में सबसे पवित्र स्थान है। उसका पहला उपदेश उसके ज्ञान की झलक देता है एक प्रकार के मृत्यु रूपी दुःख का वर्णन करता है। यहाँ पर बुद्ध मृत्यु की सार्वभौमिकता के बारे में बताते हैं जोकि अटल है और इससे बचा नहीं जा सकता।)
Question 3.
How did the Buddha made Kisa Gotami realize that death is inevitable ? (बुद्ध ने किसा गौतमी को इस बात का अहसास कैसे कराया कि मृत्यु अटल है ?) Or
Why did Kisa Gotami go from house to house? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding?
(किसा गौतमी घर-घर क्यों गई? बुद्ध ने उसकी सोच को कैसे बदला?)
Or
Why did Kisa Gotami go to the Buddha ? What did the Buddha say to her and why? (किसा गौतमी बुद्ध के पास क्यों गई? बुद्ध ने उससे क्या कहा और क्यों?)
Or
Who was Kisa Gotami? How did Buddha Change Kisa Gotami’s understanding of life and death? (किसा गौतमी कौन थी? बुद्ध ने किसा गौतमी की जीवन और मृत्यु की सोच को कैसे बदला?) [2020 (Set-D)]
Answer:
A lady named Kisa Gotami had only one son. One day, her son died. She wanted that her child should become alive again. She wanted some medicine to bring her son to life. People called her mad. At last she came across a man. He advised her to meet the Buddha. She approached the Buddha with a request to give her a medicine so that her only son could be live again. After a deep thought, the Buddha asked her to bring a handful of mustard-seed. But there was a condition. She must bring it from a house where no one had died. Kisa Gotami went from door to door to get the mustard-seed. She found mustard-seed in every home but she could not find a house where nobody had ever died. By evening, she was sad and tired. She saw the lights of the city. They were trimming. Soon there was darkness of the night. Now she considered the fate of man. Now . she realised that death is inevitable. No one can escape it.
(किसा गौतमी नाम की एक महिला का एकमात्र बेटा था। एक दिन उसका बेटा मर गया। वह चाहती थी कि उसका बच्चा फिर से जीवित हो जाए। वह कोई औषधि चाहती थी जो उसके बेटे को जीवित कर दे। लोग उसे पागल कहते थे। अंततः वह एक आदमी से मिली। उसने उसे बुद्ध से मिलने की सलाह दी। वह एक प्रार्थना के साथ बुद्ध के पास पहुँची कि उसे कोई औषधि दी जाए ताकि उसका एकमात्र बेटा फिर से जीवित हो सके। गहरे विचार के बाद, बुद्ध ने उसे एक मुट्ठी सरसों के बीज लाने को कहा। लेकिन वहाँ एक शर्त थी। उसे ये बीज ऐसे घर से लाने थे जहाँ कभी किसी की मौत न हुई हो। किसा गौतमी घर-घर सरसों के बीज लेने के लिए गई। उसे सरसों के बीज तो हर घर में मिले लेकिन कहीं ऐसा कोई घर नहीं मिला जिसमें किसी की मौत न हुई हो। शाम तक वह थक चुकी थी और उदास थी। उसने शहर की रोशनियों को देखा। वे टिमटिमा रही थीं। शीघ्र ही रात्रि का अंधेरा छा गया। अब मनुष्य का भाग्य उसकी समझ में आ गया। अब उसे अहसास हो गया कि मृत्यु अटल है। कोई भी इससे नहीं बच सकता।)
English The Sermon at Benares Textbook Questions and Answers
Before You Read
Activity
Use a dictionary or ask for your teacher’s help as you discuss the following questions in groups.
1. What is a sermon ? Is it different from a lecture or a talk ? Can this word also be used in a negative way or as a joke (as in “my mother’s sermon about getting my work done on time …”) ?
Answer:
A sermon is a ‘spoken or written discourse on a religious or moral subject. It is serious in nature. It is different from a lecture or a talk because a lecture or a talk can be on any subject, while a sermon is on religion or a moral subject.
The word “sermon’ can be used in a negative way or as a joke also. In that case it means a taunt, an irony or a sarcasm. For example, “Mohan is always sermonizing on any topic.”
2. Find out the meanings of these words and phrases given in the box :
afflicted with
be composed
desolation
lamentation
procure
be subject to
Answer:
Afflicted with means to be affected with bodily or mental trouble.
Be composed means to have control over our mental faculties or to at peace with self.
Desolation means a ruined or neglected state.
Lamentation means expressing one’s sorrow or grieving.
Procure means to obtain, to get, to find, etc.
Be subject to means to be governed by some rules, etc.
3. Have you heard of the Sermon on the Mount ? Who delivered it ? Who do you think delivered a sermon at Benares ?
Answer:
I think the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ was delivered by Jesus Christ. ‘A Sermon at Benares’ was delivered by Gautama Buddha. It was his first sermon after he got Enlightenment.
Thinking about the Text
1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it ? Why not?
(जब उसका बेटा मर जाता है, किसा गौतमी घर-घर जाती है। वह क्या माँगती है ? क्या उसे वह मिलता है? क्यों नहीं?)
Answer:
Gotami goes from door to door and asks for a medicine which could bring her dead son back to life. She does not get it because there is no medicine that can revive the dead. It is so because death is inevitable. – (गौतमी घर-घर जाती है और ऐसी औषधि की माँग करती है जो उसके मृत बेटे को जीवित कर दे। वह इसे प्राप्त नहीं करती है क्योंकि ऐसी कोई औषधि नहीं है जो मृत को जिन्दा कर सके। ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि मृत्यु अटल है।)
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?
(बुद्ध से बात करने के पश्चात् किसा गौतमी फिर घर-घर जाती है। वह दूसरे चक्कर में क्या माँगती है ? क्या उसे वह मिलता है ? क्यों नहीं ?)
Answer:
When she goes door to door for the second time, she asks for a handful of mustard-seed. But there is one condition. She wants mustard-seed from a house where there has not been any death. She does not get it because she finds no house in which there has never been a death. Death spares nobody who has been born.
(जब वह दूसरी बार घर-घर जाती है, तो वह एक मुट्ठी सरसों के बीजों की माँग करती है। लेकिन एक शर्त है। उसे ऐसे घर से सरसों के बीज चाहिएँ जिस घर में कभी कोई मौत न हुई हो। वह इसे प्राप्त नहीं कर सकी क्योंकि उसे कोई ऐसा घर नहीं मिलता है जिसमें कभी किसी की मौत न हुई हो। जिस किसी का भी जन्म हुआ है मौत उसे नहीं छोड़ती है।)
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 ?
(दूसरी बार में किसा गौतमी की समझ में क्या आता है जो वह पहली बार समझने में नाकाम रही थी ? क्या बुद्ध उसे यही समझाना चाहते थे ?)
Answer:
Now Gotami understands that death is inevitable. She thinks over the fate of men. She realises that man’s life is like the light of the city which flickers and extinguishes again. Yes, it is the very thing that Gautama the Buddha wanted her to understand.
(अब गौतमी को समझ आ जाता है कि मृत्यु अटल है। वह मनुष्यों के भाग्य के बारे में सोचती है। वह सोचती है कि मनुष्य का जीवन शहरी रोशनियों की तरह है जो बार-बार टिमटिमाती रहती हैं। हाँ, गौतम बुद्ध उसे यही बात समझाना चाहते थे।)
4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time ? In what way did the Buddha change her understanding ?
(आपके विचार में किसा गौतमी ने यह बात दूसरी बार में ही क्यों सीखी ? बुद्ध ने उसकी समझ को कैसे बदल दिया?)
or
How did Kisa Gotami come to realize the fact that death is the common end of life.
(किसा गौतमी ने यह कैसे समझा कि मृत्यु जीवन का सामान्य अंत है?)
Answer:
She understood this only the second time because she finds not even a single family in which there has been no death. Then they asked her not to remind them of their deep grief. Thus in a wise manner, Buddha made her understand that death is inevitable.
(उसने यह बात केवल दूसरी बार में सीखी क्योंकि उसे एक भी परिवार ऐसा नहीं मिला जिसमें किसी की मौत न हुई हो। तब उन लोगों ने उससे कहा कि वह उनको उनके गहरे दुःखों की याद न दिलाए। इस प्रकार से एक बुद्धिमतापूर्ण तरीके से, बुद्ध ने उसको यह समझा दिया कि मृत्यु अटल है।)
5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief?’
(आप प्रायः ‘स्वार्थ’ के विचार को कैसे समझते हैं ? क्या आप किसा गौतमी से सहमत हैं कि वह अपने दुःख के कारण स्वार्थी हो गई थी ?)
Answer:
The idea of ‘selfishness’means thinking of oneself only and only of those things that concern one only. I agree with Kisa Gotami that she is selfish in her grief. She now understands that death is common to all. One should not grieve over a thing which is inevitable.
(‘स्वार्थीपन’ के विचार का अर्थ है केवल अपने बारे में सोचना या फिर उन चीज़ों के बारे में सोचना जिनका केवल एक व्यक्ति से ही सम्बन्ध है। मैं किसा गौतमी से सहमत हूँ कि वह अपने दुःख के कारण स्वार्थी है। अब उसकी समझ में आ गया है कि मृत्यु सभी के लिए साझी है। व्यक्ति को किसी अटल चीज़ के ऊपर दुःख प्रकट नहीं करना चाहिए।)
Thinking about Language
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 the medicine to your child
- I request you to tell me
- Kisa went to the Buddha
- There was no house in which someone had not died
- Relatives
- Listen /pay attention
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 :
There is not any means by which the born can avoid dying. After reaching old age there is death. Living beings are of such a nature.
The three simple sentences have more beauty and rhythm than the single sentence using semicolons.
Speaking
The Buddha’s sermon is over 2500 years old. Given below are two recent texts on the topic of grief. Read the texts, comparing them with each other and with the Buddha’s sermon. Do you think the Buddha’s ideas and way of teaching continue to hold meaning for us? Or have we found better ways to deal with grief? Discuss this in groups or in class.
I. A GUIDE TO COPING WITH THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE
Martha is having difficulty sleeping lately and no longer enjoys doing things with her friends. Martha lost her husband of 26 years to cancer a month ago.
Anya, age 17, doesn’t feel like eating and spends the days in her room crying. Her grandmother recently died.
Both of these individuals are experiencing grief. Grief is an emotion natural to all types of loss or significant change.
Feelings of Grief
Although grief is unique and personal, a broad range of feelings and behaviours are commonly experienced after the death of a loved one.
* Sadness. This is the most common, and it is not necessarily manifested by crying.
Anger.”This is one of the most confusing feelings for a survivor. There may be frustration at not being able to prevent the death, and a sense of not being able to exist without the loved one.
Guilt and Self-reproach. People may believe that they were not kind enough or caring enough to the person who died, or that the person should have seen the doctor sooner.
Anxiety. An individual may fear that she/he won’t be able to care for herself/himself.
Loneliness. There are reminders throughout the day that a partner, family member or friend is gone. For example, meals are no longer prepared the same way, phone calls to share a special moment don’t happen.’
Fatigue. There is an overall sense of feeling tired.
* Disbelief. This occurs particularly if it was a sudden death.
Helping Others Who Are Experiencing Grief
When a friend, loved one, or co-worker is experiencing grief–how can we help? It helps to understand that grief is expressed through a variety of behaviours.
Reach out to others in their grief, but understand that some may not want to accept help and will not share their grief. Others will want to talk about their thoughts and feelings or reminisce.
Be patient and let the grieving person know that you care and are there to support him or her.
II. GOOD GRIEF
AMITAI ETZIONI
Soon after my wife died — her car slid off an icy road in 1985 — a school psychologist warned me that my children and I were not mourning in the right way. We felt angry; the proper first stage, he said, is denial.
In late August this year, my 38-year-old son, Michael, died suddenly in his sleep, leaving behind a 2-year-old son and a wife expecting their next child.
There is no set form for grief, and no ‘right way to express it. There seems to be an expectation that, after a great loss, we will progress systematically through the well-known stages of grief. It is wrong, we are told, to jump to anger or to wallow too long in this stage before moving towards acceptance.
But I was, and am, angry. To make parents bury their children is wrong; to have both my wife and son taken from me, for forever and a day, is cruel beyond words.
A relative from Jerusalem, who is a psychiatrist, brought some solace by citing the maxim: ‘we are not to ask why, but what.’ The ‘what’ is that which survivors in grief are bound to do for one another. Following that advice, my family, close friends and I keep busy, calling each other and giving long answers to simple questions like, “How did your day go today?” We try to avoid thinking about either the immediate past or the bereft future. We take turns playing with Max, Michael’s two-year-old son. Friends spend nights with the young widow, and will be among those holding her hand when the baby is born.
Focusing on what we do for one another is the only consolation we can find.
Answer:
To be discussed at class level.
Writing
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
Answers:
1. Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea
It is very difficult to teach someone to understand a new or difficult idea. Generally people don’t like to change their old or settled ideas or opinions. When James Watt discovered steam engine, people laughed at him. They said that no force other than that of horses could pull wagons. But with the passage of time, they were adapted to it. In the same way, when Copernicus said that the Sun is stationary and the earth revolves round it, people laughed at him.
Thus if you have a new or difficult idea and want it to be understood, you will have to work hard. You should be prepared to be the object of people’s satire or even violence. But if you are true, you should not lose heart. If your idea is workable, people will learn it sooner or later.
You should make people understand your idea by giving practical examples. You should demonstrate to them that your idea has practical benefits. You should never give up. Only this way you can teach others to understand your idea.
2. Helping each other to get over difficult times
Our life is a mixture of joys and sorrows. It is a cycle of good and difficult times. Man is a social animal. He lives in society. Therefore it is not possible to avoid the sufferings and difficulties of others. If we find someone in a difficult time, we must extend our helping hand to him.
But sometimes, the whole community or group of people face difficult times. For example, there can be flood, an earthquake or a draught. When such a calamity is there, many people suffer. In such a situation, the best remedy is to work together and fight the calamity together. One good example of this was the calamity of Tsunami which struck the people of Tamil Nadu a few years ago. Then the people worked together and faced the calamity.
When such a difficult time comes, we should not think only of ourselves. But we must work collectively. We must pool our resources together and distribute them among all of us. The younger and able bodied people must help the weaker and older people. Children and women should also be given preference. We must teach others the lesson of courage.
3. Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others
It is not a good idea to think about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others. If we nourish such an idea it will do us more harm than good. Moreover, having this kind of idea means that we are very proud of ourselves. And we know that pride is an evil. Pride has a fall.
History is full of examples where this kind of idea led to destruction. Hitler believed that he was one of a kind in billions. He thought that he belonged to a superior caste. He got millions of Jews killed. He attacked other countries in order to establish the superiority of the Germans. But what was the result? His egotism resulted in the Second World War and there was a lot of destruction.
Guru Nanak has said, “O Nanak, remain low and humble. When the storm comes, the tall and proud trees are uprooted. But the humble grass remains unaffected.” Thus be like a drop of water and mix with the ocean. Don’t become a stone which comes in the way of others and earns curses.
The Complete Educational Website