Chapter 8: The Sermon at Benares

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (7)

1. Q1Long answer6 marksAsked: 2023

   10. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words : (a) 'As ripe fruits are in danger of falling early, so mortals when born are always in danger of death'. With this statement of the Buddha find out the moral values that Kisa Gotami learnt after the death of her child. OR (b) 'No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background or his religion'. Do you agree? Elaborate on the basis of the chapter "Nelson Mandela - Long walk to freedom".

2. Q2Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   Though he knew it was impossible, why did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring mustard seeds from a house untouched by death? (The Sermon at Benares)

   

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   Model answer · Buddha's lesson to Kisa Gotami

   1. 1.The Buddha asked for the mustard seed because he knew that death is universal and unavoidable: all are subject to death. Kisa Gotami was overcome with grief, and she would not have believed him if he had only told her so. He wanted Kisa to realise this truth herself, so the task was a practical lesson. As she went from house to house, she found that no household is untouched by death. This helped her understand the reality of life, and she overcame her grief through acceptance.3 marks

   • Begin with the reason: the Buddha knew that "death is universal and unavoidable".
   • Write that the task was a practical lesson because he wanted Kisa "to realise this truth herself".
   • End with what she learnt: "no household is untouched by death", and she "overcame her grief through acceptance".

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

3. Q3Short answer3 marksAsked: 2024

   What message might the Buddha's story hold for those who are in positions of power and privilege ?

   

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   Model answer · Message of the Buddha's sermon

   1. 1.The Buddha's story tells people in power and privilege that death comes to everyone, so they should not feel proud of their position. Death brings grief and suffering to every family, and "a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their relations." Death treats everyone equally: "both young and adult, both those who are fools and those who are wise, all fall into the power of death." When death comes, it takes away all material possessions, power and privilege, because nothing can be carried along. So powerful people should not be controlled by desires and material possessions. Instead, like the wise, they should accept "the terms of the world" and live humbly, helping others.3 marks

   • Say that death "takes away all material possessions, power and privilege", then end with the lesson that one should not be "controlled by desires and material possessions".

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

4. Q4Short answer3 marksAsked: 2023

   Kisa Gotami went from door to door when her son died. What was the result ?

   How the model answer begins

   1. When her son died, Kisa Gotami went from door to door asking people for a handful of mustard seeds to revive her dead child, but she laid down the condition that the mustard seeds must be taken from a house where no…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
5. Q5Short answer3 marksAsked: 2023

   What does Kisa Gotami ask for when she goes from house to house after she speaks with Buddha ? Does she get it ? Why ? Why not ?

   How the model answer begins

   1. After she speaks with the Buddha, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for a handful of mustard seeds, because the Buddha had told her that these seeds would bring her dead son back to life.

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
6. Q6Short answer3 marksAsked: 2023

   What did Siddhartha Gautama come across by chance when he was about twenty-five years old ?

   How the model answer begins

   1. When Prince Siddhartha Gautama was about twenty-five years old, he went out of the palace. By chance, he first came across a very old man. The man was decrepit and helpless, and he made Siddhartha see that every human…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
7. Q7Short answer3 marksAsked: 2023

   What did Kisa Gotami do after the death of her only son?

   How the model answer begins

   1. After the death of her only son, Kisa Gotami was grief-stricken and could not accept that her child was dead. She carried her dead child to all her neighbours, going from house to house and asking them for medicine for…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →

Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "The Sermon at Benares" carry in CBSE Class 10 English?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 1 marks and about 0 questions a year; by marks it ranks 24 in English.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "The Sermon at Benares"?

The 7 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 7 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the Ask Medha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.