CBSE Class 10 English NCERT Solutions: The Sermon at Benares

Following the tragic death of her only son, Kisa Gotami was consumed by overwhelming grief. She carried her deceased child in her arms and visited numerous homes, desperately pleading for a medicine that could revive her son. However, her quest was in vain, as no one could provide such a remedy. This was because there is no known medicine capable of bringing a dead person back to life.

After her conversation with Gautama Buddha, Kisa Gotami was instructed to collect a handful of mustard seeds from any household where death had never occurred. She then proceeded to go from house to house, seeking such a place. However, she could not find a single home that had been untouched by death; every household had experienced the loss of a loved one. Therefore, she could not obtain the mustard seeds as requested, because death is an inescapable reality for all who are born.

The second time Kisa Gotami went from house to house, after her encounter with the Buddha, she came to understand that death is a universal and common occurrence affecting everyone. She had failed to grasp this fundamental truth the first time, being solely focused on her personal tragedy. Yes, this profound realization was precisely what the Buddha intended for her to understand. He guided her to this understanding by making her confront the reality of death's presence in every family.

Kisa Gotami likely understood the universality of death only the second time because her initial grief had blinded her to the suffering of others. When she went door-to-door seeking the special mustard seeds, she was forced to directly engage with people and hear their stories of loss. The Buddha changed her understanding by providing her with a task that shifted her focus from her own pain to the shared human experience of mortality. By seeking a house untouched by death, she discovered that such a place did not exist, leading her to realize that death is a common fate for all human beings.

The idea of selfishness is generally understood as prioritizing one's own needs, desires, or well-being above those of others, often without regard for their feelings or circumstances. In the context of her profound grief, Kisa Gotami could be seen as being selfish to some extent. It is natural for humans to grieve deeply and struggle to accept the death of loved ones, especially an only child. Her initial desperate search for a cure, wanting her son back even when it was impossible, stemmed from her intense personal pain. However, this 'selfishness' arose from the overwhelming nature of her loss, rather than a malicious intent to disregard others.