The Sermon at Benares

What was Gautama Buddha’s real name?
a) Siddhartha Gautama
b) Ashoka Maurya
c) Chandragupta
d) Mahavira
Answer: a) Siddhartha Gautama

Where was Buddha born?
a) Kapilavastu
b) Lumbini
c) Varanasi
d) Gaya
Answer: b) Lumbini

At what age did Siddhartha Gautama leave his palace in search of enlightenment?
a) 20 years
b) 25 years
c) 29 years
d) 35 years
Answer: c) 29 years

What sights did Gautama see that led him to renounce his royal life?
a) A sick man, an old man, a dead man, and a monk
b) A festival, a temple, a marriage, and a war
c) A storm, an earthquake, a war, and a famine
d) A crying child, a wedding, a feast, and a book
Answer: a) A sick man, an old man, a dead man, and a monk

Where did Buddha attain enlightenment?
a) Sarnath
b) Rajgir
c) Bodh Gaya
d) Kushinagar
Answer: c) Bodh Gaya

Under which tree did Buddha meditate to attain enlightenment?
a) Banyan tree
b) Peepal tree
c) Mango tree
d) Neem tree
Answer: b) Peepal tree

What did Siddhartha Gautama rename the tree after attaining enlightenment?
a) Wisdom Tree
b) Enlightenment Tree
c) Bodhi Tree
d) Nirvana Tree
Answer: c) Bodhi Tree

Where did Buddha deliver his first sermon?
a) Bodh Gaya
b) Lumbini
c) Sarnath (Benares)
d) Vaishali
Answer: c) Sarnath (Benares)

Who did Buddha meet in The Sermon at Benares?
a) A sick man
b) A young widow named Kisa Gotami
c) A rich merchant
d) A king
Answer: b) A young widow named Kisa Gotami

What was Kisa Gotami’s grief?
a) She lost her husband
b) She lost her son
c) She lost her parents
d) She lost her wealth
Answer: b) She lost her son

What did Kisa Gotami ask people for?
a) Food
b) Money
c) Medicine for her dead son
d) Shelter
Answer: c) Medicine for her dead son

Where did people send Kisa Gotami for help?
a) A doctor
b) The king
c) Gautama Buddha
d) A priest
Answer: c) Gautama Buddha

What did Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring?
a) A handful of rice
b) A handful of mustard seeds
c) A pot of water
d) A golden coin
Answer: b) A handful of mustard seeds

From where was Kisa Gotami supposed to collect the mustard seeds?
a) Any house
b) A temple
c) A house where no one had died
d) A shopkeeper
Answer: c) A house where no one had died

What realization did Kisa Gotami come to?
a) Death is common to all
b) Buddha was wrong
c) She should search harder for medicine
d) She should leave the village
Answer: a) Death is common to all

What metaphor does Buddha use to describe life?
a) A flowing river
b) A flickering flame
c) A strong tree
d) A deep ocean
Answer: b) A flickering flame

According to Buddha, what is inevitable in life?
a) Happiness
b) Death and suffering
c) Wealth and success
d) Eternal youth
Answer: b) Death and suffering

How did Kisa Gotami feel after understanding Buddha’s message?
a) Angry
b) Peaceful
c) Confused
d) Hopeless
Answer: b) Peaceful

What is the ultimate lesson of The Sermon at Benares?
a) Everyone should fight against death
b) Suffering can be avoided
c) Accepting suffering leads to peace
d) Money can save lives
Answer: c) Accepting suffering leads to peace

What is Nirvana according to Buddha?
a) The end of suffering
b) A city in India
c) A Hindu god
d) A palace
Answer: a) The end of suffering

What happens when one overcomes grief according to Buddha?
a) They become stronger
b) They achieve Nirvana
c) They forget everything
d) They become rich
Answer: b) They achieve Nirvana

What does Buddha compare humans to?
a) Ripe fruits that fall when ready
b) Strong mountains
c) Unbreakable rocks
d) Flowing rivers
Answer: a) Ripe fruits that fall when ready

What did Kisa Gotami finally do with her son’s dead body?
a) Left it in the forest
b) Took it to the cremation ground
c) Buried it herself
d) Kept searching for medicine
Answer: b) Took it to the cremation ground

What is the root cause of suffering according to Buddha?
a) Attachment
b) Wealth
c) Anger
d) Ignorance
Answer: a) Attachment

How does one attain peace according to Buddha?
a) By accepting reality
b) By running away from problems
c) By being wealthy
d) By studying scriptures
Answer: a) By accepting reality

What is the meaning of “inscrutable suffering” in the context of Buddha’s sermon?
a) Suffering that cannot be understood
b) Suffering that can be avoided
c) Suffering that is imaginary
d) Suffering caused by wealth
Answer: a) Suffering that cannot be understood

What did Buddha say about lamentation (grief and mourning)?
a) It helps in overcoming pain
b) It only increases pain and suffering
c) It brings back the dead
d) It makes a person stronger
Answer: b) It only increases pain and suffering

What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn from her journey?
a) Only the rich can escape suffering
b) Death is inevitable and common to all
c) She should have searched harder for medicine
d) The gods had punished her
Answer: b) Death is inevitable and common to all

What is the key theme of The Sermon at Benares?
a) The cycle of life and death
b) The importance of wealth
c) The power of prayers
d) The importance of revenge
Answer: a) The cycle of life and death

What does Buddha say about life?
a) It is permanent and free from suffering
b) It is short and full of suffering
c) It is meant to be lived in luxury
d) It is unfair and cruel
Answer: b) It is short and full of suffering

How does Buddha compare human life to earthen pots?
a) Both are strong and unbreakable
b) Both will eventually break
c) Both can last forever
d) Both are made of clay
Answer: b) Both will eventually break

What does Buddha say about overcoming sorrow?
a) One must accept the truth of life and death
b) One must pray for miracles
c) One must fight against fate
d) One must live alone
Answer: a) One must accept the truth of life and death

What did Buddha preach as the way to peace?
a) Accumulating wealth
b) Helping others in grief
c) Detaching from worldly attachments
d) Worshiping gods daily
Answer: c) Detaching from worldly attachments

What happens when a person draws out the “arrow of lamentation” according to Buddha?
a) He continues suffering
b) He achieves peace
c) He becomes immortal
d) He loses his mind
Answer: b) He achieves peace

What is the first noble truth of Buddhism?
a) Life is full of suffering
b) Life is eternal
c) Life is meaningless
d) Life is joyful
Answer: a) Life is full of suffering

What is the ultimate goal in Buddhism?
a) To gain power
b) To achieve Nirvana
c) To be reborn as a king
d) To become rich
Answer: b) To achieve Nirvana

What does Buddha say about young and old people?
a) Both are equally subject to death
b) Only the old suffer
c) The young are immune to suffering
d) Only the wise escape death
Answer: a) Both are equally subject to death

What did Buddha compare the human body to?
a) A strong wall
b) A fragile pot
c) A mighty river
d) A blooming flower
Answer: b) A fragile pot

How do wise people react to death, according to Buddha?
a) They grieve deeply
b) They accept it calmly
c) They try to avoid it
d) They fight against fate
Answer: b) They accept it calmly

What was Kisa Gotami’s initial reaction to her child’s death?
a) Acceptance
b) Extreme grief and denial
c) Peaceful resignation
d) Indifference
Answer: b) Extreme grief and denial

What is the meaning of “be composed” in Buddha’s sermon?
a) Be wealthy
b) Be calm and peaceful
c) Be strong and powerful
d) Be fearful
Answer: b) Be calm and peaceful

What is Buddha’s message about suffering?
a) Suffering can be overcome through wisdom
b) Suffering will always last
c) Suffering is a punishment from the gods
d) Only rich people suffer
Answer: a) Suffering can be overcome through wisdom

According to Buddha, what happens when one overcomes sorrow?
a) He gains magical powers
b) He becomes free from suffering
c) He becomes a king
d) He lives forever
Answer: b) He becomes free from suffering

How did Kisa Gotami change by the end of the story?
a) She became wiser and accepted reality
b) She left the village forever
c) She continued searching for a cure
d) She became a queen
Answer: a) She became wiser and accepted reality

What was the Buddha’s main method of teaching?
a) Giving lectures
b) Using parables and real-life examples
c) Punishing people
d) Performing miracles
Answer: b) Using parables and real-life examples

What was the major lesson Kisa Gotami learned?
a) That suffering is universal
b) That her son could still be saved
c) That she needed to move to another village
d) That life is unfair
Answer: a) That suffering is universal

Why is The Sermon at Benares significant?
a) It contains the essence of Buddha’s teachings
b) It tells a story about kings
c) It describes a magical event
d) It talks about gods and goddesses
Answer: a) It contains the essence of Buddha’s teachings

What did Buddha say about people’s attachment to life?
a) It causes suffering
b) It brings happiness
c) It makes them immortal
d) It makes them rich
Answer: a) It causes suffering

What does the story teach about the nature of human existence?
a) It is temporary and full of suffering
b) It is permanent
c) It is controlled by luck
d) It is always happy
Answer: a) It is temporary and full of suffering

What is the overall message of Buddha’s sermon?
a) Death is a natural part of life and must be accepted
b) People can live forever if they pray enough
c) Only rich people suffer
d) Sorrow is a sign of weakness
Answer: a) Death is a natural part of life and must be accepted