14. Summary of the lesson, "The Sermon at Benares"

The lesson "The Sermon at Benares" depicts Lord Buddha's early years. He was born a prince, but he gave up his luxurious life when he began looking for a solution to all of the problems in the world. He wandered for nearly seven years after leaving the noble life in search of answers for all human suffering. He finally found wisdom under a peepal tree. He gave his first lecture at Benares after attaining enlightenment. He helped a woman named Kisa Gotami comprehend the reality of human life. After losing her only son, Kisa Gotami went to Lord Buddha and begged him to give her son's life back. Buddha instructed her to gather mustard seeds from a house where no deaths had occurred. Kisa Gotami realised that death and life are a part of nature and that there is no way to avoid them. Additionally, Buddha counsels against spending time in lamentation, complaint, and mourning because doing so would only worsen the problem. According to Buddha, those who shun these three arrows will experience ultimate happiness.