;

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Unit
T he S ermon
8
at
B enaras

Let’s Begin
1. In the lesson ‘The Sermon at Benaras’ you were asked to find
out the meaning of ‘sermon’. The meanings are given below
but these are in different contexts:
• a talk on a religious or moral subject
• a long or monotonous piece of admonition or caution or a
warning, a lecture.
(a) Discuss with your classmates the context to which the
present text belongs.
(b) What could be the examples for the different context
according to you?
(c) When your parents or elders say something, you say,
“Oh, not again!” When do you say so and why?

2. Read the poem given below in the context of ‘The Sermon at

Benaras’. It was actually delivered as a part of a sermon in
1910 by the author, Canon Henry Scott Holland (1847 — 1918),
a priest at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. After reading the
poem, discuss in groups of four and list the similarities and
differences between ‘The Sermon at Benaras’ and ‘Death Is
Nothing At All’. For example the theme, the situation, the
philosophy of the two speakers etc.

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.

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 Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched,
Look Up
and
unchanged.
Understand Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.

familiar Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
fondly Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
negligible
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed
parting together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
solemnity
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow
upon it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.

All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
Canon Henry Scott Holland

Reading Comprehension
Text I
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that
follow.
In the future, if we want a happier humanity, a happy world,
we must tackle the root of the problem. Of course the economy
and political power are also causes. But the ultimate cause lies
within the human mind. Every human action, verbal or physical,

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 even minor actions, have some motivation. Proper motivation or
proper development is an important factor. Thus, if intelligence
is accompanied with human affection and compassion, what I Look Up
call human feeling, then it is very useful. and
If society’s moral values and standards of behaviour become Understand
negative, each of us will suffer. Therefore, the intentions of an
individual are very much related to the interests of society. There
humanity
is a definite correlation.
The educational system and family life are two very important motivation
areas. In the educational field, one has to take care not only correlation
of the brain, but also of one’s spiritual development. I say
“spiritual development” not in a religious sense but simply in the spiritual
sense of having a good and compassionate heart. If one has a compassionate
compassionate heart, it automatically brings inner strength and
allows for less fear and less doubt. Subsequently, one becomes
happier and more open-minded, thus making more friends in
society.
(Source: The Transformed Mind by His Holiness
the Dalai Lama)

Sentences
Q.1. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, what
should we do if we want a happier humanity?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Q.2. Where does the ultimate cause of the problem lie?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Q.3. “What I call human feeling, then ‘it’ is very useful.”
What is ‘it’ referred to here?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Q.4. Why does the Dalai Lama say that proper motivation
is important?
_____________________________________________________

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 _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Q.5. Why is there a requirement of correlation between
the intention of an individual and the interest of
society?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Q.6. What does His Holiness the Dalai Lama mean by
“spiritual development”?
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Q.7. A compassionate heart brings —

(a) __________________________________________________

(b) __________________________________________________

(c) __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

Text II
Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow.
Father Gilligan was overworked and extremely tired as he
kept attending to the sick and dying among his parishioners. He
was offering them spiritual comfort day and night. One night he
fell asleep on a chair. God sent his angel down to help his most
Look Up beloved servant of the people.
and
Understand The Ballad of Father Gilligan

The old priest Peter Gilligan

flock Was weary night and day,
grieve For half his flock were in their beds,
Or under green sods lay.
parishioners
Once while he nodded on a chair,
spake
At the moth - hour of eve,
Another poor man sent for him,
And he began to grieve.

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 “I have no rest, nor joy, nor peace,
For people die and die;”
And after cried he, “God forgive!
My body spake, not I!”

And then, half-lying on the chair,

He knelt, prayed, fell asleep;
And the moth-hour went from the fields,
And stars began to peep.
Look Up
They slowly into millions grew, and

And leaves shook in the wind; Understand

And God covered the world with shade,
And whispered to mankind. peep

Upon the time of sparrow chirp pity

When the moths came once more, roused
The old priest Peter Gilligan swayed
Stood upright on the floor.

“Mavrone, Mavrone! The man has died,

While I slept on the chair,”
He roused his horse out of its sleep

Sentences
And rode with little care.

He rode now as he never rode,

By rocky lane and fen;
The sick man’s wife opened the door:
“Father! You come again!”

“And is the poor man dead?” he cried.

“He died an hour ago.”
The old priest Peter Gilligan
In grief swayed to and fro.

“When you were gone he turned and died,

As merry as a bird.”
The old priest Peter Gilligan
He knelt him at that word.

“He who hath made the night of stars

For souls who tire and bleed,
Sent one of His great angles down
To help me in my need.

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 He who wrapped in purple robes,
With planets in His care,
Had pity on the least of things
Asleep upon a chair.”
W.B.Yeats

Q.1. Why did Father Gilligan cry “my body spake, not I”?
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Q.2. “The moth-hour of eve”, “the moth hour went” and

“the moths came once more” establish a link. They
suggest —
(a) the movement of moths.
(b) the passage of time.
(c) the actions of Father Gilligan.
Q.3. Why did the poet say that the priest “rode with
little care”? Does it mean that the old priest, Peter
Gilligan, had no care for the safety of the horse and
people on the way? What did he not care about?
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
Q.4. How did the priest feel when he heard that the sick
man was dead? (Choose the correct option.)
(a) He was frustrated and amazed.
(b) He was ashamed and annoyed.
(c) He was full of grief and self-condemnation.
Q.5. Why did Father Gilligan kneel down when he heard
the sick man’s wife say “When you were gone...”?
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
Q.6. How did God help when “the least of things” was in
need?
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

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 Vocabulary

1. Antonyms for the words in the text ‘The Sermon at Benaras’

are given below. Find the words and fill in the blanks.

(a) unfit ______________________

(b) joy ______________________ Fun

(c) contentment ______________________
Facts
(d) found ______________________ Silent letter: W
(e) cheered ______________________ Wrap
Wrist
(f) lively ______________________ Wreck

(g) calm ______________________

2. Use a dictionary to find out four words each having the

meaning nearest to the ones given below.
Example:
wander — stroll dawdle drift roam

Sentences
(a) vow — ________ ________ ________ ________

(b) preach — ________ ________ ________ ________

(c) preserve — ________ ________ ________ ________

(d) awaken — ________ ________ ________ ________

(e) enlighten — ________ ________ ________ ________

(f) reign — ________ ________ ________ ________

Grammar

Reported Speech
We use direct speech when we repeat someone’s words and
indirect speech when we use our own words to report what
someone else has said. We use an appropriate reporting verb,
make pronominal (relating to pronouns) changes and change
certain words denoting ‘nearness’ in the direct form to words
suggesting ‘remoteness’ (in time and place) in the indirect form.

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 For example
(a) Riki said, “I’m hungry.”
(b) Riki said that he was hungry.
(c) Alexa said to Meena, “Have you visited your home town
Fun Puducherry?”
Facts (d) Alexa asked Meena if she had visited her home town
Puducherry.
Allude — refer In the sentences ‘b’ and ‘d’ there are changes of person (I–he,
Elude — escape Meena-you-she, your-her). The reporting verb ‘said’ has been
changed to ‘asked’.
Some of the reporting verbs are: tell, ask, reply, warn, say, report,
answer, explain, exclaim, mention, promise, suggest, order, etc.
Example
(a) The doctor said to me, “Drink eight glasses of water to
avoid acidity.”
(b) The doctor told me to drink eight glasses of water to
avoid acidity.
(c) “Please don’t tell anybody about my illness”, Amita said
to me.
(d) Amita asked me not to tell anyone about her illness.

1. Read the passage (“Kisa Gotami had an only son, ... a child,
husband, parent or friend.”) from the text, ‘The Sermon at
Benaras’ (page 134). Rewrite the paragraphs changing the
direct speech into reported speech in the space given below.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Read the story given below. Change the direct speech into
reported speech and rewrite the story in the space provided.
Use the reporting verbs given above whereever necessary.
You can use any other reporting verb you find suitable.
It is said, “It is not how much we have, but how much we
enjoy that makes happiness.”
Being happy does not require everything to be good but an
eye to see good in everything. One day a crow saw a swan.
“This swan is so white,” he thought, “and I am so black. This
swan must be the happiest bird in the world.”
The swan replied, “I was feeling that I was the happiest
bird around. But I think the parrot is the happiest bird as it

Sentences
has two colours.” The crow then approached the parrot. The
parrot said, “I have only two colours, but the peacock has
multiple colours.”
The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo. “Dear peacock,”
the crow said, “you are so beautiful. Every day, thousands
of people come to see you. You are the happiest bird on the
planet.”
The peacock said, “I always thought that I was the most
beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But I am entrapped
in this zoo. I have realised that the crow is the only bird not
kept in a cage, and could happily roam everywhere.”

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Editing
1. There are some omissions in the paragraph given below. Edit
the paragraph, use suitable prepositions and words.

The Wild Geese

One day, Prince Siddhartha was going the royal gardens

on his way the river. A flock wild geese passed overhead.

Devadatta, the Prince’s cousin, shot arrow into their midst

one of the geese fell. It was wounded and fell just front of

Siddhartha. His heart was filled compassion when he saw

poor bird bleeding profusely. He lifted it and he drew the

arrow very carefully from its body. He took the bird with him.

Devadatta sent a messenger claim the bird. But Siddhartha

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 refused to give it. He said that belonged to him because he

had saved its life. It did not belong to Devadutta who had

tried to kill.

Listening
1. Following is a narrative on Sanchi stupa. Listen to it carefully
and answer the questions that follow. You can listen to the
recorded narrative or ask your teacher, sibling or friend to
read it aloud.
The fascinating and world
famous Sanchi stupa is
located on a hilltop in
Sanchi town, Madhya
Pradesh, India. It is one
of the most important
Buddhist monuments
that portrays Buddhist
art and sculpture.

Sentences
Starting from the third
century BC through the
twelfth century AD, it
attracts the attention of thousands of visitors round the year
including national and foreign tourists, archaeologists, and
historians among others.
This stupa is the oldest stone structure in India that was
built during the Mauryan period. Originally commissioned
in the third century BCE by Emperor Ashoka, this huge
hemispherical dome consists of a central chamber. In this
chamber, the relics of Lord Buddha are placed. The original
construction work of this stupa was supervised by Ashoka.
His wife, Devi, was the daughter of a merchant of nearby
village, Vidisha. Sanchi was also her birthplace as well as the
venue of her and Ashoka’s wedding. Later, four ornamental
gateways or toranas facing four directions and a balustrade
surrounding the stupa were added in the first century
BCE. The Great stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone
structures in India and counted among the best conserved
ancient stupas of Central India. It has been enlisted as an
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989.

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 The sculptures on the ornamental gateways or toranas
consist of decorative illustrations of events encompassing the
Fun life of Lord Buddha. These events are explained in the Jataka
Facts tales. The tree used here symbolises Lord Buddha. The most
striking features regarding the stupa is that Lord Buddha has
Tongue twister been depicted symbolically by figures like thrones, wheels,
I saw Susie and footprints among others.
sitting in a shoe
shine shop. (a) Which Buddhist monument is referred to here and what
Where she sits does it portray?
she shines, and
where she shines _______________________________________________________
she sits. _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(b) Who are the people who visit this Stupa throughout the
year?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(c) In which period the Stupa was built, and who
commissioned it?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(d) Where is the central chamber in the Stupa? What is kept
inside it?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(e) What structures were added to the huge hemisphere in
first century BCE?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(f) The toranas are decorated with: (Tick the right answer
(a) stone ornaments ( )
(b) events of Lord Buddha’s life ( )

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 (c) Lord Buddha’s relics ( )
(d) symbolic depiction of Lord Buddha as throne, wheel,
footprints, etc. ( )

Speaking
It is important to know that everyone has some problem or other,
and they grieve in unique ways. Your grief is different than those
around you. You have experienced a loss or an intense sorrow,
especially caused by someone’s death. This can also refer to the
loss of physical or cognitive abilities or the loss of something that
was routine in your life such as friendship, head boy or head girl,
playing for school, etc.
Discuss with your friend and note down—
• what could be the possible reasons for someone’s grief or
sorrow.
• how can they overcome this.
Share your feelings and suggestions in the class.

Sentences
Writing
1. Write a paragraph on how you can help others who are in
grief. You may consider the following points:
• grief is expressed through a variety of behaviours —
observe these
• reach out to others in their grief, but some people may
not want to accept help; some will not share their grief —
understand this
• some others will want to talk about their thoughts and
feelings — be a support to them, stand by them
• let the grieving person know you care for them — be
patient
• focus on what you can do, like holding their hand, etc. — a
solace or a consolation

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 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Two poems are given in the textbook, First Flight, page

138 – 139, one by Kahlil Gibran, and the other by Rabindra
Nath Tagore. Read the poems, discuss in groups of four on
what these two poets want to say in their respective poems.
Then write the summary of each poem and share it with
your classmates.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Project
• Work in groups of four.

Sentences
• Collect Jataka tales (at least six) concerning the previous
births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form.
• Read these and rewrite the stories in your own words. You
can develop a comic strip too.
• Make a collage of the stories.
• Illustrate the stories and display the collage in your class.

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