"Not from weeping or from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary his pain will be greater and his body will suffer."
Validate this preaching of Buddha with reference to the story 'A Sermon at Benaras'. (A Sermon at Benaras)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:16 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Buddha's preaching is validated through the story of Kisa Gotami. She lost her only son and wandered in inconsolable grief, carrying the dead child from door to door. Buddha made her realize that death is universal — "the living are few, but the dead are many." Her weeping could not restore her son; instead, her grief made her physically and mentally exhausted.
Buddha taught that lamentation only increases pain and weakens the body, yet cannot save the dead. True peace comes only when one "draws out the arrow of lamentation" and accepts death as life's inevitable truth. Kisa Gotami eventually understood this and found peace through surrender of selfish grief.
Source: A Sermon at Benares, Chapter 8
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Explanation
- The question asks you to validate (prove correct with evidence) the quote using the story — so you must connect Buddha's words directly to Kisa Gotami's experience.
- Key points examiners look for: (1) Kisa Gotami's grief and its futility, (2) the universal nature of death, (3) the idea that weeping harms the body without saving the dead, (4) peace comes from accepting death.
- Avoid retelling the full story — pick only the parts that prove the quote.
- The phrase "draw out the arrow of lamentation" is a key textual reference worth including.