Question

State whether the statement is true (T) or false (F).
The Buddha passed away at Kusinara.
A) True
B) False

Answer 1

Hint: Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, was born about 2500 years ago. He was the founder of Buddhism. The time at which he was born was a time of rapid change in the lives of people.

Complete Answer:
The Buddha was a Kshatriya, and he belonged to a small gana known as the Sakya gana. He left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge long back when he was a young man. He wandered here and there, meeting and holding discussions with other thinkers for several years. He finally decided to find his own path to realisation. For which he meditated for days on end under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he, at last, attained enlightenment. Following that, he was known as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to a place called Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the first time. He subsequently spent the remaining part of his life teaching people, travelling on foot, going from place to place, till he passed away at Kusinara.

The Buddha taught that life is full of unhappiness and suffering. This is caused due to the cravings and desires that we have which often cannot be fulfilled. Sometimes, even though we get what we want, we are not satisfied and want even more or want other things. The Buddha described this as tanha or thirst. He taught that if anyone is following moderation in everything, this constant craving or tanha could be removed. He also taught people to respect the lives of others, including animals, and to be kind.

Thus, option (A) is correct.

Note:
The Buddha believed that the results of our actions called karma, whether good or bad, affect us both in this life and the next. Rather than simply accepting what he said, he also encouraged and urged people to think for themselves.