First Flight: The Sermon at Benares

Mahavira

The Buddha

Gautam

Siddhartha

The importance of wealth

The truth of suffering and the path to the end of suffering

The power of love

The danger of greed

King Ashoka

King Pasenadi

King Bimbisara

King Ajatashatru

Ananda

Kisa Gotami's only son

Sariputta

Moggallana

Wealth and power

Medicine that will cure her son

A long and happy life

Enlightenment

A bottle of water

A handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has died

A bunch of flowers

A book of prayers

That she is the only one who has lost a loved one

That death is common to all and that she is not alone in her grief

That she will never be happy again

That she should blame others for her son's death

That we should fear death

That death is a natural part of life and that we must accept it and move on

That we should try to avoid death at all costs

That death is the end of everything

Mahavira

Gautam Buddha

Lord Krishna

Lord Rama

Kisa Gotami

Kisa Gotami's only son

Gautam Buddha

Mahavira

Wealth and power

Medicine to cure her son's illness

A long life

Happiness and joy

A handful of rice

A handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had died

A bottle of water

A piece of cloth

That she was the only one who had lost a loved one

That death is common to all and that she was being selfish in her grief

That she should have taken better care of her son

That she should have been more patient

The importance of wealth and power

The cycle of life and death and the importance of living a virtuous life

The role of education in society

The importance of patience and perseverance

Varanasi

Benares

Ayodhya

Mathura