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Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha : An Introduction to Buddhism and Hinduism

Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha : An Introduction to Buddhism and Hinduism.

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Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha : An Introduction to Buddhism and Hinduism

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  1. Herman Hesse’sSiddhartha: An Introduction to Buddhism and Hinduism

  2. Herman Hesse-Born in southern Germany in 1877-Came from a family of missionaries, scholars, and writers with strong ties to India. -This early exposure to the philosophies and religions of Asia provided Hesse with some of the most pervasive elements in his short stories and novels, especially Siddhartha (1922)

  3. Siddhartha, set in India, clearly owes much to Indian religions. Elements of both Hindu and Buddhist thought are present, and it is useful to make distinctions between them when the sources of the novel are discussed.

  4. BuddhismSiddhartha is one of the names of the historical Gotama, and the life of Hesse's character resembles that of his historical counterpart to some extent. Siddhartha is by no means a fictional life of Buddha, but it does contain numerous references to Buddha and his teachings. The basic teaching of Buddha is formulated in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

  5. The Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering exists 4. The manner of overcoming suffering and attaining true knowledge is the Eightfold Path • 2. This suffering arises from the human desire for things, and this desire can never be satisfied • 3. There is a way to achieve a release from suffering

  6. The Eightfold Path-leads to the cessation of suffering 1. Right understanding - a person must first discover and experience the correctness of the Four Noble Truths (it is not sufficient to profess a superficial belief) -By these means, the follower of Buddha can arrive at Nirvana 2. Right resolution - A person must resolve to follow the correct path. 3. Right speech 4. Right behavior 5. Right livelihood 6. Right efforts 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right contemplation

  7. Nirvana -Nirvana, or Enlightenment, is the supreme state free from suffering and individual existence. -The ultimate goal of Buddhism. -The attainment of nirvana breaks the otherwise endless rebirth cycle of reincarnation. Buddhists also consider nirvana as freedom from all worldly concerns such as greed, hate, and ignorance. -No one can describe in words what nirvana is. It can only be experienced directly.

  8. Hinduism Dharma – the natural path of righteousness • Goal – worldly joy or supreme happiness • Vedas & Upanishads – codes of righteousness and conduct that define dharma Karma – actions of the body and mind. • Good karma is • gained by living • according to dharma Moksha – supreme spiritual happiness & union of soul and all existence

  9. Reincarnation – cycle of death and rebirth • Belief that all living creatures are reborn in a new body after death • Body that one receives in rebirth is determined by karma gained in previous life • Attaining moksha (ultimate spiritual peace) ends the cycle of reincarnation

  10. Brahma – the Creator God Shiva – the Destroyer/Transformer God Vishnu – the Maintainer God

  11. The BhagavadGita and Siddhartha - A sacred Hindu text that follows the dialogue between Krishna, a deity, and Arjuna, as Krishna attempts to help Arjuna through confusion and moral dilemmas. -The dialogue assumes topics of philosophy that are now considered to be central to Hinduism, and also acts as a guide to living life. -The basic central problems of Siddhartha and the Gita are similar: how can the hero attain a state of total happiness and serenity by means of a long and arduous path?

  12. The path in the Gita: Action-> Knowledge -> Wisdom Action - produced by acceptance of the Divine element in an individual Knowledge - of the Self and of the Absolute, which ultimately are revealed to be identical. -The renouncing of all earthly attachments is a necessary component of each of the first two stages of development. -A kind of self-fulfillment is stressed. - An individual must find and follow his own path, for the ultimate goal cannot be attained by any form of imitation, however noble and admirable the model or teacher may be. Wisdom - the final, and highest, stage is characterized by reverence and wisdom. The seeker reveres and even worships the Absolute, with which he is identical.

  13. Hesse's hero seeks his own path to fulfillment. Siddhartha is identified with the Buddha, possessing the given name of the person who historically came to be known as the Buddha. The early events in the life of the novel's protagonist closely parallel the traditional story of the Buddha's life. In the third chapter of the book, the fictional character, Siddhartha, meets Gotama, a portrayal of the historical Buddha.

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