Siddhartha

1. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

2. Siddhartha • Published in 1922 • Served as a pacifist response to World War I • Hesse was rejected by many of his friends for writing Siddhartha, as well as other pacifist works such as Demian, Steppenwolf, and Magister Ludi. • In all these novels, Hesse avoided what some called the “customary respect for reality.”

3. Siddhartha • Indeed, Hesse’s novels were all about self-realization, and oftentimes combined elements that stretched the fabric of reality. • Nobel Prize in 1946 for literature • Became immensely popular after his death in 1962 because of the anti-establishment stance of much of his work

4. Plot • Set in India in the 6th century B.C. • The novel begins as the son of a Brahmin, the highest member of the Hindu caste system, sets off to find enlightenment with his friend Govinda. • The Buddha’s name before his renunciation was Siddhartha Gautama; the main character in the book is not the Buddha, but he does meet the Buddha. In the book, the Buddha is referred to as Gotama.

5. Buddhism • Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian leader who renounced his wealth at age 29 and became an ascetic, completely dedicated to the goal of spiritual enlightenment. • He would go on to found the religion known as Buddhism.

6. Precepts • Buddhists believe that Siddhartha Gautama was not the only Buddha; anyone who realizes the true nature of reality, has completed the cycle of rebirths, and teaches the Path to Awakening is called a Buddha. Thus, there have been and will be other Buddhas. • Buddhism’s central tenets, the Four Noble Truths, describe the nature of dukkha, which is generally thought to refer to suffering. • The way to alleviate suffering is found in the Noble Eight Fold Path, which provides a guide of how to live one’s life. • A life lived according to these precepts makes the possibility of attaining enlightenment, or bodhi, all the more likely, as well as eventually achieving liberation from the material world, or nirvana.

7. The Noble Eight Fold Path

8. Karma • Karma literally means “action” or “doing.” • For Buddhists, karma focuses on two main aspects, mental intent and mental obsessions; the inevitable consequence of these thoughts can be seen in the concept of reincarnation, or rebirth. • What one does in a previous life will influence where one ends up in the next; thus, all existences for Buddhists are linked.