september 12 th, 2007 yes! it’s finally here!. the search begins resuming the siddhartha...
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September 12th, 2007
Yes! It’s finally here!
The Search BeginsResuming the
Siddhartha Introduction
Who Was Siddhartha?Multiple Answers
Siddhartha Gautama (spelled Gotama in Hesse’s text) – the founder of Buddhism itself!• Therefore, “Gotama” in the story is the Buddha himself!
Siddhartha is the main character of Hesse’s text• However, Hesse sets up a particularly important
encounter between Siddhartha…and Gotama! He’s separated the two??? What could that mean?
Finally, Siddhartha stands in allegorically for Hesse• Prior to World War I, Hesse spent time in India, and his
spiritual search made for particularly rich material
Some Important Names to Remember
SiddharthaThe main character in the story
GovindaSiddhartha’s childhood companion
GotamaAn individual who has achieved nirvana
VasudevaThe ferryman who plays a bigger role near the end
KamaswamiA merchant who teaches Siddhartha the principles of
business Kamala
The courtesan Siddhartha meets after leaving the Samanas
Character Relations
Siddhartha begins the story with Govinda by his side; the two embark on a quest for enlightenment together
Govinda meets Gotama and is moved by him, choosing to join his disciples; Siddhartha moves on without him after meeting with Gotama and experiencing a powerful epiphany
Character Relations, Part II
Siddhartha next meets Kamala, and earns money by working with Kamaswami
After departing here, he goes back to the river, and meets the ferryman Vasudeva
At the end, Siddhartha is reunited with Govinda, who he re-met only once since their initial parting
There is much, much more – but I don’t want to give everything away, and as Siddhartha so aptly points out, words cannot always convey everything!
What Do the Names Mean? According to Wikipedia (always a wonderful source of
academia): Sanskrit:
• A compound of “Sidd” can mean “fulfilled” or “accomplished
• A compound of “artha” can mean “aim” or “wealth”
• Therefore, if you mash the two together, the literal meaning is “the wealth of the fulfilled aim” – those who search correctly and patiently will eventually find the object of the search
The stated meaning of “Siddhartha” is “he who has achieved his aims,” or “he who is victorious.”
Some of the Ground Rules
Before we get too far into an examination of Hesse’s character names… (Another day, perhaps)
Let’s take a look at some basic tenets of Buddhism; they may be important to our study of the text!The Three Universal TruthsThe Four Noble TruthsThe Noble Eightfold Path
Before Moving On…
The Buddha is not perceived as a god, particularly not in a way analogous to Christian worship of God and Christ
Rather, Gotama simply finds what he’s looking for – a greater spiritual truth
The idea that an individual could find true peace over the course of a normal lifespan is incredibly inspirational to many
Important to Know…The Three Universal Truths The Four Noble TruthsThe Noble Eightfold PathSamsara, Nirvana, and the WheelKarmaBodhisattva
The Three Universal Truths
Also known as the three signs of existence
Anicca (impermanence)Anatta (impersonality, non-self)Dukkha (suffering)
Everything ChangesAnicca seems fairly self-explanatory
However, the idea of essential transience doesn’t necessitate throwing out the idea of permanence
It helps to think of the riverThe river will flow more slowly in wide, flat
areas, and will flow faster over rapids or downhillIt gains speed depending on the season and
rainfallIn short, it exists in a state of permanent
development and change, reacting to conditions outside of its control
Sound familiar?
We Are ImpermanentLet’s look to Gotama’s life for an example
At birth, Siddhartha Gautama was predicted to realize one of two destinies• Great king• Spiritual leader
His father, a king himself, was determined to prevent Siddhartha from becoming a religious leader, and shielded him from human suffering
At the age of twenty-nine, Siddhartha finally went out into the world, and caught his first glimpses of decline, sickness, and death• This resulted in a profound change in his philosophy
Non-Self
Anatta is a slightly more abstract concept
Just remember that change is constantBecause change is constant, we are
therefore subjected to constant changeAs a result, we must always change and
reactThis eliminates the need for a “core” selfThe river always exists, but does it always
contain the same water?
Suffer Never
“If we suffer never/We won’t know if we are feeling good.”
• The Promise Ring, “Suffer Never”
Dukkha refers to all suffering, major or minor
Suffering is constant in life because it arises from our desire for the non-constantWe desire transient/impermanentWe miss something indefinable
The Four Noble TruthsThe Noble Truths provide additional
perspective on dukkhaSuffering existsSuffering has a source – a cause for the
effect• Caused by human desire
Suffering can be eliminated if we overcome our desires• Remember the ascetics?
You can eliminate desire by following the Noble Eightfold Path
The Eightfold PathProvides followers with a behavioral
outlineRight View – Understand the Four Noble
TruthsRight Aspiration – Care about all living thingsRight Speech – Speak truthfully, kindly,
respectfully, and properly (obscenity not allowed)
Right Bodily Action – Follow the Five (or Ten) Moral Precepts (Buddhist moral codes)
The Eightfold Path, Part IIRight Livelihood – Your work shouldn’t harm
anything that livesRight Endeavor/Effort – Concentrate on
meditation, control your negative thoughtsRight Mindfulness – Give full attention to
whatever you are doing, and give your best effort at all times (something I encourage you to do in class!)
Right Concentration – The mental discipline necessary for reaching enlightenment
Bodhisattva
One who has achieved enlightenment
However, rather than attain nirvana, bodhisattvas remain hereDedicate themselves to the welfare of
other living thingsPeople pray to them for help
The Man Who Sold the World
Nirvana is the apexRepresents the elimination of desire
In turn, nirvana also brings serenity, wisdom, and compassion
Because desire is eliminated, suffering is eliminatedWithout suffering, the samsara cycle is
broken
Existential Carousel…Spin!
The samsara cycle represents birth and rebirth, the cycle of existence
You enter, leave, and re-enter the material world, which contains sufferingHence, your existence here will be defined
by sufferingRemember: Nirvana breaks the cycle!
• Siddhartha Gautama, upon reaching nirvana, claimed he had broken his Samsara cycle
Change is ConstantUnderstand the concept of karma
We receive what we earn, for good or for ill – and it lasts!
Once again, nirvana breaks the cycle“Everything you do/Comes back to
you/Whatever it may be…/What you do as an angel/Or what you do as a devil/The favor returns itself somehow.”• 311, “Paradise”
Literary Evidence
Where do we see these elements expressed in Siddhartha?You won’t know yet – unless you already
finished!We’ll go over each in due time
There’s much, much more – more in the names, more to Hesse’s motivation and background, so on and so forth.
However, that will be covered later!
In the Meantime…Let’s see how many of the major themes,
motifs, characters, plot developments, and symbols we can identify at this stage of the book.Remember: The categories are often related!
Design a matrix for displaying everything your group finds – a list, a grid, or some other type of organizerYou’ll be presenting it in class, so make sure it’s
something you can present nicely – whether in a drawing on the board, a poster, etc.
Presentations tomorrow and Thursday!
From the Top
Notice the impermanence of every detail of the first sentenceShade (on a house – that which burns or
crumbles)Sunshine (by a river)Shade (partnered with sunshine; whenever
one disappears, so too does the other)HandsomenessGrowing up
OmThose of you who have read ahead realize
the supreme importance of Om on the textThe “word of words” can be defined in any
number of ways• One useful way to think of Om is to understand that it
represents unity, the “one-ness” of all things– This is why the Noble Eightfold Path places such high value
on all living things – not just humans
Siddhartha is able to “pronounce it silently”A true understanding of Om indicates
enlightenment
Foreshadowing
After you read tonight’s chapters, consider the foreshadowing in “The Brahmin’s Son”I’m a sucker for foreshadowing, and Hesse’s
understated but effective use of the technique in his story is particularly impressive
After all, in a novel so intentionally light on external plot action, how much is there to foreshadow?
The brilliant aspect of the foreshadowing is that it ties into the cyclical theme
UnhappinessSiddhartha seems to “have it all”Yet Siddhartha is unhappy; he suffersWhat is the source of “dukkha” here?
Desire (of course! Desire is the source of all suffering, remember?)
A better question: What does Siddhartha desire?
What are the questions that Siddhartha asks – both the obvious ones, and the unstated ones?
Are they similar to the questions you ask?
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