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?