By Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) A Study Guide | ||||
Study Guide Compiled by Michael J. Cummings.© 2009 . .......Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha is a bildungsroman, a novel that centers on the development and maturation of the main character. The novel, written in German, was first published in Berlin in 1922 by the publishing house of Samuel Fischer. .......The action takes place in northern India in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. Scenes in which the title character, Siddhartha, meets the historical figure Siddhartha Gautama (563?-483? BC), known to history as the Buddha, take place in a grove near the town of Sravasti, identified in the novel by its Sanskrit-language name, Savathi. (This study guide uses the preferred spelling of that name, Savatthi). The town is in the present-day Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, below the Nepal border. .......Hermann Hesse tells the story in omniscient third-person point of view, enabling the narrator to reveal the thoughts of the characters. Characters
by Michael J. Cummings.© 2009 . Part One .......Everyone
loves young Siddhartha, who is handsome, respectful, quick to learn. His
father, a Brahmin, teaches him the ways of Hinduism, and his mother sings
to him. The maidens of the town hold him in the highest favor. When the
wise men gather for discussions, Siddhartha is there to take part. He already
knows how to meditate using the sacred word Om.
Even more, he can feel the presence of the Atman, the universal soul, within
him. His bearing, his decorum, his gentle voice, his surpassing intelligence,
and his dark and inquiring eyes endear him to all. His best friend, Govinda,
knows that Siddhartha is special, and he is always at Siddhartha's side
to serve him and learn from him.
Was it really Prajapati who had created the world? Was it not the Atman, He, the only one, the singular one? Were the gods not creations, created like me and you, subject to time, mortal? Was it therefore good, was it right, was it meaningful and the highest occupation to make offerings to the gods? For whom else were offerings to be made, who else was to be worshipped but Him, the only one, the Atman? And where was Atman to be found, where did He reside, where did his eternal heart beat, where else but in one's own self, in its innermost part, in its indestructible part, which everyone had in himself? But where, where was this self, this innermost part, this ultimate part?.......One day he and Govinda sit under a Banyan tree to practice meditating. But after the time arrives for their evening ablutions, he remains lost in thought—hardly breathing—as he thinks the holy word, Om, and his soul tries to drink in understanding. Shortly thereafter, three ascetics—Samanas, they are called—pass through the town. They are thin and worn and dusty, “almost naked, scorched by the sun, surrounded by loneliness. . . strangers and lank jackals in the realm of humans." That evening, Siddhartha informs Govinda that he will join them. Govinda, surprised, realizes Siddhartha has made his decision to go his own way in the world. And, of course, wherever Siddhartha goes, Govinda will go. When Siddhartha tells his father of his plans, his father becomes angry and refuses permission. Upset, his father cannot sleep. Several times he goes outside in the darkness to think and notices that Siddhartha remains in the spot where he had informed his father of his decision. Hours pass. Still Siddhartha does not move. At dawn, his father relents, and Siddhartha leaves with Govinda. .......Hurrying along, they catch up with the Samanas, who accept both young men. Siddhartha gives away his clothes, keeping only a loincloth. In time, he grows thin from fasting and becomes bitter about life. It is then that he decides that he must empty himself of desire and longing—of all feeling—so that he dies to himself and gives birth to the inmost part of his being. He learns to endure extreme heat, cold, and thirst. When he brushes against thorns, his skin bleeds, but he remains rigid until the pain subsides. He trains himself to calm his heartbeat, and he learns to empty his mind of memories so that he is—at least for a time—a non-self. Eventually, the self returns again and, with it, the human feelings and sensations that he has been trying to escape. Then he repeats the process, hoping eventually to achieve a permanent state of selflessness. Govinda does what Siddhartha does, and together they evaluate their progress. On occasion, they beg for food for themselves and for the other Samanas. .......But Siddhartha is not satisfied. He observes that even an ox-cart driver who drinks rice wine after a day's work can escape from the world of the senses. He also notes that the oldest of the Samanas is sixty and has not yet achieved the fullness of enlightenment, which enables a person to overcome suffering and end the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth, life, death, and so on. (Hindus call this cycle samsara.) That Samana will go on searching for full enlightenment but never find it. Siddhartha says the same will happen to him unless he ceases learning in the conventional Hindu way and instead pursues a different path. .......So, after living with the Samanas for three years, Siddhartha and Govinda strike out again. Siddhartha tells his friend of a rumor he heard about a man named Gotama who had achieved what Siddhartha seeks: complete mastery of the senses and a permanent state of selflessness, enabling him to overcome samsara. He has no home, no wife, no possessions. As he and his followers wander the land, the rumor says, the high and the mighty present themselves to him and become his students. They call him the Buddha, meaning enlightened one. .......In a village one day, Govinda learns that the Buddha actually exists; a young man from Magadha has told him that he has seen the Buddha and listened to him while he was teaching. After he tells Siddhartha the news, both young men decide to seek out the Buddha and he what he has to say. When Siddhartha informs the oldest Samana of his and Govinda's decision to leave the group, the old man becomes angry and curses. Siddhartha then stands directly in front of the man and, with a penetrating gaze, turns him mute and motionless. After a few moments, the Samana bids him and Govinda good fortune and wishes them a happy journey. .......On their travels, they hear that the Buddha is in the town of Savatthi (written in the novel with one t). When they go there, an old woman who gives them food tells them Gotama stays in a grove called Jetavana, a gift to him and his followers from a wealthy merchant, Anathapindika. They can stay the night there, she says, for the Buddha welcomes pilgrims. On their way, they encounter followers of the Buddha, as well as many other pilgrims, and thus have no trouble finding the grove. At dawn, they are surprised to see so many people gathered in one place. Many of the monks are leaving with alms dishes to beg food that they will bring back for their only meal, taken at midday. Siddhartha recognizes the Buddha (“a simple man in a yellow robe," the narrator says) even though he has never seen him before. As the Buddha also leaves with his alms dish, Siddhartha perceives him as a man of deep inner calm who is a reservoir of truth. .......In the evening, Siddhartha, Govinda, and others assemble while the Buddha presents a lesson. The only way to escape the suffering of the world, he says, is to follow his teachings—in particular, the eightfold path. He reviews doctrines, gives examples, repeats important points. He is like a light from the sky. After he finishes, many ask for acceptance into his community, including Govinda, and the Buddha receives them. But Siddhartha decides to leave Govinda and the community and go a separate way. .......Walking in the grove the next morning, Siddhartha comes upon the Buddha and tells him he has been privileged to listen to his teachings but will be moving on. In explaining his decision, Siddhartha says, You have found salvation from death. It has come to you in the course of your own search, on your own path, through thoughts, through meditation, through realizations, through enlightenment. It has not come to you by means of teachings! . . . This is why I am continuing my travels—not to seek other, better teachings, for I know there are none, but to depart from all teachings and all teachers and to reach my goal by myself or to die. (Part 1, "Gotama").......After Siddhartha goes off on his own, he reviews his life up to this point. So far, he has been trying to peel away the layers of himself to get at the core—the Atman, which is part of a universal soul. In so doing, he has been escaping from himself, “fleeing himself," the narrator says. Through all his experiences, he really learned nothing about himself. Now, he decides, he will learn about himself, and he will be his own teacher. Part Two .......No
longer will Siddhartha try to fathom a hidden world beyond the material;
he will be part of the world. He will drink in its beauty, take part in
its pleasures. When he comes to a river, a ferryman takes him across, expecting
no payment, and wishes his passenger good will. Siddhartha then passes
through a village and comes to a stream on the other side of it. There,
a young woman washes clothes. When she sees Siddhartha, they exchange idle
talk and then she makes a subtle advance that reveals her carnal desire.
Siddhartha, aroused, kisses her bosom but suddenly withdraws after a voice
in him forbids him to continue this encounter. He turns and walks away.
Terms to Know .......When reading Siddhartha, you will encounter unfamiliar terms. The following glossary may be helpful to you when you read, study, and write about the novel. Most of the terms appear in the book. ablutions:
In Hinduism, ritual cleansing of the body to rid it of sins and prepare
it for prayer. In the first chapter of the First Part of Hesse's book,
Siddhartha questions the validity of certain Hindu practices, including
ablutions: "The ablutions were good, but they were water, they did not
wash off the sin, they did not heal the spirit's thirst, they did not relieve
the fear in [Siddhartha's] heart."
1. Life on earth consists of suffering.Eightfold Path: See Buddhism. Four Noble Truths: See Buddhism. Hinduism: Major world religion centered in India that encompasses many beliefs. One Hindu may accept some beliefs that another Hindu rejects. Generally, however, Hindus believe in a supreme being, the creator Brahma. They also believe in two other major deities that, with Brahma, make up a trinity: Siva (also called Shiva), the god of destruction and restoration, and Vishnu, the preserver. Hindus believe that the Atman (spirit, soul, or eternal part of an individual) survives death and transmigrates to another body (human or animal) unless the individual has achieved moksha. Krishna: In Hinduism, the incarnation of Vishnu, one of three major gods. (See Hinduism, above.) Lakshmi: Hindu goddess of prosperity, beauty, success, and good luck. She is the wife of Vishnu. (See Hinduism, above.) Mara: In Hinduism, the god of death, sin, and destruction. In Buddhist myth, he is viewed as an evil god of magic and illusion who once tried to tempt the Buddha away from meditation. maja (or maya): In Hinduism, the belief that the everyday world of the senses is an illusion. moksha: In Hinduism, the achievement of perfect enlightenment that frees an individual from samsara and enables him or her to unite with Brahman. Moksha is comparable to the Buddhist experience of nirvana. nirvana: In Buddhism, the liberation of the self from attachment to the physical world; extinction of suffering and all human desires. The word nirvana comes from a Sanskrit word meaning to blow out. A person who achieves nirvana “blows out" the fires of lust, greed, envy, and other passions. Nirvana is comparable to the Hindu experience of moksha. om: Sacred word chanted by Hindus and Buddhists. The Encyclopædia Britannica defines the term as follows: The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u coalesce to become o), which represent several important triads: the three worlds of earth, atmosphere, and heaven; the three major Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva; and the three sacred Vedic scriptures, Rg, Yajur, and Sama. Thus Om mystically embodies the essence of the entire universe. It is uttered at the beginning and end of Hindu prayers, chants, and meditation and is freely used in Buddhist and Jaina ritual also. (2001 Standard Edition CD-ROM)Prajapati: Another name for Brahma. Samana: Ascetics seeking enlightenment. samsara (or sansara): in Hinduism, the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth, life, death, and so on. Sanskrit: Ancient language of India. Veda: Body of four sacred books of the Hindus. Vishnu: See Hinduism. . Self-Realization .......Throughout the novel, the title character struggles to achieve the self-realization (or spiritual perfection) required to end the cycle of birth and rebirth and to become one with the universal soul. Personal Experience vs Formal Training .......The Buddha teaches a system for attaining enlightenment, or nirvana. His disciples then teach others to follow this system. In Siddhartha, the title character rejects formalized learning, although he does not condemn it, and instead pursues knowledge independently, progressing toward enlightenment through his own experiences. He listens to nature and to the voice within him. However, he does accept advice, such as that given by Vasudeva. Persistence **.......Siddhartha never abandons his quest for self-realization, although he does become deeply discouraged at times. The closest he comes to giving up is the moment he considers drowning himself. He then meditates on the sacred word, Om, and gains renewed strength to carry on. The Folly of Materialism, or Less Is More .......Materialism is a false reality—the Hindus call it maja (or maya)—that hinders spiritual development. Siddhartha discovers the wisdom of this Buddhist and Hindu tenet when he immerses himself in the pleasures of the physical world but cannot satisfy his deepest longings. After returning to a simple life, he discovers that less is more, and he achieves enlightenment. The Paradox of Unreal Reality .......Reality is an illusion to the Buddha and Siddhartha. Yet they acknowledge the reality of desire and feelings, which they must overcome to achieve nirvana. The Buddha and his disciples accept alms from well-wishers. But, according to the Buddha, both the alms and the well-wishers are illusions. Meanwhile, Siddhartha learns from the river. But how can he learn from an illusion? And what about love? After achieving enlightenment, the Buddha teaches his followers how to achieve enlightenment, thereby exhibiting love for them. But love is a feeling that he supposedly overcame when he achieved nirvana. Siddhartha also exhibits love—before and after he achieves enlightenment. Siddhartha recognizes but cannot fully explain the paradox of "unreal reality." In the final chapter of the book, he and Govinda discuss this paradox. .......Govinda said: "But is that what you call `things', actually something real, something which has existence? Isn't it just a deception of the Maja[Maya], just an image and illusion? Your stone, your tree, your river—are they actually a reality?"
.......Following are examples of foreshadowings in Siddhartha. Apes .......While walking through the forest after leaving the Buddha, "Siddhartha saw a group of apes moving through the high canopy of the forest, high in the branches, and heard their savage, greedy song" (Part 2, "Kamala"), the narrator says. This sentence foreshadows Siddhartha's life in the city when he hearkens to the "song" of Kamaswami, whom the narrator later describes as having "a greedy mouth" (Part 2, "With the Childlike People"). Sheep .......After seeing the apes, "Siddhartha saw a male sheep following a female one and mating with her," the narrator says. This sentence foreshadows Siddhartha's lustful relationship with Kamala (Part 2, "Kamala"). Snakes .......When
Govinda comes upon Siddhartha sleeping by the river, he stands guard over
him. When Siddhartha awakens, Govinda tells him, "It is not good to be
.......Following are examples of the symbols in Siddhartha and what they represent. Kamala's
songbird: Siddhartha. After Siddhartha dreams that it dies, he "dies"
to his dissolute life as a pleasure-seeker.
.......The
climax of a novel or another literary work, such as a play, can be defined
as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself
for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series
of events.
......."Do you hear," Vasudeva's gaze asked again.Writing Characteristics .......The
writing in Siddhartha is generally formal. In English translations,
words such as quoth, O, and behold occur frequently
in the dialogue. These words and the overall formality of the writing generally
undergird the novel's dignified tone while also helping to suggest an ancient
setting.
Im Schatten des Hauses, in der Sonne des Flußufers Booten, im Schatten des Salwaldes, im Schatten des Feigenbaumes wuchs Siddhartha auf, der schöne Brahmanen, der junge Falke, zusammen mit seinem Freunde, dem Brahmanensohn. Sonne bräunte seine lichten Schultern am Flußufer, beim Bade, bei den heiligen Waschungen, bei den heiligen Opfern. Schatten floß in seine schwarzen Augen im Mangohain, bei den Knabenspielen, beim Gesang der Mutter, bei den heiligen Opfern, bei den Lehren seines Vaters, des Gelehrten, beim Gespräch der Weisen. Lange schon nahm Siddhartha am Gespräch der Weisen teil, übte sich mit Govinda im Redekampf, übte sich mit Govinda in der Kunst der Betrachtung, im Dienst der Versenkung. Schon verstand er, lautlos das Om zu sprechen, das Wort der Worte, es lautlos in sich hinein zu sprechen mit dem Einhauch, es lautlos aus sich heraus zu sprechen mit dem Aushauch, mit gesammelter Seele, die Stirn umgeben—vom Glanz des klardenkenden Geistes. Schon verstand er, im Innern seines Wesens Atman zu wissen, unzerstörbar, eins mit dem Weltall........Hesse also frequently uses anastrophe, a figure of speech that inverts the normal word order. Here is an example, in which Kamala addresses Siddhartha: "Beautiful are your verses, oh brown Samana, and truly, I'm losing nothing when I'm giving you a kiss for them." (In everyday conversation, a person would say, "Your verses are beautiful.")
.......Hesse divided the novel into two parts, the first part with four chapters and the second with eight. This structure seems to align itself with the teachings of Buddhism—in particular, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The chapter titles are as follows: .......Part 1 1...The Son of the Brahman.......Part 2 1...KamalaHesse dedicated the first part to Romain Rolland (1866-1944), a French playwright and essayist who won the Nobel Prize in 1915. He dedicated the second part to William Gundert, his cousin. Study Questions and Essay Topics
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