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Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse Notes Characters Siddhartha – the protagonist Govinda – his best friend Gotama – the Buddha Kamala – a courtesan Kamaswami – a wealthy merchant Vasudeva – a ferryman Setting India, 6th century B.C. Vocabulary Words / Concepts Brahmin: a member of the priestly caste in Hindu society who performs religious duties Vedas: Hindu holy texts that include hymns, poems, and songs (this includes the Rig-Veda, Sam-Veda, or any other Veda mentioned in the book) Upanishads: philosophical Hindu texts (including the Chandogya Upanishad, or any other Upanishad mentioned in the book) Ablution: bathing as a religious ritual Ascetic: a religious lifestyle characterized by abstaining from worldly pleasures, embracing poverty, and often participating in acts of self-denial or self-discipline Samana: a sect of wandering ascetic monks who renounce worldly pleasures and live lives of poverty in order to attain Nirvana Nirvana: the ultimate goal of Buddhism and Hinduism, also called “enlightenment”. Hinduism: the soul has become one with the Supreme Being, escaping the cycle of rebirth Buddhism: perfect peace with the world, free from craving, anger, or pain, where the mind becomes completely free from limits Note: Those who haven’t attained Nirvana cannot fully comprehend it. Atman: translates to “soul”; sometimes used to mean the “universal soul” Om: a sacred incantation or prayer Courtesan: a prostitute with courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse Notes The 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are the “gist” of Buddhism. Both are mentioned in the novel. 4 Noble Truths1: 1. Life is suffering. Both human nature and the world are flawed, which causes people both physical and psychological suffering. 2. The origin of suffering is attachment. To live is to suffer loss, because both life and the world are impermanent. When one is attached to worldly things, through desire, passion, greed, etc, one will suffer. 3. It is possible to end suffering. In order to end suffering, one must overcome desire. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve Nirvana, to be free from all worries or troubles. 4. The path to end suffering is the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path describes how to achieve gradual self-improvement in order to end the cycle of rebirth and attain Nirvana. Eightfold Path2: the “middle” path to Nirvana that avoids the extremes of selfindulgence (hedonism) and self-mortification (asceticism) 1. Right View: to see and understand things as they really are, and to realize the Four Noble Truths. 2. Right Intention: to commit to ethical and mental self-improvement. 3. Right Speech: do not lie, slander, or hurt others with words 4. Right Action: do not harm others, steal, or engage in immoral actions 5. Right Livelihood: earn your living in a righteous, peaceful way 6. Right Effort: put your energy into wholesome, not unwholesome, endeavors 7. Right Mindfulness: control and perfect your mind through contemplation 8. Right Concentration: the practice of meditation allows one to concentrate all mental activity on wholesome thoughts and actions Conquer the self: Both Hinduism and Buddhism stress conquering the self in order to attain a higher state. The self is concerned with the world, distracting one from higher states of consciousness and spirituality. When one has conquered the self, one has reached a higher state of mind or spirituality, becoming one with the Supreme Being or the world. Knierim, Thomas. “The Four Noble Truths.” The Big View. 2010. Sept 18 2010. http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/fourtruths.html 2 “The Noble Eightfold Path.” Ibid. 1