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Terms to Know
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."
Agni: In Hinduism, the god of fire. Hindus invoke him when they build ceremonial fires to make sacrifices
or conduct worship services. Agni acts as a go-between who delivers the sacrifices that humans make to
the gods. He also serves as a messenger between humans and gods.
ascetic: One who leads a life of self-denial; one who renounces material pleasures.
Atman: In Hinduism, an individual's eternal element; the spirit or soul. The Atman is part of Brahman. In
the first paragraph of the First Part of Siddhartha, the narrator refers the Atman when describing the
spiritual development of the title character: "He already knew to feel Atman in the depths of his being,
indestructible, one with the universe." The Atman survives death and transmigrates to another body
(human or animal) unless the individual has achieved moksha. Those who achieve moksha become part
of Brahman. Sometimes Atman and Brahman are identified as the same entity, as Siddhartha does when
he questions the validity of certain Hindu beliefs: "And what about the gods? Was it really Prajapati who
had created the world? Was it not the Atman, He, the only one, the singular one?" (Part 1, "The Son of
the Brahman").
Bo Tree of Gya (or Bodhi Tree; or Gaya): Tree in India's Bihar state under which the Buddha sat while
attaining enlightenment, according to Buddhists.
Brahma: One of the three major Hindu deities. His role is that of creator. He is also referred to as
Prajapati.
Brahman: In Hinduism, the single eternal essence of which the universe is made.
Brahmin: In Hinduism, a priest or scholar. Brahmins make up the highest class in the Hindu social
system.
Buddhism: Philosophical system founded by Siddhartha Gautama (563?-483? BC), known as the Buddha
(a title meaning enlightened one). Buddhism teaches how to obtain release from suffering and the cycle
of birth and rebirth (samsara) through the attainment of perfect enlightenment (nirvana). The Buddha did
not believe in the existence of a supreme being. Buddhism, therefore, is either atheistic (denying the
existence of a supreme being) or non-theistic (not believing in the existence of a supreme being but not
ruling out that such a being could exist). There is no such thing in Buddhist thought as a heaven. In
metaphorical language, the ultimate goal of a Buddhist is to enter a state of eternal, undisturbed, peaceful
sleep. The Buddha established Four Noble Truths as the central tenets of his philosophical system,
which are as follows:.
1. Life on earth consists of suffering.
2. The cause of this suffering is the desire for sensual pleasure, material possessions, and nonexistence
or continued existence.
3. Individuals can end their suffering by suppressing or giving up their desires.
4. The way to suppress or give up their desires is to follow the Eightfold Path. This path consists of
having (1) the right view, requiring seeing the world and reality as they really are through belief in the
Buddhist system; (2) the right intention, requiring a willingness to renounce the material world and follow
the Buddhist system; (3) the right speech, requiring abstention from lying, verbal abuse, slander, and idle
talk; (4) the right action, requiring abstention from committing murder or harming in any way another living
thing, from committing theft, and from committing sexual improprieties; (5) the right livelihood, requiring
the refusal to do work that contravenes Buddhist tenets; (6) the right effort, requiring avoidance of harmful
thoughts and the development of good thoughts; (7) the right mindfulness, requiring continual awareness
of thoughts, feelings, and anything that affects the body; (8) the right concentration, requiring meditation
that detaches one from the world and brings tranquillity and composure.
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.