Key Facts- Siddhartha
FULL TITLE · Siddhartha
AUTHOR · Hermann Hesse
TYPE OF WORK · Novel
GENRE · Spiritual and Religious Novel
TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN · 1919–1921, Switzerland
DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION · 1922
NARRATOR · An unnamed narrator tracks Siddhartha’s spiritual progress.
POINT OF VIEW · Third-person omniscient. The point of view follows Siddhartha most closely.
TONE · Measured without being detached; formal
TENSE · Past
SETTING (TIME) · Concurrent with the life of Buddha, estimated at around 625 B.C.
SETTING (PLACE) · India
PROTAGONIST · Siddhartha
MAJOR CONFLICT · Siddhartha searches for total spiritual enlightenment.
RISING ACTION · Siddhartha experiments with different teachers and approaches to Nirvana, and when they
prove unsatisfactory, he turns his search inward.
THEMES · The search for spiritual enlightenment; inner vs. exterior guidance; the wisdom of indirection
MOTIFS · Love; Om; polarities
SYMBOLS · The river; the ferryman; the smile
FORESHADOWING
1. · Siddhartha’s sloughing-off of his father’s traditional Brahmin beliefs foreshadows
2. Siddhartha’s future loss of his own son.
3. · Siddhartha’s observation to Govinda that not even the eldest of the Samanas has attained
4. Nirvana, and Govinda’s subsequent dismissal of the statement, foreshadows
5. Govinda’s inability to find Nirvana by following the teachings of others.
6. · The first appearance of the peaceful ferryman, whom Siddhartha encounters on his way to the city,
foreshadows Siddhartha’s own future as a ferryman and as a man of total spiritual peace.
Glossary of terms used in Siddhartha - Hindu, Sanskrit,
Buddhist and German.
Siddhartha a Novel by Herman Hesse
Advaita: non duality, identity of the spirit and matter - essentially are all 'one'. The
philosophical belief that underlies the teaching in the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads. There
is only one Consciousness, one Supreme Spirit, despite multiplicity; this is the 'ultimate truth'
in the text known to Vasudeva and Buddha.
Atman: breath, principle of life, the individual soul; in the grammar of Sanskrit it is also used as the reflexive
pronoun: oneself
Bhagavad Gita: A series of discourses between Lord Krishna and the warrior prince Arjuna from which flow
the essential teachings of Indian philosophy, equivalent to the New Testament. It forms one episode in India's
Great Epic, the Mahabharata, written later than the 'classical' Upanishads.
Brahman: from root 'bhri' to grow, expand, increase. Hence the 'swelling of soul' that leads to the meaning of
the self existent, impersonal Spirit, the Absolute, the Eternal, the Universal essence from which all created
things emanate or with which they are identified and to which they return; not generally an object of worship,
but rather of meditation and knowledge.
Brahmin: not to be confused with Brahman (see above). The priestly class, highest of the four division in
ancient Hindu society; strictly speaking, one who knows and repeats Vedas, e.g. Siddhartha and his family.
Buddha: from the Sanskrit root ' budh' 'to wake up', hence, The Awakened or Enlightened One. Hence
Buddha is not a proper name but a title.
Chandogya Upanishad: see under Upanishads.
Cycle of rebirth: reincarnation is an essential belied in the East, not only in India. When we become one with
out Creator (the heaven of Christianity ) the chains of rebirth are broken for ever. For many, to achieve such a
state (bliss) is the sole goal of human existence.
Doppelganger: literally 'double', a common device in modern novels in which the author and the main
character are generally one and the same person; a favourite method of writing of Hesse's.
Gotama: Buddha's family name in the last of his earthly incarnations in the sixth century BC.
Govinda: literally ' cowman'; one who looks after cows; Govinda is one of the thousand names of Krishna;
another Govinda was the teacher of Shankara, founder of the monastic order in India; his commentaries on the
Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads are accepted masterpieces.
Grenzsituation: literally a 'borderline situation', 'crisis point', with necessitates and results in some action or
change in events.
Guru: a Sanskrit term having multiple meanings, the basic one being 'heavy or weighty', also meant a spiritual
parent or preceptor from whom a youth receives instruction, prayer, the 'sastras' (rules sacred teachings). Hence
the modern usage.
Karma: literally 'action, works'. How is one to become free from the bonds of work and therefore from
rebirth? This is a vast topic and linked to the belief in reincarnation; put simply, karma is one's individual fate
(as the certain consequences of actions done in previous lives); what happens to us in this life is the direct result
of actions performed in other incarnations. Hence the importance of 'action under knowledge', a key theme in
the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads.
Kamala: literally 'a lotus flower', 'rose coloured or pale red', no doubt a reference to her lips. Her name is
derived from Kama, the Hindu god of desire, sexual love, e.g. Kama Sutra.
Kamaswami: a name made from Kama (see above) and swami meaning 'master', owner, but more usually as a
title to a monk or ascetic. The compound name in the context of the book 'a master of desire', the role of
Kamaswami in this book.
Krishna: Krishna and Rama are the two most famous earthly incarnations of Vishnu. Many legends surround
the figure of Krishna as a great hero and teacher. In more recent legends he is often represented as a young and
amorous flute playing shepherd, the eighth son of Vasudeva.
Lakshmi: Goddess of beauty, prosperity and good luck. In later mythology often regarded as the wife of
Vishnu or Narayana. Like Venus, she was born from the ocean's foam.
Magadha: In ancient India this was a kingdom near the present day state of Bihar.
Mara: from the root 'mri', meaning killing or destroying (cf. English 'murder'). Hence the Evil One, the
Destroyer, who tempts men to indulge their passions and is seen as the great enemy of Buddha and of his
religion.
Maya: a Sanskrit term denoting illusion, the physical world of appearances that surrounds us, blinding us to the
reality behind it. Maya is that power in Nature that creates this illusion. The work of spiritual aspirants is to
seek and experience the unity behind apparent multiplicity.
Nirvana: from the root 'nirva', to blow out, extinguish. Hence, when all desires and passions are extinguished
the highest bliss or beatitude, reunion with the Supreme Spirit, may be experienced.
Om: pronounced (Aum); whole texts have been written on this sound. Simply; it appears in the Upanishads as
a mystic monosyllable, the object of this profound religious meditation. Later it came to represent the Hindu
triad, Vishnu, Siva, Brahma. Om often begins and ends prayers, chants and meditations.
Prajapati: from Sanskrit prefix 'pra' plus root 'jan', to be born, produce, create and 'pati', father lord, etc.
Hence the meaning 'Father of creation, Protector of Life'.
Rig Veda: the oldest of the Vedas (see Veda).
Sakyamuni: compound of 'sakya', the Buddha's family name and 'muni', sage, seer, saint. In the book the term
is rendered as 'the wise man from the race of Sakya'.
Sansara: a Sanskrit term meaning 'circuit of mundane existence', the existence within worldly illusion. What
befalls Siddhartha when he leaves the Samanas and joins the world of Kamaswami and Kamala aptly describes,
in this context, what Hesse intends to convey by using the term.
Samana: a variant of the Sanskrit 'sramana', to exert oneself, become weary, hence the meaning of performing
'acts of austerity', etc. Its opposite is 'ashram', a place to rest, retreat from the toils of this life and world.
Satyam: Sanskrit for 'true, real, pure', that which abides and exists beyond 'maya', illusion.
Savathi: at the time of Buddha the capital of Kosala, the present day province of Oudh.
Self: one's innermost being, the 'embodied or individual self', as opposed to the small self or ego. As such the
embodied self is a minute part of God Himself: it is this truth which is realized in self-realization /
enlightenment, in the experience of unity. This is what both Govinda and Siddhartha seek.
Siddhartha: In Sanskrit a compound of 'siddha', acquired, accomplished, fulfilled, gained and of 'artha', aim
use, purpose, wealth, opulence; hence literally 'the wealth accrued to one who has fulfilled his aim'. The
greatest wealth being self-realization / enlightenment.
Sutra: Sanskrit for 'thread', from 'siv', to sew; see French 'suture'. Also 'that which runs through and holds
things together'. Hence aphorisms, manuals, treatises, e.g. Dharma-sutras.
Sva-tantra: Sanskrit, literally meaning 'self or own' - 'system or model, class', etc. hence that which has the
system within itself. Compare with , 'the kingdom of Heaven is within us'.
The Eight Fold Path: Following on from the Buddha's famous Four noble Truths, a) that life is suffering b)
suffering results in desires c) to stop suffering, stop desiring, d) to stop desiring there is the eight fold path. This
path consists of 1) right views, 2) right livelihood, 3) right speech, 4) right action, 5) right livelihood, 6) right
effort, 7) right awareness, 8) right concentration.
The potter's Wheel: A very common image in Sanskrit texts, despite the diverse forms created by the potter,
the tool (the wheel) is the same. There is the tool then and the energy which is placed into is by the potter. Man
(the tool) and God the potter, and life the various creations resulting.
Ubermensch: Literally 'over - or superman', both of which hardly do justice to the meaning implied by
Nietzsche and therefore best left as it is. In context of Siddhartha, however, and as a guide, the sense is closer
to out notion of 'hero'.
Upanishads: According to some 'the sitting down at the feet of another to listen to his words', acquiring
profound secretive knowledge in this manner. But native authorities claim that the term means 'setting at rest
ignorance by revealing the knowledge of the supreme spirit'. In the Upanishads nothing is spoken of as a means
to the attainment of the highest end of man (enlightenment) of the self and Brahman; texts such as Isha, Kena,
Brihadaranyaka are well worth our study. The novel mentions others.
Vasudeva: Name of the father of Krishna; the root 'vas' means to dwell or to shine' hence we may interpret the
name as 'one in whom all things dwell or 'who dwells/shines in all things'.
Veda: from the root 'vid', to know; that body of sacred knowledge which constitutes the basis of the first period
of the Hindu religion. Major texts are the Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas.
Vedanta: An amalgamation of Veda, to know, and 'anta' means end, hence Vedanta either means the 'complete
knowledge of the Vedas', or that which comes as the end of such writings, which are the UPanishads. The chief
doctrine of Vedanta, as expounded by Shankara, is 'Advaita', the view that nothing really exits but the One Self
or Supreme Soul, Brahman.
Vishnu: The preserver as the second Godhead in the Hindu trinity. His name stems from the root 'vish', all
pervader. In many places today he is the most popular deity in Hindu worship.
Yoga-Veda: This does not exist as such. Hesse probably extrapolated with the word Yoga-sutra. In the novel
he employs the term, however, with its original meaning of 'knowledge about the practices of yoga'.
Yoga: In Sanskrit, the root verb 'yuj' meaning to join, yoke, unite, connect etc. has a plethora of uses. In
Siddhartha it's concerned with the 'integration' which the practices of yoga bring about. These are the
disciplines of the four paths of traditional yoga: bhakti (devotion), karma (action), jnana (knowledge), raja
(meditation); strictly speaking, the purpose of all yogic practice is to concentrate the mind to obtain union with
the Universal Spirit; hence those who think that yoga means 'asanas' (postures) and nothing else are mistaken.
Yoga has eight limbs or aspects.
Siddhartha
Questions for novel study: due date for completed work_________________
The Brahmin’s Son
1. Why is Siddhartha unhappy? Why is his spirit like a “waiting vessel”?
2. Why is Govinda willing to follow him?
3. How are the Samanas described? From his description, how does the author feel
about them?
4. How did Siddhartha convince his father? Why didn’t he just go?
5. Why, do you suppose, Mom doesn’t have more of a role in the decision?
6. Why, in the center of this chapter, does Siddhartha string together 20 rhetorical
questions?
With the Samanas- Siddhartha gets started on the way.
1. How does he act when he is with the Samanas?
2. What is his goal? What happens when he reaches that goal?
3. How does Sidd meditate?
4. What frustrates Sidd?
5. Complete the quote: “I could have learned more quickly and easily
_______________________________” Explain this.
6. Acccording to Siddhartha, what can one learn? Explain.
7. Who is Gotama? What does the author think of him?
8. What does Sidd do with the oldest Samana?
9. What does that feat show?
10. For all his talents, Siddhartha is still learning. How can you tell that Siddhartha is still
very young?
11. When Sidd meditates on the animals, what does the author do to show the change?
12. When Sidd out-meditates the old Samana, How does the author show Sidd’s power?
Gotama - Sidd goes on to look for second hand wisdom.
1. How is Gotama different from the Samanas?
2. How do they rcognize him?
3. Why does govinda choose to join him? Why won’t Siddhartha?
4. According to Siddhartha, how will he find enlightenment?
5. Gotama asks him if his (Gotama’s followers) will also find enlightenment. Siddhartha
dodges this question. How?
6. What has the Buddha robbed from him?
7. What has he given?
8. What does the Buddha mean by “clever”?
9. Is Siddhartha arrogant?
Awakening - Sidd goes his own way and goes and goes and goes.
1. What does Sidd decide to study?
2. How is that the one field he has been ignorant in?
3. Why does he feel an “icy chill”?
4. He compares himself to a star. How is that so?
5. How is he different now.
6. Why, do you suppose, the third sentence of the chapter is so long?
Kamala- The world of Samsara is open to the master. No more fasting and meditation! Bring
on the Courtesans!!!!
1. How has his point of view changed? How does the writing style reflect this?
2. Complete the quote: “To obey no other eternal command ________
3. _____________. Nothing else was necessary”
4. What dream does Siddhartha see? Will this woman lead him to enlightenment?
5. What does Siddhartha think of the Ferryman and of the river?
6. Why doesn’t Siddhartha “ascend the tree” with the woman?
7. Hesse uses a simile to describe the woman’s (Kamala’s) mouth. What is it? What
does that say about the woman?
8. How does Siddhartha prepare for Kamala? What does he want from her?
9. Why might the portrayal of Kamala be politically incorrect?
10. What three things can Siddhartha do?
11. When Siddhartha receives his first kiss, the style changes. How? Why?
12. Who is Kamaswami?
13. Siddhartha compares himself to a stone. How is this so?
Amongst the People- After “ascending the tree” Siddhartha decides he likes his new world.
1. How does Siddhartha take control of the interview?
2. For all of his holy skills, in the end, why does Kamaswami hire him?
3. In your own words and thoughtfully, what did Kamala teach him?
4. What makes Siddhartha good at business?
5. Why might he be an excellent partner for Kamaswami?
6. What does his four day trip to the village show about Siddhartha?
7. How could that be good business?
8. What does Siddhartha’s inner voice say?
9. How is life “flowing past” him?
10. What do you suppose a Samana heart is?
11. How are Siddhartha and Kamala similiar?
Samsara- Sidd is starting to get tired of it all.
1. Does Sidd have a bad life?
2. What is good about it?
3. What had Siddhartha learned (important stuff)?
4. What happened when the property finally became chain and a burden?
5. How does his dice playing echo his real life?
6. What was his Kamala dream about?
7. What was the Bird dream about?
8. Why does he feel dead?
9. Why is it important that Kamala is pregnant? Why out of that last trip?
10. This chapter uses at least three major symbols or similes. What are they?Explain.
By the River- Suicide is painless...
1. Why does Sidd wish to kill himself?
2. What is the tone of this section. is it entirely serious?
3. What sound does he here?
4. How does he react?
5. How is he different when he wakes up?
6. Who is sitting with him?
7. What does Sidd start lecturing his friend about?
8. How does the river work as a symbol?
The Ferryman- Don’t pay the Ferryman....
1. Kamala has a pretty weak role. How would the story be different if she were
stronger? What would happen if she had a sense of humor?
The Son- Now, the strangest chapter of the book. The shoe is on the other foot.
1. What about Sidd would make him a lousy father?
2. How does young Sidd take advantage of the father?
3. What does he try and do for his son? Why won’t it work?
4. Why doesn’t he punish the boy?
5. Why is the river laughing? How has Siddhartha gotten his own?
6. How can love be “Samsara”?
7. Why does the son hate the father?
8. Why did he break the oar?
9. In losing his son, what might Siddhartha have gained?
10. When I read this chapter, I laugh at Sidd’s troubles. What is ironic about his losses?
Om- Vasudeva finally gets what he deserves.
1. What “wound” does Siddhartha have?
2. What is the different light that he sees people in?
3. What has been his biggest change since becoming a ferryman?
4. As a result, how does the tone of the book change?
5. What does the river do when Sidd goes to see his son?
6. Whose reflection does he see?
7. Siddhartha and Vasudeva listen very, very closely to the river. What do they hear?
8. Why is everything interconnected?
9. Where does Vasudeva go? (Not just the woods)
10. Although there is one more chapter left to go, the ultimate realization has come in this
one. What is it?
Govinda- Sidd prepares for his final trip; his apotheosis. And he gets an old visitor
1. Why is there still restlessness in Govinda’s heart?
2. What is wrong with seeking, according to Sidd?
3. Why doesn’t Sidd have a doctrine?
4. How can wisdom not be communicable?
5. Can you communicate knowledge?
6. What is the symbolism of the stone?
7. How can Nirvana and Samsara be the same?
8. What does Govinda see Siddhartha do?
9. What does this show about Sidd’s final change?
10. Could Sidd have become a Buddha while sitting next to a freeway instead of a river?
Introduction
After reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, you will be ready to complete this final
assignment. Your assignment is to reflect on your life and then relate your life to the life of
Siddhartha and how his life developed.
The Task
Your task is to:
Write an essay reflecting on your life's journey in light of Siddhartha's and project
your life's journey into the future.
Upon completion of your task you should be able to do the following
Identify the stages of development that Siddhartha underwent
Identify the types of development (social, spiritual, physical, mental) and apply this
knowledge to your life
When you have completed this assignment you will be able to identify the influences and
experiences that helped shape Siddhartha and be able to apply those same influences and
experiences to your life. You will be able to analyze your life and understand how such
influences have shaped you and then evaluate whether these changes are good or bad.
"It is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each
other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with
love, admiration and respect."
Stage One
1. Read Siddhartha and understand the sequence of the story.
2. Reflect on your own life and your developmental stages and then project yourself into
the future extrapolating what might ensue.
Stage Two
The Product
You will write an essay of at least 3 pages in length. You will include
An Introduction: Introduce your topic as best you can. Life is like a journey. You
will identify this in Siddhartha and draw references from Siddhartha to your personal
life. In this instance you will state that you are using Siddhartha as a road map for
reflecting on your life. Identify the approach you will be using, e.g. spiritual,
physical, mental, or social.
Synopsis: In the next part of your essay, you will give a short overall synopsis of the
book. Discuss the characteristics of the main character and his journey through life.
How has he changed with regard to his relationship with his family, his religion, his
friends, and his self.
Your Life :You will discuss specific developments and lines in the book that parallel
your own life as you have journeyed through life to the present and where you might
want to journey in the future. You will be taking specific examples from the book and
applying them to specific occurrences or actions in your life or desired results from
your actions in your life. Please use specific quotes from the book that relate to your
life or journey. This will be the longest part of your essay and will consist of several
paragraphs. Please remember that every time you make a statement or offer an
opinion, you MUST back it up with concrete examples from the text, cultural context,
or your life. Do not assume that your opinion or statement is common knowledge.
A conclusion: Tie everything together restating your thesis from the introductory
paragraph.
Your paper will be part reflective essay, part research essay, part interpretive essay. In
short, it is a culmination of all we have written in class this year. You will be graded on
content (what you say) and mechanics (how well you say it).
Essay Grading Rubric
Name: _ ______________ Teacher:
Date Submitted: ___________ Title of Work: ___
Criteria Points
1 2 3 4
Reader has Student presents
Information in
Sequence of difficulty following information in
logical, interesting
Organization information is difficult work because logical sequence ____
sequence which
to follow. student jumps which reader can
reader can follow.
around. follow.
Student does not have Student is
Student
grasp of information; uncomfortable with Student is at ease
Content demonstrates full
student cannot answer content and is able with content, but ____
Knowledge knowledge (more
questions about to demonstrate fails to elaborate.
than required).
subject. basic concepts.
Presentation has
Presentation has no more than two Presentation has
Work has four or more
Grammar and three misspellings misspellings no misspellings or
spelling errors and/or ____
Spelling and/or grammatical and/or grammatical
grammatical errors.
errors. grammatical errors.
errors.
Work misses Work covers most Work covers all
Work misses several
several areas listed areas listed in areas listed in
Coverage areas listed in ____
in Webquest Webquest Webquest
Webquest directions
directions directions directions
Work does not
Work displays the
have the Reference section
Work displays no correct number of
References appropriate number was completed ____
references. references, written
of required incorrectly
correctly.
references.
Total----> ____
Conclusion
Now that you have completed your task, I would like you to reflect back on the exercise.
Please answer the questions below and any other reflections you might have about the
exercise and post them in threaded discussion on http://vangeons.blogspot.com/
Do you feel that this project gave you better insight into understanding the
story?
Did you have to read the story more closely than usual to be able to write the
essay?
What were the positives of this exercise?
What were the negatives of this exercise?
For each question, tell me why you thought this.