Indian Culture and
Background
A few essentials for studying
Siddhartha
A Bit About the Author
Author - Hermann Hesse
Herman Hesse was born
in 1877 in Germany. He
was brought up in a
Lutheran household
where it was assumed
he would study for the
ministry. His parents both
served as missionaries in
India.
He learned about Indian
culture through their
experiences, and
pursued an interest in
Eastern religion and
philosophies later in life.
Author – Hermann Hesse
As a teenager, Hermann Hesse was
expelled from the seminary to which his
father had sent him. He struggled to
complete school and educated himself
while working in bookstore. He cultivated
a special interest in Hinduism and
Buddhism.
In 1922, at age 35, he began writing
Siddhartha, the story of an Indian youth’s
search for the meaning of life. During this
time, Hesse became a patient of psychoanalsyt Carl Jung. His writing reflects
many of Jung’s ideas on the conscious
and unconscious mind – including his
theories on archetypes.
Author – Hermann Hesse
Hesse also wrote the novels
Demian and Steppenwolf.
These works combined his
interest in spiritual quests with
the political and social developments in Germany in the early
20th century.
In 1946, Hesse was awarded in
the Nobel Prize in literature. He
lived out his life in Switzerland
during World War II and died
there in 1962.
Introduction to Siddhartha
Translation and Publication
Siddhartha was published in 1922 in
Germany and translated for publication in
the US in 1951.
The English translation gained true
popularity in the 1960s with young
counter-culture movements that embraced
Eastern philosophies.
Title Translation - Siddhartha
“Siddhartha” is made up of two words in the
Sanskrit language:
siddha = achieved
artha = meaning or wealth
Together, the words mean “he who has
found meaning or existence.”
Character Connections
The spiritual founder of Buddhism was known as
Prince Siddhartha Gautama before his
renunciation of social hierarchies.
The young protagonist in Hermann Hesse’s novel
is known as Siddhartha. He is also the son of a
wealthy Brahmin family.
The main character should NOT
be confused with the spiritual leader!
They are two different people who
appear separately in the novel.
Setting in Siddhartha
The story is set in ancient India around 500
BC during the rise of Buddhism.
This was a time of great change in ancient
India. Many age-old philosophies were
being challenged. Additionally, a new
spiritual leader was offering a hopeful
alternative to those living within the bounds
of the traditional caste system.
Ancient Indian Society
•
Some research suggests that Indo-Aryan invaders
established a long-standing social stratification in India.
Records of the caste system date back to the Vedic
Period (300 BCE).
•
Certain Hindu scriptures describe a caste system for
organizing society but never endorse discrimination based
on caste.
•
Traditionally, an individual’s
caste defined occupation,
diet, social interaction, and
style of dress.
Indian Caste System
• Brahmins / Priests - intellectual and spiritual
leaders (Siddhartha)
• Kshatriya / Warriors and aristocrats - protectors
of society
• Vaishyas / Merchants, farmers,
artisans - skilled producers
• Shundras / unskilled labor
• Untouchables - outside of caste
system
Caste in Siddhartha
• The story’s protagonist, Siddhartha is the oldest
son in a wealthy Brahmin family.
• As a member of this priestly class, young
Siddhartha was supposed to follow in his
father’s footsteps as a spiritual leader. He was
expected to practice the rites and rituals of
Hinduism closely.
• His social status was closely linked to his
father’s religion, and he questioned both.
Religion in Siddhartha
•
Siddhartha combines the beliefs of both
traditional Hinduism and early Buddhism.
•
Siddhartha, the protagonist, studies both religions.
•
Thus, it is important to know a few concepts
related to both Hinduism and Buddhism.
Concepts in Hinduism
Early Hinduism
• Hinduism is formed of diverse traditions in
the Indian sub-continent and has no single
founder.
• Today, the religion has over one billion
adherents who study a wide range of sacred
texts, including:
Sacred Texts in Hinduism
• The Vedas: The oldest scriptures in Hinduism
recorded in Sanskrit, includes The Rig Veda, Sama
Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda
• The Upanishads: philosophical texts passed down
by oral tradition; associate with Vedas
• Mahabharata and Ramayana: Sanskrit epics that
relate Hindu history. The Mahabharata includes the
Bhagavad Gita (lessons of Lord Krishna)
Hindusim and Castes
• Many sacred texts in Hinduism recognize the
traditional caste system as a divine order in
which upward social mobility is only achieved
through reincarnation, or rebirth.
• Collected karma (actions)
influences your atman’s
(soul’s) position in next life.
Hindu Rituals
• Traditionally, in order to achieve
good karma every household
must perform many ablutions
(sacrifices).
• Critics of Hinduism said sacrifices
were too great and rituals too
tedious; only those in higher
castes could improve their
position
• The poor were offered
alternative to this tradition
with Buddhism.
Concepts in Hinduism
Hindu concepts of god, spirituality, etc. vary widely with each
particular tradition or philosophy. Siddhartha’s family practiced
a form of Vedic Hinduism. Here are a few useful terms from
that tradition (see your glossary for more):
Atman – the true soul, or “self,” of a person
Brahman, the supreme spirit or truth. Most want to
find a connection between this universal spirit and
self. (Do not confuse this term with Brahmin caste.)
Concepts in Hinduism
Samsara – The cycle of life, death, and rebirth
connected to reincarnation. The wheel of life is
a symbols for this process.
Moksha – state of true understanding and
freedom from samsara (known in some
traditions as Nirvana).
Concepts in Hinduism
Meditation - a mental discipline by which one
attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking"
mind into a deeper state of awareness. This is one
method for achieving enlightenment.
Om – a highly symbolic
sound made to focus and
guide religious meditation.
Each syllable (a-u-m) takes
on a specific meaning in
Sanskrit and represents
a universal element.
From Hinduism to Buddhism
From Hinduism to Buddhism
Around 500 BC, Buddhism was a new philosophy
founded by a “Buddha,” a man who had reached
enlightenment by his own means.
This Buddha had new ideas
about reaching enlightenment
and was seen as a savior by
many for his views on the
caste system.
Buddhism Basics
Buddha – means awakened one or enlightened
one.
Buddhism is a set of beliefs based on the
teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly
known as “Buddha.” He is referred to as
“Gotama” in Hesse’s novel.
The teachings of Buddha focused on ethical
conduct, rejection of worldly matters, and
meditation as a means to true wisdom and
enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gotama’s Life
According to recorded stories,
priests told Gotama’s father that
he would either be a powerful
ruler or an enlightened teacher.
Because his father wanted him to
be a leader, he confined young
Gotama to the palace and
prevented him from experiencing
the outside world. However, as
Gotama grew older, he venture
outside the palace walls and
viewed The Four Sights that
made him aware of human
suffering (old age, disease, death,
renunciation).
Siddhartha Gotama’s Life
These four sights made Gotama long to find an
end to suffering. At the age of 29, he leaves his
family and spends the next six years searching
for a solution to suffering. He sought out
spiritual masters and even joined a group of
ascetics who practice self-denial.
More Terms
Asceticism – the practice
of denying the physical
self through fasting and
starvation to discover
spiritual truths
Samana – a wandering
ascetic monk of any
tradition (Hindu or
Buddhist)
Siddhartha Gotama’s Life
Reflecting on the experiences of his life,
still, Siddhartha found no answer. He knew
that luxury and indulgence could not keep
suffering away, nor could the extreme
denial of asceticism. He needed a “middle
path.” He left the company of the ascetics,
and traveling some distance, found a
Bodhi tree and sat down beneath its
branches. He closed his eyes.
Siddhartha Gotama’s Life
He turned all of his attention within. As he
moved deeper and deeper into himself, he
began to see the truth of existence. He
saw that all life was connected. Nirvana
was revealed. At this moment, in the here
and now, Siddhartha became the Buddha,
“enlightened one.” He was transformed.
He went on to teach others of the Four
Noble Truths and to encourage them to
seek Nirvana for themselves.
Images of
Buddha
Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)
As we begin to read Siddhartha, pay attention to the
similarities and differences between Siddhartha’s journey
and Buddha’s journey.
Let the meditation begin!
Ommmm. . .