Essay on "Siddhartha Herman Hesse's 1922 Novel Siddhartha Parallels"
Essay 4 pages (1159 words) Sources: 3
[EXCERPT] . . . .
SiddharthaHerman Hesse's 1922 novel Siddhartha parallels the legend of the Gautama Buddha: the man who inspired the religion of Buddhism. Hesse captures the spirit of Buddhism and the essence of the Buddha. The Gotama Buddha is wholly unlike any other religious figure in that he does not proscribe belief in God, let alone an organized religion. For Buddha, religion is a social phenomenon and a crutch. It is because of this that I was able to resonate and respond to Siddhartha. The title character was born into a Brahman family, which is the political, economic, social, and spiritual elite of India. As a privileged boy he could be easily swayed to live a life of luxury without any worry or fear. Instead, Siddhartha and his friend Govinda search for a deeper meaning to existence. Siddhartha is dissatisfied with the rigid religious duties of the Brahmans, much like the son of an Archbishop or Rabbi might feel. Religion has no answers for Siddhartha or for Govinda and together they seek enlightenment elsewhere. Their journeys diverge, and Siddhartha experiences life to the fullest extent possible. He undergoes extreme asceticism and extreme debauchery until he realizes that living for the moment is the key to enlightenment. Siddhartha learns his deepest spiritual lesson from a ferryman. Like Siddhartha, I have learned my most profound lessons from the most mundane circumstances.
Siddhartha starts his life as a privileged Brahman who is being trained in the austere religion of his father. His parents love him, and he them. Siddhartha also has a strong affection for his friend Govinda. The two boys share their discomfort with the Hindu religion, not on any theological or philosoph
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Gotama is modeled after Gautama Buddha, the spiritual leader who was born into a Brahman caste but who developed his own philosophical doctrine. Siddhartha and Govinda join the Gotama's group of followers. Govinda is especially pleased but Siddhartha is not. Siddhartha still notices some of the same faults in the Gotama Buddha as he found with Brahmanism and with the Samanas. Essentially, Gotama is just another religious figure for Siddhartha. Siddhartha seeks something more profound, something that changes his entire outlook on life rather than set answers to a profound metaphysical truth.
Therefore, Siddhartha leaves the Gotama and also his friend Govinda. Siddhartha lives like an ordinary materialistic man. He meets Kamala, a lovely woman who teaches him about sensuality and pleasure. Siddhartha learns from her lessons about his body and material existence, which are lessons he would never have learned from the likes of Gotama. Siddhartha becomes a wealthy businessman, he drinks, he gambles, and he ceases seeking for a deeper spiritual truth. His break from the spiritual quest is like a lesson in itself. Siddhartha experiences the ups and downs of material existence that cause people to seek religious understanding. Thus after many years, Siddhartha abandons his materialistic existence. He leaves behind Kamala and wanders… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Siddhartha Herman Hesse's 1922 Novel Siddhartha Parallels" Assignment:
You will write an essay of at least (1500 words) in length. You will include
ï‚· 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.
ï‚· 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.
ï‚· Provide Historical and religious background information for both Hinduism and Buddhism. Understand the relationship between the two.
ï‚· 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.
ï‚· 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).
1.Read Siddhartha and understand the sequence of the story.
2.Investigate the origins of Buddhist/Hindu philosophy and how it applies to Siddhartha's life.
3.Reflect on your own life and your developmental stages and then project yourself into the future extrapolating what might ensue
How to Reference "Siddhartha Herman Hesse's 1922 Novel Siddhartha Parallels" Essay in a Bibliography
“Siddhartha Herman Hesse's 1922 Novel Siddhartha Parallels.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2009, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/siddhartha-herman-hesse-1922-novel/39364. Accessed 28 Sep 2024.
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