Siddhartha and Buddhism

Hermann Hesse 1877-1962 German novelist, poet, and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, whose main theme is of breaking out of established civilization to find one’s own essential spirit. With his appeal for self-realization and his exploration into Eastern mysticism, Hesse became a cult figure in the troubled century in which he wrote (post WWI).

Purpose for writing Siddhartha Hesse wanted to cure what he believed was his “sickness with life” by immersing himself in Eastern philosophy He was quite recluse in his life and became immersed in both Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, which heavily influenced his writing of Siddhartha

Siddhartha Siddhartha, was written in 1922, in the desolate times after the “Great War.” Few people could make sense of the devastation inflicted upon the world from so called “civilized” countries, and many people were searching for a guiding force out of the moral degradation left in the wake of World War I. Hesse, writing during this time, left his mark in exploring Buddhist philosophy as a path toward salvation.

Philosophical Foundations Hesse was a follower of the philosophies of Carl Jung who, like Freud, explored the human psyche and inner consciousness, which was in vogue during this time in history. The novel Siddhartha is a fairly transparent allegory of the life of the real Buddha, whose real name was Siddhartha Gautama. The novel’s intent is didactic, in delivering the following Buddhist “sutta” - or teaching:

Philosophical Belief of Siddhartha A man who has left home and gone forth should not follow two extremes, namely self- indulgence (hedonism) and self- mortification (asceticism). Avoiding these two extremes, Buddha has discovered the middle path leading to vision, to knowledge, to calmness, to awakening, to nirvana.

Themes of Siddhartha One’s search for personal identity through the unrelenting search for truth that is essential for achieving a harmonious relationship with the world Siddhartha does not waver in his search, even if it means changing paths continuously to discover whatever path leads him to his Nirvana This serves as a juxtaposition to Govinda, who is unable to see the truth around him, since he is limited by his belief that truth will appear in the way he has been taught by his religious teachers

Hinduism and Buddhism: Basic differences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnN1bgqnUDc