Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Background notes. . . Buddhism Buddhism was founded in India, but spread to China, Japan, and Korea Buddhism is approximately 2,500 years old (older than Christianity and Islam). More than 300 million people still practice it today.

Four Noble Truths *Know this! Suffering is a part of life. The cause of suffering is desire. Stopping desire is the only way to stop suffering. The way to stop desire is to follow the Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path This is called the “Middle Way” in Buddhism and it involves a combination of understanding, compassion, and an advanced state of consciousness. Right understanding: realize the cause of desires Right intentions: recognize impure thoughts and eliminate them Right speech: avoid lies, exaggerations, and harsh words Right action: do not kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, lie, or use intoxicating substances. Right work: a livelihood should not cause harm to others Right effort: strive to improve Right meditation: use meditation to focus on the nature of reality Right contemplation: cultivate inner peace

Other Buddhist concepts/terms: Background notes Other Buddhist concepts/terms:

important terms Karma: The idea that all deeds carry positive or negative effects which carry over from one life to the next. This means that people create their own destinies.

important terms Rebirth or reincarnation: The belief that spiritual enlightenment is difficult and may take multiple lifetimes to achieve.

important terms Nirvana: The release from the cycle of rebirth and suffering; it leads to a state of mind of inner peace.

important terms Interdependent universe: Similar to the Taoist concept of yin and yang (that all things are interconnected and provide balance). Nothing is separate from anything else and all things rely on each other for existence.

important terms Being in the moment: Handle each situation as it arises instead of worrying about the past or future.

Important terms *listed on handout Brahman: The ultimate reality of the universe or the ultimate essence of all things that cannot be seen or heard, but may be known through self-knowledge. Atman: Identity of the true self. Samana: Name for a group of wandering ascetics (religious practitioners of contemplation and self-denial) Samsara: Reincarnation

A brief summary of the chapter Siddhartha Project: For each chapter, write the following in your notebook: A brief summary of the chapter 2 MVPs (most valuable passages – sections that you felt were important or interesting, write them out and include the page number.) 2 questions or predictions: questions about things you didn’t understand or predictions about what might come next.