1. Siddhartha and Origins of Buddhism

2. Siddhartha
“What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.”

3. Hermann Hesse
German-born Swiss novelist, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946
Called his books “biographies of the soul”
Hesse grew up in a Catholic family, but rejected everything he had been taught.

4. Hermann Hesse
Parents were missionaries. Hesse attended a seminary but ran away from school in 1892.
In 1911, he visited India and learned about Eastern religions.

5. Origins of Buddhism The Big Idea Buddhism began in India
and became a major religion.
Main Ideas
Siddhartha Gautama searched for wisdom in many ways.
The teachings of Buddhism deal with finding peace.
Buddhism spread far from where it began in India.
Origins of Buddhism

6. Siddhartha Quest for Answers
Siddhartha was born a prince, but he questioned the meaning of life.
Determined to find answers using:
Meditation
Fasting
Learning from different teachers
Enlightenment
Found it under the Tree of Wisdom while meditating
Called the Buddha (Enlightened One)
Spent the rest of his life traveling and teaching his ideas

8. Siddhartha and the Buddha
Hesse’s Siddhartha shares his name with the Buddha, and the novel’s story is similar to what is known about Siddhartha Gautama (pronounced “Gaught-um”).
Like Siddhartha, Siddhartha Gautama was born an upper-class Hindu in India.
Like Siddhartha, Siddhartha Guatama left home to seek a religious goal and searched for years.

9. Siddhartha – The Story
About the spiritual journey of Hindu man in India who abandons a life of privilege to seek enlightenment (around 500 BC)
The million dollar questions:
How do you achieve enlightenment? How do you live a happy, fulfilled life?

10. Teachings of Buddhism Four Noble Truths
Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. No one can escape sorrow. 1.
Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and material goods. 2.
People can overcome desire and ignorance and reach nirvana, a state of perfect peace. 3.
People can overcome ignorance and desire by following an eightfold path that leads to wisdom, enlightenment, and salvation. 4.

11. The Eightfold Path

12. Siddhartha and The Buddha
Like Siddhartha, Siddhartha Gautama studied with famous gurus of the day, but found their doctrines lacking.
Both practiced the austerities and self-mortifications of the ascetics for many years.

13. Siddhartha and The Buddha
From there, Hesse’s Siddhartha takes a divergent path from Siddhartha Guatama.
Note: The name “Siddhartha” means “one who has reached his goal” or “one who has found meaning” (in existence).

14. Siddhartha Gautama
He sat under a fig tree (the Bodhi tree) and meditated for days until he found answers for suffering.
Once he understood the answer, he became the Buddha (the “enlightened one”).

15. Challenging Hindu Ideas
Ancient Ways
The Buddha taught that following the Vedic texts was unnecessary.
Challenged the authority of Hindu priests
Changing Society
A more individualistic approach to enlightenment
Rebirth as a means to evolve
Caste System
Opposed caste system
The Eightfold Path could lead any individual to nirvana.
The Buddha’s teachings reached all classes.

16. Buddhism began in India and then became a major religion.
Buddhism branches out
Asoka, one of the most powerful kings in India, became a Buddhist and spread Buddhism in India and foreign lands.
Buddhist missionaries traveled the world to teach enlightenment.
Buddhism splits
Buddhism split into two main sects: Theravada and Mahayana.
Members of the Theravada followed the Buddha’s teachings exactly.
Members of the Mahayana believed that individual interpretation was important.

17. Early Spread of Buddhism

18. Iconography of the Buddha

19. Mudras

20. Video Clip: Buddhism