Is it possible for Shakespeare to connect Othello to the Four Noble Truths? In Shakespeare’s words, “Poor and content is rich, and rich enough.”1 Shakespeare unintentionally connects the concept of his play Othello to the ancient concept of the Four Noble Truths: craving worldly pleasures only leads one to suffer. The Four Noble Truths provide a conceptual framework to Buddhist principles; they contain the essence of Buddhist teachings. Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha deals with Siddhartha’s spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Every step along Siddhartha’s journey incorporates a concept from each of the Four Noble Truths.
In order to understand the concepts of the Four Noble Truths, one needs to understand the aim of Buddhist practice. “The aim of Buddhist practice is to cure craving, the desire conditioned by ignorance that leads to suffering” (Demoss 1).2 Buddhism advocates meditation, and a “…goal of Buddhist meditation is to produce right mindfulness, an alert awareness of what is happening in body, mind, and world at the present moment” (Demoss 318).3 “Traditionally, ‘right action’ is defined in Buddhist ethics by the five percepts: do not kill, do not steal, do not engage in illicit sex, do not lie, and do not become intoxicated” (Demoss 319).4 “According to Buddhism a person does not have an intrinsic permanent changeless identity. There is no core self. The self is empty” (Demoss 1).5 The Four Noble Truths provide a conceptual framework for all Buddhist thought. According to the Four Noble Truths, craving leads to suffering, but craving can cease if one cultivates a path of mental discipline, wisdom, and moral conduct (Demoss 309).6 An understanding of Buddhism is...
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...11): 309. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Mineola: Dover, 1999. Print.
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The central difference between John Gardener's Grendel and Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, both stories of spiritual growth and development, is not thematic. Instead, vast differences in tone and language make the self-deprecating monster easy to empathize with and the soul-searching wanderer simple and detached. Despite their stylistic differences, both works stand alone as examples of philosophical and spiritual evolution.
Siddhartha is a much respected son of a Brahmin who lives with his father in ancient India. Everyone in their town expects Siddhartha to act like his father and become successful. Although he lives a very high quality life, Siddhartha is dissatisfied and along with his best friend Govinda- wants nothing more than to join the group of wandering ascetics called Samana’s. This group starves themselves, travels almost naked and must beg for the food they survive on. This group of people believes that to achieve enlightenment and self-actualization: body image, health, physical and material desires must be thrown away. Although this is the life Siddhartha wished for himself, he soon discovers that it is not the right choice for him. Near desolation, Siddhartha happens upon a river where he hears a strange sound. This sound signifies the beginning of the life he was born to live – the beginning of his true self. Hesse uses many literary devices to assure Siddhartha’s goal of self-actualization and creates a proper path for that success.
In the days of Siddhartha, there were different ways of achieving the Enlightenment. Learning about the Enlightenment couldn’t be taught with words, but can be taught mentally, and individually. Siddhartha went on a voyage to achieve enlightenment and finally learned about it. It all takes place in ancient India where he lived with his father who is a Brahmin.
All Quiet on the Western Front and Siddhartha: Forming values and beliefs through hardship and life experiences
In Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha and his friend, Govinda, leave their sheltered lives as Brahmins, Hindu priests, to be Samanas, ascetics who deny themselves all pleasure. Some years after, they meet the Buddha, whom Govinda stays with to be a monk while Siddhartha leaves to continue on his own adventures. Toward the end of their lives, they meet again at a river bank and discover if they have truly achieved inner peace. Hesse uses Govinda as a contrast to Siddhartha. As displayed in excursions with the Samanas, with the Buddha, and on other adventures, Siddhartha is a character who is more independent and must learn on his own while Govinda is more dependent and feels he must be taught.
In “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha is put to the test to find inner enlightenment while trying to discover himself. He must work through the hardships and overcome loosing himself along the way.
Siddhartha, written by Herman Hesse, is a novel about a man's progression towards his goal to center his life with a combination of peace and balance. Many of the displayed philosophies can be applied to today's world. Through my reading, I noticed many similarities between my life and Siddhartha's. First, Siddhartha felt a need for independence, that to truly be happy with his success, he must attain his achievements in his own way, and not others. Even though, he feels he must acquire this by himself, he tries to be as removed from his human side as possible. Only later does he learn that individuality and freedom from necessity must be united to procure his objectives and free him from his imperfections. Second, Siddhartha discovers that things and riches do not bring happiness. They are only temporary. No matter the extent of wealth a person has this never satisfies the insatiable need for possessions. Lastly, Siddhartha found that balance is the key to peace and happiness. Although a simplistic teaching, it is very complex to learn and apply. In my life, I can relate to his path and lessons, because I feel the same struggles and battles with attaining serenity.
“Your vision will become clear when you look into your heart. Who looks outside dreams. Who looks inside, awakens”- Carl Jung. Siddhartha is a novel by Hermann Hesse, was written in 1922 right after the World War I. In short, it is a journey of a Brahmin 's son Siddhartha- transitioning from spiritual to materialistic and back to the spiritual world to attain self-realization, authenticity, and spirituality. The novel 's setting takes place in ancient India, during the period of the Gautama Buddha (The Sublime One). Below, I will show how Siddhartha’s story legitimates Indian Religion-Hinduism, but challenges both Hinduism and Buddhism. According to Siddhartha neither Brahmins, Samanas nor Buddha can
Siddhartha, an allegorical novel written by Hermann Hesse, primarily tells the tale of an Indian man, Siddhartha, and his quest for peace and totality during the time of the Buddha. The story focuses on him leaving his family home in India to find this peace and totality, but the theme of this story is not just about Siddhartha, there is an underlying theme which demonstrates that Siddhartha is not the only person searching for this peace, and this quest is not solely the theme of the story for Siddhartha, but for many of the characters, Siddhartha included. Siddhartha’s father, the Brahmin, is on his quest to find peace, the Buddha had already found their peace and Siddhartha is of course also searching for peace. The theme of the novel is the quest for peace and totality for everybody, and this not only proves to be true then, but it still proves to be true today. Deep down, Peace and totality is what every human being wants, and unfortunately it is a quest that many people do not complete within their lifetimes. Siddhartha, however, found this totality in his lifetime, and was one...
13 Dec. 2004. Gay, Peter. The Enlightenment: An Interpretation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996. Kreis, Steven.
...t the novel imparts a systematic, methodical tone to Siddhartha, and together with the consciously created form unifies the experiences of Siddhartha, permitting a feeling of closure and meditation on the thoughts and ideas presented therein. There is certainly a unique rhythm to Siddhartha which is skillfully communicated both consciously and subconsciously. One can appreciate the conscious craftmanship" of the novel's structure and style, while at the same time allowing the rhythm, feelings, and experiences to sift into one's mind on a deeper, more subconscious level.
The Four Holy Truths in Buddhism are key components to the understanding of Buddhism and the teachings of Buddha. They are four very simple rules that provide a broad explanation on how to obtain a more positive, and stress free life. They represent the beginning of a long journey to inner peace, happiness, and most importantly an end to suffering. The four noble truths that Buddha taught are: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and the elements of the Eightfold Path.
The role of teachers in Hesse’s exceptional work of fiction is to aid in the achievement of the ultimate knowledge, while not taking the pupil directly there, instead giving him the skill set necessary to achieve what the student, in this case Siddhartha, feels is that ultimate knowledge.
14. Walter, Soreil. Hermann Hesse The Man Who Sought and Found Himself. London: Oswald Wolff, 1974.
Hermann Hesse, writing in the twentieth century, extolled many of the virtues of the past. His unique style, dependent upon German Romanticism, adapted the issues of the modern age. Using subject matter from various sources, Hesse built fictional worlds that mirrored reality. In the novel Siddhartha, Hesse deals specifically with the spiritual quest. Although writing about the spiritual landscape of India, this work addresses the desire for meaning that the entire world felt after the events of World War I.