Essays on Siddhartha

The life, unfortunately, does not always resemble a happy kingdom where people live in peace and harmony. One day it brings you an ocean of happiness and glory, the other day it throws you to the dark abyss of poverty and solitude. In spite of all life’s ordeals, the person should never give up and show courage in overcoming everyday difficulties. Only the bravest and most ingenious ones, who are capable of learning on their own mistakes, will definitely attain success in the adventurous life journey. The courage is surely the most important trait of character which not ...

Introduction

Born in India, on the territory of present-day Nepal, Buddha not only influenced Indian culture and spiritually, but has also become one of the world’s most appreciated systems of belief. Buddhism emerged at a very specific moment in the history of India, when the changes in the political and philosophical realm coincided with the different problems in the society (Begum 2013). Buddhism, which emerged as a new and surprising religion, contradicted many of the Brahmanical beliefs which people in India shared in the 6th century B.C. The Buddha’s concerns and the vision on the society, which is ...

The major religions of the world include Islam, New Age, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism (Lomas et al., 198). The five categories justify Buddhism to be a religion. Approximately 370 million people in the world are Buddhists. The word Buddhism originated from the term "Buddha" which means to awaken. The religion traces its roots to about 2,500 years back when Gotama Siddhartha also called the Buddha became enlightened or awakened when he turned 35 years (Lomas et al., 200). Buddhism has evolved so much also to become a way of life or a psychology, but the fact remains that ...

Compare/ contrast the role of “love” in Siddhartha and in The Bridge of San Louis Rey.   As love is such a broad concept, it will be necessary to narrow your topic down. For example, you might consider how both books explore parental love in particular ways, or how they explore sensual love, etc. Siddhartha is one of the best works of Hermann Hesse, which legitimized the principles of postmodern literature in the culture of the last century. This work is the pearl of prose, with unprecedented depth insight on Eastern philosophy. This is a story of a boy, of ...

In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, there is a complex relationship between the external and the internal worlds and this is much evident in the life of the protagonist Siddhartha. The complexities in his spiritual quest arise from the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who he initially meets and speaks to and who inspires him to become an ascetic and attain nirvana and his inner self that refuses to follow the teachings of one person. When his friend Govinda becomes an ascetic, Siddhartha realizes and tells him friends that each individual experience is different and although a teacher can impart ...

Introduction

A comprehensive study of a religion may help one obtain valuable insights into its history and beliefs. Buddhism is a prominent religion in the world and is practiced by approximately 488 people worldwide. This paper will critically evaluate the history and beliefs of Buddhism and perform a statistical analysis of the religious followers in order to understand the current and future relevance of Buddhist views in the US and the rest of the world.

Etymology: Define and describe the religion

Buddhism can be defined as a path leading to enlightenment. The term ‘Buddha’ refers to an enlightened person. Simply, Buddhism is a religion established by ...

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Abstract

Many people never had the opportunity to travel. Some refuse to travel and prefers to remain ignorant of other cultures and societies. Those who do travel can sometimes still lead very ignorant lives because they refuse to accept the reality of other cultures or societies. However, some travelers can accept the reality of foreign societies and can not only immerse themselves in the foreign culture but also educate others about what they had experience. Through traveling, I was able to learn about the social issues of other countries firsthand. I also learned that many cultures have been ...

How Siddhartha Gautama Became Buddha

Mahayana Buddhism: How Siddhartha Gautama Became Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was the son of King Shuddodana Gautama, ruler of a country now known as southern Nepal (Boeree, 1999). A soothsayer, Asita, predicted that Siddhartha would either grow to become a king or a sage (“How Siddhartha Gautama”), and to ensure that Siddhartha would become king and not aspire for the religious life, the king ensured that Siddhartha lived a sheltered life and would not witness any suffering. Siddhartha was wandering the palace one day when he saw an old man, a sick man, and then a dead man. These confused him as he had ...

Before understanding Buddha as one of the three jewels, it is first necessary to discuss the term “Three Jewels,” or “three treasures.” The jewel is something that is very precious. It is the Buddhists belief that the three fundamental teachings of Buddhism are very precious like jewels and for being Buddhist, the person has to take refuge of the three jewels. 'For lay follower and monastic alike, the three 'jewels' remain powerful objects for the ritual and devotional expression of their faith. ‘(“The Foundation of Buddhism” in Gethin, p.168) Taking refuge means taking shelter of the three jewels. 'Going ...

I think, Siddhartha Gautama’s quest to find enlightenment is not a question of noble action or sacred call, but, it is the understanding of one’s convictions. Siddhartha Gautama left everything he had for the sake of humanity and for the betterment of humanity. The great one left his family in good hands and with great wealth. Leaving one’s family might be considered bad in today’s culture, but, the great one sacrificed his family and his preaching lead to the happiness of many families for thousands of years.

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths were the immediate teachings given ...

- Paleolithic cave paintings and the Neolithic Susa vessel have a common subject matter; they both illustrate the animals, hunting scenes and cuneiform writings. The Paleolithic art which was made during the old stone period has two styles: Franco-Cantabrian which was attributed to the Cro-Magnon man whose designs depict horses, bison and cattle for their art subjects. The Neolithic art on the other hand was a new art formed in the new stone period. The style of Neolithic art was portable art is characterized of its ability to be moved from one place to another either by humans or by environment. ...

The word Buddha means a person who has attained a state of perfect enlightenment. It is used in reference to Siddhartha, the Indian mystic founder of Buddhism who began preaching after achieving supreme enlightenment at 35.

- When the Buddha experienced enlightenment, he discovered the Four Noble Truths. Name and briefly explain the Four Noble Truths. - Life means suffering; the suffering is brought about by the fact neither that nor the human nature nor is the world we live perfect. Therefore, human beings have to endure day to day challenges such as sickness, sadness or pain. - The ...

Buddhism has been widely preached and practiced in most parts of the world, commonly present at countries of Far-East Asia. Currently, it has been listed as fourth largest religion of the world, with about 376 million followers. The history of religion has its roots to 500BC, when Siddhartha Gautama was born to a king in Northern India and then awarded with enlightenment (Robinson 2011). The four noble teachings are amongst the initial discourses of Buddha, upon which he based his further teachings as well. He said that “I teach suffering, its origin, cessation and path. That's all I ...

Philosophy is an interesting discipline as it tries to find answers to several challenging aspects of man and the processes of nature. Since time immemorial, man has been in a quest to find the self and understand the surrounding in which they reside. In the West, realism and romanticism were two competing cultural thoughts and artistic styles aimed at communicating the interactions/relationships between mankind and nature. Romantics associated with Plato emphasized on individual heroic achievement, power of emotions and mysticism dominating the European intellectual life while realists associated with Aristotle focused art and literature to more tangible matters with the ...

Hermann Hesse

Hermann Hesse was born in the city named Calw, Württemberg which is in Germany on July 2, 1877. He was brought up in the family of Pietist missionaries. He was expected to follow his Family’s Tradition. In 1891, at Maulbronn, he attended protestant seminary but expelled out from the school. He left his studies after some unhappy events at secular school. He worked as a book dealer, book shop clerk and mechanic in Tübingen. In 1904, he became a freelance writer and published his first novel “Peter Camenzind”. His novel gained much success and he got married ...

Buddhism Concepts in Khyentse Norbu’s “Travelers and Magicians” (2003) Written by Khyentse Norbu, “Travelers and Magicians” finds its basis in the lives of two main characters, each seeking a form of completion in their lives. First, there is Dondup, who wants to go to America in an attempt to acquire more money than what his job as a government officer pays. Then there is Tashi, who wants women in his life rather than the studies his father forces him to endure. For Dondup to get to America, he has first to go to the Thimphu after which viewers are ...

The Indian caste system places individuals in various occupational groups. It is embedded in religion and it has certain rules and regulations. The caste system dictates the occupations that an individual can pursue. Further, the system limits the social interactions that people can have. The caste system has developed a hierarchy order over the past years of its existence based on personality, birth and occupation. However, this hierarchical order was not part of the religion during its initiation. The hierarchical position of individuals in the caste system dictates their behavior. The system has four main classifications based on birth, ...

Religion has always been a controversial subject across the world. It is considered the opiate of the masses, and most of the main religions believes in some sort of higher beam or omnipotent supernatural force. The saying holds true as it has been counted that almost 90 percent of the world’s population believes in some sort of religion. Marx who spoke the quote believed that religion is what keeps the people motivated and like medicine is what blinds them to their own hardships. While the different religions will probably follow a different theology, they all develop an ethical framework in ...

Introduction: Siddhartha Gautama

Buddhism is a religion or a way of life to about 300 million people all over the world. Buddhism was founded 2500 years in India when Siddhartha Gautama also known as Budha was enlightened. Buddhism is sometimes difficult to put into the box of religion or philosophy, because it lacks a central deity. The Buddha was not the creator of the universe; instead he achieved the highest personal actualization that a person can and was therefore “Enlightened.” That, rather than a creation story, is the central tenet of Buddhism. Buddhism then as a philosophy is not necessarily a religion, but in practice it services the needs ...

Essay Question # 1:

Aristotle’s work that displays his beliefs on happiness and how one should live is his Nicomachean Ethics, which is a conclusive work that governs what he considers to be both the “ultimate” good and specific “goods” attainable for man. He believed that things were directed towards specific ends, and that a virtuous entity was one that stayed true to it’s objective. These things, because of their universal nature, have not changed in their essence, but the world of today is certainly much different than the one that Aristotle was interacting with. This essay seeks to explain his belief on ...

The oldest written Hindu scripture, the Rig Veda, dates from at least 1500 BC and perhaps even before the Aryan invaders from the north conquered the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Indeed, this civilization was perhaps many thousands of years older than any other known on earth and thought to be very advanced in science, technology, architecture, public works and metal working. According to some legends, it was even aware of flying machines, spacecraft, nuclear weapons and extraterrestrial civilizations. It also practiced the brahmavidya or supreme (God) science as revealed by a series of rishis, mystics and prophets, with the Buddha ...

Question 1

The three marks of reality in Buddhism refer to the features shared by sensitive beings namely annica (impermanence), dukkha (suffering), and annata (none-self). Siddhartha formulated these after he achieved awakening and Nirvana through intensive mediation. It was through this that Siddhartha achieved the status of ‘Buddha Shakyamuni’ becoming an authority in the faculty of wisdom. Annica asserts that all things are impermanent, inconstant and unsteady. It means that nothing ultimately ceases to exist but rather changes in appearance and form of reality. Dukkha, on the other hand, cites that nothing existing in the physical world can guarantee lasting satisfaction. ...

The Brahmin’s Son

In India, during the sixth century B.C., the Buddha era, lived a little boy named Siddhartha. Being the son of a Brahmin priest, Siddhartha was expected to practice sacrificial rituals and be trained in the various Vedas and Upanishads. He perceived its principles at a young age. Siddhartha realized that his soul or the Atman and the universal spirit were the same and that meditation with chanting of the Om aided the union of these two. This insight urged Siddhartha to take on the path to experience enlightenment which could not be attained by mere education. With the consent of his father, ...

Abstract

Buddhism is one of the major religions born in India. This religion, based on the preaching of Lord Buddha who was originally known as Siddhartha Gautama, gradually spread from India to most of Asia due to its principles promoting peace and importance of middle path in life. The concept of Nirvana or Supreme Salvation has been stressed on along with a righteous life in Buddhism. The religion has some remarkable features in contrast with Hinduism and Christianity. This research work explains the origin, principles and significance of Buddhism. Along with a contrast between Buddhism and Hinduism, Christianity and Islam respectively, there ...

As Siddhartha’s father, I feel that Siddhartha and I had a strained relationship. Honor, pride, and respect were the foundation of the relationship between my son and I. Being a highly respected man, I wanted my son to grow and become like me, a veritable Brahman man (Hesse 34). I expected many praiseworthy things from my son because Siddhartha is wise, intelligent and respectful. I love son and want him to have the best life of a Brahman. I bought my son three palaces show that I wanted Siddhartha to be close me. I wanted him to stay and be like me ...

Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle valued reason above all other characteristics and argued that it separated human beings from plants and animals, and like Buddhist philosophy elevated spiritual truths over material concerns. The Greek idealist philosophy was not as completely divorced from the physical universe as Buddhism, however, even though both agreed that the soul was immortal. They also regarded virtue as being its own reward and defined it as seeking higher spiritual and moral values rather than money, power and physical pleasures. Often their ideas have been misunderstood in that they thought the highest level of ...

Introduction

The debate on whether wisdom can be taught has been going on for a while and it has not been put to rest. Many agree that knowledge is essential for wisdom to be achieved. Some argued that, just like knowledge, wisdom is context-specific, and as such learnable. This ‘learnability’ perhaps makes it teachable. But the purpose of this paper, however, is not a discussion on this debate. It is instead a look at what Herman Hesse’s take is on this debate as he portrays in his novel Siddhartha.

Discussion

Siddartha, the protagonist of Herman’s novel Siddahartha, sets out for a wearisome ...

1. For many people, finding a middle path is one of the more difficult parts of life. It is often easier to embrace one extreme or another, rather than seeking out the tenuous middle ground and keeping to it. In the short term, we are often drawn to a more extreme pattern of behavior; over time, though, we rebel against its limitations and want a way to maintain balance. This is what Gotama referred to as the “middle way,” and during the course of Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha moves from being a confused boy to a wise man who, ultimately, earns the right ...

In writing Siddhartha, the author has used literary techniques of imagery, metaphors and imagery in the use of water, river and symbolic names of characters to communicate certain concepts on spirituality. The name Siddhartha is symbolic. He represents the image of the seeker of enlightenment. Guatma’s Buddha original name before he became enlightened was Siddhartha. The name represents the journey that both men must go through to become enlightened. The Sansara stage of the Hindu life of seeking enlightenment is a stage that has many bodily pleasures that bring evil and suffering. Siddhartha arrives in Sansara where he meets ...

Buddhism dates back many years. While some people believe that Buddhism is an atheistic religion, others feel that, although gods are not seen as central to the creation of the universe, they are acknowledged as existing. As Buddhism can coexist with other traditional religions, the levels of atheism within the religion varies between members. Buddhism is a religion to around 300 million people throughout the globe. The word was derived from 'budhi', which means 'to awaken' (Buddhanet). It originated roughly 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, at the age of thirty-five, was enlightened. Siddhartha Gotama is now widely ...

26th April 2011

Introduction

Siddhartha is a novel written by Hermann Hesse. It deals with Siddhartha’s (a boy) journey in search of knowledge. The word Siddhartha is a combination of two Sanskrit words: Siddha (“achieved”) and artha (“meaning or wealth’). Siddhartha in whole means “the one who has found meaning/wealth…” Siddartha sets out, with his friend Govinda, to search for knowledge. He leaves asceticism and goes to a down-to-earth life and back to asceticism again in his effort to attain enlightenment and experience. Hermann uses experience here to refer to the sum of the conscious happenings/events as experienced by a person in ...