Throughout the literary world true stories are turned into fiction. The story of Siddhartha, the Buddha is no different. Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha fictionalized one of the most influential persons the world has ever known. Hesse did a masterful job of separating core facts of the great Buddha's life from a great story. The Buddha had many core teachings that he felt necessary for all individuals to live by though "in strong language the Buddha did warn his followers against mere book learning" (Nhat Hanh 111). Again Hesse does a wonderful job on keeping the ideals of Buddha in mind by describing Siddhartha as the type to take from the teachings of others but acknowledge the fact that he must learn on his own. The novel presents through the life of Siddhartha and the core teachings of Buddhism. Ethical Conduct, wisdom, and mental discipline are the subdivisions of Buddhism's Noble Eightfold Path and their blue prints are laid in Hesse's novel (110).

Ethical conduct is "based on love and compassion" (112). Siddhartha also came to a life of love and compassion. Right speech, right action, and right livelihood are achieved through love and compassion (1

Casebeer, Edwin F. Hermann Hesse. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1972.

Wisdom includes an understanding that there is no difference between all beings. If one can embrace all things then there are no limitations achieving right thought (Nhat Hanh 116). "If we view things with dispassionate discernment, we will understand that selfish desire, hatred and violence cannot go together with true wisdom," meaning without barriers we are able to understand the beauty of all things. While crossing the river Siddhartha says to Govinda "Never is a man or deed wholly Samasara or wholly Nirvana; never is a man wholly a saint or a sinner," demonstrating the equilibrium relating to all things or humans. To understand things as they are, enables one to achieve right understanding (116). Siddhartha spent the majority of his life toiling with right understanding. Eventually he came to a universal understanding that all things effect each other. "[The stone,] within the continual change of mass to energy and back again, the stone could become other things," thus giving a purpose to an object that at first glance seems so insignificant (Casebeer 25). Understanding gives a sense of knowledge on an informational level as well an "intellectual grasping of a subject" (Nhat Hanh 116). Without understanding one cannot achieve the love and compassion cherished by te Buddhist religion.

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: Bantam Books, 1971.

Field, G.W. Hermann Hesse. Ed. Sylvia E. Bowman. Twayne's World Authors Series.

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Approximate Word count = 1033
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)