Siddhartha Study Guide Questions ALL CHAPTERS – Flashcards
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The Brahmin's Son Why is Siddhartha unhappy? Why is his spirit like a waiting vessel?
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Siddhartha, at early age, had acquired all the knowledge and wisdom that ordinary people could not attain in all their life. He realized that none of the people or material things around him were capable of giving sustainable peace and happiness. He was in search of real bliss, but no one could quench his thirst for real knowledge. His intellect was not satisfied. His spirit was like "waiting vessel"
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The Brahmin's Son Why is Govinda willing to follow him?
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Govinda is willing to follow Siddhartha because he loved everything that Siddhartha said and did. He loved his thoughts, intellect, and strong will to attain moksha. Govinda believed that one day Siddhartha will become godhead so he would be worth following.
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The Brahmin's Son How are the Samanas described? From his description, how does the author feel about them?
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Samanas are the wandering ascetics, worn out men, almost naked, seasoned in the weather, strange, hostile and like jackals in the world. Though, they pretended to have renounced, the passion lurks in their heart.
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The Brahmin's Son How did Siddhartha convince his father? Why didn't he just go?
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Siddhartha went to his father and expressed his desire to leave home and go with the ascetics. His father was anguished, restless and did not reply for long time but Siddhartha stood still undauntedly. The father saw the determination in his attitude and thought anyway he would not remain at home. He didn't want to just go without father's permission because he was an obedient son.
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The Brahmin's Son Why, do you suppose, Siddhartha's mother doesn't have more of a role in the decision?
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It seems women had no say or voice against the instructions of husband.
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With the Samanas How does he act when he is with the Samanas?
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Siddhartha is practicing self denial; he neglects body and the outside world. He wears only a piece of cloth, fasts for number of days, eats only once a day and keeps no contacts with worldly people.
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With the Samanas What is his goal? What happens when he reaches that goal?
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His only goal is to achieve selflessness, become empty; become empty of dreams, desires, pleasure, and thirst for anything.
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With the Samanas How does Siddhatha meditate?
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Siddhartha practiced self denial and meditation by and by; sat upright, controlled breath, tried to lessen his heart beats and leave his body, enter the other dead body and back to his own.
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With the Samanas What frustrates Siddhartha?
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Siddhartha is frustrated because, after joining Samanas, he discovered that he was no way close to his goal of salvation.
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With the Samanas Complete the quote: "I could learn more quickly and easily..." Explain this.
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"I could have learned more quickly and easily in every inn in a prostitute's quarter, amongst the carriers and dice players." What Siddhartha learned from Samanas was, running away from self for a short while; forgetting body, pain, and feelings which even drunkards, gamblers and womanizers could do. He meant, we have learned to escape from existence temporarily, but after a while we are again back to same state.
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With the Samanas According to Siddhartha, what can one learn? Explain this.
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Siddhartha thinks, what we learn from the world around us, others, is not real knowledge, The real knowledge is Atman, which is in every living being.
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With the Samanas Who is Gotoma? What does the author think of him?
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Gotama, is known as an ascetic with yellow clothes, who had conquered in himself and got rid of cycle of rebirth. Author calls him the wise man from the race of Sakya
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With the Samanas What does Siddhartha do with the oldest Samana? What does that feat show?
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Siddhartha looked into the oldest Samanas' eyes and hypnotized him. Samana was completely under his control and did whatever Siddhartha commanded.
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Gotama How is Gotama different from the Samanas?
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I believe the Samanas taught that enlightenment can be reached through asceticism or rejection of the body and physical desire. I think Gotama wanted to learn independently rather than a prescribed teaching. Gotama had reached enlightenment and indulged in the self more than the others. He also refused to harm himself.
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Gotama How do they recognize him?
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they recognize Gotama only by his complete peacefulness of behavior, by how still his form is, he no longer seeks for anything, nothing deceiving about him - only light and peace.
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Gotama Why does Govinda choose to join him? Why won't Siddhartha join him?
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Because he sees logic and truth in Gotama's teachings. Siddartha, however, says that although the Buddha teaches that the world is one, coherent unbreakable piece, how can there be a break to escape the cycle, to attain nirvana? He believes that enlightenment cannot be taught, only experienced.
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Gotama According to Siddhartha, how will he find enlightenment?
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On his own, through no learning or texts or teachings
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Gotama Gotoma asks him is his, Gotoma's, followers will also find enlightenment. Siddhartha dodges this question. How?
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He says that everyone must choose their own path and it is not his place to judge others choices.
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Gotama What has the Buddha robbed form him? What has he given?
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He robbed him of his friend, Govinda, but gave Siddartha himself
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Awakening What does Siddhartha decide to study? How is that the one field he has been ignorant in?
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He decided to study himself. All his life he has attempted to escape himself by various methods, and he therefore knows little of himself, he has ignored himself.
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Awakening Why does he fell an "icy chill"? He compares himself to a star. How is that so?
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He feels a chill because he feels alone. He compares himself to a star because he must completely start his life over. He belonged to no group, had no friends, and was at home nowhere.
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Awakening How is he different now?
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He is different now because he truly sees himself for who he truly is as a person
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Awakening What is the "Self"? Why has it occupied Siddhartha so?
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The Self is Siddhartha's worldly being. It is his desires and also a way of thought. It is his human nature. He hasn't been able to ever permanently lose his Self. This has frustrated Siddhartha and he never figured out how go lose his Self through teachers.
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Awakening When Siddhartha "awakes" form his dream, what does he see for the first time?
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Siddhartha sees the path in front of him that he needs to take to complete his journey
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Kamala How has his point of view changed? How does the writing style reflect this?
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Instead of pushing away reality and rejecting it as false, he is embracing it and treating every aspect of it as a miracle. The writing style becomes less questioning and cynical, and more open and childlike.
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Kamala Complete the quote: "To obey no other eternal command.... Nothing else is necessary." What does this quote mean?
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"To obey no other eternal command, only the voice, to be prepared that was good, that was necessary. Nothing else was necessary." It means when Gotama sat down beneath the bo tree and received enlightenment, he only obeyed prepared commands and trapped external commands.
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Kamala What dream does Siddhartha see? Will this woman lead him to enlightenment?
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He dreams of Govinda who turns into a woman. Siddhartha ends up suckling her breast. I don't think this woman less him to enlightenment rather to the world of desire.
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Kamala What does Siddhartha think of the Ferryman and of the river?
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Siddhartha has just experienced a type of rebirth. He is filled with exhilaration about his new view of the world but he still has a huge ego that diminishes his value for all but his own perspective. Vasudeva is an enlightened man, but the wisdom he has to impart about the river, Siddhartha is not yet ready to receive. Siddhartha is amused by the ferryman.
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Kamala Why doesn't Siddhartha "ascend the tree" with the woman?
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Siddhartha does not "ascend the tree" with the woman because at that moment he heard the voice inside him said, "No."
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Kamala Hesse uses a simile to describe the woman's (Kamala's) mouth. What is it? What does that say about the woman?
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Hesse uses a simile to describe the woman 'mouth like a freshly cut fig it means a ripe fruit ready to eat like a woman ready to give any pleasures and desire
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Kamala How does SIddhartha prepare for Kamala? What does he want from her?
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Siddhartha as a bath, gets a haircut, adn new clothes in order to impress Kamala so she could teach him physical enlightenment.
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Kamala Why might the portrayal of Kamala be politically incorrect?
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The portrayal of Kamala might be politically incorrect because the witter describes Kamala is a beautiful woman sitting in sedan chair and make fun for rich men.
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Kamala What three things can Siddhartha do?
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Siddhartha can think, wait, and fast.
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Kamala When Siddhartha receives his first kiss., the style changes. How? Why?
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The first kiss of Siddhartha is underscored by the commandment-like punctuation and syntax of the novel, setting certain statements apart from the writing with a colon.
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Kamala Who is kamaswami?
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The richest merchant in the town and the person who gives Siddhartha a job
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Kamala Siddhartha compares himself to a stone. How is that so?
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He goes through the world's affairs like a stone in water, without doing anything, without bestirring himself.
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Amongst the People How does SIddhartha take control of the interview?
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The interview with the Kamaswami was controlled by Siddhartha because he talk the was that he live beginn fast, patient and he can think and used all this intelligent things and have everything he wants.
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Amongst the People For all of his holy skills, in the end, why does Kamaswami hire him?
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Kamaswami hire Siddhartha because he can read and write well and also he can understand the way that people think. Siddhartha has a talented, natural value of how to make business even if he is not a merchant person.
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Amongst the People In your own words and thoughtfully, what did Kamala teach him?
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Kamala teach Siddhartha the pleasure of love and introduce him with a rich business man the Kamaswami.
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Amongst the People What makes Siddhartha good at business? Why might he be an excellent partner for Kamswami?
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because Siddhartha has a natural talent of understand people thinking and that is a good tool for the business of Kamaswami.
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Amongst the People What does his four day trip to the village show about Siddhartha? How could that be good business?
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Siddhartha lost the rice because somebody else buy it but he remained in the village entertained the farmers, giving money to children, and attended a wedding.
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Amongst the People What does Siddhartha's inner voice say? How is life flowing past him?
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because he was a samana he knows how people live and that make him very conscious about what he is and never stop helping others in need.
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Amongst the People What do you suppose a Samana heart is?
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the heart of Siddhartha is full of new secrets that kamala teach him but he still be a samana.
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Amongst the People How are Siddhartha and Kamala similar?
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Kamala and Siddhartha are similar in their hearts both can be just themselves every time they want and neither one can really love because Siddhartha love kamala's body and Kamala love the art of give pleasure, both with out involving her and his feelings
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Samsara Does Siddhartha have a bad life? What is good about it?
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No. He has people that care about him and he is involved with the world, but maybe not the way he wants to be.
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Samsara What had Siddhartha learned "amongst the people"?
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There is a cycle of emotions that pass you and you can get caught up in worldly things. He learned how to do things all normal people do.
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Samsara What happened when the property finally became chain and a burden?
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He became depressed because he realized that these possessions had brought him down to the level of an average person.
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Samsara How does his dice playing echo his real life?
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He keeps gambling for more - In his life he has gotten very caught up with possessions
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Samsara What was is Kamala dream about?
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Sex and death are similar in a way. He realized that sex and lust fade with old age and death comes around.
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Samsara What was the Bird dream about? What does it mean?
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A songbird that always sang died. This bird represents his goals of reaching enlightenment and his holiness. Now that he had got wrapped up in possessions, these goals and this holiness died.
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Samsara Why does he feel dead?
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He lost sight of his goal.
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Samsara Why is it important that Kamala is pregnant? Why out of that last trip?
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Siddhartha will have a son. It was bad because she would never see him again, yet she held his child inside her.
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By the River Why does Siddhartha wish to kill himself?
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He feels like he has wasted a lot of his life and has only lost his way towards enlightenment
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By the River What is the tone of this section? Is it entirely serious?
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Its somewhat dark and serious. Even in this seriousness there is still hope within it.
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By the River What sound does he hear? How does he react?
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He hears the sound "om" from within. He is confused about the sound, and then he thinks about it and falls into sleep.
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By the River How is he different when he wakes up? Who is sitting with him?
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He is rejuvenated and upbeat again. Govinda
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By the River What does Siddhartha start lecturing his friend about?
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That appearance is irrelevant to spirituality.
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The Ferryman What does Siddhartha learn from teh Ferryman?
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The art of listening
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The Ferryman How are the skills he is learning important to him for life?
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These are skills that will help him learn from people and things around him for his whole life
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The Ferryman What do people say about Siddhartha and the Ferryman?
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That they were silently wise but could teach you about the river
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The Ferryman How are they becoming alike? Is this a good thing?
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They are both understanding themselves better through each other and the river. It is good because it is helping Siddhartha reach enlightenment
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The Ferryman Describe the events surrounding Kamala's meeting Siddhartha again.
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Kamala is going to see the dying Buddha with her son when she stops to rest. She is near the river and gets bit by a snake. The Ferryman takes her to his hut and she regains consciousness and sees Siddhartha.
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The Ferryman Has has Siddhartha changed since their last meeting? How has Kamala changed?
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Kamala is no longer an escort and is religious. She is dressed in plain clothes, as is Siddhartha. They both have returned to a simpler life.
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The Ferryman What happens to Kamala? How does this effect Siddhartha?
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She dies. He sees she has found peace and finds some himself. He takes it positively because his son was given to him in the process and he got to see Kamala again.
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The Son What about Siddhartha would make him a lousy father?
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He is too concerned with finding nirvana to raise a son
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The Son How does young Siddhartha take advantage of the father?
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He knows that Siddhartha isn't the kind of father to punish him and he constantly asks for more from him even though Siddhartha is poor.
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The Son What does he try and do for his son? Why won't it work?
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He tries to win him over with patience and love but the child is not used to this life and the poor life.
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The Son Why doesn't he punish the boy?
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Siddhartha does not have the act of punishing within him
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The Son Why is the river laughing? How has Siddhartha gotten "his own"?
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He is now burdened with something for the first time in a while and it's his own doing
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The Son How can love be "Samsara"?
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It is a human passion and not spiritual, love is part of the Self and will be found through any reincarnation
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The Son Why does the son hate the father?
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He wants him to punish him - he is too nice and he is too poor
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The Son Why did he break the oar?
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The boy was very angry at his father and broke it to spite him
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The Son In losing his son, what might Siddhartha have gained?
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Knowledge. Things are the way they are and you should let what things happen, happen.
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Om What "wound" does Siddhartha have? What is the different light that he sees people in?
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His loss of his son. He sees people with children and he envies them.
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Om What has been his biggest change since becoming a ferryman? As a result, how does the tone of the book change?
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The way Siddhartha thinks. The book showed him getting caught up in desire and envy and straying from wisdom, but now he speaks of holy things and about life and the river.
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Om Wha does the river do when Siddhartha goes to see his son? Whose reflection does he see?
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It laughs at him and then he sees his father in the water
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Om Siddhartha and Vasudeva listen very, very closely to the river. What do they hear? Why is everything interconnected?
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All of the voices of everyone Siddhartha ever knew. They all make up this world and they all make up the Om.
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Om Where does Vasudeva go? (Hint: not just the woods)
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He dies and meets enlightenment
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Govinda Why is there still restlessness in Govinda's heart?
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He had always followed the rules of monks but had never fully felt like an accomplished one
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Govinda What is wrong with seeking, according to Siddhartha?
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When you seek too much you cannot find
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Govinda Why doesn't Siddhartha have a doctrine? how can wisdom not be communicable? Can you communicate knowledge?
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He doesn't believe in doctrines or teachers. They don't allow you to find wisdom, because wisdom cannot be communicated, only learned on your own. Knowledge however, can be communicated.
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Govinda What is the symbolism of the stone?
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It is reincarnation
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Govinda How can Nirvana and Samsara be the same?
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Reincarnation will lead anything to Nirvana because after a certain amount of reincarnations, something or someone will become enlightened and will reach Nirvana
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Govinda What does Govinda see Siddhartha do? What does this show about Siddhartha's final change?
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He smiles and Govinda sees all of Siddhartha's past lives. He reached enlightenment and broke the reincarnation cycle. He became the Buddha. He reached Nirvana.
