Who is gotama in siddhartha

Actually, I think you are just confusing names, as Buddha's full name was Siddharta Gautama Buddha, but Hesse's fictional character is simply named Siddharta. I believe the distinction between them is rather clear; in fact they actually meet and have a conversation in the book, during which it becomes very clear that Siddharta respects Buddha and considers him a holy man, yet does not accept his teachings.

Of course, it is very interesting how their lives seem to be very similar, especially their choice to lead a moderate life, after searching happiness in extreme forms of hedonism or ascese. Yes, Gautama Buddha's original name was indeed Siddhartha.

But, in the book, Hesse's attempt may have been to show us that Siddhartha, the character, who goes in search of truth and the Gotama he meets are the two sides of the same coin.

Forums Contact Us. Previous Next. Gotama Go, Go, Gotama Gotama's role is kind of that of a future-Siddhartha: totally wise, totally peaceful, and we can assume totally didn't get that way just by playing by the rules.

When questioned by Siddhartha, he smiles widely and responds calmly: Quietly, Gotama had listened to him, unmoved. Tired of ads? Join today and never see them again. Get started. The Four Noble Truths include 1 the existence of pain, 2 pain's cause being desire or attachment, 3 the possibility of enduring pain by suppressing desire, and 4 the Eightfold Path to salvation. This path involves right faith, right life, right language, right purpose, right practice, right effort, right thinking, and right meditation.

The link between this system and salvation lies in a "chain of causation," which is based on the cause-effect relationship between desire and pain. The root cause of pain is birth which arises from desire , for the consequence of birth is exposure to time, illness, and death.

Birth is but one point in the transmigration of souls inherent in the life cycle. Of the important motifs of the novel, the one which is introduced in the "Gotama" sequence is that of the smile. It is evoked from self-realization and will appear again in the final section of the novel. Previous With the Samanas. Next Awakening. Siddhartha achieves enlightenment only because of his association with Vasudeva. Like Siddhartha, Govinda devotes his life to the quest for understanding and enlightenment.

He leaves his village with Siddhartha to join the Samanas, then leaves the Samanas to follow Gotama. He searches for enlightenment independently of Siddhartha but persists in looking for teachers who can show him the way. A courtesan who instructs Siddhartha in the art of physical love.

Just before she dies from a snakebite, she reveals that Siddhartha is the father of her son. An enlightened religious leader with many followers. Also known as the Buddha, Gotama is said to have attained Nirvana. He teaches the Eightfold Path to his many followers as the way to achieve true enlightenment. Siddhartha and Govinda seek him out, but while Govinda becomes a follower, Siddhartha ultimately rejects him.

Siddhartha concludes that while Gotama has achieved enlightenment, his teachings do not necessarily help others find enlightenment.