Abridged

Part One

In the shade of the house, in the sunshine on the river bank by the boats, in the shade of the sallow wood and the fig tree, Siddhartha, the handsome Brahmin's son, grew up with his friend Govinda. 

Hesse, Hermann. "The Brahmin's Son." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 3. Print.

[Govinda was happy] Bu Siddhartha himself was not happy. Wandering along the rosy paths of the fig garden, sitting in contemplatation in the bluish shade of the grove, washing his limbs in the daily bath of atonement, offering sacrifices in the depths of the shady mango wood with complete grace of manner, beloved by all, a joy to all, there was yet no joy in his own heart.

Hesse, Hermann. "The Brahmin's Son." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 5. Print.

[As] Some Samanas once passed through Siddhartha’s town. [He spoke to Govinda and said] “Tomorrow morning, my friend, Siddhartha is going to join the Samanas. He is going to become a Samana.”

Hesse, Hermann. "The Brahmin's Son." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 9. Print.

On the evening of that day they overtook the Samanas and requested their company and allegiance.

Hesse, Hermann. "With the Samanas." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 13. Print.

Siddhartha had one single goal—to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow—to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience pure thought—that was his goal.

Hesse, Hermann. "With the Samanas." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 14. Print.

[Eventually] Siddhartha,…., said in a voice which contained as much grief as mockery, in a soft, somewhat sad, somewhat jesting voice: “Soon Govinda, your friend will leave the path of the Samanas along which he has travelled with you so long……

Hesse, Hermann. "With the Samanas." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 18. Print.

I have always thirsted for knowledge, I have always been full of questions….”

Hesse, Hermann. "With the Samanas." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 19. Print.

[After their conversation, they heard] The Brahmins talked about it in the town, the Samanas in the forest. The name of Gotama, the Buddha, continually reached the ears of the young men, spoken well and ill, in praise and in scorn.

Hesse, Hermann. "With the Samanas." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 20. Print.

Siddhartha saw him and recognized him immediately, as if pointed out to him by a god. “Look,” said Siddhartha softly to Govinda, “there is the Buddah.”

Hesse, Hermann. "Gotama." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 27. Print.

They heard his voice, and this also was perfect, quiet and full of peace. The Illustrious One spoke in a soft but firm voice, taught the four main points, taught the Eightfold Path; patiently he covered the usual method of teaching with examples and repetition.

Hesse, Hermann. "Gotama." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 28-29. Print.

[The next day] Siddhartha said: “Yesterday, O Illustrious One, I had the pleasure of hearing your wonderful teachings. I came from afar with my friend to hear you, and now my friend will remain with you; he has sworn allegiance to you. I, however, am continuing my pilgrimage anew.”

Hesse, Hermann. "Gotama." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 31. Print.

As Siddhartha left the grove in which the Buddha, the Perfect One, remained, in which Govinda remained, he felt that he had also left his former life behind him in the grove. Siddhartha reflected deeply as he went on his way. He realized that something had left him, like the old skin that a snake sheds.

Hesse, Hermann. "Awakening." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 37. Print.

—I was afraid of myself, I was fleeing from myself. I was seeking Brahman, Atman, I wished to destroy myself, to get away from myself, in order to find in the unknown innermost, the nucleus of all things, Atman, Life, the Divine, the Absolute. But by doing so, I lost myself on the way.

Hesse, Hermann. "Awakening." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 38. Print.

At that moment, when the world around him melted away, when he stood alone like a star in the heavens, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of icy despair, but he was more firmly himself than ever. That was the last shudder of his awakening, the last pains of birth.

Hesse, Hermann. "Awakening." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 41-42. Print.

Part Two

Siddhartha learned something new on every step of his path, for the world was transformed and he was enthralled.

Hesse, Hermann. "Kamala." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 45. Print.

As the day begun, Siddhartha asked his host, the ferryman to take him across the river.

Hesse, Hermann. "Kamala." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 48. Print.

At midday he passed through a village. At the end of the village, the path went alongside the brook, and at the edge of the brook a young woman was kneeling and washing clothes.

Hesse, Hermann. "Kamala." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 49-50. Print.

.....the woman's name, and learned that it was the grove Kamala, the well-known courtsen,..............

Hesse, Hermann. "Kamala." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 52. Print.

"I have come to tell you this and to thank you because you are so beautiful. And if it does not displease you, Kamala, I would like to ask you to be my friend and teacher, for I do not know anything of the art of which you mistress". Thereupon Kamala laughed aloud. "It has never been my experience that a Samana from the woods should come to me and desire to learn from me....."

Hesse, Hermann. "Kamala." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 53-54. Print.

He visited the beautiful Kamala regularly, learned the art of love in which, more than anything else, giving and taking become one. He talked to her, learned from her, gave her advice, received advice. She understood him better than Govinda had once done. She was more like him.

Hesse, Hermann. "Amongst the People." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 70. Print.

“You are the best lover that I have had,” she said thoughtfully. “…..You have learned my art well, Siddhartha. Some day, when I am older, I will have a child by you…..”

Hesse, Hermann. "Amongst the People." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 73. Print.

For a long time Siddhartha had lived the life of the world without belonging to it.

Hesse, Hermann. "Samsara." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 75. Print.

Siddhartha had learned how to transact business affairs, to exercise power over people, to amuse himself with women; he had learned to wear fine clothes, to command servants, to bathe in sweet-smelling waters.

Hesse, Hermann. "Samsara." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 77. Print.

            He [begun to] wear himself out in this senseless cycle, became old and sick.

Hesse, Hermann. "Samsara." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 80. Print.

But then she enticed him, and in love play she clasped him to her with extreme fervor, fiercely and tearfully, as if she wanted once more to extract the last sweet drop from this fleeting pleasure.

Hesse, Hermann. "Samsara." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 81. Print.

            After a time, she found that she was with child as a result of her last meeting with Siddhartha.

Hesse, Hermann. "Samsara." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 85. Print.

            Siddhartha had wandered into the forest,……

Hesse, Hermann. "By the River." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 87. Print.

Siddhartha was deeply horrified. So that was what he had come to; he was so lost, so confused, so devoid of all reason, that he had sough death. This wish, this childish wish had grown so strong within him: to find peace by destroying his body.

Hesse, Hermann. "By the River." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 89. Print.

Siddhartha reflected on his state. He found it difficult to think; he really had no desire to, but he forced himself.

Hesse, Hermann. "By the River." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 95. Print.

These thoughts passed through his mind. Happily he looked into the flowing river. Never had             a river attracted him as much as this one.

Hesse, Hermann. "By the River." Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 100. Print.

I will remain by this river, thought Siddhartha.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Ferryman.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 101. Print.

           

When he reached the ferry, the boat was already there and the ferryman who had once taken the young Samana across, stood in the boat. Siddhartha recognized him.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Ferryman.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 102. Print.

“You are welcome, Siddhartha. My name is Vasudeva. I hope you will be my guest today and also sleep in my hut, and tell me where you have come from….”

Hesse, Hermann. “The Ferryman.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 103. Print.

When they were near the ferry, Kamala collapsed and could not go any further.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Ferryman.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 111. Print.

Siddhartha smiled. “I recognized you immediately, Kamala, my dear.” Kamala indicated her son and said: “Did you recognized him, too? He is your son.”

Hesse, Hermann. “The Ferryman.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 112. Print.

           

           

…..he had listened to Siddhartha greeting him as his son and making him welcome in Vasudeva’s hut.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Son.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 117. Print.

He had consider himself rich and happy when the boy had come to him, but as time passed and the boy remained unfriendly and sulky, when he proved arrogant and defiant, when he would do no work, when he showed no respect to the old people and robbed Vasudeva’s fruit trees, Siddhartha began to realized that no happiness and peace had come to him with his son, only sorrow and trouble. But he loved him and preferred the sorrow and trouble of his love rather than happiness and pleasure without the boy.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Son.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 118. Print.

Siddhartha realized that…..he could not help his son, that he should not force himself on him.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Son.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 126. Print.

           

            The he went silently…through the wood again, back to the ferry.

Hesse, Hermann. “The Son.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 127. Print.

Siddhartha took many travelers across the river who had a son or a daughter with them, and he could not see any of them without envying them, without thinking: So many people possess this very great happiness—why not I?

Hesse, Hermann. “Om.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 129. Print.

Within Siddhartha there slowly grew and ripened the knowledge of what wisdom really was and the goal of his long seeking. It was nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life. 

Hesse, Hermann. “Om.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 131. Print.

            The river flowed on towards its goal.

Hesse, Hermann. “Om.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 135. Print.

Govinda once spent a rest period with some other monks in the pleasure grove which Kamala, the courtsen, had once presented to the followers of Gotama. He heard talk of an old ferryman who lived by the river, a day’s journey away, and whom many considered to be a sage. When Govinda moved on, he chose the path to the ferry, eager to see this ferryman, for although he had lived his life according to the rule and was also regarded with respect by the younger monks for his age and modesty, there was still restlessness in his heart and his seeking was unsatisfied.

Hesse, Hermann. “Govinda.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 139. Print.

Siddhartha said: “what could I say to you that would be of value, expect that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.…..Once, O worthy one, many years ago, you came to this river and found a man sleeping there. You sat beside him to guard him while he slept, but you did not recognized the sleeping man, Govinda,”

Hesse, Hermann. “Govinda.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 140-141. Print.

Astonished and like one bewitched the monk gazed at the ferryman. “Are you Siddhartha?” he asked in a timid voice.

Hesse, Hermann. “Govinda.” Siddhartha. New City: Bantam, 1951. 140. Print.

Renamed Chapters

Part One

1. Shepard or Sheep?

               - Siddhartha wants to break away from his predestined life and wants to achieve his own enlightened path. He starts to try and figure himself out in the world but achieving dharma. Along with the help of Govinda, they want to join the Samana lifestyle, in order to show that yes they maybe "following" them but they are taking the following path to create their own destiny.

2. Patience and Discipline

               - This is the way of life the Samana's lived by, as well as, adjusting to starvation and loosing meaning to materialistic items. As Siddhartha was able to achieve the way of life the Samana's believe he did not feel that this only would help him achieve the enlightened path. 

3. The Enlightened One

               - Siddhartha and Govinda takes a journey and visits Gotama and his followers. They see the radiation of enlightenment that Gotama expels. He expresses to Siddhartha and Govinda that they way he reached enlightenment was by following the 4 Noble Truths, the Eighthfold Path and some of the similar practices of the Samana's beliefs. Gotama tells them that he had achieved this all by himself and if they want to follow similarly in his path, they must do so too.

4. Himself

               - Siddhartha learns that in order to achieve the enlightened path and nirvana he must learn from himself, understand himself and now himself. He realizes he must break away from everything and everyone and do this journey on his own.

Part Two

5. The Temptress

               - Siddhartha crosses paths with a courtsen named Kamala, whom he is engulfed with lust and enchanted by her appearance and more. Siddhartha asks her to teach him what love is and how to love. However, her seduction and sexual presences offers a better person to teach him what he looks to encompass the path of enlightenment.

6. The Temptress and a Finical Life

               - Kamala sees sex as work, in the eyes of a courtesen; she has learnt as a young child that this is her chosen destiny. However, to her she realized that Siddhartha may be the best lover she has ever been with, though her and Siddhartha know that they cannot truly love one another. Despite the love connection in this part of the chapter, Siddhartha is taken under Kamaswami's wing as a businessman. Siddhartha is shown the pleasures in life that Kamaswami has gained from being a businessman, but thinks back about the Samana lifestyle and that he still cannot indulge in those pleasures.

7. The Game of Life

               - Siddhartha goes back against his word on indulging into the pleasures of materialistic items that Kamaswami first tried to show Siddhartha in the beginning. Indulging into those materialistic items and a relationship with Kamala lasted for 20 years. Siddhartha basically for 20 years had played a game of life but with samsara, he faced a normal path of life, where one lives, suffers than dies. Where he realized he must move along from this phase of his life onto the next step of reaching enlightenment.

8. A Resoultion

               - Siddhartha leaves the city and reflects on his past journeys through his search for enlightenment. From living, and breathing the way of the Samanas, to living a rich and healthy normal businessman life, Siddhartha still sees the this course of enlightenment still has not been present in his thoughts. He realizes by the river that his affection towards this river is growing and that he must stay around here and that it may help with his search.

9. Time, Time, Time

               - Siddhartha learns from staying with Vasudeva that from the river that time does not exist, and with time, suffering, anxieties, self-torment, and difficulties is all anchored with this; all of these struggles will disappear once they are overcame.

10. The Love Child

               - After the death of Kamala, Siddhartha is embraced with the news that he has had a son for years and was not aware of this. As happy as Siddhartha is with this joyous news, his son is quite the opposite. Siddhartha's son is filled with wrath and rage against him and bubbles with a multitude of questions of why he did the things he did. The love of both Kamala and Siddhartha does not help their son understand that he is a product of love and an unconventional love.

11. Meditation is Key

               - Siddhartha uses meditation to help him get over the sorrow he had been inflicted with, and also to look back on the good, the bad, the laughter and the mourning. This helps Siddhartha realize he should not be doubting his place in life anymore or over thinking his actions. With this realization he stops battling his fate and he radiates with serenity, the enlightenment he always achieved for.

12. A Old but New Friend

               - Siddhartha is embraced by Govinda's presence back at the river because he is in search of enlightenment. Although, Govinda searches for this enlightened path, he crosses paths with the man that is said to have achieved this path, Siddhartha expels to Govinda that he is searching to hard to achieve his goal and than calls him by his name, "Govinda". Where he realizes that this is his old friend Siddhartha.

Film Adaptations - Film, Images

Modern Day Characters of Siddhartha

Will Smith- Siddhartha will be played by the actor, Will Smith, because like Siddhartha, Will has made journeys and scarifies in his life throughout his acting career and learning how to be one with himself and excelling in the paths he chooses. Will also tries to do everything that is anything for his children in real life as well.

Rihanna- Kamala's role will be played by the actress, Rihanna. Now a days Rihanna is seen as the face of love and sex all into one. She eludes sex appeal like no other. Her face is seen everywhere and her name is known everywhere. Just as Kamala was in Siddhartha.

Jaden Smith-  Siddhartha's son will be played by Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith. To keep the family name of the Smith's and to show the similar bonds of Siddhartha and his son as Will and Jaden have been through shows perfect similarities of the book and real life to do so. Like Siddhartha's son, Jaden, wanted to emancipate himself, along with his sister, from their parents. Like Siddhartha, Will, had to let his son go and allow him to choose his own paths and wrongdoings whether he liked it or not.

Duane Martin- Duane Martin in actuality is Will Smith's best friend, so why not have Will Smith's best friend play the role of Siddhartha's best friend in the film to act as Govinda?

Morgan Freeman- Morgan Freeman is one of the best world known actors of all time and fits perfectly to take on the role of Kamaswami. He will challenge himself and be able to show Will, Siddhartha, how materialistic items in life are nothing but unhappiness.

Gandhi- Ghandi is the perfect role to express the attitude and simplistic of how he viewed life. Gandhi would be a great actor to play as the Buddah to try and show Siddhartha, Will, the way of life, to find his enlightenment.

Tyler Perry- Tyler Perry is a great spiritual mentor to all that watch his movies and shows he has produced, which allows him to be apart of the journey to help Siddhartha, Will, encompass. Tyler Perry would be the enlightened ferryman, Vasudeva, to help and guide Siddhartha.

Setting- The modern setting twist to the setting of Siddhartha, will be set in New York City. This will allow Siddhartha to have equal opportunity of meeting each and every character at different points in his journey but all in one city. The city Siddhartha will meet with Kamala and Kamaswami in the parks, whereas he would meet up with Vasudeva at the docks. This is a perfect setting for Siddhartha to be placed at because everyone loves the city and allows has countless memorable journeys they encounter.

Modern Changes- The changes that will be made is that, instead of Siddhartha and his son reuniting at the death of Kamala, they would be in each others lives more than they were able to have had in the story. Kamala and Siddhartha will raise Siddhartha's son together peacefully as all three of them are on the path of enlightenment together as a family. However, as they travel to look for this enlightenment together as a family, the family encounters a new friend that gives Siddhartha a choice, to be with his family as one or go off in the city to search for the answers of enlightenment on his own.

                - The reasoning for making these drastic changes is because, Siddhartha and Kamala's son needed the love of two parents instead of one and than the other after the death of Kamala occurred. With Siddhartha gaining the love of two parents right away will possibly help Siddhartha reach enlightenment more quicker. However, the obstacle of encountering the new "friend" and them giving Siddhartha the option to choose family over enlightenment will show what is more on Siddhartha's mind. And which you will only find out by watching the film.

Modern Images

This image connects to the journey if Siddhartha and the type of character he is because this photo represents what Siddhartha wants to achieve at the end of his goals. Siddhartha as the physical character wanted to know how to achieve an equality between spirit and whole being, which he did in the end achieve. The way the image follows with different hues and tones of colors to me, represents different struggles or achievements and accomplishments he reflects on from his journey to help him differentiate what the meaning of life could possibly mean spiritually and physically as one.

Ascended Masters Hierarchy. Digital image. Global Health. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.spiritualhealing-now.com/siddhartha-gautama.html>.