

Comparison Of Socrates And Siddhartha Guatama Buddha

896 words - 4 pages

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is the historical founder of Buddhism, and naturally his name expresses numerous myths. The records from ancient times suggest that Socrates was born to a family of a sculptor during the Peloponnesian war. He was married to a shrew, and had trivial financial independence. In opposition, the historical Buddha was a splendid prince, who floundered in luxury with his wife in the genial palaces which kept ignorant of the wretchedness of the world. . Once he discovered the austere reality, he took the path of a loner and by trial-and-error method, from practicing extreme austerities to meditation; he reached enlightenment. (Socrates Biography)
Regardless of the fact that Buddha and Socrates were of divergent origin, lived in different era, led contrasting lives, they seem to have been unified in their seeking for the Universal Truth. Guatama Buddha defines that truth is the concepts of morality are changing, it happens everywhere. For example, depending on traditions and societies, abortion can be either right or wrong; as for people who believe in the benefits of modern science, abortion is crucial in certain cases, but it is absolutely not an immorality. In contrasting, other believers view abortion as an immorality. Because of this, the principle of free will does not allow any forecast based on the so-called prior cause, but it allows the self-determined and the external forces. The fact is that the principles of ethics are products of human beings, and moral responsibility itself is not indistinguishable in different traditions and societies. Therefore, according to Libertarians The Ideas of Free Will and Responsibility in Buddhist Ethics, “ if human beings are controlled by prior causes as a mechanistic system, then human behaviors can be predicted with the same degree of certainty”, however, human behavior is in fact non-mechanistic and exists in a biological system. With this being said, human beings acquire free will. Thus, human existence, in the ethical sense, is controlled not by external surroundings or by any prior foundation, but by the inner free will of each individual.
The fact...

Find Another Essay On Comparison of Socrates and Siddhartha Guatama Buddha

The Origin and Mystery of the Aniconic Buddha

1736 words - 7 pages an entire nation of people during his time. Owing to his ambitious nature, Ashoka erected over 84,000 monuments dedicated to the Buddhist faith. During the lifetime of King Ashoka, the famous stupa at sanchi was erected, which contains essentially all of the symbols associated with Gautama Siddhartha. A stupa is a mound-like structure which contains relics and the remains of the Buddha, and serves as an important site of worship. It is

The Trial and Death of Socrates

1656 words - 7 pages trial and sentencing. The most impressive section of “the apology’ involves the section where Socrates compares himself to the gadfly which stings the lazy horse (the lazy horse being the Athenian State). This imagery alone awakens the reader to realize the extent of Socrates’ passion for his beliefs. Comparing himself to the gadfly also allows the reader to imagine that something so small (and in relative comparison) insignificant is able to

The Trial and Death of Socrates


Siddhartha Essay: Use of Form, Symbolism, and Conflict

1284 words - 5 pages interlude follows each section of the novel and "serves the function of dissipating and refocusing the energy which is built in the preceding three chapters" (  For example, in the third chapter, Siddhartha realizes that Buddha, whom he calls Gotama or "the Illustrious One," has failed to quench his thirst for truth and knowledge. His journey will then lead him, in the fifth chapter, to

The Philosophy of Socrates and the Sophists

600 words - 3 pages Philosophers take many different approaches to understand whether something is wise or not. The distinction between the Sophists and Socrates are the different approaches to knowledge. The sophists use a persuasive method known as rhetoric, to obtain victory whereas Socrates uses a dialectic form of question and answer to attain at least some degree of truth. They both have common interest is human life, human affairs and intellectual knowledge

The trial and death of Socrates


David's "Death of Socrates" and G


Thrasymachus’ View Of Justice And Socrates’ Re

1103 words - 4 pages One of the greatest literary minds of all time, William Shakespeare, gave these words to one of his characters, ?To be? Or not to be? That is the Question.? At each step a similar crossroad arises where one must choose a path or means to an end. Plato?s Republic tackles a similar question where Socrates must prove that ?to be just? is a more desirable and advantageous means to an end (which in this case is total life). In order to accomplish

The Use of Nature in Siddhartha and A Doll’s House

1570 words - 6 pages establishes that the bird is symbolic of Siddhartha’s soul, because the heart is where the soul “lives.” Another nature symbol serving as a motif is the river. This motif is used to represent the physical world around Siddhartha and his transition through it. The first reference comes when Siddhartha (as a Samana) is wandering after leaving the Buddha. He comes to it, and needs to cross to continue along a footpath on the other side. He does so

Comparing the Journeys of Hesse's Siddhartha and Gandhi

2065 words - 8 pages to the state of higher being. He expressed this to the Samanas, and to the Illustrious One, Buddha, whose teachings his faithful shadow, Govinda, accepted. "To nobody, O Illustrious One, can you communicate in words and teachings what happened to you in your hour of enlightenment" (Hesse 34). At this point, Siddhartha rejected all doctrines and teachings, believing experience to be the only true teacher, and set off on his quest again. Free

The role of the river in siddhartha and the metamorphosis

1270 words - 5 pages One can find many similar recurring themes in the novels Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, and Perfume, by Patrick Suskind. Both authors use an aspect of nature as a symbol, the river. Since the time of the ancient Chinese, Pharaohs, Romans and Greeks, people have believed that the flow of the river represents the flow in one's life. They use the river to symbolise peoples' existence. In both books, the river portrays spiritual aspects that tell the

Similar Essays

Analysis And Description Of Siddhartha

735 words - 3 pages “Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else ... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it. (Hesse Pg)” Siddhartha is introduced as a handsome Brahmin with browned slender shoulders, a slim figure and king-like eyes. As a young man, Siddhartha was anxious by the lack of

Siddhartha And Moses: A Journey Of Learning

677 words - 3 pages Siddhartha and Moses’ lives were each filled with faith, and their life experiences circulated around their beliefs. Throughout Siddhartha’s life he had faith that there was a level of wisdom, called enlightenment, which he was constantly searching for as a means to bring him spiritual peace. It is clear that his faith is strong when Siddhartha says, “How now, Govinda; are we truly on the right path? Are we really growing towards a realization

Siddhartha Essay: The Symbols Of The Smile And The River In Siddhartha

1316 words - 5 pages life.   The first character who is described as possessing this smile is Gotama, the Buddha. When Siddhartha first sees him, he recognizes him immediately, largely on account of this mysterious smile. Gotama is imperturbable and he retains his smile - and his equanimity - even when Siddhartha engages in debate with him. As Gotama turns to leave, it is his smile which most deeply impresses Siddhartha, for in it the peace and saintliness of

Nietzsche´S Life And Survival: Buddha´S Meaning Of Suffering

4677 words - 19 pages previous life, the Buddha was known to his fellow Nepalese royals as Siddhartha Gautama . Traditionally, Siddhartha was raised in an environment of destined glory, riches and endless pleasures. Specifically, Siddhartha expected to live out his days as a prince, coupled with three palaces, each one for meant for transitions in seasons. Yet, his father, King Suddhodana, wished for his son to live a life shielded from human suffering and religious