Is it possible for Shakespeare to connect Othello to the Four Noble Truths? In the words of Shakespeare, “Poor and content is rich, and rich enough.” »1 Shakespeare unintentionally connects the concept of his play Othello to the ancient concept of the Four Noble Truths: craving for worldly pleasures only leads to suffering. The Four Noble Truths provide a conceptual framework for Buddhist principles; they contain the essence of Buddhist teachings. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse deals with Siddhartha's spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Each step of Siddhartha's journey incorporates a concept from each of the Four Noble Truths. In order to understand the concepts of the Four Noble Truths, one must understand the purpose of Buddhist practice. “The aim of Buddhist practice is to cure craving, the desire conditioned by ignorance which leads to suffering” (Demoss 1).2 Buddhism advocates meditation, and “…the aim of Buddhist meditation is to produce a right mindfulness, an alert awareness of what is happening in the body, mind, and world at the present time” (Demoss 318).3 “Traditionally, “right action” is defined in the Buddhist ethics through the five percepts: do not kill, do not steal, do not engage in illicit activities. sex, do not lie or get drunk” (Demoss 319).4 “According to Buddhism, a person does not have a permanent and unchangeable intrinsic identity. There is no central self. The self is empty” (Demoss 1).5 The Four Noble Truths provide a conceptual framework for all Buddhist thought. According to the Four Noble Truths, craving leads to suffering, but craving can cease if one cultivates a path of mental discipline, wisdom, and moral conduct (Demoss 309).6 An understanding of Buddhism is... .... middle of paper ......11): 309. Advanced Placement Source. Internet. January 14, 2014. Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Mineola: Dover, 1999. Print. Hurd, Mary. “Siddhartha. » Cyclopedia of literary places (2003): 1. Library reference center. Internet. January 14, 2014Puchalik, Robert S. “The Search for Enlightenment.” Literary theme: The search for Enlightenment (2006): 1-2. Literary reference center. Internet. January 14, 2014.Shakespeare, William. “William Shakespeare: Othello. » Quotes About.com. Internet. March 7, 2014. “Siddhartha.” Novels for students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski and Deborah A. Stanley. Flight. 6. Detroit: Gale, 1999. 255-66. Print.SparkNotes Publishers. “SparkNote on Siddhartha.” SparkNotes.com. Sparknotes LLC. 2004. Internet. March 5, 2014. Stelzig, Eugene L. “Herman Hesse as Literary Critic.” Modern Language Quarterly 41.3 (1980): 268. Professional Development Collection. Internet. January 14. 2014.