Category: Siddhartha

What does the river symbolize? How significant is to Siddartha’s quest for enlightenment?

Throughout the novel, there are many intelligent references to earth like elements to help the reader connect and understand Siddartha and the way he thinks. The entirety of the novel is about Siddhartha’s journey through life and finding oneself. The book takes place during the time of the Buddah and this gives Siddhartha a chance to meet him and to seek knowledge and to find enlightenment. Him and his friend Govinda, undertake a spiritual journey to fulfill the emptiness that Siddartha is feeling. Siddartha learns many new concepts and ideas and starts to understand what reaching enlightenment truly means to himself. The river in the book symbolizes his journey of life and time. The way the course of his life went and the path that he took are all relevant to the concept of the flow of the river. It is significant to Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment because it represents the constant flowing of life and how each unique detail about the sounds, the divine essence of the river and the constant cycle of returning water all correlate back to helping Siddhartha understand essentially the meaning/purpose of life.

The first time Siddartha interacted with the river was after he had just left the samanas and his friend Govinda, who had been with for three years. He spends the night with the ferryman and on his way to the city he sits and reflects on the beauty of the river. The ferryman tells Siddhartha that “It is a beautiful river. I love everything about it. I have often listened to it, gazed at it, and I have always learned something from it. One can learn much from a river.” (Pg 40). When the ferryman says this, it gives an inference to the reader and to Siddartha that in the future, the river will play an important role in his life. This was the moment when siddhartha was able to see and appreciate the beauty of the river, the pale glistening of the river. Resembling in the future the path of his life. This will allow him to start to understand that he will be able to attain enlightenment and be able to learn from nature.

Siddhartha has had many travels and spent much time on the journey to figure himself out the meaning of life. He has experienced restraint from any physical desire, as well as allowing himself to indulge in every physical desire. Yet neither of these seemed to allow siddartha to get any closer to reaching enlightenment. After many years of only learning so much from the samanas and the Brahams, and after a decade of gambling and drinking, Siddartha feels as though the goodness in his soul has died after he has a dream about throwing a dead songbird into the street. He feels empty inside so he wanders over to the river where he once rode with the ferryman, to commit suicide feeling there is nothing left he can do. But just as he allows himself to die, he hears the river say “Om”, and siddhartha “remembered all that he had forgotten, all that was divine.” (Pg72) and within a flash from this thought, he collapses at the side of the river from exhaustion. When Siddhartha reached the river to end his life, the river ended up saving his life. Because of the natural divinity and Om of the river, hearing and seeing the river saved Siddhartha’s life, thus indicated towards the cycle of life.

After waking up by the river, hungry, Siddhartha goes to look for food. He then comes across the ferryman who is Vasudeva. He gets him a meal, then invites him to come to be his apprentice and work with him on the path to enlightenment. They learn new things everyday then at one point, siddartha says to Vasudeva “

The motivating factor behind any person’s spiritual journey is the hunt for truth, self-understanding and the need for one to partake in the final condition of paradise and peace. The knowledge and understanding about life, God and truth are the major questions that linger in the life of any person. It is until one gets these answers that he or she receives the peace of mind that man always searches for. People usually have many questions about their existence, nature as well as the cause of all their happenings within their life.

Generally, the search for such answers triggers ones spiritual journey, which is normally within the confines of a certain religion. It is for the same cause that Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, left his family and riches. Although the teachings he had received from his father and elders, as a Buddha, were good, they could not answer all his questions.

Although they had moved from the Brahmins together, Hesse’s Siddhartha refused to join Govinda in following Siddhartha Gautama. This is because although Govinda has found in Gotama what he has been looking for, Siddhartha is yet to get the peace he has always sought for. He, therefore, decides to move out on his own to reach his goal of salvation alone, through his own experience to find the truth he has been seeking.

Despite the fact that Siddhartha found God in Gautama, he was not contented. According to him, some levels of truth are missing in the teachings that he has received about Buddha. The teachings did not contain the experience of the Buddha and that he was the only one who knew what had happened to him. Siddhartha needed a source of information that would quench his thirst for the truth that he was seeking. This prevented Siddhartha from getting alone with the teachings of the Buddha (Siddhartha 23).

According to the dream that Siddhartha had, it is most likely that the songbird represented himself while the gilded cage represented his godly confines. He dreamed that the songbird had grown mute and it could no longer sing. He realized that the bird was actually dead and had to throw it away.

Siddhartha had stopped doing what the society expected of him. This meant that he was spiritually dead an aspect that made him to be excommunicated. He could no longer perform his work. Siddhartha considered himself worthless without the will power to continue with fighting for the truth.

The dream was like a revelation for him. His senses were awoken and he realized that everything within him had lost meaning and taste. Siddhartha noticed that he had had much of wealth and experience and none of his questions had been answered. He felt some sense of hope for himself and off he went leaving everything behind. Siddhartha spiritual journey has a lot to say about the nature of the spiritual journey. It is important to know that not all people can fit in one religion or denomination.

This may be because of the differences in which worship is done. Siddhartha could not follow his friend. Govinda since they were all different in how they made their choices. It is also crucial to know that there are people who go through so many circles before they have their life questions and thirst quenched.

My Interest in the Subject

As far as theology is concerned, it is of paramount importance to learn and be informed about the past, knowing how the then people believed in the traditional activities. Therefore, since my early childhood, I have yeaned to pursue a course in theology and religious studies to build a strong foundation of understanding how the things people believe in came to be.

I was particularly interested in studying Siddhartha Gautama to find out why he is recognized and respected in the Buddhist religion. Furthermore, I became interested in this study because I really wanted to acquaint myself with his historical background and where he gained his respect and powers and how he came to be an important icon in the Buddhism faith. Therefore, there are many reasons that pushed me to have interest in this study.

Apart form the above, I wanted to gain information to act as a teacher by informing other people about the person airing out their doubts so that they are able to get the real facts about who Siddhartha Gautama was and why he was a prominent person in the Buddhism religion.

Conducting of the Research

There exist various researches, which one can use to gather information about various issues, which seem difficult to understand about this subject. In this case, I used various kinds of methods in gathering my information.

To get accurate information concerning Gautama Siddhartha as well as his origin, I used secondary data as my first source. In this method, I gathered information from the previous work done by early researchers about Gautama Siddhartha. For instance, I visited libraries specifically the section of religious studies and theology. I searched various books of theology that talk about the Buddhism.

From them, I was able to get some information about him: how he came about, his life history, how he grew and became a holy respected person in the Buddhism faith. Furthermore, I also went to the archives and studied on the historical information about the religion and theology.

I was in a position to gather vital information about him. Furthermore, I also went through periodicals and encyclopedias, which provided me with more information. The internet too provided me with a lot of information about Gautama.

There were various sites on the web, which had information about Siddhartha Gautama. For instance, I was able to get more information about his history. This title referred to as Buddha in the Buddhism context awakened or rather enlightened me on the origin of Buddhism as among the various religions. This information appeared in various sites on the internet and from reading a variety of books and archives about religion and theology.

Apart from secondary data, more information was also obtained from primary sources for instance, through interviews with some of the old people of the Buddhism society, who had information about who the person was and what the meaning of the title was and how he was seen in the Buddhism religion.

After receiving information from the varied sources, I combined and synthesized it. This information from the researches was able to provide me with a broad insight about how Gautama Siddhartha came into being: his birth, his vicissitudes in life for instance, how he was able to deal with the depression kind of life and how he used to live up to the level he accomplished, as prophesized by Ben.

The information therefore provided me with a clear insight of the whole issues surrounding him.

For instance, Buddha is known as Siddhartha Gautama and was born in the year 565 BC at the place called Lumbini, which is now called Nepal. Furthermore, other information about Gautama was a descendant of Gautama who had specific aims and objectives he wanted to achieve. Some of the achievements or aims were to achieving the aims.

The Buddhism believes Gautama Siddhartha, commonly known as Shakyamuni that he was to be born in the current era to bring salvation and save the world from the evils. Therefore, in the Buddhist traditions, Gautama Siddhartha lived hundreds of years before coming to the world and therefore he had fulfilled the Ten Paramitas. However, I learnt several things from the subject.

Lessons Learnt

The meaning of Gautama Siddhartha became clear to me. It refers to an awakened one or an enlightened person, who takes the place of god in the Buddhism religion. This title acknowledges the fact that Gautama was a different kind of person who was to provide limelight to the people and save them from their wrongs and evils (Bechert 23).

However, he was not there in the beginning as O’Brien points out. He was born in the year 565 B C in the place known as Lumbini (O’Brien Para. 3). His life was full of depressions. He studied two major disciples’ enlightenment, which consisted of austerities and mediation.

For instance, in his study of mediation he was under the teachers by the name Uddaka-Ramaputta and Alara Akaalama. The teachers attained various states with Alara as he attained a much higher formless world in which there was no existence of physical matter. On the other side Uddaka, he managed to reach higher state where there was no existence of thought.

Siddhartha easily attained all these states without encountering any problem or difficulty. However, these achievements were only insignificant to his life since they could not help him overcome his psychological worries, explaining the reason as to why he resumed his depression. Surprising enough, he was aware that for him to live as per his wishes, he needed to free himself from the prevailing mental problems. Therefore, he could not go on with the teaching and left his teachers to proceed into finding the truths (O’Brien Para. 5).

Therefore, he practiced asceticism, a observance which was known to be practiced by the Samanas who believed that any human suffering was merely attached to the physical body of person and his mental spirit and that the only way the suffering could be freed was by detaching or separating the spirit which was imposed by the body.

Therefore relying on these beliefs, tormenting weakens the body in order to overpower it against the mental spirit (Armstrong 45). Therefore, Siddhartha went to the Ureva town and camped at the grove trees in order to find enlightenment. While in the place, he went thorough austerities for a period of 6 years, which saw him become weak and skinny because of difficult life situations.

After undergoing these difficulties he was brought a bowl of rice and milk by Sugata which he ate and recovered his strength and began a new life. This suffering “…made him to realize the secrets to true happiness and peace and the four noble’s truths” (O’Brien Para. 7). His four noble truths included the noble truth of suffering, arising of suffering, cessation of suffering and lastly, the path leading to the cessation of suffering (Hennaed Para.7).

In the noble truth of suffering, suffering consists of people’s old age, sorrow lamentation, disease, pain, death, grieves which is associated with those objects that human being do not like, therefore being unable to obtain those things that one desires results to suffering. Although there exists various moments of happiness, these moments do not last for a long time but instead last for a short time as opposed to the suffering.

The noble truth of the arising of suffering holds that suffering has some origin, for instance, from the time people are born, they begin craving for those things that makes them feel comfortable and happy. For instance, they have lust, sensual cravings, cravings to become wealthy and to command power, cravings for illusions and dreams among other cravings. All these cravings mark the beginning of suffering that people normally encounter in their life (George Para. 6).

The noble truth of cessation of suffering holds that one can control the suffering that people face and therefore reaching a time that the suffering ceases. This is the time when the cravings fade away, whereby they are detached to it, whereby these cravings are emptied from their minds and thinking.

That is the point whereby one experiences liberation from the sufferings. It therefore stands out that this suffering made him beware of the reality of the world hence making him find the right direction or way to liberation of the humanity from these sufferings hence attaining an eternal happiness.

Therefore, he went back and taught his teachers these nobles, which made him to gain many followers, which went further to witness the gathering of more than 1250 monks with an intention of hearing the teaching of Gautama Siddhartha. A day that has since been designated as the holiday of the Buddhist nations as a day of commemorations.

Inclusion of Personal Interaction

This learning has also equipped me with insights on how certain beliefs extend to the next generations. For instance, that of the ancient people, claiming enlightening through subjection of physical pain to reduce someone’s strength, could be practiced and through this, Gautama was able to come up with various truths, which he explained to the people. Therefore, he was able to liberate the people from their depression enabling them to know the reality rather than illusions.

Conclusion

The history of Gautama, as revealed in this subject, is interesting and therefore it opens one’s way of thinking and finding insights to the current happenings and problems faced by humankind. Furthermore, this topic has also enhanced my research skills as it has enabled me to put into practice various research methods I used in collection and interpretation of the information collected. Therefore, by deciding to pursue this field, I have gained gratification: the basis of my appreciation of the fact that I chose this study.

Works Cited

Armstrong, Kigen. Buddha. New York: Penguin Books, 2001.

Bechert, Heinz. When Did the Buddha Live? The Controversy on the Dating of the Historical Buddha. Delhi: Sri Satguru, 1996.

George, Bill. The Life of Siddhartha Gautama, 2010. Web.

Hennaed, Richard. Siddhartha Gautama: The Historical Siddhartha, 2001. Web.

O’Brien, Barbara. The life of the Buddha, 2009. Web. https://www.learnreligions.com/the-life-of-the-buddha-449997

Introduction

Born in the fifth century BCE, Siddhartha Gautama is the core founder of the Buddhist ideology. He came from a privileged family that offered him a providential upbringing.

The world’s view of Buddhists attaches some paramount importance to his birth, as he is viewed as the figure that brought the truth that the religion upholds. Siddhartha Gautama was a Hindu who led a faction that did not conform to the Hindu’s teachings.

Therefore, it is apparent that Hinduism originated from the Hindu’s religion though it began as a reform movement from within Hinduism. Based on the words of Kinnard (2011), it is apparent, “Buddhism did not emerge from a religious vacuum” (p. 1).

Vedas, which were oral texts that began in 1500 BC, are attributed to the early Buddhism. Gautama was a king who lived an exemplary life. However, when he was walking, he encountered people suffering from illness, old age, death issues, and hermits.

This experience triggered his instincts. He decided to relinquish his pleasurable life to find the truth about the agony that people went through.

The knowledge is summarized in the four noble truths, which include life means suffering, the cessation of suffering is attainable, the origin of suffering is attachment, and the path to the cessation of suffering.

Noble truths of Buddha

The first noble truth presents life as a form of enduring pain. According to Buddha, the life led by people is full of suffering and problems (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 16) because the world that they inhabit and human nature are not perfect enough to provide comfort to human beings.

During their existence, people go through a lot of agony. They endure a physical suffering that is subjected to their bodies (Kinnard, 2011, p. 4). Some of the sufferings that people encounter include injuries, sickness, pain, tiredness, and old age.

People also encounter and endure emotional/psychological pains such as frustrations, sadness, disappointment, depression, and loneliness among many others (Kinnard, 2011, p. 1). These sufferings are experienced in different measures or degrees among different people.

However, despite the sufferings, they also experience some occasions of happiness, easiness, and comfort. Nonetheless, in its totality, life remains imperfect because the world is subjected to more frustrations.

The experiences made Buddha find out the truth about life. This therefore marked the journey of his quest to find the truth, hence “…the beginning of a six-year quest for awakening (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 15).

As long as one can wish to try to keep his/her life happy and comfortable, he/she cannot maintain the status for the entire period of his/her lifetime. Therefore, the world is characterized by endless sufferings that individuals have to encounter.

During his venture, he found a solution to these sufferings. He managed to identify the causes of why people suffer. His title changed to Buddha after he managed to succeed in finding the causes and solutions to the sufferings.

In India, the religion was a door to prosperity in life especially when an individual performed his/her actions well. In fact, in the Vedas, “emphasis is on sacrificial action, work, and the correct performance of that action” (Kinnard, 2011, p. 4).

The encounters and experiences that Buddha went through changed his life entirely. His father, Shuddhodhana, managed to keep him off from such scenes- scenes of people dying, old ages, and in sickness until his old age.

The second noble of truth is ‘the origin of suffering is attachment’. Suffering originates from people’s ignorance and their dear attachment or desire on the transient things that are amidst their lives (Kinnard, 2011, p. 56).

These things are not only physical or materials things that people perceive and admire to have but also ideas that they have about acquiring any general things about life. People’s ignorance is manifested by their lack of understanding that their mind is attached to these transient /impermanent materials.

The reasons why people suffer is due to their clinging and craving. The suffering is brought by their passion, desire, pursuit for wealth, prestige, ardor, and the quest to become rich and be famous and popular. Kinnard (2011, p.9) refers all these as the “hustle and bustle of the world.”

Therefore, people will do everything to ensure that they achieve the things that they desire. They fail to understand that their attachment to these things is transient. Therefore, it is inevitable that they must lose them in a bid to usher in suffering.

Individuals will acquire these materials. However, they will again “fail to manage them properly” (Kinnard, 2011, p. 68). Losing them incepts or is the beginning of more problems, as people will begin to develop complications such as high blood pressures due to stress that occurs after the loss of what they desire.

The notion of ‘self’ is also “one of the objects of attachment that is a delusion because an individual cannot abide by him/herself” (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 15). Self is only an imagined entity. In the nature of human beings, the universe will ever consume them.

The third noble truth is that cessation of suffering is attainable. This implies that, as human beings, people have the capacity to avoid suffering in their life through causing nirodha.

Nirodha is a terminology that means the process of unmasking conceptual attachments and sensual cravings (Kinnard, 2011, p. 65). Therefore, if human beings attain dispassion, they can eliminate the sufferings they go through.

This noble truth provides a solution to the problems and sufferings that people encounter when living on earth. It is therefore possible to remove or eradicate suffering. The only way through is human activity, which entails the removal all causes of sufferings (Kinnard, 2011, p. 79).

State of nivora i.e. freedom for troubles, worries, complexes, fabrications, and ideas needs to be managed by or attained by human beings’ own initiative of perfecting their dispassion.

Therefore, people’s sufferings are something that they can avoid and or manage if they have the power and will not to do that. It remains a decision made by an individual.

For instance, many people crave to lead certain kinds of life. Such imaginations increase suffering and agony to their life (Kinnard, 2011, p. 70).

The secret however of overcoming such sufferings and agony in life is to avoid behaviors such as the desire to lead a comfortable life without hustles and earthly desires.

The fourth noble of truth is the path to the cessation of suffering. It is the journey leading to the end of suffering. It stands out as a method or a way that helps an individual to seek improvement (Kinnard, 2011, p. 83).

This fourth noble truth is at the middle of hedoism and asceticism, which lead to the end of the rebirth cycle. The truth manifests itself in many cases.

As an individual makes progress gradually over time, the individual’s habits of delusions, craving, and ignorance begin to vanish until the person is able to lead a more comfortable life. In fact, in the six years of awakening, Buddha exercised speculation and used time with leaders of the abstainers.

During his stay, he was able to understand and master their systems, but was not convinced that he had found the answers that he was seeking on the source of human suffering. The experiences brought suffering to Buddha who became emaciated because of the puzzles of life (Herbrechtsmeier, 1993, p. 2).

As he reveals, once they come to the world, people have no otherwise but to go through the sufferings until they die and depart from this world. The religion comprised of many gods that were believed to be divine. People offered sacrifices to these personified forces of nature with the hope of shunning the many calamities they were encountering.

They therefore did praise worshiping besides offering sacrifices to the forces. In return, they got booms from these gods in terms of increased production, protection, healthy sons, and a long life.

This is evidenced in the quotation “in return, humans received booms from the gods-abundant crops, healthy sons, protection, and long lives” (Kinnard, 2011, p. 3).

How the Four Noble Truths Apply in my Life

Based on the expositions made in the paper about the four noble truths, it is apparent that they mean a lot, not only to me but also to any other person. Initially, I got worried whenever I faced any form of suffering.

However, the four noble truths make it clear to me that, since the sufferings are inevitable and temporary, I should try to live as happily as possible without worrying about the future. I need not to worry because I am not rich. All I need is just enough to take me through today.

The future will take care of itself. Suffering is a way of hardening one off in preparation for great things to come. Secondly, they have helped me to know the true nature of reality that life and sufferings go hand in hand.

As such, I have developed the sense of appreciating life as it is without questioning. I have been able to appreciate that sufferings connect all of us.

Thus, instead of conflicting with others, I now have the best of reasons to wish them well in their lives. Therefore, the four noble truths are a way of nurturing one’s peace of mind. Every one needs to emulate the teachings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Buddhism is a religious doctrine that can be attributed to Buddha. Like any other religion, Buddhism has its doctrines upon which its followers base their ideologies. These are otherwise referred to as ‘truths’ that form the basis of any religion.

The ancient belief and understanding of the Buddha religion amongst people in the ancient time was not based on truth. Buddha is viewed as an individual who brought enlightenment in the Buddhism doctrine. He found out the truth about life and human sufferings.

The four noble of truths are enlightenment to the people and believers of the Buddhism faith. For instance, as revealed in the paper, human beings live and encounter sufferings. These sufferings are mandatory and cannot be avoided. However, human beings cause some of the sufferings due to their cravings and desires.

The paper has gone further to confirm that, despite the suffering that people cause to themselves, they too stand a decent chance of eliminating them.

Reference List

Herbrechtsmeier, W. (1993). Buddhism and the Definition of Religion: one More Time. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 32(2), 1-20.

Kinnard, J. (2011). The Emergence of Buddhism: Classical Traditions in Contemporary Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Siddhartha’s monomyth

The story of Siddhartha represents the spiritual path of any human, regardless of their faith. The experiences that an individual gets and the comprehension of the being constitute the journey to self-knowledge. The first part of the paper will focus on the study of Siddhartha’s character throughout the seventeen stages of the monomyth. The second part of the assignment will apply those stages to the analysis of the life of the imagined character. The purpose of this piece of work is to observe the phases an individual goes through towards their final destination, final goal.

The Call to Adventure

Siddhartha lives a good live, practices meditations, and is loved by everyone. People who interact with this young man and who surround him find joy in him. For example, his father always finds happiness in Siddhartha, his mother, in turn, watches his every single step with love. However, Siddhartha does not share the same feelings about himself. As the book states, he “was not a source of joy for himself, he found no delight in himself” (Hesse 3). Thus, the young man found discontent within himself, and he could not understand what would satisfy him and what would bring true hoy.

It is possible to note that the call to adventure happened to Siddhartha when two Samanas were traveling through his town. In their appearance, Siddhartha saw the current salvation for that moment. He has decided to follow their steps and to go live with Samanas in the forests. By that moment, Siddhartha had a solid decision that there is a need for a change and self-acknowledgment journey for him.

Refusal of the Call

The stage of the monomyth, in which the character refuses to regard the call for adventure, happened to Siddhartha only slightly. He was continually asking himself many questions, to which he did not have answers. The young man was not sure which path would be the best for him to follow, which represents the refusal of the call for this character. Before the Samanas visited the town, the man did not take any action for a change, although the questions were fulfilling him. As he says about the heavenly world, “often, it seemed near, the heavenly world, but never he had reached it completely, never he had quenched the ultimate thirst” (Hesse 4).

Siddhartha was not sure if he can reach the heavenly world, and when one moment it seemed so close, it was still not entirely understandable by him. Thus, it is interesting to observe the inner wanderings and hesitations of this man, all of which would eventually lead him to accept the call.

Supernatural Aid

In the case of Siddhartha, no supernatural or mysterious help was given to the young man. However, one might notice that Govinda became a strong support for Siddhartha throughout his way towards further stages and final knowledge. It is interesting to mention that the book often describes Govinda as Siddhartha’s shadow, like something intangible that always follows you. Govinda decided to become one of Buddha’s disciples, and Siddhartha continued his journey alone. However, the character viewed that as “he has deprived me of my friend, the one who had believed in me, who had been my shadow, but he has given me Siddhartha, myself” (Hesse 15). Thus, even though the character makes references to Buddha, one can say that Govinda symbolizes the supernatural aid given to the man.

The Crossing of the First Threshold

The first step into this stage happened when Siddhartha has decided to go to live in the forests with Samanas. His beloved friend has followed him to the woods, for as he believed in Siddhartha and deeply loved him. The life with the skinny Samanas was not easy for Siddhartha and his friend. Still, it is an essential step in Siddhartha’s journey, because it represents a break-through from the past, a break-through from previous hesitations.

Leaving home and trying to find what he is looking for among the Samanas symbolizes the beginning of Siddhartha’s self-knowledge path. As the book states, “a goal stood before Siddhartha, a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of wishing, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow” (Hesse 6). With the aspiration to reach this goal, Siddhartha managed to cross the threshold and start his journey into the unknown.

Belly of the Whale

The entrance to this stage occurred to Siddhartha when he left the grove, where he met Gotama, the Buddha. Departing from the Samanas earlier and making all the way to meet the Buddha, about whom the myths and rumors were spreading across the community, was another step towards the realization of Siddhartha’s true goal. The chapter called Awakening in the book represents this monomyth stage for the character, because it describes the feeling that he gets, final acknowledgment of the real aspiration. This young man thinks to himself, “I want to learn from myself, want to be my student, want to get to know myself, the secret of Siddhartha” (Hesse 16). This moment is one of the most important stages within Siddhartha’s journey.

The Road of Trials

Siddhartha had to go through a challenging stage of various trials that might prevent an individual from reaching the goal and achieving the result. No one is safe from the desires that may lead one astray and give a blurred perception of the world. Hence, Siddhartha, after leaving the grove and saying goodbye to his friend there, came back to the city in search of himself. The city is full of temptations, and the journey to the greater goal meets the searcher with lures and offers that are hard to resist. The author describes it as “the world and sloth had entered Siddhartha’s soul, slowly it filled his soul, made it heavy, made it tired, put it to sleep” (Hesse 28). The thing is in human nature, which shows that every explorer on the way to self-knowledge overcomes the series of events that were preventing him from reaching the final goal.

The Meeting with the Goddess

This stage of the monomyth is represented by the appearance of Kamala in Siddhartha’s life. From the moment he saw her for the first time, Siddhartha knew that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. It is possible to think that meeting Kamala was more of a temptation to Siddhartha. Even the woman herself told him once that they both could not love, and Siddhartha agreed with that. Still, as the author describes, “here with Kamala was the worth and purpose of his present life” (Hesse 25). However, looking at how their relationships evolved, at their story, and at how the book describes Siddhartha’s feelings to her, it is worth saying that Kamala symbolized Siddhartha’s goddess.

Woman as Temptress

One can mention that the temptations Siddhartha had to face were represented by the lifestyle that he led for many years in the city. The author says, “he had been captured by the world, by lust, covetousness, sloth, and finally also by greed” (Hesse 29). Surprisingly, with years, greed became a major temptation for Siddhartha. Throughout his first years being a merchant, Siddhartha perceived everything with a smile. After years went by, his soul became thirsty for money and pleasures. He stopped treating beggars equally and was no longer the one who he once had been. When he describes himself in the book, he states that he was even disgusted by himself (Hesse 30). Thus, temptations that the rich life offers have changed Siddhartha for a certain period.

Atonement With the Father

It is hard to say when this specific stage happened in Siddhartha’s story. It is possible to say that the encounter with a powerful entity occurred to Siddhartha two times throughout the journey. Those times were symbolized as the meeting with Gotama, the Buddha, and Vasudeva, the ferryman. For instance, when the rumors about the exalted one were spreading, they said that “he has overcome the suffering of the world in himself and had halted the cycle of rebirths” (Hesse 9). Even though those events took place at different times of the character’s story, these two men represent influential individuals who contributed most to Siddhartha’s spiritual way.

Apotheosis

This stage of monomyth occurred to Siddhartha when he left the city and went to the river, from which he once departed being a Samana. At this point in his life, Siddhartha did not want to live anymore. He was so disgusted by himself, disgusted by everything that he had been doing for more than twenty years. He found himself being an older man, and the only feeling he had was the desire to drown himself in that river. This event next to the river symbolizes a significant moment in Siddhartha’s journey. Hesse describes it as “he had died, a new Siddhartha had woken up from the sleep” (37). The character had many thoughts at that moment, and finally, he fell into a long sleep that represents a rebirth of the man.

The Ultimate Boon

Siddhartha had achieved what he was looking for with a ferryman, who once helped him cross the river. Siddhartha found peace in his actions, found peace with himself and with those whom he met during his journey. The book makes many references to the river, which plays a significant role in Siddhartha’s path. Listening to the river gave many insights for the character. “He learned from it to listen, to pay close attention with a quiet heart, with a waiting, opened soul, without passion, without a wish, without judgment, without an opinion” (Hesse 39). Siddhartha finally found himself in the place where he belonged.

Refusal of the Return

In the story of Siddhartha, this stage can be referred not to the return to the ordinary world, but rather to the return to the peace that the character managed to find in himself. With the appearance of his son in Siddhartha’s life, his joy and peace were not with him any longer, but he continued to catch the thread of misery to be with his boy. The character realized that “his son had not brought him happiness and peace, but suffering and worry” (Hesse 43). With this, Siddhartha refused to let his son go and have joy again, which transformed into the next stage.

The Magic Fight

When Kamala died, and their son stayed with Siddhartha, the character entered into the inner fight with himself. He saw that the boy was not happy in that place, he was used to another type of life, and Siddhartha could not find the love and devotion in the eyes of his son. Time has passed, but the man could not let his son go, because his love was so big. Despite what Vasudeva told Siddhartha, the man followed the boy even after he ran away.

Only after that, the man realized that he should let him find his path as his father did many years ago. Constant confrontation stayed in Siddhartha’s soul, for “he loved him, but he preferred the suffering and worries of love over happiness and joy without the boy” (Hesse 43). This stage represents another transition for Siddhartha and his journey to oneness.

Rescue From Without

The exalted one, Gotama, his friend Govinda, and Vasudeva, the ferryman, were people who guided Siddhartha during the times of despair and lost belief. These characters symbolize support and love in the character’s story. For example, when Govinda found Siddhartha when he had a long sleep after wanting to drown himself in the river. Hesse mentions, “he had been sitting here for a long time and been waiting for him to wake up” (33). It was a turning point in Siddhartha’s journey, and the appearance of Govinda was a rescue for the man.

The Crossing of the Return Threshold

It is hard to judge when precisely this staged occurred to Siddhartha. One might state that it happened after Siddhartha finally let his son go and freed his heart from misery about it. Therefore, the final step in the character’s return to his path of oneness happened after Vasudeva left, and Siddhartha stayed there by himself, finally finding the desired peace, the desired unity with the world. The book describes this moment as “his wound blossomed, his suffering was shining, his self had flown into the oneness” (Hesse 50). At this stage, Siddhartha achieved his goal, achieved towards what he was moving along a long thorny path.

Master of Two Worlds

Gotama, the Buddha, represented the exalted one throughout the story. However, one might note that Vasudeva symbolizes more of binding between spiritual and material. Vasudeva was the one who guided Siddhartha, gave him advice, and was by his side. The travelers whom the two men were helping to cross the river, viewed them as two wise men. The ferryman, in turn, was much more than a wise man for the main character. “He was a simple person, he was no thinker, but he knew what is necessary, just as well as Gotama, he was a perfect man, a saint” (Hesse 51). Thus, Vasudeva, with whom Siddhartha spent so many years in the hut by the river, represents the master of two worlds in the storyline of Siddhartha.

Freedom to Live

The representation of this stage in the life of Siddhartha lies within the river. “If time is not real, then the gap which seems to be between the world and the eternity, between the suffering and blissfulness, between evil and good, is also a deception” (Hesse 52). Thus, Siddhartha learned how “to put time out of existence” and to see life” (Hesse 52). This knowledge, this perception Siddhartha gained from listening to the river, from hearing the continuous Om word, which represented the perfection in everything. After viewing the time like this, and the life the way Siddhartha started to see that, his smile changed, expressing that he is just like Gotama, the Buddha, the exalted one.

Monomyth of the Imagined Character

The first part of the paper analyzes the character of Siddhartha throughout the stages of the monomyth. This analysis sets out a clear guideline and foundation for every person because many of them go through numerous phases in life, which lead to something different. The second part of this paper will analyze an imagined character, who had many struggles in life, faced addictions and bad habits, but managed to change his life for the better. The name of the imagined character will be Charles, an engineer, who is now almost 50 years old. The monomyth for the hero will be Charles’ life, in which there are several major periods, including some from the 17 stages of the monomyth in the first part.

The Call to Adventure

After Charles turned 30, his wife has started to notice that he is consuming alcohol on too many occasions. First, the chances were the meetings with friends, late dinners, karaoke, or bowling nights. However, soon, tough workdays, arguments with a wife, happy workdays also became the reason to have a couple of drinks. When his wife tried to talk to Charles, he denied there was an issue and was getting angry at her. He did not see anything terrible in having some drinks after work.

However, in 7 years after that, the character lost his job and lost his family. Charles’ wife left him together with their daughter, who was ten at that time. Still, it was not a red flag for Charles, and he continued to blame his spouse, his former boss, and his friends in all of his problems. Charles kept getting more and more addicted to alcohol, was having some random part-time jobs, rented a small room in a poor neighborhood, and spent all his earnings for drinking.

He barely saw his daughter, and only at the times when he managed to be sober, his ex-wife would let him meet up with the girl at her presence. It continued like that till after Charles woke up in a hospital one morning with severe alcohol poisoning and got the news that it was time to stop drinking, or his liver would break down. That morning became a wakeup call for Charles, giving the realization that he needs drastic changes.

Knowing and Accepting the Pit

This stage in Charles’ monomyth got this name because one can say that Charles was in a bottomless pit, from which he could not climb out by himself. Lying in the hospital bed that morning, the man thought about his existence throughout the last several years. He could not call it life, and instead he could say that that was existence. There was no joy, no beliefs, no kindness and warmness, no happiness, and no meaning. Charles’ pit was full of liquor, in which he was swimming without even trying to take a deep breath of fresh air from outside of the hole. For the first time, the character realized that he was the one who dug that pit, jumped in it, and remained in it for so many years. Those thoughts made Charles decide that he needs a ladder to get out of that yawner and to live life again.

Supernatural Aid

Charles has imagined his life in the form of the pit, and, as the paragraph above mentioned, he needed a tool that will help him to get out of it. The ladder came in the form of a dream that Charles had during his second night in the hospital. The dream was featuring the man falling into the abyss without any possible way to survive. After that, Charles saw his daughter, who was still three years old in a dream, dropping a rope ladder to her father, which he caught, and she dragged him to the top of the hill. When Charles woke up, he has decided that it was the message from the above, that his daughter was the guardian angel, and that there is still a way out and forgiveness for him.

The Crossing of the First Threshold

This stage happened to Charles when, after signing out of the hospital, he came back to his room, did not buy a drink, and decided to make his room neat. Throughout the next couple of weeks, the man was working hard on part-time jobs, did not drink any alcohol, and included morning walks that gradually transformed into morning runs. Charles believed that sports and hard physical work would keep the thoughts about the liquor away.

All he could think of was his daughter, the fact that she grew up without his support, and the irresistible desire to have time to give her the life that she deserved. Three months Charles continued his life like that, worked hard, attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, did morning exercise, and had a good sleep. After just a short period, he started to look completely different, as if he became a couple of years younger, more energized, and with a thirst for life.

The Road of Trials

Charles’ journey was not easy for him, especially throughout the first months. Breaking the circle of binge drinking, completely changing the daily routine, and, what is the most important, changing himself inside – all of those were challenging for the character. Sometimes he felt like giving up, sometimes he felt like getting a glass of beer and meeting up with his old drinking mates. All the changes that Charles integrated into his life implied a completely new lifestyle that also influenced his communication circle. Many of his construction work colleagues used to drink all together after a hard day of work.

After late shifts, Charles had an inner fight of not going to the bar and not taking that glass. Constant influence from the previous drinking buddies, continuous pressure from their side, and even ridicules from them make Charles feel miserable, but at the same time gave him will power. His wife still did not let him see his daughter often, so this period was a tough one for the man.

The Meeting With the Goddess

The turning point in Charles’ path happened when his wife let him take their daughter for a weekend. By that time, Charles was already renting a small studio apartment, did not consume any alcohol for half a year, and led a very healthy lifestyle. Charles’ daughter was 15 at that moment, and she did not have any attachment to her father, but, just other children hearths, her heart was open for love and full of forgiveness.

After the dream that the character had six months ago in a hospital, his daughter became a symbol of love and life for Charles. All he dreamt of was to spending some time with her, giving her education in the future, and seeing her happy. Without any doubt, the girl was still a little bit cold with her father after spending a weekend with him, but after that point they started to meet up more often, and it gave additional energy to Charles. Gradually he started seeing love and warmth in his daughters’ eyes. The man knew that she is his guardian angel, and her growing love is the guiding compass.

Atonement With the Father

Another powerful moment happened to Charles in about one and a half years after he had stopped drinking alcohol. He continues visiting AA meetings, and at one of the sessions, he met a woman, who became his close friend. The woman was Christian, and she offered Charles to visit a mass on Sunday and to listen to the priest. Charles has never been a spiritual person, but this message from a friend who helped him to overcome so many difficulties represented symbolized a new beginning. It was the moment when Charles found faith deep inside himself. After the first mass that he attended, he had a long conversation with a priest. The character was full of questions, was full of controversies, but he had this deep inner feeling that this was the place for him to be, that, besides his daughter, it was his forgiveness.

Upon the Hill, Outside the Pit

Charles’ life before the night at the hospital with severe alcohol poisoning was a pit full of liquor, as one of the sections above describes. After five years of struggling with inner desire to have a drink, but simultaneously, enjoying every day of his life, Charles had a long conversation with his priest. During the talk, they have used different metaphors to observe the man’s transition and to observe how he started and where he finds himself now.

Charles immediately recalled the dream with the abyss, and the man has realized that he was not falling anymore. He was standing at the top of the hill, tightly holding his daughter’s hand and not even looking down. Charles did not want to look back, and he knew that he is an addict, and he has admitted the fact that the desire to drink will follow him. Nevertheless, the man had other values, other joys, and a completely different life path now, as he has experienced a rebirth.

This stage represents a conclusion of Charles’ journey towards self-knowledge in the face of a new lifestyle and a tremendous change that the man managed to complete for his own sake. Throughout his path, Charles made many conclusions and gained different knowledge about life. He realized that pleasure is fake and that real happiness comes not from external triggers but from the beloved ones and from the love to God.

Works Cited

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha: an Indian Tale. Genera; Press, 2018.

Introduction

There are three main themes in Siddhartha, which are love, friendship, and a quest for nirvana. Love is shown when Kamala and Siddhartha find that they cannot love one another, and when Siddhartha loves his son so much that it depresses him when he runs away. Friendships between Govinda and Vasudeva both help Siddhartha attain nirvana, his one, and the only goal, to gain complete and total peace. He is led astray by materialism during his lessons about love with Kamala but realizes he is in samsara after his symbolic dream.

Siddhartha realizes that he can learn no more and cannot attain nirvana through the Brahmin ways. Siddhartha now also realized why he had struggled in vain with this self when he was a Brahmin and an ascetic. Too much knowledge had hindered him; too many holy verses, too many sacrificial rites; too much mortification of the flesh, too much doing and striving. He had been full of arrogance; he has always been the cleverest. The most eager– always a step ahead of the others, always the learned and intellectual one, always the priest of sage. The symbolic dream about “his soul dying” as the bird in Kamala’s cage died, brings him to the realization that he has gone completely into samsara and gone against all his morals, values, and beliefs.

Main body

In the same way, Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude, is a sad story of the loves, tragedies, and everyday lives of the Buendía family. Throughout the generations, there are many themes, character types, and events that are always present and repeating. It is their fate to be stuck in a never-ending cycle.

José Arcadio Buendía represents Adam in a biblical sense in “One Hundred Years of Solitude”. He is the founder and leader of Macondo, and during his life, he never stops striving for knowledge. Sometime after founding Macondo, a mythical yet intensely real town, José Arcadio Buendía discovers the wonders of science. The Gypsies that frequent the town every few years first introduce José Arcadio Buendía to the idea of magic and new wonders of the world, and they even give him a lab to mess around in. José Arcadio Buendía eventually abandons the magical effects of the Gypsies for true scientific study.

One day in his lab he thinks he has discovered perpetual motion. Because perpetual motion is impossible to achieve, he goes crazy. He is convinced the same day is repeating itself over and over again. In a sense, his discovery made the world timeless for him. Time begins to change and the past, present, and future start to overlap. (Janes, 219-26) He is able to visit his descendants throughout the book even after he is dead. With this repetition, Márquez is hinting that the real world never moves forward or backward but is generally all the same. This sense that time is repeating sets up the rest of the family to just repeat the same story over and over.

Exploring the theme of love through Siddhartha, Herman Hesse describes knowledge in Siddhartha as something that can only be obtained through self-discoveries and experiences but with the involvement of love. Throughout Siddhartha’s learning experiences he denounces teachers and their ways of teaching. Hesse traces Siddhartha’s enlightenment through his own experiences and through the people he meets along his journey. Siddhartha’s quest for the Self is developed by three major events including his meeting with Buddha, his attempted suicide, and his arrival and departure of his son. These three events contributed to his self-discoveries and individuality.

Siddhartha’s meeting with Gautama, the Buddha, is the first major experience in his journey that affected his learning process. After several unmotivating years of living an ascetic life of a Samana, Siddhartha began his journey and sought out Gautama, known as “The Illustrious One.” Siddhartha hoped that Gautama could assist him in his journey to find his inner self. Gautama’s advice and teachings were a disappointment to Siddhartha.

He felt that the Buddha’s methods would only teach him spirituality in a logical way when he was searching for ways to realize his spirituality in a more natural, metaphysical way. This interaction between Gautama and Siddhartha demonstrates the theme that knowledge cannot be taught. Siddhartha feels he cannot learn by just hearing Guatama’s experiences. He believes he needs to experience these things himself to truly reach his inner self.

The next event that moves Siddhartha forward in his quest for self-discovery is his attempted suicide. Before he contemplates suicide, Siddhartha has become a completely different man. He indulges in many of the material pleasures that most people delve into. He becomes Kamala’s lover and desires money, which he gets through being a merchant and a gambler. Siddhartha begins to change and becomes self-centered, greedy, and loses much of his spiritual gains because of his exploration of the material world. Siddhartha realizes what the life he is living has become and is disgusted with himself.

He leaves the village as soon as he realizes what he has turned into, demonstrating his growth. At the time of his attempted suicide, Siddhartha has realized the ways of both the secular and spiritual lifestyles and had a choice of which path best suited him. (Boulby, 19-23)

The final experience that gave Siddhartha the most important knowledge was the discovery of his son, Young Siddhartha. Siddhartha was given the responsibility to raise Young Siddhartha, whom he had never known existed, after Kamala’s death. Young Siddhartha was very difficult to rise. Unlike Siddhartha, he was very rude and spoiled. Siddhartha wasn’t able to communicate with his son so he let him do whatever he wanted to do.

Young Siddhartha was very unappreciative and ran away, never to be seen again. After a period of deep suffering, Siddhartha realized that the pain he was feeling was caused by the heartfelt, yet unrequited, love he felt for his son. By experiencing this horrible pain, Siddhartha had learned how to love. By loving than letting go, Siddhartha gained more knowledge of the secular and spiritual world than he thought was possible.

Siddhartha’s growing maturity throughout the book can be traced to events that led to his knowledge of individuality. His meeting with the Buddha allowed him to realize that he must make his own discoveries and experiences. His attempted suicide and experience in the village allowed Siddhartha to see a side of himself he had never seen before. And last, the time with his son gave him the chance to extend himself in love. (Brown, 191-202) His maturation was developed by the effects of both the good and bad consequences of the choices he made.

If we compare the theme of love through other characters, it transpires that Colonel Aureliano Buendía is the military figurehead of the Buendía family. He inherited his will and reclusiveness from his father José Arcadio Buendía. He leads the liberal attack on the conservatives and he is always pushing for liberal victory. He is the main art figure in the novel. During the war, he loses contact with the world. He has no emotions. Before the war, he was able to write beautiful poetry.

After his return he has it all burnt, showing how much he has lost touch with his emotional side. He follows his father’s footsteps and locks himself in his lab to sit and make little golden fish. The fish are a metaphor that symbolizes different elements in his life. He has 25 of the fish and he makes them, and then melts them down to be made again. He has no memory and he is just caught in the cycle of making the same fish over and over again. For him, there is nothing else but the very short repetitions of making the little fish. A short while before he dies, he realizes that he has dreamt the same dream every night for many years.

Just in the way José Arcadio Buendía is able to transcend time, Melquíades is timeless. He is a ghost that is present throughout the whole book. He is a guide to Aureliano at the end of the book. Aureliano spends his end days shut up in Melquíades’ library. Unknown to the Buendía’s the prophecies are the whole story of the family written one hundred years before it happens. At the end of the book, Aureliano finally translates the prophecies and we find out that Melquíades planned everything.

He wrote down the entire story of the family, all before it happened. (Barron, 166-72) The Buendía’s were predestined to live repetitive lives, and to die with the translation of the prophecies: “Before reaching the final line, however, he had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forevermore…” (p. 447) There is no escape for the Buendías, they are bound to a timeless web that they cannot escape.

The motherly figure of the family is Úrsula, who lives longer than any of her children. In her old age, she is still very much the caretaker of the house. In fact, she goes blind and nobody even knows it. She is also convinced that the same day is repeating over and over again. One day she notices that everybody in the house always does the same thing every day, true to her theory. They always go to the same rooms, and in this way, Úrsula is able to function using her memory, not her eyes.

Throughout the generations of the Buendía family, incest seems to carry through. Úrsula seems to be perpetually afraid of children with tails being born in the family. A few different times there is lust inside the family, and she warns against incest. In all the generations of the Buendía’s, there is a hint of incest. (Gullon, 27-32) Even though Úrsula is so against the idea, she herself marries her cousin José Arcadio Buendía. After Úrsula’s death, his fears are confirmed when Amaranta Úrsula and the second Aureliano give birth to a child with a tail. This follows true to the incestuous theme because they are brother and sister. The reason Úrsula was so afraid of incest in the first place was that one of her relatives had a child with a tail. Even though this happens before the story of the book, the cycle is being repeated.

Not only are individual characters caught in endless cycles, but so is the entire Buendía family. Various traits, strengths, and short-fallings haunt the Buendías throughout their generations. These traits go in cycles, and seem to stem from the names of the characters; children are named after their ancestors because of traits they share. In the end, they repeat the cycle and become true to their names. One of these traits is a reclusive scientific nature. José Arcadio Buendía was the originator of this trait, and he spends the later years of his life shut up in his lab. This same trait is inherited by Colonel Aureliano Buendía, who is obsessed with making little goldfish.

And it is passed on again to the second Aureliano who spends lots of his time translating the prophesies written by Melquíades. Another trait is unconventional sexuality. Many of the Buendía’s marry outside the family, but none of them are happy. However, the Buendía’s that have a scandalous element to their relationships are always happy. Such as Rebecca who has an unauthorized relationship with José Arcadio. She was supposed to marry Pietro Crespi, but she has a much better, although taboo, relationship with José Arcadio. Amaranta Úrsula, who is married to Gaston, is very unhappy. When she comes back to Macondo, however, she falls in love with her brother Aureliano the second. Together they are very happy until the end of their days. Sadly the Buendía’s are forced into doing the same things as their ancestors.

Many characters comment that things are easy to predict in the Buendía family because everything is the same: “Pilar Ternera let out a deep laugh…There was no mystery in the heart of a Buendía that was impenetrable for her because a century of cards and experience had taught her that the history of the family was a machine gone on spilling into eternity were it not for the progressive and irremediable wearing of the axle.” (p. 423) This shows that the Buendía’s are truly locked in an inescapable cycle.

Conclusion

With all these cycles, Márquez is trying to explain something about our world today. He simplifies our world down to one family, the Buendía’s, and then expands the timelessness of our culture to demonstrate his view of the world. He shows us that if you break it down, society today doesn’t move forward or backward. Instead, everything is just a repeat of what has happened before. People aren’t developing, but just moving in circles. The Buendía can do nothing to break the cycle they are trapped in. Even the title of the book represents the cycle. The book is titled One Hundred Years of Solitude, yet it happens over much more time symbolizing that it is the same one hundred years just repeating itself.

Works Cited

Barron, Rei. Literature of the Americas. College Park: Maryland University College Press, 1990. 166-72.

Boulby, Mark. Hermann Hesse: His Mind and Art. Cornell University Press, 1967. 19-23.

Brown, Madison. “Toward a Perspective for the Indian Element in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha” In German Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 2, March, 1976, pp. 191-202.

Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.

Gene H Bell-Villada, “Banana Strike and Military Massacre One Hundred Years of Solitude and What Happened in 1928,” in From Dante to Garcia Mdrquef Studies in Romance Literatures and Linguistics, edited by Gene H Bell-Villada, Antonio Gimenes, and George Pistorius, Williams College, 1987, pp 391-403.

Gullon, Ricardo. “Gabriel Garcia Marquez and the Lost Art of Storytelling.” Diacritics. 1971: 27-32.

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha, trans. by Hilda Rosner. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1951.

Janes, Regina. One Hundred Years of Solitude: Modes of Reading. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. 219-26.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is a not just a piece of fiction, it is a great book which dwells upon the way each person should come through. The symbolic meaning of searching for personal self impresses. Reading this novel each person can recognize him/herself. Searching for personal self, many people look at the experience of other people, they try to find their self relying on the skills of others.

However, this is not correct as the experience of other people may just give somebody knowledge about the possible events, actions, case, however, enlightenment is reachable to those who want to find it, who walks their personal paths getting personal experience and trying to find their self without relying on the experience of others.

The difference of Siddhartha at the beginning of the story and at the end of it is obvious. Attitude to life of a person who does not know what he is living for and why he is doing it differs greatly from a person who knows what he is doing in this world. At the very beginning of discussion, the author describes Siddhartha as a person who was wise enough and who experienced much in his life.

However, he himself understood that what he knew was not enough, that he needed more joy and love in his heart which he could experience only by having found the sense of his life. Having started his way, Siddhartha was a person without direct understanding of personal desires, his actions and thoughts were confusing and he did not know what he was living for. The way to the final enlightenment was rather complicated.

At the end of a story Siddhartha becomes a new ferryman. He is sure that his life is inevitable and therefore important. He understands that the role other people played in his life was as great as he played some roles in the life of other people. One of the main discoveries Siddhartha does at the end of the story and that makes him different from who he was at the very beginning of his journey is enlightenment. Those who managed to understand it, to discover and to get, are very lucky people as not everyone manages to do it.

Siddhartha understood that enlightenment called “…treasure and secret was not teachable, which he had experienced in the hour of his enlightenment – it was nothing but this very thing which he had now gone to experience… his self” (Hesse 41). The importance of this phrase cannot be overestimated as this is the moment what the protagonist reached his enlightenment. At the same way this very episode is the expression of the author’s point of view about human self.

One of the main conclusions made by Siddhartha and the author is that it is impossible to learn enlightenment. Each person should experience something, each person has to learn something on practice to make sure that he/she has reached enlightenment as this is the only way.

People should understand that self is something sacred, something that stays in each person individually, that directs a person, makes his life unique. Siddhartha said, “I will learn from myself, be my own pupil; I will learn from myself the secret of Siddhartha” (Hesse 39). Reading the novel, each of these moments is felt at the very end of a book. When a person reaches enlightenment, he/she reaches salvation.

This is the most sacred moment as having understood personal value, having understood personal importance to this world, one has an opportunity to understand this world, his/her place there. It is essential to remember the scene where Siddhartha leaves his friend Govinda under the supervision of Buddha who promised to teach his pupils enlightenment.

Having left him, Siddhartha “bean to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer looking backwards” (Hesse 42). This is the moment when two friends separated for searching the same. This is the signs that each person has his own path on the way to understanding.

Kamala was another person who managed to change Siddhartha and his style of life. On the one hand, she gave him many lessons, important on his way to enlightenment. On the other hand, she gave him a son. Siddhartha’s son was the one who pushed Siddhartha for understanding that each person has to search for his path alone. Having left his son in the city, Siddhartha has time to think about his life, about what has happened and he comes to the conclusions about self and enlightenment.

It is really important for the main character to realize his meaning, to realize the meaning of the world and the meaning of the surrounding people and objects, “meaning and reality were not hidden somewhere behind things, they were in them, in all of them” (Hesse 40). Searching for this truth, the protagonist has to look inside self, however, for a long time he tried to find something behind himself. It is essential to understand this particular moment.

Most people who used the services of a ferryman did not see this difference as well as they did not understand that they had to follow personal lives in spite of relying on somebody’s teachings. Only looking inside of personal self, actions, and thoughts a person is able to achieve something important. Only being able to understand personal mistakes and make sure that these mistakes are never repeated against, a person reaches his/her goals.

In conclusion, it should be stated that the book under consideration is extremely philosophical. Apart from personal self a lot of different themes are raised there which are closely connected to enlightenment, however, they may be applied to another of human personality. One of the main themes in this book is the search of personal self. The main character tried many different ways. First, he wanted to use the experience and teaching of a wise person, however, he understood that this way was wrong.

Then, he tries to release from everything trying to find something inside himself, however, he understands that doing nothing h would get nothing. Thus, walking the world he faces many people and each of them gives Siddhartha experience. Such experience is really valued as once having got enough experience, Siddhartha experiences enlightenment.

Having understood personal place in this world and the purpose of personal being, Siddhartha is sure that he managed to lead a deserving life. The only way he can be useful to others, as a part of salvation, is to become a ferryman. This is exactly what he does when his son goes for searching personal enlightenment.

Works Cited

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha, New York: Cricket House Books LLC, 2012. Print.

The book, written by Hermann Hesse and entitled Siddhartha, dwells upon a man who searches for enlightenment in ancient India. The main character of the book, Siddhartha, is a son of a respectable spiritual leader. Siddhartha is also respected as he is knowledgeable and he is expected to be a leader just like his father as the young man manages to learn spiritual rituals quite early. Nonetheless, the protagonist is not satisfied with following rituals as he is keen on reaching enlightenment. He is wise and brave enough to start his journey to enlightenment and he is ready to change his direction if necessary.

The book is concerned with the life of the protagonist which is also his path to enlightenment. He resorts to many ways to achieve his goal and reaches it at the end of his long and meaningful life. He starts his journey when he forces his father to let him go with Samanas who try to avoid any pleasures of life to become enlightened. However, soon Siddhartha understands that this is not the way to enlightenment and joins the followers of Gautam who is regarded to be the new Buddha.

After a while, the protagonist understands that though Gautam may be enlightened, he cannot teach anyone to achieve this higher goal and Siddhartha leaves the teacher. He starts living in the city where he learns a lot about life pleasures and especially about love. He lives this life for a long time, but realizes that this is the wrong way and abandons the city for the life by the river where he learns a lot of secrets of the universe. Several years later he learns that he has a son and starts living with him, but the young man dislikes the life of a poor ferryman and abandons Siddhartha, which becomes one of the last lessons that bring Siddhartha to enlightenment.

One of the major motifs in the book is the notion of Om. This is a symbol of unity of everything in the universe. Siddhartha first learns about the Om, then he understands what the Om is and at the end of his life he feels it as he sees himself as a part of the universe. Another important motif is that of love. Siddhartha loves his father, he also learns about physical love and has a chance to understand what the love to a son is. All these manifestations of love can be regarded as Siddhartha’s steps towards enlightenment.

The book also reveals certain issues. The book teaches that a person should be brave to pursue his/her goals and find new ways to reach the aims set. Another important issue raised is that people should not totally rely on other individuals’ experience. There can be no teacher as everyone should try to find his/her own way to enlightenment. People should also have patience and they should be ready to accept the truth.

The work was written in 1922 in Germany just after the First World War, which brought a lot of trouble to the Germans. After this war, they felt unfairly humiliated and decided to take revenge, which happened a few years later. Hate turned out to be cruel, and in the meantime, a writer like Hesse preached in his book the love of everything. After all, everything that surrounds people is all of them, and this is a series of reincarnations called Samsara. However, the Germans preferred to indulge in human passions and sorrows than to delve into an alien religion – Buddhism. The work is not religious literature, no, but it contains many references relevant to this topic.

Characters and Theme

The main character of the given adventure and self-discovery story is Siddhartha. This is a young man who decided to go in search of his “I” because he wished to know the essence of the world and acquire wisdom. The story clearly outlines that he is highly patient, smart, and he is used to severe hardship. For instance, the main character says: “The sinner, which I am and which you are, is a sinner, but in times to come he will be Brahma again, he will reach the Nirvana, will be Buddha—and now see: these “times to come” are a deception, are only a parable!” (Hesse 149). It is critical to note that indeed – he devotes his thoughts to his whole life, which cannot be said about the people around him. Hesse endowed the protagonist with his worldview, which even Buddha cannot influence. In the seemingly constant desire to achieve the ideal of Hesse, overheating is laid, as a result of which the main character instead of spiritual searches indulges in a worldly fuss. Thus, it is essential to note the fact that the given self-discovery journey is the manifestation of Siddhartha’s philosophical development.

Analysis

The work tells how Siddhartha goes through a series of reincarnations. To do this, he does not even need to die in the natural (biological) sense of the word. The main character tries different roles and tries to find himself among them. He understands that he is different from other people. He is sometimes sorry that he cannot live with passions like other people. However, he tirelessly seeks his path, the truth, to which he must necessarily go on his own. That is why he does not accept single teaching on faith. He meets different people on his way, gets confused, almost decides to commit suicide, but in the end comes to new thoughts, conclusions. He begins to learn from the river – that infinite power that seethes in its depths.

He smuggles many people from one coast to another, plunges into many lives through their stories. In fact, this is a solid description – how a person learns from the river, begins to relate differently to people’s stories. It takes a very long time to think about it. Moreover, the result of these searches is the enlightenment of the hero, he himself becomes a Buddha who has cognized the world and, most importantly, himself. He looks back – and sees all his rebirths, all his guises (Kumar 14). The line between the past, the future is erased, and in fact, there is nothing but a sense of unity.

An analysis of this work by Hesse reveals the figurative and value components of the concepts of spirit and soul in a complex picture of the writer’s world. The idea of vision is attributed to specifically expressed value characteristics. The essence contains the cognitive activity of man, and it is his intellect. Hesse saw the difficult paths of the formation of human mental activity, showed puzzling constructions of a contradictory organized human soul.

Hesse in the novel calls to love life in all its manifestations, to live without seeking the meaning of life. In general, an analysis of the works of Hesse allows concluding that the author turns to Indian spirituality due to a crisis of spirituality in Western society. The Western world has become less interested in the ideas of “Truth,” “Good,” and “Beauty” (Sinha 72). For example, the main character says: “I wish that you would go this path up to its end, that you shall find salvation” (Hesse 34). Castalia has ceased to be a full part of the big world. Hesse gave this phenomenon the name “feuilleton era,” the main features of which are adherence to deep individualism and philistinism, the loss of thought of its purity and acuity, the dominance of mass culture and consumer society. However, on the other hand, in the formed conditions of cultural disorder, an irresistible thirst is born to think again, to establish order, to speak the same language again, to return to good morals, to unshakable foundations that cannot be subordinated to anyone and are not prone to frivolous change.

Therefore, Hesse postulates the primacy of the value of spiritual life. At the same time, he believes that the intellectual elite should not be locked in its imaginary world, it should change this world in terms of morality, morality, and culture (Study Guide 31). Indian spirituality is attractive with a wise and sensitive attitude of mentors to the moral education of their students, a desire to discover and develop their abilities and spiritual aspirations, to carefully help with doubts in various matters of life. Spiritual knowledge must go along with the practice of life, with experience, only he improves the person.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is plausible to assume that by solving the problem of Hesse how to combine the existence of art with the presence of inhuman civilization, how to protect the great world of art from the destructive influence of mass culture, it concludes that the desire to create art outside of society turns art into a pointless, aimless game. An important feature in the action of the game principle is the social ideals of the community, revealing the spiritual life of people. At specific moments in history, the game plays the role of a dramatic basis in the realization of a higher social plot, social and moral idea. Social ideals undoubtedly include a lot of play, since they are combined with the realm of fantasy, dream, utopian representations and can only be shown in the play space of culture. In accordance with the concept, entire eras “play” the embodiment of the ideal, for example, the Renaissance culture, which tended to revive the ideals of antiquity, and not to create fundamentally new, its own landmarks.

Works Cited

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New Directions, 1952.

Kumar, Raman. “Dialectic of Being and Becoming in Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha.” The Achievers Journal, vol. 2, no. 4, 2016, pp. 1–19.

Sinha, Rohit. “Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.” NHRD Network Journal, vol. 9, no. 3, 2016, pp. 71–73.

Study Guide for Hermann Hesse’s “Steppenwolf”. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.

Introduction

In the novel Siddhartha, one finds the central character Siddhartha renouncing Gotama as teacher as he believes that true enlightenment cannot be taught and that he has to seek it himself. However, a close reading of the novel convinces the reader that there have been many teachers in the life of Siddhartha each of who have been instrumental in his self-realization. Siddhartha himself remarks that one must gain experiences himself because wisdom is “inexpressible and incommunicable.” (Herman 40). The novel Siddhartha can be understood as the tale of an Indian’s spiritual journey who seeks out to experience this ultimate wisdom and peace, because he beliefs that no enlightenment can come out of listening to teaching or preaching or sticking to any doctrine by others. Thus the novel provides the message that one has to follow one’s own ways in his/ her journey towards enlightenment rather than trying to copy from the lives of others.

Siddhartha himself confesses that even though he distrusts doctrines and teachers, there have been many from whom he learned. To quote Siddhartha’s own words: “I came to distrust doctrines and teachers but I learned from many teachers but most of all I have learned from the river and from my predecessor, Vasudeva. He was a simple man. He was not a thinker, but he realized the essential as well as Gotam. He was a holy man, a saint wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wiseman tries to communicate always sounds foolish. ” (Herman 113-114). Vasudeva, the ferryman and the river act as the best teachers for Siddhartha in his pursuit for enlightenment; however, one cannot undermine the role played by his own father, the Samanas, Kamala, Kamaswami and Buddha in the life of Siddhartha. All of them taught him important lessons in life and his experiences with each of them have molded his inner self. His relation with Govinda is also significant in the novel. Hermann Hesse presents the character of Govinda to convince his reader that it is more important to listen to and move according to what one’s voice and inner spirits dictates to him rather than blindly following any guru (teacher), doctrine or belief. The fact that Govinda fails to achieve the ultimate peace should act as an eye-opener to everyone who wants to pursue his own goals. Even though Govinda becomes a follower of Buddha, the Illustrous one, he fails to accomplish his dream to achieve Nirvana like Buddha or Siddhartha. During his long conversation with Govinda, Siddhartha makes it clear that he valued Buddha’s deeds and life more important than the latter’s doctrines whereby he hints a possible way for Govinda to pursue his own goals in accordance with his inner voice.

First teacher

His father has been his first teacher who taught him “how to recognize the Atman within the depth of his being, indestructible, at one with the universe. ” (Herman 3). Siddhartha practices the art of meditation at home and his father thought that he would become a learned Brahmin-‘a prince among Brahmins’. However, the realization that his life with the father will not see him through enlightenment, forces Siddhartha to leave home in search of better teachers or doctrines. Thus, unable to find an answer to his quest, Siddharta joins the Samanas with his friend Govinda, hoping that an ascetic way of life would make him empty of thrust, desire, dream, pleasure and sorrow and thereby let the self-die to experience pure thought and to know the secret of life. Siddhartha learns a lot of things with his association with Samanas; he practices self-denial and meditation and learns many ways of losing the Self from them. He defines meditation as “a flight from the self, a temporary escape from the torment of self. ” (Herman 12). Later he understands that the Samana life will never help him to complete his probe, to attain the state of Nirvana and this realization forces him to go away from them.

Meeting with Buddha

His meeting with Buddha, the Illustrious one occurs at this juncture which reinforces his belief that he is supposed to reach his goal alone. It is important to note why he leaves Buddha: “That is why I am going on my way-not to seek another and better doctrine, for I know there is none, but to leave all doctrines and all teachers and to reach my goal alone- or die. ” (Herman 28). Thus he decides to listen to the inner voice within him and not to succumb himself to any other external command. However, it is his meeting with Buddha that offers him the optimism and the inner strength to follow his pursuit and to experience enlightenment just as Buddha attained it in his own life. Thus, his meeting with Buddha leads Siddhartha to the real awakening that he needs to continue his pursuit in his own unique way.

Kamala and Kamaswami

Kamala and Kamaswami have been the two influential teachers of Siddhartha in his life of Sansara and he experiences material and sensual life under their guidance. The life of Sansara, his worldly life with Kamala the beautiful courtesan was essential for Siddhartha’s later conviction and enlightenment. In the initial stage of their relationship Siddharta considers her as a teacher and learns the art of love from her. His meeting with kamala teaches him that the world is also beautiful; he feels that he has to leave his former life behind him. As Kleebaby observes it was Kamala who “converted Siddhartha from a Samana into a high-powered businessman. Besides directing Siddhartha to “Samsara” (60), Kamala taught him one of the most important things someone can be taught, how to love and be loved in return. ” (Kleebaby). Similarly, it is Kamaswami who initiates Siddhartha into a life of wealth and luxury.

Siddhartha’s association with him turns the former into a businessman. Sean Ewart (2006) rightly puts it: “Siddhartha slips back into a mainstream life of material pleasures and social pressures. His initially casual involvement with the merchant, Kamaswami, leads to his consumption by society’s temptress, wealth. His flirtation with this destabilizing force eventually leads to his downfall, as he retreats further and further into disgust and despair. It is only at his spiritual death that his connections to the social world are irrevocably severed. ” (Ewart). He earns a lot of wealth, fine dresses and perfumes for her; however, within no time he understands the futility of all these worldly pleasures. One can experience Siddhartha’s inward mental struggles as he understands that his inner voice has become faded and silent: “He only noticed that the bright and clear inward voice, that had once awakened in him and had always guided him in his finest hours, had become silent” (Hesse, p. 65). He comes to the realization that the reason for the fading of his inner voice was nothing but his self- his small fearful and proud self. Kamala, during one of their lovemaking, confesses her decision to be a follower of Buddha. After the lovemaking, it becomes clear to Siddhartha that passion is so closely related to death. The same night we find Kamala setting free the songbird and she understands that Siddhartha has disappeared. This symbolizes that Siddhartha is now completely free to pursue his inner quest like a free bird. Later in their last meeting she is so happy to know that he has found peace.

Vasudeva, the ferryman and the river

Vasudeva, the ferryman and the river are the two dominant and most powerful teachers that Siddhartha comes across in his life. The river in the novel acts as a symbol in the novel and it teaches him the way to get rid of himself. He listens to the river and the river teaches him “how to listen- to listen with a still heart, with a waiting open soul, without passion, without desire, without judgment, without opinion. ” (Herman 87). He understands that the sound of water is nothing but the voice of life, the voice of Being, or perpetual Becoming. The river is the strongest symbol used in the novel. It is the symbol of Siddhartha’s and Vasudeva’s inner strength. Both of them derive visions, comforts and answers to their questions from the river. In the same way, the river is closely associated with all the major events in Siddhartha’s life. He crosses the river after his meeting with Buddha to lead a life of pleasure and comes back to it after his worldly life. He can listen to his inner voice, the laments of his soul, his inward spirit the best when he is in communion with the river. Vasudeva, the Ferryman, is a strong motivator in Siddhartha’s pursuit of eternal bliss. All throughout the novel he encourages, inspires and guides Siddhartha to accomplish his pursuit. It is Vasudeva who advises Siddhartha to leave his son free to choose his own way.

The major theme

The major theme of the novel is Siddhartha’s self-realization and subsequent enlightenment and all the teachers mentioned in the essay have been instrumental for Siddhartha’s enlightenment. He joints the Samanas, visits Buddha, embraces his earthly desires, and finally communes with nature, all in an attempt to obtain Nirvana His determination to seek Atman was so strong that he remarks: “One must find the source within one’s own self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking- a detour, error” (Herman 6). His search for his inner life comes to an end finally; he comes to a complete self-realization. In the end, he grasps the wholeness of life, experiencing the sense of fulfillment and wisdom, which come with it. In short the novel is a classical work dealing with the meaning of life and the novel does have Buddhist undercurrents in this respect.

Conclusion

Thus, the novel Siddhartha is the story of an ordinary man who becomes an enlightened saint by pursuing his inner voice. The thoughts of Kamala, his son, Vasudeva or Govinda can no longer worry him because he has attained the enlightenment- that everyone is to seek his own destiny, his own goals and that no one can teach or preach or advice people to do anything. Thus the novel portrays the growth of Siddharta, the Brahman’s son, to maturity and perfection- to the height of Nirvana and enlightenment- because of his incessant quest and blind obedience to his inner voice. The novel resembles the story of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho where the hero goes in search of his dreams, overcomes obstacles and tribulations, and finally makes his dream come true. The novel can be interpreted from a Buddhist standpoint- Siddharta is in pursuit of his innermost essence (Atman); it is made possible only when he denounces his ego, his own selfish identity (Self). When he has got rid of his selfish ego and is moved by universal love, he experiences eternal bliss, happiness and peace (Nirvana). However, there is an essential difference between the ways followed by Siddhartha and Buddha to reach the state of enlightenment, the envious state of Nirvana, the eternal bliss. For Buddha, the desire is the root of all suffering and thus desire must be crushed to achieve Nirvana. He despised the world because he found that basically all physical reality is Maya (Illusion). But Siddhartha believed that the physical world is real and that one should love everything in the world and view everything as a single unity. For anyone who wants to the in search of his inner spiritual urges, for any individual like Govinda who tells “I can see, my friend, that you have found peace. I realize I have not found it. Give me something to help me on my way. ” (Herman 119), Siddhartha’s answer is a silent smile which ensures the contender that he has to follow his own inner voice, rather than resort to any doctrine, advice or belief.

Works Cited

Herman, Hesse. Siddhartha. Ed. Hila Rosner. Rupa & Co: New Delhi, 2006.

Ewart, Sean. The Effects of Society on the Individual’s Quest for Divine Understanding. Gradesaver. 2006. Web.

Kleebaby. Siddhartha: The Teachers of Siddhartha. Planet Papers. 2008. Web.