"Joy leaped in his father's heart about the son, the intelligent boy, thirsty for knowledge; and he saw him growing up to be a great sage and priest, a prince among the Brahmins." Siddhartha by Henry Hesse p. 3. In this passage, Hesse uses antithesis by suggesting the opposite of the outcome of the book. In this passage, Hesse suggests that Siddhartha will become the man that his father is, and will be consumed by capitalism. But in the passage, Hesse does provide some real for shadowing. When he writes "[...] thirsty for knowledge [...]" it suggests that young Siddhartha wants to find the key to life, but at the time believes it is hidden in his father's practices. Another strong point to add is that in his own way, Siddhartha did grow up to become a great sage and priest, but he just practiced his own teachings to gain knowledge. The passage also displays foreshadowing of his fathers let down, as Siddhartha won’t grow up to be the man his father wants him to be. Which in its own rights presents the idea that is displayed frequently in the novel by Hesse, that you can not control human nature, and people will tend to do what they wish to do.
I agree that Hesse uses this passage to contradict what will later happen with Siddhartha. In addition to this, I think that Hesse wanted to create the image of Siddhartha as one who excels in everything he does. Near this passage Hesse also refers to Siddhartha as "strong", "beautiful" and with "perfect grace". This image is also used to contradict with other facts in the book. The contradiction here is that while Siddhartha is talented and even beautiful, he is not content with his current life and is thirsty to have more knowledge and acceptance in his life. Hesse uses both this contradiction and the one you mentioned to show that enlightenment is rarely attained the way that one would seem to think it would be
I agree with what Eirik says, but also another evidence from the same page which demonstrates that he will leave his father and will go in search of happiness is that in the first passages of the page the writer keeps repeating the word shade, which foreshadows that he is in the dark and hasn't found true happiness and will go on a quest to find inner peace. -Hajir Hosseini
“No, the immensity of knowledge that lay preserved there, gathered by countless generations of wise brahmins, should not be underestimated. But where were the brahmins, the priests, the sages, or the ascetics who had succeeded not only in knowing this most profound knowledge intellectually but also in living it? Where were the adepts who had learned the knack of bringing indwelling in the atman out of the realm of sleep into that of wakefulness, who had made it a part of every aspect of life, both word and deed? Siddhartha was acquainted with many vernerable brahmins, his father above all... Was atman not within him? Did the primordial spring not flow in his own heart? That is what had to be found-- the primordial spring within one’s self...” (Hesse, 6) Here, Hesse describes the beginnings of Siddhartha’s desire to leave his father and pursue other paths to enlightenment. Siddhartha is beginning to question whether the rituals and sacrifices to the gods really offer any sort of truth or peace or whether they are simply superficial shows that mean nothing deep within. Hesse writes this passage partly to kickstart Siddhartha’s journey. These flutterings of discontent grow to the point that when Siddhartha sees the shramanas, he is already dead set on leaving the brahman lifestyle. This passage sets the stage for the entire journey to follow because it shows that it will be one of questioning, refuting, and learning. Another important function of this passage is to characterize Siddhartha as one who questions the world around him, even questioning deeply held traditions that are viewed as sacred. This will be important as he continues his journey because it is this same desire that will push him away from the shramanas and even the Buddha himself. It is also important to note that while this desire to question moves him from place to place and teaching to teaching, it often serves to push him further from enlightenment. As he notes when he is with the shramanas, “knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know”. Rather than just accept the world as it is, he continues to try to force a mold onto it and bend it to his will. The final reason that Hesse writes this passage is to force the reader to question the nature of the brahman’s approach to spirituality. By using a series of questions to write the passage, Hesse makes the reader ask whether ritual truly enriches the soul.
I agree with your idea that Siddhartha’s nature to constantly search for an answer only results in pushing him farther from enlightenment, as you say: “It is also important to note that while his desire to question moves him from place to place and teaching to teaching, it often serves to push him further from enlightenment. AS he notes when his is with the shramanas, “knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know.” Throughout the book Siddhartha searches everywhere, eager to quench his thirst of knowledge, but he never succeeds in his journey. Only when he settles down with the ferryman and stops his quest for wisdom does he finally achieve enlightenment.
“The Brahmin held silence, was silent so long that in the small window the stars shifted and changed their pattern before the silence in the room came to an end. Mute and motionless the son stood with his arms folded in front of him; mute and motionless the father sat on the mat, and the stars traveled across the sky. Then the father spoke: ‘It is unbecoming for a Brahmin to speak vehement or angry words. But my heart is vexed. I would not like to hear this request from your lips a second time’” (Hesse, 10).
This passage uses careful wording to set the mood between the father and son, and further introduces the character of Siddhartha through his actions. The word choice by Hesse creates a tense atmosphere that even readers are hesitant to disturb. The silence extends from the page, released from the following alliterated phrase: “Mute and motionless the son stood with his arms folded in front of him; mute and motionless the father sat on the mat…” Not only is the beginning of the sentence alliterated with “mute and motionless,” but the same phrase is repeated, adding to the mood between the two characters. Along with sentence structure and word choice creating a tense mood in this passage, Siddhartha reveals his character through his movements as well. Siddhartha displays his determination, his ability to persevere through any adversity by thinking of only one thing, his goal. Throughout the book Siddhartha shows this ability, but this passage shows the first appearance of it. Siddhartha can be classified as a dynamic character in the book, but this one quality of him, his determination and thirst to find himself, remains the longest. Only when he loses this determination and stops searching does he truly achieve what he wanted so much as a young man.
“’You’ll fall asleep, Siddhartha.’ ‘I will not fall asleep.’ ‘You’ll die Siddhartha.’ ‘I will die.’ ‘And would you rather die than obey your father?’ ‘Siddhartha has always obeyed his father.’ ‘So will you give up your idea?’ ‘Siddhartha will do what his father tells him’” (10).
The call and response section at the end of chapter one describes the beginning of Siddhartha’s motives and dedication. His Hindu background restricts him from doing as he desires when Siddhartha’s father doesn’t want him to go off into the forest. To prove his dedication, he shows his father that he would rather die than never be able to discover nirvana. Siddhartha’s short responses display his agitation while also displaying his respect to his father. In this scenario, “sleep” symbolizes Siddhartha’s willpower, and “death” represents his happiness and mental state. Siddhartha’s father lists off simple life necessities in order to question the thoroughness of his plan. By saying that Siddhartha will fall asleep, his father is reassuring him that the trip/task/goal is very difficult and that giving up is a high possibility. In addition, by reminding Siddhartha of “death” (the pain that will come if nirvana isn’t found, or isn’t as majestic as imagined), he emphasizes his parental view of worrying about his son getting hurt. Since Siddhartha contradicts both with his quick and concise answers, he proves that he is aware of the possible outcomes and that everything is worth the risk because he’s not content with where he is now. From his last question, his father discreetly asks Siddhartha if giving up his Hindu morals and beliefs would be worth nirvana, and by stating that he “always obeys” and won’t go unless given the permission, his father finally understands and doesn’t have any other alternative than to let him go.
I think it's interesting that you found symbolism in the sleep and death aspect of the conversation and I agree that it foreshadows the risk of the journey. One thing I would add is that this scene is closely related to the one where he leaves the shramanas. In both scenes, Siddhartha uses the teachings of each doctrine against the leader to earn his freedom. Here, as you said, he uses Hindu morals and obedience to force his father into letting him go. With the shramanas, he uses the iron willpower given to him by years of study to overpower the elder shramana's will and earn freedom. Hesse does this to emphasize how quickly Siddhartha learns.
(Intended for Dante's reply) You make a very good point about Siddhartha learning and even mastering the ways of both his masters (his father and elder Shramana) and using their teaching to pursue them to give him permission to leave. However I would like to argue that even though he learned the teaching of his masters he still couldn't reach inner peace because when he is suspicious that one way may lead to a dead end, he quickly alters his way. He is not patient in his search and instead continues to follow whatever path becomes available if he has clearly not reached Nirvana yet.
“Siddhartha knew many venerable Brahmins, above all his father, the pure, the learned, the supremely venerable man. Admirable was his father; still and noble was his bearing, pure was his life, wise were his words, fine and noble thoughts dwelled on his brow. But even he, the man who knew so much: did he live in bliss, was he at peace? Was he not also a seeker, a thirster? Did he not always and always again have to drink, a thirster, from the holy sources, from the sacrifices, from the books, from the dialogues of the Brahmins? Why must he, the irreproachable man, wash away sin every day, strive for purification every day, every day anew? Was Atman not in him, did the primal source flow in his own heart? One had to find it, the primal source in one’s own self, one had to make it one’s own! Everything else was seeking, was detour, was confusion” (Hesse, 6 and 7). Within this passage, it first and foremost displays characterization of Siddhartha’s own father, the wise Brahmin who Siddhartha looks up to. This paragraph was placed within the storyline was at the time that Siddhartha’s original questioning is depicted, also shown by the many questions within this excerpt. Siddhartha’s father is placed upon a pedestal with the descriptions of how admirable and noble he is, yet Siddhartha’s questioning and doubts seep through at the end to help detail exactly what Siddhartha is struggling with. Even though he looks up to his father and has followed the same path as his father all this time, “Siddhartha had started nursing discontent within himself” (Hesse, 5). He started to feel like although he was following the routines of sacrifice and daily cleansing, he wouldn’t be able to obtain enlightenment, just like his father who he respects so much. The second to last line reveals the fact that Siddhartha has come to realize that by blindly following the same routines over and over he will never achieve the enlightenment he seeks, for he knows that the seeker must put forth effort and come to his own conclusions in order to obtain what he is searching for. He knows that what he is searching for lies within oneself as mentioned by the primal source flowing within one’s own heart, but he realized that constantly reading the holy texts and constantly following the same pattern day after day only lead him into a spiritual rut, a cycle from which he could progress no further unless he escaped from its grasp. These thoughts, these revelations, that was what lead to Siddhartha eventually deciding to take the path of a samana in order to attempt to reach enlightenment.
-Emily Howard, Period 5 (I am posting this for Emily)
Your analysis is interesting, and relates not only to the beginning of the book, but the rest as well. You say that though Siddhartha respects his father, he’s come to realize that his teachings and way of life will lead him nowhere. Siddhartha holds respect for each person that he meets on his journey, but ultimately he leaves them behind for this reason. It began with his father, whom he left in order to join the shramanas. Following this, Siddhartha and Govinda meet the Buddha, but Siddhartha remains unsatisfied. He continues to leave behind Govinda, Kamala, and the merchant, even though he loved and respected them immensely. This just shows Siddhartha’s character, that he puts his goal of enlightenment ahead of his desires and loved ones in life.
'In the shade of the house, in the sunshine near the boats on the riverbank, in the shade of the sal forest, in the shade of the fig tree, Siddhartha grew up-the beautiful son of the Brahmin, the young falcon, together with Govinda, his friend, the son of the Brahmin." (page 1) What caught my attention in this passage is the repetition of the word "shade" which is used even more throughout the page. The writer used the word shade in the beginning of the story, in the first lines of the first page and by repeating it more times throughout the page he is trying to send a message to the reader. By using the word shade over and over the writer is trying to tell the readers that there will be confusion and losing sight and being in the dark n the story, which is exactly what the novel of Siddhartha about; a man who is lost and is in the dark and is looking for light and inner peace. This passage also foreshadows that the main character is in darkness and will find light and true happiness by the end of the story. The fact that the writer used the word shade instead of another word such as darkness is because the main character wasn't completely lost and evil but he was indeed a well respected member of his community and he even did meditation and praying that is why the writer didnt use the word dark since he was not lost, but just semi-satisfied with what he has right now like the shade which is half dark. -Hajir Hosseini
“At sunrise they were amazed to see the multitude of the faithful and the curious who had spent the night here. On all paths of the glorious grove, monks in yellow cloaks were walking; they sat here and there under the trees, absorbed in contemplation or in spiritual conversation; the shady gardens looked like a city, filled with people swarming like bees. Most of the monks went into town with alms bowls to gather food for lunch, the only meal of the day. Buddha himself, the Illuminated One, would also go begging in the morning.” Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse p. 26. Hermann Hesse flipps our idea of Buddha with this once passage. His title contradicts his place in society. He is known by his peers as “the Illuminated One” p. 26, yet in the morning he goes into the city to beg so he can eat. At this point the reader's view of Buddha is that he is a god, or a king among his people. This passage is the author's way of using exposition by showing us that Buddha is no more a god than any other man, but he begs for his own food. But it also shows how Buddha is a trend setter/role model, in that he actually follows his own teachings.
“Siddhartha continued to stand there motionless, and for the period of a heartbeat and a breath his heart went cold; he felt it go cold in his breast like a small animal-- a bird or a rabbit-- when he realized how alone he was. For years he had been homeless and not felt it. Now he felt it. Up till now, even in his deepest meditative absorption, he had been his father’s son, a brahmin of high standing, a spiritual person. Now he was only Siddhartha, the awakened one, and nothing else. He drew in a deep breath and for a moment he was cold and shivered. No one was as alone as he was... Out of this moment... Siddhartha arose more of an ego than ever before ” (Hesse, 33) Here, Hesse describes Siddhartha’s realization that he is alone as he travels away from the Buddha and his teachings. Only now has Siddhartha finally decided to act on his own instinct and ignore the intellectual teachings he has so beloved in all the previous life. In this passage, Hesse makes heavy use of imagery to intensify the moment and give it a more clear message. He uses a lot of kinesthetic imagery by describing Siddhartha’s feeling as cold, as it elicits a shiver from Siddhartha. Hesse describes the moment as cold to make the situation seem negative and to show Siddhartha’s loneliness is a bitter feeling. In the context of the novel, Hesse does this to show that out of this moment of loneliness, what will arise from Siddhartha is not a moment of enlightenment but an expansion of his ego into a realm that he has not experienced. The roots of Siddhartha’s future in which he falls into gambling, drinking and the pleasures of the world come from this moment, as Hesse explains at the end of the passage. He tries to explain to the reader that pulling oneself away from all belief in anything beyond oneself is foolish because down that path lies only cold, hard, loneliness. Interestingly, Siddhartha himself often notes before this that atman (soul) is one with all of the other universe and yet he still chooses to detach himself from this, inevitably losing sight of atman and instead falling into the same materialistic trap so many of us fall into today. In this passage Hesse also subtly provides the reader at a glimpse into the benefit of organized religion: he shows that if one tries to seek enlightenment and contentment on his or her own, they will find themselves without the necessary awe for something bigger than their own self as one finds in a major religion. Without this, much like Siddhartha, a person can develop tunnel vision and fail to see anything beyond their own desires.
“Good for you for having pondered so deeply. You have found a gap in it, a flaw. May you continue to ponder that. But beware, you who are greedy for knowledge, of the jungle of opinions and the battle of words. Opinions are worth little. They can be beautiful or ugly, anyone can espouse or reject them” (27).
This phrase is the beginning of Siddhartha’s branching off to find himself. Gotama is speaking to him telling him about the possible consequences of his discovery for nirvana. By stating that Siddhartha is “greedy for knowledge, of the jungle of opinions and battle of words”, he’s expressing that Siddhartha is not the first person to discover a “flaw”/want to branch off. That he can search all his heart desires, but the things people are saying about nirvana might not even be true. Gotama has learned from his life that he was able to settle and learn from his scenario (not finding nirvana exactly, but teaching the ideas and Buddhist ways). He is trying to persuade Siddhartha to do the same as Gotama because life is all about one’s opinion/mindset. Anyone can make a positive or negative idea come out of rumors and they can decide to “espouse or reject them”. However, Gotama is not upset with Siddhartha. He actually praises Siddhartha for thoroughly contemplating his teachings and the Buddhist ideas. Which then leads to the reason why Gotama allowed Siddhartha venture on his own, because he actually took the time to show his passion and contemplation and genuinely wanted to be a good Buddhist.
“Out of this moment, where the world melted away all around him, where he appeared as the sole star in the sky, out of this moment of chill and dejection, Siddhartha emerged, more I than before, more tightly gathered in. He felt: This had been the last shudder of awakening, the final convulsion of birth. And instantly he set out again, starting to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer toward home, no longer toward his father, no longer back” (Hesse, 36).
Here Siddhartha reaches his final stage of awakening, where he realizes he is alone in the world and only he can lead himself down the path to inner peace. However, Siddhartha fails to realize that this outlook strays him from his path, and later discovers that when he accepts teaching he is able to complement his knowledge with that of others. In this passage Hesse compares Siddhartha’s awakening to a birth, a newborn baby set out into a new world. This suggests that Siddhartha, in fact, has not discovered his path; rather, he is a newborn who has yet to see the world, and wanders aimlessly until given instruction from its elders. This naivety of Siddhartha leads him to make poor choices in his future, foreshadowed by these few sentences. Hesse also mentions Siddhartha’s composure while walking as “quickly and impatiently,” also qualities to that of a child, or someone who has yet to discover the world. Siddhartha’s awakening can be perceived as his “rebirth,” and the rest of his life he experiences everything involved in growing old. Shortly after this passage, Siddhartha encounters Kamala, who introduces desire to him. This correlates with Siddhartha’s young or child life (after his rebirth), where desire plays a large role in determining behavior. As he goes on to meet the Ferryman, he has lived longer, and grown wiser (correlating to someone in their late 20s)– but still lacks the composure and knowledge to that of an elder. Though he has experienced life for himself, he still seeks insight from his seniors and finds himself soon after. Finally in the end, Siddhartha discovers who he is, and stops searching for answers to his life (an elder after his rebirth). Though this may seem a stretch, this passage is a key part to the book and foreshadows Siddhartha’s life through comparing his awakening to a “rebirth.”
"I will learn from me, from myself, I will be my own pupil: I will get to know myself, the secret that is Siddhartha." (page 36) -Siddhartha
As he walks away from Govinda, Siddhartha realizes that he is embarking on a new stage of life. He has walked away from all his teachers, even Buddha, because they cannot teach the nature of the self. Siddhartha decides he has to start anew on his quest for enlightenment. Concurrent to this decision is the realization that he is completely alone. He has left his father, he has left the Samanas, and he has left Govinda with the Buddha . He can no longer define himself in relation to other men because he has no community. He sees the world real and beautiful instead of an illusion that is full of suffering. For the first time he is experiencing the world for himself and learning from it, instead of being taught; this is his awakening. -Hajir Hosseini, Period 5
I agree with your thinking in how this statement proves that Siddhartha must venture out on his own in order to find nirvana. I also would’ve mentioned the fact that it proves Siddhartha’s determination and stubbornness, which foreshadows the ending and is evidence for Hesse’s message. However, I’d also like to argue that Siddhartha had not completely separated himself from other men yet. This is because Siddhartha had not realized how unique and special he was until after he met Kamala and saw that his mindset was different from the average city go-er and that he “should” focus on material goods.
“‘You show that the world as a perfect chain, nowhere and never interrupted, as an eternal chain, linking causes and effects. Never has this been seen so clearly, never presented so irrefutably. Truly, the heart of every Brahmin must leap with joy in his body when he, through your Teaching, sees the world as a perfect and coherent whole, unbroken, clear as crystal, independent of chance, independent of gods’” (Hesse, 30).
After speaking with the Buddha, Siddhartha expresses his opinion about Gautama's teaching. Although Siddhartha praises the Teaching, such as his words within the quote where he is marveling at how adequately the Sublime One manages to explain that everything is connected, he also later expresses discontent with words such as: "no one is granted deliverance through a teaching! You cannot, O Venerable One, impart to anyone, tell anyone in words and through teachings what happened in your hour of illumination" (Hesse, 32 and 33). This once again draws back to my earlier comment of how Siddhartha came to realize that true wisdom and enlightenment cannot come simply by the words of another, but that one must seek out the truth themselves in order to fully comprehend it and achieve what they seek. This quote, this part where Siddhartha is speaking to the Buddha and expresses both praise to the Teaching but at the same time is not quite satisfied with it, demonstrates that Siddhartha is starting to gain some knowledge that will lead him onto the path he seeks, but he also isn't there yet. This knowledge, the facts that he cannot accept this supposedly perfect teaching and that he must obtain the wisdom on his own, are what lead him away on his journey of self-discovery. Drawing back to the quote above where he praises the Teaching as it connects everything perfectly, it once again shows what Siddhartha is searching for. He's searching for enlightenment, to see the connection between everything in existence, but a quote several pages later shows that he hasn't quite obtained it yet because he says, "I am one and separated and isolated from all others" (Hesse, 36).
“When you throw a stone into water, it falls quickly by the fastest route to the bottom of the pond. This is the way it is when Siddhartha has an aim, an intention. Siddhartha does nothing-- he waits, he thinks, he fasts-- but he passes through the things of the world like the stone through the water, without bestirring himself. He is drawn forward and he lets himself fall. His goal draws him to it, for he lets nothing enter his mind that interferes with the goal. This is what Siddhartha learned from the shramanas” (Hesse, 49) Here, Siddhartha explains to Kamala why he seems to find success so easily. She claims he would not be where he is without her, but Siddhartha knows that it was not luck that allowed him to quickly reach his goals. Instead, as he explains, his ability to shut out worldly needs and desires allows him to slice through everything that is irrelevant to his pursuits. The main technique that Hesse uses to get his point across is a metaphor. The metaphor of Siddhartha as a stone cutting through water allows the reader to clearly picture the way that Siddhartha reaches his goal. It is far easier to understand what Siddhartha means because of the simple image he gives us. With this simple message, Hesse attempts to convince the reader while Siddhartha abandoned the shramanas because he believed they were not on the path to enlightenment, he still remembered what they taught him and knew how to apply it. Hesse wants the reader to see that much like Siddhartha, they will achieve success much faster by ignoring the various distractions that could keep them from reaching their goal. By suggesting that the shramana’s teachings have led Siddhartha to success, Hesse shows that one must take advantage of everything they have learned because the application of knowledge almost always transcends the boundaries between disciplines. Finally, this passage epitomizes the way that Hesse brings the teachings of many different schools of thought together. He takes their spiritual and theological ideas and finds an application for them in daily life. This application gives the reader a stronger sense of the value of finding oneself spiritually, which ultimately is the main theme of Siddhartha’s journey
I think it’s clever as to how you connected Hesse’s message with something that one can use in everyday life. Also, I agree that even though Siddhartha abandoned the shramanas to follow his path to enlightenment, he still learned and applied his knowledge from his days he spent with them. Additionally, I believe that Siddhartha is proving that success is based off of one’s goals and determination rather than luck. I would also add that the rock is a metaphor for said determination and his stubbornness in the beginning of the novel. Your analysis made me think about the passage in the novel where Siddhartha talks to Govinda about his nirvana discovery.
“Siddhartha learned something new every step of the way. For the world had been transformed, and his heart was enraptured. He saw the sun rise over the wooded hills and go down over the distant palm-lined shore. At night he saw the stars arrayed across the sky and the crescent moon floating like a boat in the blue... These myriads of colorful things had always been there; the sun and moon had always shone, rivers had always rushed and bees hummed. But in former days all this had been nothing more for Siddhartha than a transitory and beguiling veil before his eyes…” (37).
For the first time in Siddhartha’s life, he has gained the opportunity to view the world through his own eyes. It’s been his first ever life experience away from people/his loved ones for a long period of time. This is important because for the first time in Siddhartha’s life he is able to experience situations without being influenced by other’s thoughts/bias/opinions. In addition, this is foreshadowing his positive experiences with his search for nirvana and foreshadows the ending of the novel where Siddhartha accepts situations for how they are and becomes one with nature. This passage also contributes to the theme of open-mindedness allowing more room for acceptance. By using the simile of “the crescent moon floating like a boat in the blue” Hermann Hesse describes the simplicity and beauty of discovering a story/message in anything. “At night he saw the starts arrayed across the sky”, which isn’t something one experiences, and something one tends to take for granted, when living in the city/suburbs. Since he has begun to notice the beauty in nature, Siddhartha has begun on his path of understanding. “He saw sun rise over the wooded hills and go down” represents the fact that he didn’t miss a single aspect of nature while finding his awakening. Nothing could be forgotten or pass Siddhartha’s mind after he realized the beauty of his surroundings.
“Once, when Kamaswami reproached him, saying that he, siddhartha, had learned everything from the merchant, Siddhartha replied: “Do not try to get the best of me with such jokes! From you i have learned the price of a basket of fish, the interest that can be charged for a loan. those are your fields of knowledge. But you did not teach me how to think, dear Kamaswami, You would do better to learn it from me.” Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse p. 62. Here we see Siddhartha begin to develop aggression. Hesse uses this passage to convey to the reader that Siddhartha is beginning to grow tired of his way of living, and may soon break or go back to the warm blanket of Capitalism. He thrashes out in anger to KamaSwamis one comment, which displays his frustration and fatigue. This is foreshadowing what is to come when siddhartha abandons his ways of living. Another valid point to be seen here is Siddhartha's sexual frustration as he has not been with a woman in a very long time at this point in the story, which also goes to foreshadowing Siddharthas relationship with Govinda. But it could also just be a display of Siddharthas frustration with being stuck with Kamaswami.
“’Most people, Kamala, are like falling leaves, which blow and turn in the air, and stagger and tumble to the ground. But others, fewer, are like stars, they travel in a fixed orbit, no wind reaches them, in themselves they have their law and their course. Among all the scholars and shramanas, of whom I knew many, was one of this type, a Perfect One, I can never forget him. That is the one called Guatama, the Exalted One, the prophet of the teachings. A thousand disciples hear his teaching every day, every hour they follow his precepts, but they are like falling leaves, in themselves they do not have the teachings and the law’” (Hesse, 59-60).
Here, Siddhartha speaks of the average person and their tendencies to drift through life without a thought to their own movements. Siddhartha compares these people to falling leaves, using the words “stagger” and “tumble” to visualize their motions. This word choice exhibits the falling leaves to be ungraceful and predictable, where in other context leaves may appear to be beautiful and unique. Siddhartha also mentions the “Perfect One,” Guatama, whom he saw in the past. He reveals Guatama to be a superior being, comparing him to a star, one unaffected by anything on its own course. In this context I see Guatama as something like our Sun, where others revolve around it and take energy and knowledge from it. This passage gives detailed visual imagery and similes to initiate the reader’s imagination, along with question their own lives. Hesse has Siddhartha begin his phrase with “most people,” which indicates the readers are involved in the statement as well. When reading, you can’t help but question your own life, and wonder if you are truly in control of your life, as a star steering its own orbit, or a falling leaf, swaying without thought to the actions of others. This is a strategy used by Herman Hesse throughout his book. Throughout the story, several moments reflect back to the reader, and you are drawn into the journey with Siddhartha, questioning yourself alongside him. This is the beauty of “Siddhartha,” as you learn things about yourself as you are reading the story of another.
“When Siddhartha awoke, the pale river was shimmering through the door of the hut, and the dark hooting of an owl sounded deep and melodious in the woods” (Hesse, 46).
This particular paragraph is filled with both foreshadowing and symbolism. Later on in the book, the river is what assists Siddhartha in reaching his goal. So far in the book, such as within this quote and the very first sentence of the book—“In the shade of the house, in the sunshine near the boats on the riverbank, in the shade of the sal forest, in the shade of the fig tree…” (Hesse, 3)—rivers are described with some type of light hitting upon them while everything else is described in darker lighting. In terms of literature, light usually tends to have connotations with things being of good worth, truth, holy, knowledgeable, and something virtuous. On the other hand, darkness tends to have connotations meaning deception, untrustworthiness, wickedness, falsehood, and other things antagonistic. Appling these meanings to the story, these quotes are foreshadowing that the river shall lead Siddhartha to the enlightenment that he seeks. Everything else is shrouded in shade, implying that it is darkness and deception obstructing him from his goal. Observing the connotations used with the creature of the owl, one automatically thinks up that the owl is considered to be a symbol of wisdom, thought, and knowledge. Applying this to the quote and placing it in context of the story, Siddhartha realized “he had long known that his self was Atman, of the same eternal essence as Brahma. But he had never really found that self because he had tried to catch it in the net of thought” (Hesse, 44). Essentially, the quote symbolizes that at this point in the story Siddhartha has come to realize that trying to reach enlightenment by thought alone was not bringing him closer to his goal, but it also foreshadows that the river will eventually bring him to the truth.
"At times he heard, deep in his breast, a soft and dying voice that admonished softly, lamented softly, barely audible. Then for an hour he was aware that he was leading a strange life, that he was doing all sorts of things that were merely a game, that he was cheerful, granted, and sometimes felt joy, but that a real life was flowing past him and not touching him." (page 63)
Even though he is happy with the way his life is and is having fun, and thinks of life as a game he still isn't satisfied with the way life is and is still unsatisfied and thinks that he is missing something in life and that there is a real life (truth) passing by him and he is not noticing it. This is an example of how even when he is happy he is still not satisfied because as a famous quote says that when people even see the light and the truth they won't be able to realize that this is the truth; therefore they will still be unsatisfied and unhappy and still looking for truth. Siddhartha realizes that he is on the right way to inner peace since now he has already stared to feel joy and happiness but he is still a bit off and hasn't yet reached the final stage of inner peace. He is finding happiness in the world around him and in nature; and the voice he is hearing is the nature and his spirit talking to him and guiding him towards true happiness. -Hajir Hosseini, P. 5
“But still this journey was good, and still the bird in my breast did not die. But what a journey that was! I had to pass through so much ignorance, so much vice, such great misunderstanding, so much revulsion and disappointment and misery-- just to become a child again and start over. But it was right. My heart affirms it. My eyes laugh upon it. I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the lowest of all thoughts, the thought of suicide, in order to be able to experience grace, to hear OM again” (Hesse, 75) Here, Siddhartha contemplates his life’s journey and the meaning behind of all the suffering and waste that epitomized his wealthy material life. He realizes that while he had wasted much of his life on this frivolity, he is okay with it because he knows that it was the only way that he could truly rid himself of the ego that he had held for so long. It took a complete destruction of the person who he once was to return to a state where he could successfully seek enlightenment once more. In the context of his journey, this is the moment that Siddhartha begins his 5th and final stage: his life as a ferryman, taught by the river. In this passage, Hesse explains to the reader that while Siddhartha’s sins were foolish and his wealth meaningless, they did serve an important purpose in that they made it all the more obvious that his ego had grown too large. Before, whether he was a shramana or a brahmin, he believed that he was destroying his ego, that it was a least shrinking, when in reality the teachings he followed only masked how large it had become. Once he succumbed to the desires of the material world, it was so obvious to him how destructive his ego had become, it nearly caused him to commit suicide. This thought alone destroyed all the fake progress he had made in his life up to that moment, allowing him a fresh start, much like a child’s fresh start. Hesse’s message to the reader is twofold: First, that any difficult or trying time has a purpose in the grand scheme of life and will only serve to make a person stronger; and second, that no matter what you have done with your life in the past, there is always time for a new beginning.
“’I believe you Govinda. But now, you have met such a wanderer, with such shoes and in such garment. Remember, friend: impermanent is the world of forms; clothing is impermanent – highly impermanent – along with the style of our hair, our hair itself, and our very bodies. I wear the clothing of a rich man, you saw alright. I wear it because I was a rich man, and I wear my hair as people of the world do, seekers after pleasure, for I was one myself” (73).
This passage reflects Siddhartha as he realizes the difference between him and the “average person” who chose not to attempt to find nirvana. When he was exploring the life of city dwellers and was learning the ropes from Kamala, Siddhartha was able to experience life normally. Material goods, selfishness, and sexual temptation is what he absorbed, which are things that Brahmans must give up while on the path to nirvana and in order to prevent negative karma from coming back to them. This has become a goal for religious Hindus and Buddhists to achieve, even in today’s culture. From running into Govinda for the first time since both of their childhoods, Siddhartha states how he’s shifted, changed, and experienced life on the materialistic end. Initially meant to prove Govinda of his experiences, Siddhartha states how he has lived life both consumeristically and without the “rich man’s items”. He’s found that in both completely different lifestyles, Siddhartha isn’t considerably happy without actually understanding and accepting nature and existence as it is. Hermann Hesse shows this through, “clothing is impermanent – highly impermanent – along with the style of our hair, our hair itself, and our very bodies.” Not even the human body matters if there isn’t a soul and substance involved in the true understanding. The most important part of this passage is that it reflects Siddhartha’s character development and the fact that he has learned from the nice clothes/hair/shoes and that humans only gain pleasure from them because that’s how society has shaped our minds. Siddhartha shows true strength by giving up those things and preaching (to Govinda) about the importance of souls.
“Blithely he gazed into the flowing river, never had a body of water pleased him as much as this, never had he heard the voice and likeness of this current of water so strong and beautiful. It seemed that the water had something special to say to him, something he still did not know, that still awaited him. In this river Siddhartha had wanted to drown himself; in it the old, tired, despairing Siddhartha today was drowned. The new Siddhartha, however, felt a deep love for this flowing water, and himself resolved not to leave it again so soon” (Hesse, 78-79).
In this passage, Hesse foreshadows Siddhartha’s next step in his path and further introduces his newfound relationship with the river. Throughout the book, Hesse highlights the reoccurring symbol of the “inner voice,” which guides Siddhartha along his journey. Though Siddhartha had lost his inner voice’s directions when he distracted himself with gambling, riches, and women, he encounters a new voice to guide him, found in the river. In the river, Siddhartha attempted to drown himself, as he had grown weary of his constant mistakes. Once submerged, the river awakens him, drawing out the inner voice within him that he had previously lost. This voice awakens in an “OM,” another motif that reoccurs throughout Siddhartha’s journey. “OM” signifies perfection, often only showing itself in the story when Siddhartha rediscovers himself. Along with Siddhartha’s voice being reawakened, he begins to see the world in a new light as well in this passage. He has come to love everything in the world, such as the flowing river that moves beside him. In the passage, Hesse indicates that Siddhartha would stay next to the river for a long while: “The new Siddhartha, however, felt a deep love for this flowing water, and himself resolved not to leave it again so soon” (Hesse, 79). This foreshadows Siddhartha’s next step in his journey, as he meets the ferryman again soon after.
"The wheel of appearances revolves quickly, Govinda. Where is Siddhartha the Brahmin, where is Siddhartha the Samana, where is Siddhartha the rich man? The transitory soon changes, Govinda, You know that." Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse,Chapter 8, pg. 76. Hesse writes this passage to display Siddhartha’s new outlook on life. He lives as himself and flows with the sway of life. He does as he wants to. The world is his oyster. Govinda is amazed by this, but also confused. He doesn’t understand how a man could rid himself of all his riches. In the line after he tells Govinda “I have lost it, or it has lost me.” chapter 8 p.76. Govinda is by all means confused with Siddhartha's life decisions. This also conveys societies views on siddhartha. They don’t understand him fully and believe him to be stupid and foolish. But Hesse also conveys Siddhartha in this passage as very passive, which is how he feels about the judgements of society and the ones around him. Which is one of the key points of the book in my opinion, what others in society think of each other and judgment. But he shows little interest for the opinion of others, as he shows little interest for the normal roles of society, and capitalism. Which is why this excerpt is such a strong display of Siddhartha's outlook on life.
"And the instant the om touched siddhartha's ears, his slumbering spirit suddenly awoke and it recognized the folly of his action... he opened his eyes, he was amazed to see the trees and heaven above him, and he recalled where he was and how he had come here. But it took him a long while to remember, and the past seemed veiled, endlessly far, endlessly remote, endlessly indifferent." (78-79)
At this point of the story, siddhartha was profoundly frightened. He was lost. He tried to find peace by snuffing his body. what all the recent torturing, all sobering, all despairing had failed to do was effected by the moment when the om pierced his consciousness: he recognized himself in his misery and vagary. Hesse writes about how siddhartha exactly felt after waking up from his long nap after he uttered om to himself. He writes about how siddahartha felt after he woke up from his na and even though it was for only a few hours, after he woke up he didn't know where he was and how he got there and took him while to realize it; and the past seemed so remote and far away to him. Hesse writes about how the past was so different and far away for siddhartha after he said the word om and took a nap; this demonstrates that siddhartha is done with his past life of gambling and being materialistic and is now free and the past is behind him. -Hajir Hosseini, period 5
“Never had it been so strangely clear to Siddhartha how closely lust is related to death” (Hesse, 72).
In terms of context to the story, the death mentioned in this quote could refer to both physical and/or spiritual death. At this point, as it states on page 67, “that supple willingness to hear the godly voice in his own heart, had gradually become memories, had been ephemeral. Far and faint murmured the holy wellspring, which had once been near, which had once murmured inside him”. This quote, along with several others, imply that Siddhartha’s spiritual self has become dull, has become deadened. No longer was he that Siddhartha from before, the one who willingly left behind his family for the sake of pursuing his goal of enlightenment and defeating his ego. But rather, “as often as he awoke from this ugly enchantment, as often as he saw his face grow older and uglier in the bedroom mirror, as often as shame and disgust overwhelmed him, he kept fleeing—fleeing into a new game of chance, fleeing into a daze of lust, of wine, and from there back to the drive to acquire and accumulate” (Hesse, 71). Instead of continuing his quest for spiritual growth, Siddhartha lagged behind and grew into a wealthy life that turned into endless torment for himself. This new life disgusted him, as stated within the quote, but he continued through that cycle of accumulating desire and fleeing. This endless repetition and spiritual deprivation drove Siddhartha into the depths of despair, so much so that he almost cast himself into the river and caused his physical death. In the first place, this cycle came about because Kamala instructed Siddhartha that he “must have clothes, lovely clothes, and shoes, lovely shoes, and lots of money in his pouch, and gifts for Kamala” (Hesse, 51). Because of Siddhartha’s overwhelming lust towards Kamala, he led himself into the torturous cycle that ignited a spiritual death within him, which is how he discovers how close the relation between lust and death is.
“His wound blossomed, his suffering was radiant, his ego had dissolved into the unity. At this moment Siddhartha ceased to struggle with fate, ceased to suffer. On his face bloomed the cheerfulness of wisdom that is no longer opposed by will, that knows perfection, that is in harmony with the river of what is, with the current of life, full of compassion, full of empathic joy, surrendered to the flow, part of this unity.” (Hesse, 105-106) Here, Hesse describes one of the most impactful moments of the novel: the moment at which Siddhartha finally achieves enlightenment. In this moment Siddhartha “ceased to suffer” and “dissolved into unity”. By using these particular phrases, Hesse sums up his view of enlightenment in the novel as one in which the end of all suffering is achieved by the realization that everything in every moment is one, equal and united. Another important thing that goes on in the passage is that Siddhartha “ceased to struggle with fate”. For a long time before this, he was suffering with the notion that his son had left him and that he could never share a father’s love again. However, in this moment, Siddhartha realizes that because time is an illusion and all things are one, his son is with him at all moments and this love can be shared with anything on Earth. This final moment is the last moment in Siddhartha’s long journey to find enlightenment. Hesse wants the reader to realize that all the suffering and sinfulness that Siddhartha endured was necessary for him to reach “nirvana” and attain peace. In this passage, Hesse makes heavy use of repetition to give the words a poetic flow. Rather than reading like sentences, the different repeated phrases read like lines of a poem. The reason Hesse writes this way is to give a meditative quality to the moment. Rather than a startling epiphany, the flowing rhythm makes the event seem like it is simply a continuation of the process that begun long ago.
“’This,’ he said playfully, ‘is a stone, and after a certain length of time, it will perhaps be earth, and from the earth a plant will come, or an animal or a person. Formerly I would have said: ‘This is just a stone, it is worthless, part of the world of Maya. But in the cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.’’ That is perhaps how I used to think. But today I think: ‘This stone is a stone, it is also a beast, it is also God, it is also Buddha’” (111).
The previous passage occurred after Siddhartha had met up with his childhood friend Govinda, for the first time in many years. As they both were discussing all the phenomenons that happened in their lives after they had departed, Siddhartha described his victorious journey to enlightenment. By using the rock as a metaphor, he states his thoughts and compares it to his life before finding nirvana and after. Initially, Siddhartha was very open-minded and attempted to take value into simple life objects. Since Buddhist and Hindu beliefs involve reincarnation and the idea of karma, the author includes this by stating, “’But in a cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.’” However, Siddhartha has changed his mind throughout his life journey and trusts that his reaction will now express that he appreciates all of the underestimated aspects of existence for the reason that it “it is also God, it is also Buddha”. This demonstrates Siddhartha’s dynamic character development throughout the novel and reflects Buddhist teachings/goals. As the rock symbolizes a simplistic life, it also resembles how simple items should not be taken for granted. After all, nature (the forest, and the river) were key stepping stones to help Siddhartha understand/accept/find enlightenment. This is to say, Hermann Hesse believes and expresses to readers that the whole is greater than the individual pieces, even though the pieces are what create and build the greater picture in the end.
"Had not his father suffered the same pain that he was now suffering for his son? Had not his father died long ago, alone, without having seen his son again? Did not he expect the same fate? Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid thing, this repetition, this course of events in a fateful circle?" Chapter 11, pg. 107 When siddhartha meets his son he is pondering whether or not his suffering was his own doing or not. Hesse conveys this by having Siddhartha ask questions to himself, which is not common for a man like Siddhartha. Human nature is to blame the ones around you before you blame yourself, which also shows how much greater than society Siddhartha really is, and it separates him from the rest of humanity, which is a major theme in this book. Throughout the book, Hermann Hesse displays a theme of pain and suffering. This passage is nearly all about pain and suffering. Hesse mentions directly the pain and suffering of his son and relates it back to himself and ties it with his “fate”, which suggests as well that all humans are destined to suffer. Which also relates to one of the key themes of the story, which is that no human is any greater than a human, and everyone will endure some sort of pain, and everyone will die.
“Sadly he sat down, feeling something in his heart die, sensing emptiness, seeing no more joy, no goal. He sat immersed in meditation, and waited. This he had learned by the river, this one thing: to wait, to have patience, to listen. And he sat listening, in the dust of the road, listening to his heart, how tiredly and sadly it beat, waiting for a voice. Many an hour he crouched there listening, no longer seeing vision, he sank into the emptiness, let himself sink, without seeing a path. And when he felt the wound burning, soundlessly he spoke the Om, filled himself with Om” (Hesse, 100).
This passage has a unique structure, flowing effortlessly and built into a logical manner. Throughout the book Siddhartha displays his three assets: fasting, waiting, and thinking. This passage introduces the newborn Siddhartha’s skills, showing his abilities in a new light. Hesse structures this passage by first listing Siddhartha’s talents, and follows with explanations of each. This allows the passage to flow easily, and deepens the understanding of what’s inside of Siddhartha’s mind in this emotional portion of the novel. Siddhartha’s new skills are as follows: “to wait, to have patience, to listen” (100). Following this excerpt, Hesse further shows that Siddhartha is waiting for a voice, a reoccurring subject throughout Siddhartha’s journey. Here Siddhartha listens to his heart, yearning for something to tell him how to continue on his path. This displays his ability to wait and listen, and his patience is shown through the next sentence, notifying the readers that Siddhartha had been waiting for many hours. Previously I mentioned the reoccurring theme of the “inner voice,” that which guides Siddhartha on his journey. Each occurrence of the inner voice always follows with an appearance of “Om,” the symbol of perfection. It seems to be that “Om” is the key to Siddhartha’s goal, his Nirvana, as whenever he goes through a hardship Om always reappears and he returns on his path. Hesse’s ability to structure this passage allows the readers to easily follow the thought process of Siddhartha, and analyze the hidden meanings behind appearances of certain phrases.
“He now saw people in a different light, less cleverly, less proudly, but also more warmly, more curiously, more sympathetically…. He understood them, he understood and shared their lives, which were led not by thoughts and instincts, but solely by drives and wishes. And he felt like them…all these urges, all these childish feelings, all these simple, foolish, yet tremendously potent, powerfully living, powerfully triumphant drives and desires were no longer infantile for Siddhartha” (Hesse 113, Om).
The purpose of thisquote is to reflect the characterization that Siddhartha has experienced in comparison to the start of his journey. Back near the start of the third chapter, Among the Samanas, it reads: “His gaze grew icy when it encountered women; his mouth curled in scorn when he walked through the town with people in lovely clothes……and everything was unworthy of his eyes, everything lied, everything stank, everything stank of lies, everything shammed meaning and happiness and beauty, and everything was unacknowledged decay” (Hesse, 13). This quote reflects the fact that when Siddhartha first began his journey, he looked down upon everything with scorn and believed he could escape his ego by fleeing it, by fasting, thinking, and waiting. He saw people as foolish and wanted nothing to do with them. Again the chasm between him and the child people is brought up in the chapter Among the Child People with: “And sometimes he was startled by such thoughts and wished that it could be granted him to participate with passion and with all his heart in the childlike doings of the day, to live really—to act really, to enjoy really, and to live really instead of merely standing on the side as a spectator” (Hesse, 64). Once more the text points out that Siddhartha felt separated from others, not able to truly able to live among them and fit into the flow like the other people. Caught up in a veil of thoughts, he couldn’t connect with others on an emotional level back then. Near the end, referring back to the quote above, Siddhartha finally finds himself being able to relate to and understand the ‘child people’, the people he once considered himself so foreign from. These changes within Siddhartha are part of what make him a dynamic character within the novel Siddhartha.
"At that moment Siddhartha stopped fighting with destiny, stopped suffering. On his face the serenity of knowledge blossomed, knowledge that no will can resist, that knows perfection, that agrees with the flow of events, with the river of life, full of compassion, full of shared pleasure, devoted to the flowing, belonging to the oneness." (page 119)
Vasudeva brings Siddhartha out to the river and tells him there is something he has still not heard. With Vasudeva’s guidance, Siddhartha listens intently. For the first time he hears all the voices of the river as one single continuum of all life. Siddhartha feels his soul merge into unity. Vasudeva touches Siddhartha on the shoulder, knowing that he has reached full Nirvana. Now that Siddhartha has reached enlightenment, Vasudeva plans to leave the river and enter in to the unity of all things. Siddhartha realized that he has been looking too hard and he has accepted destiny and has stopped fighting it. He has finally reached Nirvana after all those teachings by different teachers and different lifestyles, from giving up all materialistic belongings to drowning in money, siddhartha has tasted it all but now he has reached true enlightenment from a river and a simple ferry man. Now that he has listened carefully to the river and has accepted the world and no longer looks down at people he has finally reached what he was looking for. -Hajir Hosseini, period 5
"Joy leaped in his father's heart about the son, the intelligent boy, thirsty for knowledge; and he saw him growing up to be a great sage and priest, a prince among the Brahmins." Siddhartha by Henry Hesse p. 3. In this passage, Hesse uses antithesis by suggesting the opposite of the outcome of the book. In this passage, Hesse suggests that Siddhartha will become the man that his father is, and will be consumed by capitalism. But in the passage, Hesse does provide some real for shadowing. When he writes "[...] thirsty for knowledge [...]" it suggests that young Siddhartha wants to find the key to life, but at the time believes it is hidden in his father's practices. Another strong point to add is that in his own way, Siddhartha did grow up to become a great sage and priest, but he just practiced his own teachings to gain knowledge. The passage also displays foreshadowing of his fathers let down, as Siddhartha won’t grow up to be the man his father wants him to be. Which in its own rights presents the idea that is displayed frequently in the novel by Hesse, that you can not control human nature, and people will tend to do what they wish to do.
ReplyDelete-Eirik Haugbro, Period 5
I agree that Hesse uses this passage to contradict what will later happen with Siddhartha. In addition to this, I think that Hesse wanted to create the image of Siddhartha as one who excels in everything he does. Near this passage Hesse also refers to Siddhartha as "strong", "beautiful" and with "perfect grace". This image is also used to contradict with other facts in the book. The contradiction here is that while Siddhartha is talented and even beautiful, he is not content with his current life and is thirsty to have more knowledge and acceptance in his life. Hesse uses both this contradiction and the one you mentioned to show that enlightenment is rarely attained the way that one would seem to think it would be
DeleteI agree with what Eirik says, but also another evidence from the same page which demonstrates that he will leave his father and will go in search of happiness is that in the first passages of the page the writer keeps repeating the word shade, which foreshadows that he is in the dark and hasn't found true happiness and will go on a quest to find inner peace.
Delete-Hajir Hosseini
“No, the immensity of knowledge that lay preserved there, gathered by countless generations of wise brahmins, should not be underestimated. But where were the brahmins, the priests, the sages, or the ascetics who had succeeded not only in knowing this most profound knowledge intellectually but also in living it? Where were the adepts who had learned the knack of bringing indwelling in the atman out of the realm of sleep into that of wakefulness, who had made it a part of every aspect of life, both word and deed? Siddhartha was acquainted with many vernerable brahmins, his father above all... Was atman not within him? Did the primordial spring not flow in his own heart? That is what had to be found-- the primordial spring within one’s self...” (Hesse, 6)
ReplyDeleteHere, Hesse describes the beginnings of Siddhartha’s desire to leave his father and pursue other paths to enlightenment. Siddhartha is beginning to question whether the rituals and sacrifices to the gods really offer any sort of truth or peace or whether they are simply superficial shows that mean nothing deep within. Hesse writes this passage partly to kickstart Siddhartha’s journey. These flutterings of discontent grow to the point that when Siddhartha sees the shramanas, he is already dead set on leaving the brahman lifestyle. This passage sets the stage for the entire journey to follow because it shows that it will be one of questioning, refuting, and learning. Another important function of this passage is to characterize Siddhartha as one who questions the world around him, even questioning deeply held traditions that are viewed as sacred. This will be important as he continues his journey because it is this same desire that will push him away from the shramanas and even the Buddha himself. It is also important to note that while this desire to question moves him from place to place and teaching to teaching, it often serves to push him further from enlightenment. As he notes when he is with the shramanas, “knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know”. Rather than just accept the world as it is, he continues to try to force a mold onto it and bend it to his will. The final reason that Hesse writes this passage is to force the reader to question the nature of the brahman’s approach to spirituality. By using a series of questions to write the passage, Hesse makes the reader ask whether ritual truly enriches the soul.
I agree with your idea that Siddhartha’s nature to constantly search for an answer only results in pushing him farther from enlightenment, as you say: “It is also important to note that while his desire to question moves him from place to place and teaching to teaching, it often serves to push him further from enlightenment. AS he notes when his is with the shramanas, “knowing has no greater enemy than wanting to know.” Throughout the book Siddhartha searches everywhere, eager to quench his thirst of knowledge, but he never succeeds in his journey. Only when he settles down with the ferryman and stops his quest for wisdom does he finally achieve enlightenment.
Delete“The Brahmin held silence, was silent so long that in the small window the stars shifted and changed their pattern before the silence in the room came to an end. Mute and motionless the son stood with his arms folded in front of him; mute and motionless the father sat on the mat, and the stars traveled across the sky. Then the father spoke: ‘It is unbecoming for a Brahmin to speak vehement or angry words. But my heart is vexed. I would not like to hear this request from your lips a second time’” (Hesse, 10).
ReplyDeleteThis passage uses careful wording to set the mood between the father and son, and further introduces the character of Siddhartha through his actions. The word choice by Hesse creates a tense atmosphere that even readers are hesitant to disturb. The silence extends from the page, released from the following alliterated phrase: “Mute and motionless the son stood with his arms folded in front of him; mute and motionless the father sat on the mat…” Not only is the beginning of the sentence alliterated with “mute and motionless,” but the same phrase is repeated, adding to the mood between the two characters. Along with sentence structure and word choice creating a tense mood in this passage, Siddhartha reveals his character through his movements as well. Siddhartha displays his determination, his ability to persevere through any adversity by thinking of only one thing, his goal. Throughout the book Siddhartha shows this ability, but this passage shows the first appearance of it. Siddhartha can be classified as a dynamic character in the book, but this one quality of him, his determination and thirst to find himself, remains the longest. Only when he loses this determination and stops searching does he truly achieve what he wanted so much as a young man.
“’You’ll fall asleep, Siddhartha.’ ‘I will not fall asleep.’ ‘You’ll die Siddhartha.’ ‘I will die.’ ‘And would you rather die than obey your father?’ ‘Siddhartha has always obeyed his father.’ ‘So will you give up your idea?’ ‘Siddhartha will do what his father tells him’” (10).
ReplyDeleteThe call and response section at the end of chapter one describes the beginning of Siddhartha’s motives and dedication. His Hindu background restricts him from doing as he desires when Siddhartha’s father doesn’t want him to go off into the forest. To prove his dedication, he shows his father that he would rather die than never be able to discover nirvana. Siddhartha’s short responses display his agitation while also displaying his respect to his father. In this scenario, “sleep” symbolizes Siddhartha’s willpower, and “death” represents his happiness and mental state. Siddhartha’s father lists off simple life necessities in order to question the thoroughness of his plan. By saying that Siddhartha will fall asleep, his father is reassuring him that the trip/task/goal is very difficult and that giving up is a high possibility. In addition, by reminding Siddhartha of “death” (the pain that will come if nirvana isn’t found, or isn’t as majestic as imagined), he emphasizes his parental view of worrying about his son getting hurt. Since Siddhartha contradicts both with his quick and concise answers, he proves that he is aware of the possible outcomes and that everything is worth the risk because he’s not content with where he is now. From his last question, his father discreetly asks Siddhartha if giving up his Hindu morals and beliefs would be worth nirvana, and by stating that he “always obeys” and won’t go unless given the permission, his father finally understands and doesn’t have any other alternative than to let him go.
-Brittany Hua
I think it's interesting that you found symbolism in the sleep and death aspect of the conversation and I agree that it foreshadows the risk of the journey. One thing I would add is that this scene is closely related to the one where he leaves the shramanas. In both scenes, Siddhartha uses the teachings of each doctrine against the leader to earn his freedom. Here, as you said, he uses Hindu morals and obedience to force his father into letting him go. With the shramanas, he uses the iron willpower given to him by years of study to overpower the elder shramana's will and earn freedom. Hesse does this to emphasize how quickly Siddhartha learns.
Delete(Intended for Dante's reply)
DeleteYou make a very good point about Siddhartha learning and even mastering the ways of both his masters (his father and elder Shramana) and using their teaching to pursue them to give him permission to leave. However I would like to argue that even though he learned the teaching of his masters he still couldn't reach inner peace because when he is suspicious that one way may lead to a dead end, he quickly alters his way. He is not patient in his search and instead continues to follow whatever path becomes available if he has clearly not reached Nirvana yet.
“Siddhartha knew many venerable Brahmins, above all his father, the pure, the learned, the supremely venerable man. Admirable was his father; still and noble was his bearing, pure was his life, wise were his words, fine and noble thoughts dwelled on his brow. But even he, the man who knew so much: did he live in bliss, was he at peace? Was he not also a seeker, a thirster? Did he not always and always again have to drink, a thirster, from the holy sources, from the sacrifices, from the books, from the dialogues of the Brahmins? Why must he, the irreproachable man, wash away sin every day, strive for purification every day, every day anew? Was Atman not in him, did the primal source flow in his own heart? One had to find it, the primal source in one’s own self, one had to make it one’s own! Everything else was seeking, was detour, was confusion” (Hesse, 6 and 7).
ReplyDeleteWithin this passage, it first and foremost displays characterization of Siddhartha’s own father, the wise Brahmin who Siddhartha looks up to. This paragraph was placed within the storyline was at the time that Siddhartha’s original questioning is depicted, also shown by the many questions within this excerpt. Siddhartha’s father is placed upon a pedestal with the descriptions of how admirable and noble he is, yet Siddhartha’s questioning and doubts seep through at the end to help detail exactly what Siddhartha is struggling with. Even though he looks up to his father and has followed the same path as his father all this time, “Siddhartha had started nursing discontent within himself” (Hesse, 5). He started to feel like although he was following the routines of sacrifice and daily cleansing, he wouldn’t be able to obtain enlightenment, just like his father who he respects so much. The second to last line reveals the fact that Siddhartha has come to realize that by blindly following the same routines over and over he will never achieve the enlightenment he seeks, for he knows that the seeker must put forth effort and come to his own conclusions in order to obtain what he is searching for. He knows that what he is searching for lies within oneself as mentioned by the primal source flowing within one’s own heart, but he realized that constantly reading the holy texts and constantly following the same pattern day after day only lead him into a spiritual rut, a cycle from which he could progress no further unless he escaped from its grasp. These thoughts, these revelations, that was what lead to Siddhartha eventually deciding to take the path of a samana in order to attempt to reach enlightenment.
-Emily Howard, Period 5 (I am posting this for Emily)
Emily,
DeleteYour analysis is interesting, and relates not only to the beginning of the book, but the rest as well. You say that though Siddhartha respects his father, he’s come to realize that his teachings and way of life will lead him nowhere. Siddhartha holds respect for each person that he meets on his journey, but ultimately he leaves them behind for this reason. It began with his father, whom he left in order to join the shramanas. Following this, Siddhartha and Govinda meet the Buddha, but Siddhartha remains unsatisfied. He continues to leave behind Govinda, Kamala, and the merchant, even though he loved and respected them immensely. This just shows Siddhartha’s character, that he puts his goal of enlightenment ahead of his desires and loved ones in life.
'In the shade of the house, in the sunshine near the boats on the riverbank, in the shade of the sal forest, in the shade of the fig tree, Siddhartha grew up-the beautiful son of the Brahmin, the young falcon, together with Govinda, his friend, the son of the Brahmin." (page 1) What caught my attention in this passage is the repetition of the word "shade" which is used even more throughout the page. The writer used the word shade in the beginning of the story, in the first lines of the first page and by repeating it more times throughout the page he is trying to send a message to the reader. By using the word shade over and over the writer is trying to tell the readers that there will be confusion and losing sight and being in the dark n the story, which is exactly what the novel of Siddhartha about; a man who is lost and is in the dark and is looking for light and inner peace. This passage also foreshadows that the main character is in darkness and will find light and true happiness by the end of the story. The fact that the writer used the word shade instead of another word such as darkness is because the main character wasn't completely lost and evil but he was indeed a well respected member of his community and he even did meditation and praying that is why the writer didnt use the word dark since he was not lost, but just semi-satisfied with what he has right now like the shade which is half dark.
ReplyDelete-Hajir Hosseini
“At sunrise they were amazed to see the multitude of the faithful and the curious who had spent the night here. On all paths of the glorious grove, monks in yellow cloaks were walking; they sat here and there under the trees, absorbed in contemplation or in spiritual conversation; the shady gardens looked like a city, filled with people swarming like bees. Most of the monks went into town with alms bowls to gather food for lunch, the only meal of the day. Buddha himself, the Illuminated One, would also go begging in the morning.” Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse p. 26. Hermann Hesse flipps our idea of Buddha with this once passage. His title contradicts his place in society. He is known by his peers as “the Illuminated One” p. 26, yet in the morning he goes into the city to beg so he can eat. At this point the reader's view of Buddha is that he is a god, or a king among his people. This passage is the author's way of using exposition by showing us that Buddha is no more a god than any other man, but he begs for his own food. But it also shows how Buddha is a trend setter/role model, in that he actually follows his own teachings.
ReplyDelete“Siddhartha continued to stand there motionless, and for the period of a heartbeat and a breath his heart went cold; he felt it go cold in his breast like a small animal-- a bird or a rabbit-- when he realized how alone he was. For years he had been homeless and not felt it. Now he felt it. Up till now, even in his deepest meditative absorption, he had been his father’s son, a brahmin of high standing, a spiritual person. Now he was only Siddhartha, the awakened one, and nothing else. He drew in a deep breath and for a moment he was cold and shivered. No one was as alone as he was... Out of this moment... Siddhartha arose more of an ego than ever before ” (Hesse, 33)
ReplyDeleteHere, Hesse describes Siddhartha’s realization that he is alone as he travels away from the Buddha and his teachings. Only now has Siddhartha finally decided to act on his own instinct and ignore the intellectual teachings he has so beloved in all the previous life. In this passage, Hesse makes heavy use of imagery to intensify the moment and give it a more clear message. He uses a lot of kinesthetic imagery by describing Siddhartha’s feeling as cold, as it elicits a shiver from Siddhartha. Hesse describes the moment as cold to make the situation seem negative and to show Siddhartha’s loneliness is a bitter feeling. In the context of the novel, Hesse does this to show that out of this moment of loneliness, what will arise from Siddhartha is not a moment of enlightenment but an expansion of his ego into a realm that he has not experienced. The roots of Siddhartha’s future in which he falls into gambling, drinking and the pleasures of the world come from this moment, as Hesse explains at the end of the passage. He tries to explain to the reader that pulling oneself away from all belief in anything beyond oneself is foolish because down that path lies only cold, hard, loneliness. Interestingly, Siddhartha himself often notes before this that atman (soul) is one with all of the other universe and yet he still chooses to detach himself from this, inevitably losing sight of atman and instead falling into the same materialistic trap so many of us fall into today. In this passage Hesse also subtly provides the reader at a glimpse into the benefit of organized religion: he shows that if one tries to seek enlightenment and contentment on his or her own, they will find themselves without the necessary awe for something bigger than their own self as one finds in a major religion. Without this, much like Siddhartha, a person can develop tunnel vision and fail to see anything beyond their own desires.
“Good for you for having pondered so deeply. You have found a gap in it, a flaw. May you continue to ponder that. But beware, you who are greedy for knowledge, of the jungle of opinions and the battle of words. Opinions are worth little. They can be beautiful or ugly, anyone can espouse or reject them” (27).
ReplyDeleteThis phrase is the beginning of Siddhartha’s branching off to find himself. Gotama is speaking to him telling him about the possible consequences of his discovery for nirvana. By stating that Siddhartha is “greedy for knowledge, of the jungle of opinions and battle of words”, he’s expressing that Siddhartha is not the first person to discover a “flaw”/want to branch off. That he can search all his heart desires, but the things people are saying about nirvana might not even be true. Gotama has learned from his life that he was able to settle and learn from his scenario (not finding nirvana exactly, but teaching the ideas and Buddhist ways). He is trying to persuade Siddhartha to do the same as Gotama because life is all about one’s opinion/mindset. Anyone can make a positive or negative idea come out of rumors and they can decide to “espouse or reject them”. However, Gotama is not upset with Siddhartha. He actually praises Siddhartha for thoroughly contemplating his teachings and the Buddhist ideas. Which then leads to the reason why Gotama allowed Siddhartha venture on his own, because he actually took the time to show his passion and contemplation and genuinely wanted to be a good Buddhist.
“Out of this moment, where the world melted away all around him, where he appeared as the sole star in the sky, out of this moment of chill and dejection, Siddhartha emerged, more I than before, more tightly gathered in. He felt: This had been the last shudder of awakening, the final convulsion of birth. And instantly he set out again, starting to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer toward home, no longer toward his father, no longer back” (Hesse, 36).
ReplyDeleteHere Siddhartha reaches his final stage of awakening, where he realizes he is alone in the world and only he can lead himself down the path to inner peace. However, Siddhartha fails to realize that this outlook strays him from his path, and later discovers that when he accepts teaching he is able to complement his knowledge with that of others. In this passage Hesse compares Siddhartha’s awakening to a birth, a newborn baby set out into a new world. This suggests that Siddhartha, in fact, has not discovered his path; rather, he is a newborn who has yet to see the world, and wanders aimlessly until given instruction from its elders. This naivety of Siddhartha leads him to make poor choices in his future, foreshadowed by these few sentences. Hesse also mentions Siddhartha’s composure while walking as “quickly and impatiently,” also qualities to that of a child, or someone who has yet to discover the world. Siddhartha’s awakening can be perceived as his “rebirth,” and the rest of his life he experiences everything involved in growing old. Shortly after this passage, Siddhartha encounters Kamala, who introduces desire to him. This correlates with Siddhartha’s young or child life (after his rebirth), where desire plays a large role in determining behavior. As he goes on to meet the Ferryman, he has lived longer, and grown wiser (correlating to someone in their late 20s)– but still lacks the composure and knowledge to that of an elder. Though he has experienced life for himself, he still seeks insight from his seniors and finds himself soon after. Finally in the end, Siddhartha discovers who he is, and stops searching for answers to his life (an elder after his rebirth). Though this may seem a stretch, this passage is a key part to the book and foreshadows Siddhartha’s life through comparing his awakening to a “rebirth.”
"I will learn from me, from myself, I will be my own pupil: I will get to know myself, the secret that is Siddhartha." (page 36) -Siddhartha
ReplyDeleteAs he walks away from Govinda, Siddhartha realizes that he is embarking on a new stage of life. He has walked away from all his teachers, even Buddha, because they cannot teach the nature of the self. Siddhartha decides he has to start anew on his quest for enlightenment. Concurrent to this decision is the realization that he is completely alone. He has left his father, he has left the Samanas, and he has left Govinda with the Buddha . He can no longer define himself in relation to other men because he has no community. He sees the world real and beautiful instead of an illusion that is full of suffering. For the first time he is experiencing the world for himself and learning from it, instead of being taught; this is his awakening.
-Hajir Hosseini, Period 5
I agree with your thinking in how this statement proves that Siddhartha must venture out on his own in order to find nirvana. I also would’ve mentioned the fact that it proves Siddhartha’s determination and stubbornness, which foreshadows the ending and is evidence for Hesse’s message. However, I’d also like to argue that Siddhartha had not completely separated himself from other men yet. This is because Siddhartha had not realized how unique and special he was until after he met Kamala and saw that his mindset was different from the average city go-er and that he “should” focus on material goods.
Delete“‘You show that the world as a perfect chain, nowhere and never interrupted, as an eternal chain, linking causes and effects. Never has this been seen so clearly, never presented so irrefutably. Truly, the heart of every Brahmin must leap with joy in his body when he, through your Teaching, sees the world as a perfect and coherent whole, unbroken, clear as crystal, independent of chance, independent of gods’” (Hesse, 30).
ReplyDeleteAfter speaking with the Buddha, Siddhartha expresses his opinion about Gautama's teaching. Although Siddhartha praises the Teaching, such as his words within the quote where he is marveling at how adequately the Sublime One manages to explain that everything is connected, he also later expresses discontent with words such as: "no one is granted deliverance through a teaching! You cannot, O Venerable One, impart to anyone, tell anyone in words and through teachings what happened in your hour of illumination" (Hesse, 32 and 33). This once again draws back to my earlier comment of how Siddhartha came to realize that true wisdom and enlightenment cannot come simply by the words of another, but that one must seek out the truth themselves in order to fully comprehend it and achieve what they seek. This quote, this part where Siddhartha is speaking to the Buddha and expresses both praise to the Teaching but at the same time is not quite satisfied with it, demonstrates that Siddhartha is starting to gain some knowledge that will lead him onto the path he seeks, but he also isn't there yet. This knowledge, the facts that he cannot accept this supposedly perfect teaching and that he must obtain the wisdom on his own, are what lead him away on his journey of self-discovery. Drawing back to the quote above where he praises the Teaching as it connects everything perfectly, it once again shows what Siddhartha is searching for. He's searching for enlightenment, to see the connection between everything in existence, but a quote several pages later shows that he hasn't quite obtained it yet because he says, "I am one and separated and isolated from all others" (Hesse, 36).
-Emily Howard, Period 5
“When you throw a stone into water, it falls quickly by the fastest route to the bottom of the pond. This is the way it is when Siddhartha has an aim, an intention. Siddhartha does nothing-- he waits, he thinks, he fasts-- but he passes through the things of the world like the stone through the water, without bestirring himself. He is drawn forward and he lets himself fall. His goal draws him to it, for he lets nothing enter his mind that interferes with the goal. This is what Siddhartha learned from the shramanas” (Hesse, 49)
ReplyDeleteHere, Siddhartha explains to Kamala why he seems to find success so easily. She claims he would not be where he is without her, but Siddhartha knows that it was not luck that allowed him to quickly reach his goals. Instead, as he explains, his ability to shut out worldly needs and desires allows him to slice through everything that is irrelevant to his pursuits. The main technique that Hesse uses to get his point across is a metaphor. The metaphor of Siddhartha as a stone cutting through water allows the reader to clearly picture the way that Siddhartha reaches his goal. It is far easier to understand what Siddhartha means because of the simple image he gives us. With this simple message, Hesse attempts to convince the reader while Siddhartha abandoned the shramanas because he believed they were not on the path to enlightenment, he still remembered what they taught him and knew how to apply it. Hesse wants the reader to see that much like Siddhartha, they will achieve success much faster by ignoring the various distractions that could keep them from reaching their goal. By suggesting that the shramana’s teachings have led Siddhartha to success, Hesse shows that one must take advantage of everything they have learned because the application of knowledge almost always transcends the boundaries between disciplines. Finally, this passage epitomizes the way that Hesse brings the teachings of many different schools of thought together. He takes their spiritual and theological ideas and finds an application for them in daily life. This application gives the reader a stronger sense of the value of finding oneself spiritually, which ultimately is the main theme of Siddhartha’s journey
I think it’s clever as to how you connected Hesse’s message with something that one can use in everyday life. Also, I agree that even though Siddhartha abandoned the shramanas to follow his path to enlightenment, he still learned and applied his knowledge from his days he spent with them. Additionally, I believe that Siddhartha is proving that success is based off of one’s goals and determination rather than luck. I would also add that the rock is a metaphor for said determination and his stubbornness in the beginning of the novel. Your analysis made me think about the passage in the novel where Siddhartha talks to Govinda about his nirvana discovery.
Delete“Siddhartha learned something new every step of the way. For the world had been transformed, and his heart was enraptured. He saw the sun rise over the wooded hills and go down over the distant palm-lined shore. At night he saw the stars arrayed across the sky and the crescent moon floating like a boat in the blue... These myriads of colorful things had always been there; the sun and moon had always shone, rivers had always rushed and bees hummed. But in former days all this had been nothing more for Siddhartha than a transitory and beguiling veil before his eyes…” (37).
ReplyDeleteFor the first time in Siddhartha’s life, he has gained the opportunity to view the world through his own eyes. It’s been his first ever life experience away from people/his loved ones for a long period of time. This is important because for the first time in Siddhartha’s life he is able to experience situations without being influenced by other’s thoughts/bias/opinions. In addition, this is foreshadowing his positive experiences with his search for nirvana and foreshadows the ending of the novel where Siddhartha accepts situations for how they are and becomes one with nature. This passage also contributes to the theme of open-mindedness allowing more room for acceptance. By using the simile of “the crescent moon floating like a boat in the blue” Hermann Hesse describes the simplicity and beauty of discovering a story/message in anything. “At night he saw the starts arrayed across the sky”, which isn’t something one experiences, and something one tends to take for granted, when living in the city/suburbs. Since he has begun to notice the beauty in nature, Siddhartha has begun on his path of understanding. “He saw sun rise over the wooded hills and go down” represents the fact that he didn’t miss a single aspect of nature while finding his awakening. Nothing could be forgotten or pass Siddhartha’s mind after he realized the beauty of his surroundings.
“Once, when Kamaswami reproached him, saying that he, siddhartha, had learned everything from the merchant, Siddhartha replied: “Do not try to get the best of me with such jokes! From you i have learned the price of a basket of fish, the interest that can be charged for a loan. those are your fields of knowledge. But you did not teach me how to think, dear Kamaswami, You would do better to learn it from me.” Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse p. 62. Here we see Siddhartha begin to develop aggression. Hesse uses this passage to convey to the reader that Siddhartha is beginning to grow tired of his way of living, and may soon break or go back to the warm blanket of Capitalism. He thrashes out in anger to KamaSwamis one comment, which displays his frustration and fatigue. This is foreshadowing what is to come when siddhartha abandons his ways of living. Another valid point to be seen here is Siddhartha's sexual frustration as he has not been with a woman in a very long time at this point in the story, which also goes to foreshadowing Siddharthas relationship with Govinda. But it could also just be a display of Siddharthas frustration with being stuck with Kamaswami.
ReplyDelete“’Most people, Kamala, are like falling leaves, which blow and turn in the air, and stagger and tumble to the ground. But others, fewer, are like stars, they travel in a fixed orbit, no wind reaches them, in themselves they have their law and their course. Among all the scholars and shramanas, of whom I knew many, was one of this type, a Perfect One, I can never forget him. That is the one called Guatama, the Exalted One, the prophet of the teachings. A thousand disciples hear his teaching every day, every hour they follow his precepts, but they are like falling leaves, in themselves they do not have the teachings and the law’” (Hesse, 59-60).
ReplyDeleteHere, Siddhartha speaks of the average person and their tendencies to drift through life without a thought to their own movements. Siddhartha compares these people to falling leaves, using the words “stagger” and “tumble” to visualize their motions. This word choice exhibits the falling leaves to be ungraceful and predictable, where in other context leaves may appear to be beautiful and unique. Siddhartha also mentions the “Perfect One,” Guatama, whom he saw in the past. He reveals Guatama to be a superior being, comparing him to a star, one unaffected by anything on its own course. In this context I see Guatama as something like our Sun, where others revolve around it and take energy and knowledge from it. This passage gives detailed visual imagery and similes to initiate the reader’s imagination, along with question their own lives. Hesse has Siddhartha begin his phrase with “most people,” which indicates the readers are involved in the statement as well. When reading, you can’t help but question your own life, and wonder if you are truly in control of your life, as a star steering its own orbit, or a falling leaf, swaying without thought to the actions of others. This is a strategy used by Herman Hesse throughout his book. Throughout the story, several moments reflect back to the reader, and you are drawn into the journey with Siddhartha, questioning yourself alongside him. This is the beauty of “Siddhartha,” as you learn things about yourself as you are reading the story of another.
“When Siddhartha awoke, the pale river was shimmering through the door of the hut, and the dark hooting of an owl sounded deep and melodious in the woods” (Hesse, 46).
ReplyDeleteThis particular paragraph is filled with both foreshadowing and symbolism. Later on in the book, the river is what assists Siddhartha in reaching his goal. So far in the book, such as within this quote and the very first sentence of the book—“In the shade of the house, in the sunshine near the boats on the riverbank, in the shade of the sal forest, in the shade of the fig tree…” (Hesse, 3)—rivers are described with some type of light hitting upon them while everything else is described in darker lighting. In terms of literature, light usually tends to have connotations with things being of good worth, truth, holy, knowledgeable, and something virtuous. On the other hand, darkness tends to have connotations meaning deception, untrustworthiness, wickedness, falsehood, and other things antagonistic. Appling these meanings to the story, these quotes are foreshadowing that the river shall lead Siddhartha to the enlightenment that he seeks. Everything else is shrouded in shade, implying that it is darkness and deception obstructing him from his goal. Observing the connotations used with the creature of the owl, one automatically thinks up that the owl is considered to be a symbol of wisdom, thought, and knowledge. Applying this to the quote and placing it in context of the story, Siddhartha realized “he had long known that his self was Atman, of the same eternal essence as Brahma. But he had never really found that self because he had tried to catch it in the net of thought” (Hesse, 44). Essentially, the quote symbolizes that at this point in the story Siddhartha has come to realize that trying to reach enlightenment by thought alone was not bringing him closer to his goal, but it also foreshadows that the river will eventually bring him to the truth.
-Emily Howard
"At times he heard, deep in his breast, a soft and dying voice that admonished softly, lamented softly, barely audible. Then for an hour he was aware that he was leading a strange life, that he was doing all sorts of things that were merely a game, that he was cheerful, granted, and sometimes felt joy, but that a real life was flowing past him and not touching him." (page 63)
ReplyDeleteEven though he is happy with the way his life is and is having fun, and thinks of life as a game he still isn't satisfied with the way life is and is still unsatisfied and thinks that he is missing something in life and that there is a real life (truth) passing by him and he is not noticing it. This is an example of how even when he is happy he is still not satisfied because as a famous quote says that when people even see the light and the truth they won't be able to realize that this is the truth; therefore they will still be unsatisfied and unhappy and still looking for truth. Siddhartha realizes that he is on the right way to inner peace since now he has already stared to feel joy and happiness but he is still a bit off and hasn't yet reached the final stage of inner peace. He is finding happiness in the world around him and in nature; and the voice he is hearing is the nature and his spirit talking to him and guiding him towards true happiness.
-Hajir Hosseini, P. 5
“But still this journey was good, and still the bird in my breast did not die. But what a journey that was! I had to pass through so much ignorance, so much vice, such great misunderstanding, so much revulsion and disappointment and misery-- just to become a child again and start over. But it was right. My heart affirms it. My eyes laugh upon it. I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the lowest of all thoughts, the thought of suicide, in order to be able to experience grace, to hear OM again” (Hesse, 75)
ReplyDeleteHere, Siddhartha contemplates his life’s journey and the meaning behind of all the suffering and waste that epitomized his wealthy material life. He realizes that while he had wasted much of his life on this frivolity, he is okay with it because he knows that it was the only way that he could truly rid himself of the ego that he had held for so long. It took a complete destruction of the person who he once was to return to a state where he could successfully seek enlightenment once more. In the context of his journey, this is the moment that Siddhartha begins his 5th and final stage: his life as a ferryman, taught by the river. In this passage, Hesse explains to the reader that while Siddhartha’s sins were foolish and his wealth meaningless, they did serve an important purpose in that they made it all the more obvious that his ego had grown too large. Before, whether he was a shramana or a brahmin, he believed that he was destroying his ego, that it was a least shrinking, when in reality the teachings he followed only masked how large it had become. Once he succumbed to the desires of the material world, it was so obvious to him how destructive his ego had become, it nearly caused him to commit suicide. This thought alone destroyed all the fake progress he had made in his life up to that moment, allowing him a fresh start, much like a child’s fresh start. Hesse’s message to the reader is twofold: First, that any difficult or trying time has a purpose in the grand scheme of life and will only serve to make a person stronger; and second, that no matter what you have done with your life in the past, there is always time for a new beginning.
“’I believe you Govinda. But now, you have met such a wanderer, with such shoes and in such garment. Remember, friend: impermanent is the world of forms; clothing is impermanent – highly impermanent – along with the style of our hair, our hair itself, and our very bodies. I wear the clothing of a rich man, you saw alright. I wear it because I was a rich man, and I wear my hair as people of the world do, seekers after pleasure, for I was one myself” (73).
ReplyDeleteThis passage reflects Siddhartha as he realizes the difference between him and the “average person” who chose not to attempt to find nirvana. When he was exploring the life of city dwellers and was learning the ropes from Kamala, Siddhartha was able to experience life normally. Material goods, selfishness, and sexual temptation is what he absorbed, which are things that Brahmans must give up while on the path to nirvana and in order to prevent negative karma from coming back to them. This has become a goal for religious Hindus and Buddhists to achieve, even in today’s culture. From running into Govinda for the first time since both of their childhoods, Siddhartha states how he’s shifted, changed, and experienced life on the materialistic end. Initially meant to prove Govinda of his experiences, Siddhartha states how he has lived life both consumeristically and without the “rich man’s items”. He’s found that in both completely different lifestyles, Siddhartha isn’t considerably happy without actually understanding and accepting nature and existence as it is. Hermann Hesse shows this through, “clothing is impermanent – highly impermanent – along with the style of our hair, our hair itself, and our very bodies.” Not even the human body matters if there isn’t a soul and substance involved in the true understanding. The most important part of this passage is that it reflects Siddhartha’s character development and the fact that he has learned from the nice clothes/hair/shoes and that humans only gain pleasure from them because that’s how society has shaped our minds. Siddhartha shows true strength by giving up those things and preaching (to Govinda) about the importance of souls.
“Blithely he gazed into the flowing river, never had a body of water pleased him as much as this, never had he heard the voice and likeness of this current of water so strong and beautiful. It seemed that the water had something special to say to him, something he still did not know, that still awaited him. In this river Siddhartha had wanted to drown himself; in it the old, tired, despairing Siddhartha today was drowned. The new Siddhartha, however, felt a deep love for this flowing water, and himself resolved not to leave it again so soon” (Hesse, 78-79).
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Hesse foreshadows Siddhartha’s next step in his path and further introduces his newfound relationship with the river. Throughout the book, Hesse highlights the reoccurring symbol of the “inner voice,” which guides Siddhartha along his journey. Though Siddhartha had lost his inner voice’s directions when he distracted himself with gambling, riches, and women, he encounters a new voice to guide him, found in the river. In the river, Siddhartha attempted to drown himself, as he had grown weary of his constant mistakes. Once submerged, the river awakens him, drawing out the inner voice within him that he had previously lost. This voice awakens in an “OM,” another motif that reoccurs throughout Siddhartha’s journey. “OM” signifies perfection, often only showing itself in the story when Siddhartha rediscovers himself. Along with Siddhartha’s voice being reawakened, he begins to see the world in a new light as well in this passage. He has come to love everything in the world, such as the flowing river that moves beside him. In the passage, Hesse indicates that Siddhartha would stay next to the river for a long while: “The new Siddhartha, however, felt a deep love for this flowing water, and himself resolved not to leave it again so soon” (Hesse, 79). This foreshadows Siddhartha’s next step in his journey, as he meets the ferryman again soon after.
"The wheel of appearances revolves quickly, Govinda. Where is Siddhartha the Brahmin, where is Siddhartha the Samana, where is Siddhartha the rich man? The transitory soon changes, Govinda, You know that." Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse,Chapter 8, pg. 76. Hesse writes this passage to display Siddhartha’s new outlook on life. He lives as himself and flows with the sway of life. He does as he wants to. The world is his oyster. Govinda is amazed by this, but also confused. He doesn’t understand how a man could rid himself of all his riches. In the line after he tells Govinda “I have lost it, or it has lost me.” chapter 8 p.76. Govinda is by all means confused with Siddhartha's life decisions. This also conveys societies views on siddhartha. They don’t understand him fully and believe him to be stupid and foolish. But Hesse also conveys Siddhartha in this passage as very passive, which is how he feels about the judgements of society and the ones around him. Which is one of the key points of the book in my opinion, what others in society think of each other and judgment. But he shows little interest for the opinion of others, as he shows little interest for the normal roles of society, and capitalism. Which is why this excerpt is such a strong display of Siddhartha's outlook on life.
ReplyDelete"And the instant the om touched siddhartha's ears, his slumbering spirit suddenly awoke and it recognized the folly of his action... he opened his eyes, he was amazed to see the trees and heaven above him, and he recalled where he was and how he had come here. But it took him a long while to remember, and the past seemed veiled, endlessly far, endlessly remote, endlessly indifferent." (78-79)
ReplyDeleteAt this point of the story, siddhartha was profoundly frightened. He was lost. He tried to find peace by snuffing his body. what all the recent torturing, all sobering, all despairing had failed to do was effected by the moment when the om pierced his consciousness: he recognized himself in his misery and vagary. Hesse writes about how siddhartha exactly felt after waking up from his long nap after he uttered om to himself. He writes about how siddahartha felt after he woke up from his na and even though it was for only a few hours, after he woke up he didn't know where he was and how he got there and took him while to realize it; and the past seemed so remote and far away to him. Hesse writes about how the past was so different and far away for siddhartha after he said the word om and took a nap; this demonstrates that siddhartha is done with his past life of gambling and being materialistic and is now free and the past is behind him.
-Hajir Hosseini, period 5
“Never had it been so strangely clear to Siddhartha how closely lust is related to death” (Hesse, 72).
ReplyDeleteIn terms of context to the story, the death mentioned in this quote could refer to both physical and/or spiritual death. At this point, as it states on page 67, “that supple willingness to hear the godly voice in his own heart, had gradually become memories, had been ephemeral. Far and faint murmured the holy wellspring, which had once been near, which had once murmured inside him”. This quote, along with several others, imply that Siddhartha’s spiritual self has become dull, has become deadened. No longer was he that Siddhartha from before, the one who willingly left behind his family for the sake of pursuing his goal of enlightenment and defeating his ego. But rather, “as often as he awoke from this ugly enchantment, as often as he saw his face grow older and uglier in the bedroom mirror, as often as shame and disgust overwhelmed him, he kept fleeing—fleeing into a new game of chance, fleeing into a daze of lust, of wine, and from there back to the drive to acquire and accumulate” (Hesse, 71). Instead of continuing his quest for spiritual growth, Siddhartha lagged behind and grew into a wealthy life that turned into endless torment for himself. This new life disgusted him, as stated within the quote, but he continued through that cycle of accumulating desire and fleeing. This endless repetition and spiritual deprivation drove Siddhartha into the depths of despair, so much so that he almost cast himself into the river and caused his physical death. In the first place, this cycle came about because Kamala instructed Siddhartha that he “must have clothes, lovely clothes, and shoes, lovely shoes, and lots of money in his pouch, and gifts for Kamala” (Hesse, 51). Because of Siddhartha’s overwhelming lust towards Kamala, he led himself into the torturous cycle that ignited a spiritual death within him, which is how he discovers how close the relation between lust and death is.
-Emily Howard
“His wound blossomed, his suffering was radiant, his ego had dissolved into the unity. At this moment Siddhartha ceased to struggle with fate, ceased to suffer. On his face bloomed the cheerfulness of wisdom that is no longer opposed by will, that knows perfection, that is in harmony with the river of what is, with the current of life, full of compassion, full of empathic joy, surrendered to the flow, part of this unity.” (Hesse, 105-106)
ReplyDeleteHere, Hesse describes one of the most impactful moments of the novel: the moment at which Siddhartha finally achieves enlightenment. In this moment Siddhartha “ceased to suffer” and “dissolved into unity”. By using these particular phrases, Hesse sums up his view of enlightenment in the novel as one in which the end of all suffering is achieved by the realization that everything in every moment is one, equal and united. Another important thing that goes on in the passage is that Siddhartha “ceased to struggle with fate”. For a long time before this, he was suffering with the notion that his son had left him and that he could never share a father’s love again. However, in this moment, Siddhartha realizes that because time is an illusion and all things are one, his son is with him at all moments and this love can be shared with anything on Earth. This final moment is the last moment in Siddhartha’s long journey to find enlightenment. Hesse wants the reader to realize that all the suffering and sinfulness that Siddhartha endured was necessary for him to reach “nirvana” and attain peace. In this passage, Hesse makes heavy use of repetition to give the words a poetic flow. Rather than reading like sentences, the different repeated phrases read like lines of a poem. The reason Hesse writes this way is to give a meditative quality to the moment. Rather than a startling epiphany, the flowing rhythm makes the event seem like it is simply a continuation of the process that begun long ago.
“’This,’ he said playfully, ‘is a stone, and after a certain length of time, it will perhaps be earth, and from the earth a plant will come, or an animal or a person. Formerly I would have said: ‘This is just a stone, it is worthless, part of the world of Maya. But in the cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.’’ That is perhaps how I used to think. But today I think: ‘This stone is a stone, it is also a beast, it is also God, it is also Buddha’” (111).
ReplyDeleteThe previous passage occurred after Siddhartha had met up with his childhood friend Govinda, for the first time in many years. As they both were discussing all the phenomenons that happened in their lives after they had departed, Siddhartha described his victorious journey to enlightenment. By using the rock as a metaphor, he states his thoughts and compares it to his life before finding nirvana and after. Initially, Siddhartha was very open-minded and attempted to take value into simple life objects. Since Buddhist and Hindu beliefs involve reincarnation and the idea of karma, the author includes this by stating, “’But in a cycle of transformations it can also become human and spirit, and so I attribute value to it.’” However, Siddhartha has changed his mind throughout his life journey and trusts that his reaction will now express that he appreciates all of the underestimated aspects of existence for the reason that it “it is also God, it is also Buddha”. This demonstrates Siddhartha’s dynamic character development throughout the novel and reflects Buddhist teachings/goals. As the rock symbolizes a simplistic life, it also resembles how simple items should not be taken for granted. After all, nature (the forest, and the river) were key stepping stones to help Siddhartha understand/accept/find enlightenment. This is to say, Hermann Hesse believes and expresses to readers that the whole is greater than the individual pieces, even though the pieces are what create and build the greater picture in the end.
"Had not his father suffered the same pain that he was now suffering for his son? Had not his father died long ago, alone, without having seen his son again? Did not he expect the same fate? Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid thing, this repetition, this course of events in a fateful circle?" Chapter 11, pg. 107 When siddhartha meets his son he is pondering whether or not his suffering was his own doing or not. Hesse conveys this by having Siddhartha ask questions to himself, which is not common for a man like Siddhartha. Human nature is to blame the ones around you before you blame yourself, which also shows how much greater than society Siddhartha really is, and it separates him from the rest of humanity, which is a major theme in this book. Throughout the book, Hermann Hesse displays a theme of pain and suffering. This passage is nearly all about pain and suffering. Hesse mentions directly the pain and suffering of his son and relates it back to himself and ties it with his “fate”, which suggests as well that all humans are destined to suffer. Which also relates to one of the key themes of the story, which is that no human is any greater than a human, and everyone will endure some sort of pain, and everyone will die.
ReplyDelete“Sadly he sat down, feeling something in his heart die, sensing emptiness, seeing no more joy, no goal. He sat immersed in meditation, and waited. This he had learned by the river, this one thing: to wait, to have patience, to listen. And he sat listening, in the dust of the road, listening to his heart, how tiredly and sadly it beat, waiting for a voice. Many an hour he crouched there listening, no longer seeing vision, he sank into the emptiness, let himself sink, without seeing a path. And when he felt the wound burning, soundlessly he spoke the Om, filled himself with Om” (Hesse, 100).
ReplyDeleteThis passage has a unique structure, flowing effortlessly and built into a logical manner. Throughout the book Siddhartha displays his three assets: fasting, waiting, and thinking. This passage introduces the newborn Siddhartha’s skills, showing his abilities in a new light. Hesse structures this passage by first listing Siddhartha’s talents, and follows with explanations of each. This allows the passage to flow easily, and deepens the understanding of what’s inside of Siddhartha’s mind in this emotional portion of the novel. Siddhartha’s new skills are as follows: “to wait, to have patience, to listen” (100). Following this excerpt, Hesse further shows that Siddhartha is waiting for a voice, a reoccurring subject throughout Siddhartha’s journey. Here Siddhartha listens to his heart, yearning for something to tell him how to continue on his path. This displays his ability to wait and listen, and his patience is shown through the next sentence, notifying the readers that Siddhartha had been waiting for many hours. Previously I mentioned the reoccurring theme of the “inner voice,” that which guides Siddhartha on his journey. Each occurrence of the inner voice always follows with an appearance of “Om,” the symbol of perfection. It seems to be that “Om” is the key to Siddhartha’s goal, his Nirvana, as whenever he goes through a hardship Om always reappears and he returns on his path. Hesse’s ability to structure this passage allows the readers to easily follow the thought process of Siddhartha, and analyze the hidden meanings behind appearances of certain phrases.
“He now saw people in a different light, less cleverly, less proudly, but also more warmly, more curiously, more sympathetically…. He understood them, he understood and shared their lives, which were led not by thoughts and instincts, but solely by drives and wishes. And he felt like them…all these urges, all these childish feelings, all these simple, foolish, yet tremendously potent, powerfully living, powerfully triumphant drives and desires were no longer infantile for Siddhartha” (Hesse 113, Om).
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of thisquote is to reflect the characterization that Siddhartha has experienced in comparison to the start of his journey. Back near the start of the third chapter, Among the Samanas, it reads: “His gaze grew icy when it encountered women; his mouth curled in scorn when he walked through the town with people in lovely clothes……and everything was unworthy of his eyes, everything lied, everything stank, everything stank of lies, everything shammed meaning and happiness and beauty, and everything was unacknowledged decay” (Hesse, 13). This quote reflects the fact that when Siddhartha first began his journey, he looked down upon everything with scorn and believed he could escape his ego by fleeing it, by fasting, thinking, and waiting. He saw people as foolish and wanted nothing to do with them. Again the chasm between him and the child people is brought up in the chapter Among the Child People with: “And sometimes he was startled by such thoughts and wished that it could be granted him to participate with passion and with all his heart in the childlike doings of the day, to live really—to act really, to enjoy really, and to live really instead of merely standing on the side as a spectator” (Hesse, 64). Once more the text points out that Siddhartha felt separated from others, not able to truly able to live among them and fit into the flow like the other people. Caught up in a veil of thoughts, he couldn’t connect with others on an emotional level back then. Near the end, referring back to the quote above, Siddhartha finally finds himself being able to relate to and understand the ‘child people’, the people he once considered himself so foreign from. These changes within Siddhartha are part of what make him a dynamic character within the novel Siddhartha.
-Emily Howard
"At that moment Siddhartha stopped fighting with destiny, stopped suffering. On his face the serenity of knowledge blossomed, knowledge that no will can resist, that knows perfection, that agrees with the flow of events, with the river of life, full of compassion, full of shared pleasure, devoted to the flowing, belonging to the oneness." (page 119)
ReplyDeleteVasudeva brings Siddhartha out to the river and tells him there is something he has still not heard. With Vasudeva’s guidance, Siddhartha listens intently. For the first time he hears all the voices of the river as one single continuum of all life. Siddhartha feels his soul merge into unity. Vasudeva touches Siddhartha on the shoulder, knowing that he has reached full Nirvana. Now that Siddhartha has reached enlightenment, Vasudeva plans to leave the river and enter in to the unity of all things. Siddhartha realized that he has been looking too hard and he has accepted destiny and has stopped fighting it. He has finally reached Nirvana after all those teachings by different teachers and different lifestyles, from giving up all materialistic belongings to drowning in money, siddhartha has tasted it all but now he has reached true enlightenment from a river and a simple ferry man. Now that he has listened carefully to the river and has accepted the world and no longer looks down at people he has finally reached what he was looking for.
-Hajir Hosseini, period 5
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