Enlightenment

Herman Hesse’s book Siddhartha is about a young mans struggle for enlightenment in a religion that doesn’t seem to be able to answer all his questions. Siddhartha begins his journey by leaving his childhood home with hopes of finding someone who can show him the path to enlightenment. Siddhartha’s friend Govinda follows him hoping also to find enlightenment. Throughout Siddhartha’s journey he finds many teachers and follows many paths but ultimately surpasses his teachers while still not having reached enlightenment. When Siddhartha finds a teacher that has already reached enlightenment, he sees that he can not be taught what he seeks, rather that he must experience it for himself. With this knowledge Siddhartha lives the life he never dared to before and meets more people who help him on his path; when he feels that he has lost himself, one last teacher helps him to see what he has been missing. In the end Siddhartha reaches enlightenment through his own means, and not by simply being taught, though Siddhartha had teachers in the end he was able to reach enlightenment on his own. Throughout this book four characters reach enlightenment though not all in the same way or to the same level.

The first character in the book to reach enlightenment is Gotama, or the Buddha. Siddhartha seeks out Gotama because he believes that if he could find a teacher that has already reached enlightenment; he may be able to show Siddhartha the path. Siddhartha hears Gotama speaking and though he sees his wisdom and that he has truly reached enlightenment Siddhartha does not believe that he can show him the path. This character plays an integral role in Siddhartha’s journey by making him relies that he can not be taught enlightenment, and thereby completely changing the entire story. Herman Hesse, through this plot point, is trying to show the idea of how finding your own path in life is the only true way, that though there may be extremely wise teachers they will never be able to show you everything.

The second character in the story who reaches enlightenment, or who has reached enlightenment is Vasudeva. This character is very important at two different times during the story. When Siddhartha leaves Gotama in search of his own path he crosses the river where Vasudeva lives; in their first encounter Vasudeva tells Siddhartha hat he has learned much from the river, and this comforts Siddhartha. When he leaves he is sorry he can not pay the ferryman but the ferryman says Siddhartha will return in time. Though the ferryman seems wise, Siddhartha is on a journey to learn from himself and does not want a teacher. When Siddhartha returns to the river feeling as if he has lost himself the ferryman helps him to reach enlightenment. It is debatable if the ferryman had reached enlightenment at this time but he certainly reaches enlightenment by the time he leaves Siddhartha to be the ferryman. Beyond just reaching enlightenment the ferryman also helps Siddhartha to reach enlightenment.

The third character to reach enlightenment is Siddhartha, after spending time with Vasudeva, reflecting on his life, and learning from the river, Siddhartha finally reaches enlightenment. Siddhartha meditates by the river and sees that there is unity within him self and the world he knows all that he has learned from the river and because of this reaches enlightenment; at this point his teacher/guide Vasudeva leaves knowing Siddhartha has found what he was looking for.

The last character to reach enlightenment is Govinda, Siddhartha’s old friend. Govinda hears of a wise ferryman that has reached enlightenment and seeks him out in hopes of also reaching enlightenment. When Govinda finds Siddhartha is the one he has heard of he asks Siddhartha to show him. Siddhartha says that you can not reach enlightenment from simply being told yet shows Govinda what he has seen when Govinda kisses his forehead and through Siddhartha he reaches enlightenment.

All of these characters though they reach the same final state of enlightenment, they all reach it in different way and at different levels. Gotama reaches enlightenment through his own means yet seeks to teach others what Siddhartha knows one cannot simply learn. Vasudeva has reached enlightenment through the river and does not seek to teach like Gotama yet simply guides Siddhartha to learn for himself, and in doing so shows great wisdom. Siddhartha reaches enlightenment not through teachers but through living his life and letting Vasudeva and the river guide him. Govinda reaches enlightenment though it is different from the others; Govinda does not reach enlightenment through guides or by his own means, he reaches enlightenment through Siddhartha. Compared to the others, Govinda’s enlightenment is second hand which seems to make it almost a different form.