Enlightenment

For one to really understand and discuss the novel of Siddhartha, it would be important to define the meaning of enlightenment or nirvana. While there are many definitions of enlightenment and nirvana, dictionary.com defines enlightenment as “living in a blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains nirvana;” and defines nirvana as “a place or state characterized by freedom or oblivion to pain, worry and the exterior world.


In Siddhartha, several characters quest for spiritual enlightenment. This unrelenting search for the truth eventually helps Siddhartha, Govinda, Gotama, and Vasudeva achieve a harmonious relationship with the world. This novel concentrates on not only their achieving this state of being, but demonstrates the various ways in which they come to reach nirvana. Although eventually they all end up in the same place, it is made evident by Hermen Hesse that they all chose different paths in order to reach their final destination of becoming one with the universe. This book lays open to us the ways in which different people are able to reach within themselves to be able to truly understand their own desires.


Gotama is an enlightened religious leader that Siddhartha originally looks up to in pursuing his final goal. Gotama, also known as the Buddha, teaches the Eightfold Path to his many followers as a way in achieving nirvana. Siddhartha and Govinda seek out Gotama for guidance, but when Siddhartha speaks to him, he tells him “nobody attains enlightenment through a teaching. O venerable one, you will not be able to express to anyone through words and doctrine what happened to you in the moment of your enlightenment!” (36). This is where Siddhartha realizes that he no longer can be taught to achieve enlightenment. Although Gotoma has achieved enlightenment, Siddhartha must abandon the Buddha in search of his own way to achieve nirvana.


In the way Siddhartha was able to detach himself from the Buddha, Govinda was not able realize his own needs. He was unable to detach himself. Govinda’s deep desire to achieve nirvana leads him to depend on many teachers and other outside sources, such a Brahmins, Samanas and Buddha’s. Siddhartha however, realizes that these outside sources are not fulfilling his need for knowledge. It becomes clear to him that he must learn the knowledge on his own. Siddhartha and Govinda both desire to understand life through spirituality; however only Siddhartha is able to determine that if he does not alter his course, then he may end up at a dead end. If Govinda were able to be more flexible with his quest and not depend solely on teachers, he would not find himself struggling. Throughout the book Govinda restricts himself to only the spiritual and religious world and only follows the paths that lie within the narrow confined teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. It is not until the end, that Govinda achieves enlightenment. Siddhartha tells him “in the depths of meditation lies the possibility of cutting through time, of seeing the simultaneity of all past, present, and future life, and that within that everything is good, all is perfect, all is Brahman” (141). Siddhartha tries to portray his journey and explains to Govinda the way in which the universe should consume him. Siddhartha emphasizes that Govinda needs to reach deep inside himself. The step to Govinda’s final destination arrives when Siddhartha tells Govinda to kiss him on the forehead and “while Govinda, stunned but nevertheless magnetized by great love and anticipation, obeyed his words, bent over him, and touched his lips to his forehead, a marvelous thing happened to him” (146). He had achieved enlightenment at last.


Vesudeva, on the other hand, is an ordinary man that is an enlightened “by listening to the river.” He differs from the others in that he uses the natural surroundings to become one with the universe. Being the ferryman, he lives a simple life. Arrogantly, Siddhartha initially fails to realize that he is an enlightened person. Vesudeva teaches Siddhartha to listen to the river. Siddhartha’s eventual goal, to reach nirvana, is not attained by being taught by a person, but via internalizing the river and its knowledge of steady flow. Vesudeva told Siddhartha that he has “often listened to [the river] speak, often looked it in the eye, and I [Vesudeva] have always learned from it. One can learn a lot from a river” (51).


All four characters learn that enlightenment comes from within them and is present in the world at every moment – “the future Buddha is present here and now… (140). Although they all choose different paths to take, it is evident that love is a big factor in each of the processes – “it only requires my consent, my willingness, my loving acceptance…” (141). It is not something that can be taught by someone else or even given to someone else. Each of the characters needed to realize their own personal relationship with the world. Nirvana can only be obtained when they figure out that time is meaningless – “but see here, this ‘in time’ is an illusion… (140). Siddhartha learns to love, and be a part of the world while at the same time detaching himself and transcending. All three characters influenced Siddhartha personally, as he struggled to achieve enlightenment. By the end of the novel, he himself becomes a ferryman as well, rowing between this earthly world and nirvana.