Siddhartha Response Paper by Yukiko Nagata

Yukiko Nagata Ms. Snyder
Siddhartha Response Paper 1/18/2008

Prompt #2

In Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, one of Siddhartha’s views that does not change is his conviction that he must find a path to enlightenment by himself instead of following someone else’s method. Indeed, Siddhartha takes an unconventional approach to achieving enlightenment by experiencing many different lifestyles.
The classic teachings of Buddha include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path which seeks to rid humans of desire and overcome pain. Siddhartha becomes a shramana, but this does not help him overcome his ego, his pride and identity. He struggles against ego and wishes to, “No longer be ‘I’, and find the peace of an empty heart.” (15) However, attempting to overcome his ego is very challenging for him. He departs from this path when he meets Gotama, the Exalted One, Gotama speaks about how he achieved enlightenment. Although Siddhartha respects his achievement, he knows he must go on his own journey, just as Gotama did.
As the story continues, Siddhartha begins a life in the material world; although at first, he thought that he was better than people surrounding him, after many years, he becomes corrupted due to excessive drinking, gambling and greed. One day, Siddhartha gets so fed up with this material world that he runs away. When he is so disgusted with himself that he even considers committing suicide, he hears the ‘om’. After succumbing to the corrupted material world, he no longer sees himself above others, and from this bad experiences, his ego has been destroyed successfully. This is an essential step for his ultimate enlightenment.
In the final step of his journey, Siddhartha lives with Vasudeva at the river as a ferry man. Vasudeva is almost like Siddhartha’s mentor and suggests that he listens to the river for advice. Siddhartha learns from listening to the river, the unity of all life and the concept of life without time from listening to the river.
His final obstacle is to love. When Siddhartha meets his son who soon runs away from him, he feels for the first time, the pain of love. When he is finally able to accept this pain and the son’s departure as part of a natural cycle, Siddhartha ultimately achieves his enlightenment.
In conclusion, Siddhartha advocates that the path to enlightenment is different for each person, but that wisdom cannot be accurately expressed in words, and for that reason, Siddhartha must find enlightenment on his own; he goes through many different stages in his journey and learns a little bit from each, before he can ultimately attain his enlightenment.

Siddhartha

1) Herman Hesse’s novels before Siddhartha focused on alienated young men who rejected the cultures of their upbringings. However, these other novels did not feature the spiritual elements of Siddhartha. Do the spiritual elements of Siddhartha make it different from any other story of an alienated youth? If so, how?

In most stories when a main character leaves home, it is with the desire to escape some sort of cage, or start over with new opportunities that were not formerly available to them. This often comes with a complete rejection of who and what they were before, and the formation of a new sort of personality through which to present themselves to the world. Siddhartha’s journey, though it does reflect many of the common themes and steps taken by other literary characters, likewise shows some significant differences.

Siddhartha employs neither of the two clichéd endings for stories like these: a complete reversal wherein the main character realizes the error in his ways and returns home like a prodigal son, or an ending which concludes with the character fully settled and fully content in his new - and entirely different - way of life. In fact, though the winding storyline does alter Siddhartha’s character and way of life by the end, no sudden or dramatic events ever occur to cause unexpected change without warning or catch the reader by surprise.

The novel’s smooth pace could be attributed to the presence of religion as a major theme in the book, for while Siddhartha did indeed leave home to seek out his own path in life, even by staying with his father he was destined to become a Brahmin. In other words, his eventual status as an enlightened religious man was predestined. This coupled with the fact that he never had any intention of breaking away from that religious aspect of his life in the first place, and only, in fact, sought the very same final goal of enlightenment through different means allowed spirituality to stand by as a constant in his turbulent life. This source of stability provided a kind of padding against the extremes that such stories are prone to portraying.

Siddhartha effectively shows that changes can be made, a lifestyle can be altered, and ultimately a goal can be reached without having to resort to drastic measures, and without requiring the one desiring to make the change to thrust themselves fully into the alien and unknown. The character of Siddhartha was searching, more than anything else, for experience, and through this, wisdom, but never in his search did he set foot outside the comfort zone of his spirituality. His deepest core value did not once waver, so by the time he’d matured, and after gaining a greater worldly understanding, Siddhartha ended up, perhaps, a very similar man to what he would have been before. Enlightened, wise, respectable, but the point of the journey, obviously wasn’t the destination, but the road taken to get there.

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.

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.

Buddhism Response (prompt 2)

Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha is a novel which every person can relate to, for every person goes on a “journey”when they are young to find themselves. While it is universally relatable, the novel also celebrates Eastern religion and illustrates Siddhartha’s anomalistic path to Buddhist enlightenment. Through Siddhartha’s search to find himself, universality, Eastern religious practices and ideas, and Siddhartha’s independence are all manifested.

Eastern religion is one of the bases of Siddhartha. Although he runs away from the lifestyle in which he was raised, Siddhartha brings his sense of what spirituality is with him. From the very beginning of the novel, religion is present. Once Siddhartha has left his family, he and Govinda follow and become shramanas. However, they eventually leave to see the Buddha, Gotama, speak. When they are leaving the shramanas, Siddhartha says, “I have no desires to walk on water...let old shramanas content themselves with such skills”(26). Here, Siddhartha shows that mastering useless skills is not what is important to him, for he could learn everything very quickly from the shramanas and become a highly respected shramana. However, he would not be aware of who he was, nor would he truly understand what it is to be enlightened. Siddhartha as a whole celebrates both the struggle of the individual to understand their religion, and the concept that no one can enlighten you, you must find understanding in their teachings, or in Siddhartha’s case, find it within your own experiences and knowledge.

Siddhartha’s path to enlightenment is one which is very unconventional. When Govinda and Siddhartha go to see the Buddha, Govinda takes refuge in him after they both hear his teaching. Govinda does not understand why Siddhartha does not join him. Siddhartha later explains to Gotama that he does not take refuge because he wishes to “leave behind all teachings and all teachers and to attain [his] goal on [his] own”(36). Although Siddhartha encounters many teachers after Gotama (Kamala, Kamaswami, and Vasudeva), he does eventually leave his teachers (or they leave him) and achieve his goal. Siddhartha illustrates the struggle that most young people encounter; he cannot simply learn something and believe it blindly, he must go out, experience the world, and discover his beliefs himself.

Prior to reading the novel, I knew what samsara was and knew that in Buddhism, the universe is all Brahmin; however, I did not fully understand it. After reading Siddhartha, I understand these concepts through Siddhartha’s experiences with the river. In the same way, Siddhartha can learn many things, like he did from the shramanas, Kamala, and Kamaswami, but in order to understand them, he had to experience these things for himself.

Hesse’s treatment of spirituality is just as relevant today as it was when he wrote the novel, for the struggle of the individual to understand the world and oneself in relation to the world has not changed.

siddhartha

The book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is a story about reaching enlightenment. In Buddhism, in order to achieve enlightenment one is supposed to follow the Four Noble Truths. Throughout the book Siddhartha, the main character, encounters many people who are trying to find enlightenment or who have already attained it such as, Govinda, Gotama and Vasudeva. All of these characters reach enlightenment, but Siddhartha, Vasudeva and Gotama do so through their won ways where as Govinda needs the guidance and teaching of others.

Govinda, Siddhartha’s best friend, is an aesthetic like Siddhartha, but he does not question teachings to the extent and in the same way that Siddhartha does. Govinda has always followed Siddhartha’s past, but when they boy go to listen to Gotama, Govinda decides to follow him while Siddhartha stays behind because he says he does not have faith in teachers. Unlike Siddhartha Govinda has always followed the teachings and actions of others. At the end of the book when Govinda and Siddhartha meet again, Siddhartha has already reached enlightenment on his own through the realization that no matter how much life splits from the source, everything tends to gravitate back towards it. Once Govinda realizes this he uses Siddhartha to reach enlightenment himself Govinda uses Siddhartha to help him reach enlightenment. Govinda needs assistance in order to achieve the same state as Siddhartha. He needs someone to point out the path he should be following. Towards the end Siddhartha uses Vasudeva to help guide him towards enlightenment, but he ultimately relies on only himself.

Vasudeva achieves enlightenment by listening to the river. Similarly, Siddhartha also uses the river to help him achieve enlightenment. Vasudeva guides Siddhartha on his path to enlightenment by telling him to listen to the river, but he does not teach Siddhartha his philosophical beliefs. Siddhartha and Vasudeva are both similar in that they both used the river to help them reach enlightenment and neither of them followed or used others teachings in order to achieve enlightenment.

Gotama is a Buddha who uses his state to teach others how to reach enlightenment. Gotama uses the Eightfold Path, the four main points, and other aspects of Buddhism as his main teachings. However, Siddhartha does not believe it is possible to achieve enlightenment using the teachings of others. Gotama like Siddhartha achieves enlightenment by following his own path.

In varied ways Siddhartha, Govinda, Gotama, and Vasudeva all find enlightenment in the book Siddhartha. All four of these characters find enlightenment in different ways, but Govinda unlike the others needs guidance in order to reach enlightenment. Siddhartha goes through many stages in order to find enlightenment, but eventually reaches it by listening to the river, just as Vasudeva did. Govinda latches onto Siddhartha when he realizes that Siddhartha has found enlightenment so that Siddhartha can guide Govinda to enlightenment. All of these characters reach a state of enlightenment.

East vs. West in Hesse's Siddhartha

Siddhartha’s indulgence in characteristically Western ideals, such as ambition and wealth, along his journey glorify Eastern philosophy, as Siddhartha is only satisfied when he reaches the ultimate Buddhist goal of nirvana.

Hesse creates a protagonist blindly in direct conflict with the most basic Buddhist guidelines, his vision shrouded by Western ambition and curiosity. Siddhartha’s first steps away from his father on his journey to enlightenment are literally his first deviation from traditional Eastern beliefs. Siddhartha is often criticized as being “greedy” for knowledge, a craving that is in direct conflict with Buddhist philosophy. In order to end the suffering caused by curiosity or craving and eventually reach enlightenment, Buddhists strive to follow the Eightfold Path. Siddhartha’s yearning for knowledge and experience, a mark of overzealous Western ambition, is the root of Siddhartha’s difficulties in reaching true understanding.

Siddhartha’s craving for education leads him farther off the studious, devotional path of Buddhism into the inconsequential Western world of industry and wealth in the city. Although Buddhism ironically allows a span of years for its followers to go experience the world before serious dedication to Buddhist philosophies, Siddhartha’s hunger for understanding leads him off of this path first into the company of religious devotees. Siddhartha eventually leaves this group behind, frustrated with teachers who simply preach with no understanding themselves to find his own path to enlightenment. This personal, isolated journey is consistent with the introverted path to understanding of Buddhism. However, Siddhartha is swayed again from his direction by the bustling, Western-industrialized city. In the city, Siddhartha learns of love, wealth and success, unimportant distractions from the impermanence of human life in Buddhism, but ideals strongly associated with Western cultures. Although Siddhartha does enjoy business, lovers and gambling, there is a detachment from these temporary pleasures under the surface that drives Siddhartha away from the city and to the river. This lingering attachment to Eastern philosophy keeps Siddhartha from losing sight of his goal, and ultimately gives him the strength to dedicate his time to Vasudeva and learning from him. Siddhartha’s previous resentment of teachers vanishes with Vasudeva as he learns gradually, his curiosity abated and his Western attachments forgotten. Siddhartha’s iconic vision of the faces in the river, an epitomizing image of Buddhist egolessness, gives readers the sense that Buddhism is an everlasting philosophy with roots deep in nature. This image deeply contrasts the portrayal of the cutthroat, and drives home the cyclical nature of Buddhism with a peaceful, natural image.

Siddhartha’s achievement of nirvana, although fueled and by stereotypically Western ambition and delayed by the Western industrialized city, is ultimately only possible as Siddhartha embraces the ideals of Buddhist philosophy. As Siddhartha sees his own son take the same steps away from him that he took from his father as a young man, the cyclical nature of Buddhism is truly revealed to Siddhartha and to the readers. Combined with the patient teachings of Vasudeva, Siddhartha uses his own experiences to free himself of his Westernized desires and to find a way to end his suffering and achieve nirvana within himself.

Siddhartha (prompt 3)

Enlightenment is obtained in different ways for the four characters that achieve it in Siddhartha. This emphasizes the point that there are multiple ways to reach the common goal of enlightenment and makes it seem more attainable to others.

How Gotama reached enlightenment remains unexplained and is something Siddhartha comments on in his conversation with him. However, it is clear that Gotama is enlightened from his demeanor. It is known that Gotama got to his conclusions about the world on his own; in this way he is like Siddhartha, who wants to experience enlightenment for himself instead of hearing about enlightenment second hand.

Siddhartha must experience many ways of life before finally reaching enlightenment. He wants to understand many different aspects of life to further understand the world around him. He has many mentors along the way that guide him towards his goal, but ultimate he must rely on himself to find the answers he is searching for and so achieve peace that he has seen in Gotama. He is always questing for answers, so when he eventually finds them he is able to be calm inside. Siddhartha finds the path to enlightenment inside himself, and only when he fully understands himself does he understand the nature of the world.

Vasudeva reaches enlightenment through dedicated observation of an object over a long period of time. The river embodies the impermanence that is central to Buddhism. Vasudeva has spent many years as a ferryman on the river. By watching the river he learns important lessons about how everything is connected. This devotion to one thing is enough to give Vasudeva the answers he is looking for. Vasudeva is a simple man, and so he takes a simple path to enlightenment.

Govinda is able to reach enlightenment through the guidance of others. He is a follower; he follows Siddhartha for the first part of his life and Gotama for the second. Eventually he is able to reach understand when he kisses Siddhartha on the forehead and Siddhartha’s understanding of the world is transferred onto him. This act is symbolic of how Govinda receives knowledge from others but fails to find the answers purely on his own. Govinda doesn’t come up with his own theories and ideas about enlightenment, but is able to believe in what others teach him completely. This total faith is why Govinda can reach enlightenment from this path and Siddhartha can’t.

There are many different paths to enlightenment because people are so diverse. Not everyone learns and understands things the same way, so multiple courses are necessary. They are all correct, and the four types of people who all reach the same ending point by the end of the novel shows that it doesn’t matter who you are or what method you use to find enlightenment as long as you truly wish to achieve it.

Siddhartha. #3 - Hye Ji Yang

From the moment we are born, we all take different paths of life. Yet, our lives all take us to experience suffering and happiness. Unconsciously, the learning of those experiences is making us into new people everyday. Spiritual Enlightenment, Nirvana, achieving total peace of mind, can be achieved by every single person in every different way. It is us who choose our own path.
In Siddhartha, Govinda, Gotaman, Vasudeva, and Siddhartha are all born differently. However, they all achieve enlightenment at the end consciously or unconsciously. The enlightenment they achieved is the one, same thing. They felt the true enlightenment by their hearts, not through their head. Again, they felt it with their hearts. As Siddhartha questions the leading of Gotama towards the enlightenment, one would never be able to achieve enlightenment indirectly.
Siddhartha, Gotama and Govinda actually sought for enlightenment. They gave up many things that are futile to their goals. Siddhartha leaves family at first, and also leaves his love, Kamala. They forced and led themselves to achieve enlightenment. Siddhartha experienced and tried many things to find the total peace. Through them, he finally achieves the enlightenment.
However, Vasudeva is unconsciously enlightened by the surroundings. He neither gave up his former life nor forced himself to achieve enlightenment. He just learned so many things from the river. Through the time he spent on the river, he was feeling the river simply and deeply. Through river, he gains total peace.
Whichever way we go, we can learn from everything. The enlightenment can be achieved in everywhere, only if we truly feel and learn it through our heart.

Siddhartha

Four characters in Siddhartha achieve enlightenment. Each uses a different path to achieve the same goal. Throughout the book, Siddhartha wonders whether one must come to enlightenment on one’s own by taking the journey through life. However, by the end of the book, Siddhartha realizes that there are many different paths one can take to Nirvana.
Gotama, or the Buddha, became enlightened by taking his own solitary journey through life. He did not use the methods or teachings of anyone but himself. This path seems lonely and difficult, but to Siddhartha, this path also seems like the most commendable. Gotama says in the book that although he found enlightenment on his own, he believes he can use what he learned to teach others the path to enlightenment. This would suggest that once he was enlightened, Gotama became selfless enough to devote his life to teaching others.
Vasudeva had a similar selflessness about him. Vasudeva spent his life ferrying people across the river he lived next to. Though it seems monotonous and sheltered, spending time near the river and learning the natural way of things is actually what helped Vasudeva achieve enlightenment. Every time a person crosses the river, it seems to symbolize a change in the direction of their lives, which would suggest that the river is the natural way of life. By listening to the river, and trying to understand the natural way of things, Vasudeva became at peace with his surroundings and also became selfless by continually helping people move through their own journey of life.
Govinda, Siddhartha’s good friend, seemed hesitant about striking out on his own journey. Govinda wanted someone to teach him what he needed to know. Govinda listened to Gotama and followed his teachings. Though he uses the knowledge that others give him, Govinda seems to be the character that is the most genuine and caring. Though Siddhartha leaves him, each time they meet again Govinda is eternally compassionate to his old friend. Maybe Govinda really does need the teachings of others to achieve enlightenment. Or maybe Govinda’s kind heart would have led him to his own path in the end. Govinda’s story helps to solidify the fact that there is not just one path to enlightenment.
Siddhartha chose the path of heaviest resistance. Not only did he travel his path mostly alone, but Siddhartha also went down so many different roads that he thought would lead him to enlightenment. He tried giving up all his worldly possessions, he tried loving a woman with all his heart, he tried learning from his own intellect, but in the end Siddhartha’s path to enlightenment was to understand, accept, and release his own pain. Siddhartha had to understand the fruitlessness of his journey, and the pain of losing the woman he loved and the son he cared for. Siddhartha had to understand that pain was inevitable, and that accepting that fact brings you closer to understanding the natural way of the world and thus, being at peace.
Though no character takes the same path to enlightenment, that is what makes the story great. Siddhartha believes that each person must journey alone. His realization at the end of the story that each man has a different path to enlightenment and the none is wrong is part of his own enlightenment. Each enlightened man in the story attains peace and compassion, and though the ends are similar, each path had to be different because each man was different.

Unequal Enlightenment

In Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, several people attain enlightenment. Siddhartha, Gotama, Govinda, and Vasudeva all achieve enlightenment, and this shared tie connects them, but the ways in which they achieve enlightenment make the distinctions between them all very clear. Also, the ways in which Hesse presents these characters, not just their accomplishments, greatly influences the way in which the reader views the characters and therefore the way in which they view a character’s accomplishments. Vasudeva and Gotama seem to be the two purest or most intelligent of the enlightened characters, before and after their enlightenment. Siddhartha and Gotama both go about enlightenment in ways that are frowned upon or easily questioned. Although Govinda, Gotama, Vasudeva, and Siddhartha all achieve enlightenment, it is difficult to respect them equally for this accomplishment because of the ways in which they go about attaining enlightenment.
Gotama and Vasudeva both achieve enlightenment in such a way that they seem to be the more intelligent and respectable of the four who are eventually enlightened. Not much is given about Gotama’s background other than the fact the he is the Buddha. The Buddha is presented in such a manner that he instantly commands respect. He seems to be a serene and divine being, revered by everyone, even Siddhartha. He is not described as having any faults other than the fact that he tries to teach something that may not be teachable. Vasudeva is similarly respectable. He is enlightened but he did not set out to become enlightened like Siddhartha, Gotama, and Govinda. He just lives his life and thinks about the way he and others live. He also is not shown at an utter low like Siddhartha.
Siddhartha sets out to experience. He does so and even though he intends to do most of the things he does, it is easy to fault him for his actions because he clearly lacks any regard for the people around him. Initially, in his quest to discover himself, he shows a clear disdain for teaching figures. Then he meets a pretty courtesan and he becomes the perfect student. While there is more the Siddhartha’s actions than just the surface intent, the immature, erratic and seemingly careless path he follows taints the final image of one who has been enlightened. Govinda is not easily likable, in part because he asks the questions that have obvious answers, making him seem unworthy or enlightenment. Also he is the only main character who does not achieve enlightenment through his own actions and meditation. While he makes an independent choice and stands by his decision in pursuit of enlightenment, he seems to be less respectable than the other characters.
While all of these characters attain enlightenment, their backgrounds and life paths impose a sort of scale on how enlightened they really seem to be. They are all enlightened, but after getting to know them as the characters or people they were before they became enlightened, it is easy to judge them and view their enlightenment as different and worthy of varying levels of respect.

Siddhartha

Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, addresses the many different paths in Buddhism that one can follow to reach spiritual enlightenment. Hesse’s concept of ‘no two paths are the same’ is clearly demonstrated in his depiction of the four main characters: Siddhartha, Gotama, Vasudeva, and Govinda. These four different men represent the variety of ways one can follow the path to enlightenment, but Hesse is careful to insinuate that although on the surface their journey’s may be similar, deep down it is evident that each character followed their own instincts and desires to achieve their personal and ultimate goal.
Gotama is meant to be the first man in Siddhartha’s time who has fully achieved enlightenment, which causes Siddhartha to have a dawning realization that it is possible to break samsara. When Siddhartha has the opportunity to speak to Gotama, he tells him, “You have found liberation from death. This came to you as a result of your own path…it did not come to you through a teaching! And that is my idea, O Exalted One- nobody attains enlightenment through a teaching” (36). This quote immediately sets the stage for the remainder of the novel which is Siddhartha’s journey by himself through life in order to find enlightenment on his own. Gotama achieved enlightenment by his own standards and tries to teach it but Siddhartha recognizes the gap in the teaching which is the actual experience the Buddha went through. The difference between the path Gotama traveled and the path of his followers is that his followers are being taught from Gotama how to achieve something that cannot be taught but must be sought by abandoning all forms of teaching.
The next character in the novel is Vasudeva, the ferryman that leads a simple life. It takes Siddhartha a while before he finally realizes that Vasudeva has achieved enlightenment mainly because Siddhartha immediately assumes that this simple man could never be able to achieve something so great without the assistance, teaching, or example of others. After his first encounter with Vasudeva, Siddhartha says to himself “Everyone I meet on my way is like Govinda. They are all grateful, although they themselves are due the gratitude. All of them treat me with deference; they would all be happy to be my friend, they would be glad to obey me without having to think too much. People are children.”(51) Through this quote, Herman Hesse tries to show the foolish arrogance in Siddhartha’s assumption. This represents Siddhartha’s still prevalent attachment to the world of teaching because he has been “taught” that to achieve enlightenment one must study, learn, and pray, but he still doesn’t understand that Vasudeva has attained nirvana simply because he didn’t follow the set path of the society’s imagination. Vasudeva’s guide along his path was the river in which he worked and lived by everyday. Others like Siddhartha seek all over for something to help them in their goal without looking at the things directly in front of them for guidance.
Siddhartha by the novel’s end achieves enlightenment. He traveled a long way in his life to reach this point, but for his personal journey, all of those encounters and experiences were essential in shaping his outcome. He finally understands the unity of all things, and the sense of no time. At the end of the novel, Siddhartha is yet again visited by his old friend Govinda who has been avidly seeking and listening to teachings all his life in order to attain nirvana. Govinda doesn’t understand when Siddhartha tells him that, “The world itself, existence around us and in us, is never one sided…Thus I see as whatever is as good. I see that life and death, sin and holiness, intelligence and foolishness, must be as they are. It all only requires my consent, my willingness, my loving acceptance and it will be good for me, can never harm me. (140-141). This quote sums up Siddhartha’s journey in a few sentences mainly to show and convey to Govinda just how simple it is to let one’s body take over and follow it’s own will. Siddhartha’s comment is put to the test when he tells Govinda to come and kiss his forehead, Govinda reacts as such, “while his thoughts were still dwelling on Siddhartha’s strange words, while he was still vainly and with some resistance attempting to think away time, mentally to represent nirvana and samsara as one, while indeed a certain disregard for his friend’s words warred in him with inconceivable love and respect…” (147). It is at this moment that Govinda abandons his thoughts and intellect and simply follows his emotions which inevitably lead him to his ultimate goal of nirvana.
Herman Hesse shows through each of these men the different ways each learned how to attain liberation. Gotama originally achieved liberation all on his own which sparked the interest of Siddhartha and Govinda. Siddhartha needed to take the rough path of life in order to learn how to stop resisting the world and life for what it truly is. Like the ferryman, Siddhartha had to come to his own realization that the world is beautiful and is what it is, which the ferryman learned from his beloved river. Govinda followed a life of strict monastic order, which paid off for him in the end because he reached a point when he was simply exhausted by thinking and battling his thoughts or ideas of nirvana in his mind instead of simply acting as he should. On the surface it may seem that all the characters had teachers and guides, but in the end they all achieved enlightenment on their own terms.

Tibetan Buddhist Art

The Rubin Museum in NYC put together maybe the greatest art history website of all time, ExploreArt. This website presents several Himalayan paintings and gives excellent analysis of their symbolic content and their role in Mahayana Buddhist tradition. It takes a little bit of time to launch, but is completely worthwhile. You should pay particular attention the image of Tara, an extremely popular female bodhisattva in Tibet. Also, the 'demon' who is the particular protector of the Dalai Lama is explored on the site. Click on the image of "Pehar," who is right next to Tara at the bottom of the page. If you want a sense of the complexity of Himalayan Buddhist universe, the art on this site is an excellent introduction.

Buddhist protests in Myanmar

Now that we are examining the role of Buddhism in Asia, I thought you would enjoy reading these articles on the role of Buddhism in political protests in Myanmar/Burma.

A BBC site that profiles the country.
The Human Rights Watch report on the government crackdown on protesters.
A country profile with a timeline and related articles from the New York Times.
And an article from the International Herald Tribune.

Yukiko Nagata Ms. Snyder
Religions of Asia: Response Paper 12/03/2007

Making Orders Strict: From Chapter 7 Legalists and Militarists
In applying punishments, light offenses should be punished heavily; if light offenses do not appear, heavy offenses will not come. This is said to be abolishing penalties by means of penalties, and if penalties are abolished, affairs will succeed. If crimes are serious and penalties light, penalties will appear and trouble will arise. This is said to be bringing about penalties by means of penalties, and such a state will surely be dismembered.
The sage ruler understands what is essential in affairs and so, in the governing of the people, there is that which is most essential. Therefore in administering rewards and punishments he relies on uniformity. Humaneness is extending the heart. The sage ruler, by his governing of men, is certain to win their hearts; consequently he is able to exert strength. Strength produces force: force produces prestige; prestige produces virtue. Virtue has its origin in strength. The sage ruler alone possesses it, and therefore he is able to transmit humaneness and rightness to all-under-Heaven.
The most crucial aspect of Legalism is that people be submissive and respectful to the leader of the state so that more stable, well-organized and powerful central state ruled by a strong leader can be formed. Legalism was widespread during the Qing dynasty and seeing how successful they were at expanding their territories and conquering a large part of China, it can be implied that this principle worked very well, leading Chinese society to an accomplishment of establishing an ideal government. By enforcing harsh punishments to any types of crimes and encouraging people to be subservient to the authority figure, Legalism sought a formation of a society with a dominant ruler and a well-ordered government.
In the first paragraph, it is said that by imposing tough penalties on every single crime regardless of situations, people will not commit bad sins or crimes. In other words, if the penalty for murdering a person is to be put in jail until the criminal dies, then the penalty for stealing a piece of bread from someone else to save one’s family members who are starving to death would be exactly the same. In the current society, stealing a piece of bread from someone else seems a lighter crime by far than murdering somebody and thus should receive a lighter punishment; however, in Legalism, it was crucial that every single kind of crime is treated equally with the same punishments. It was believed that equal application of the law was important, because they thought that tough penalties on even small crimes will result in less number of crimes overall and will help to keep the order of the society by all means.
The main idea in the second part of this passage is that strength by the ruler is the key to the rightness of everyone. In Legalism, it was understood anything that does not contribute to a formation of a strong state such as rich people and scholars should be set aside; the ultimate goal, according to this religion, was to form a strong state composed of strong central authority. The society was largely based on agriculture with nice, quiet and obedient people. The people who believed in this religion saw “order” as a significant factor; any kinds of social mobility were seen as a threat to the traditional society. For example, scholars were “aids to lawlessness. More specifically, being educated and informative about the government, like the scholars, were seen as detrimental and disadvantage factors to the society, since the scholars could revolt against the emperor’s decisions when they did not agree with them. Educated people with a lot of wealth which enabled them to go against the authority figure were thought that they should become poor and contribute to unifying in order to create a strong central authority. In contrast, obedient and poor people, mostly farmers, were valued and treated nicely; the society and the government thought that they should be rewarded with land and status.
In conclusion, Legalism is similar to Confucianism, because they both emphasize the importance of “being polite and dutiful to the elders and the authority figure. However, in Confucianism, mastering of cultural arts such as martial art and calligraphy was valued and seen as one of the basic foundations. On the other hand, in Legalism, it was believed that any kinds of learning is harmful to the creation and maintaining a strong government since people will become educated and will attempt to use their knowledge to go against the ruler’s idea when their own opinions differ; farmers who did not receive education was well-liked by the rulers since they were law-abiding and supportive to whatever the ruler said.

Legalism Response

“A weak people means a strong state and a strong state means a weak people. Therefore, a state that has the right way is concerned with weakening the people. If they are simple they become strong and if they are licentious they become weak. Being weak, they are law-abiding; being licentious, they let their ambition go too far; being weak; they are serviceable, but if they let their ambition go too far, they will become strong…” The Guanzi on Weakening the People

A Legalist society strives for a strong state and central authority. While history has proven that, in practice, legalism is effective in creating a strong state, its oppressive nature is intolerable.
The way The Guanzi is worded implies that the only way a state can be strong is if the people are “serviceable” and “simple” or ignorant. They should be without ambition and individually weak. By my standards, this is a pointless existence. A Legalist society doesn’t work towards a goal or work together at all. The government relies on the ignorance of oppressed workers to support and promote its wealth. This allows the government officials the benefits of the worker’s labor, while the workers are barely allowed to exist. It seems as if this government is perfectly structured for corruption and extortion. Legalism seems to be idealistic in a tyrannical way as well. If its theories were applied to an ignorant society, some of its goals may be achieved but all these theories seem to rely on an inherent weakness and inevitable ignorance of the people, yet oppression, while is it not mentioned, is clearly the way in which that weakness and ignorance is gained. While in the context of the philosophy, most of the beliefs and theories make sense; from an outside perspective it’s radical to a dangerous extreme.
Legalism and Confucianism share some common principles but on whole they couldn’t be more opposite. Both philosophies view respect and obedience as paramount but they ways in which they describe how it should be attained are entirely different. Respect in a Confucian society would be earned due to filial piety and a natural appreciation. Respect and obedience in a Legalist society would be earned through fear of extreme punishment, impartiality, and most of all, ignorance. The way The Guanzi is worded points the reader to the conclusion that Legalist societies are governed by a few powerful and hypocritical intellectuals who rely on masses of workers to further them and the state they represent and run, but doesn’t criticize that fact. This may achieve a goal of expansion and government wealth but if the majority of the people are uneducated and without ambition, how can a society so simple advance over time?