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Siddhartha hermann hesse conclusions
Literary lives Hermann Hesse
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After reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, I found myself questioning one of my core values: learning from others. All my life I have been taught to respect my teachers because they have knowledge they can pass down to me. I’ve been encouraged to meet people and learn from their insights and experiences. However, Siddhartha, the main character in the novel, completely rejects these notions. For example, in the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha declines the opportunity to study with the famous Buddha because he thinks that he does not need the help of a teacher in his quest for enlightenment. Only through meditation, fasting, and introspection does he believe that he can understand the world around him. Throughout his journey, he leaves his
In the book Siddhartha, authored by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha, the main character who leaves great wealth behind and sets out on a long journey to reach enlightenment, has many different experiences throughout his spiritual journey. Some of those events are relatable to my past experiences as well. Siddhartha has never disobeyed his father yet still left his home to become a Samana and chose his own path, leaving everything behind. I wasn’t really given a choice, but I moved from Israel to Canada when I was young and, like Siddhartha, had to leave everything behind. When we lived in Israel, we were having financial trouble due to my father’s proficiencies being unfit to the area we lived in. Then, my father, like Siddhartha, embarked on a quest to achieve great wealth and we settled down in Canada, living a life much like Siddhartha's after he settled in the town; we had quite a bit of money. Siddhartha moved a lot, and so did I. He had many different mentors throughout his journey, and so did I, although I didn’t have a goal or focus to be guided to. From all of the points noted above, my experiences clearly have some sort similarities to some of Siddhartha’s, except that I, unlike Siddhartha, haven’t been enlightened. Not yet anyways.
Each of us has innate desire to understand the purpose of our existence. As Hermann Hesse illustrates in his novel Siddhartha, the journey to wisdom may be difficult. Organized religion helps many to find meaning in life but it does not substitute careful introspection. An important message of Siddhartha is that to achieve enlightenment one must unite the experiences of mind, body, and spirit.
In the novel Siddhartha, Herman Hesse used other characters to let Siddhartha grow both intellectually and spiritually. During the course of his journey, Siddhartha encountered many people and experienced different ways of living and thinking about life. Each person taught him something about himself and the world around him.
While it seems as if Siddhartha’s early stages of following the teachings of others and immersing himself in material goods did not help Siddhartha on his quest, Siddhartha views these stages in a positive way. “I experienced by observing my own body and my own soul that I sorely needed sin, sorely needed concupiscence, needed greed, vanity… and to love it and be happy to belong to it.” (120). Siddhartha states how he needed sin, vanity, and all of these feelings to realize how corrupt his view of enlightenment was. Siddhartha understands, through viewing his own body and soul, that he needs to accept the world he lives in for what it is, and learn to love it. This flaw that Siddhartha has throughout much of the novel is crucial, as Hesse is able to display how wisdom can only be achieved by looking within the self, not through the words or doctrines of others.
Throughout history there have been countless numbers of teachers: artisans, craftsmen, ideologist, to name a few. They have all master some skill, gained some wisdom, or comprehended an idea. These teachers have achieved knowledge which allows them to excel and to be above and beyond regular people. Knowledge is something everyone strives for, and many desire. To achieve knowledge, one must have an eye-opening experience, and epiphany that leads to the increase of one’s intellect and skill set. In Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, the main character, Siddhartha, goes in an almost never ending quest to achieve knowledge. Throughout this journey, Siddhartha encounters many teachers, whom which he learns a great deal, but fails to attain that knowledge he achieves for. However, each and every single one of them teaches him something which ultimately contribute to his final achievement of knowledge. As Siddhartha mentioned to his good friend Govinda:
Is it possible for Shakespeare to connect Othello to the Four Noble Truths? In Shakespeare’s words, “Poor and content is rich, and rich enough.”1 Shakespeare unintentionally connects the concept of his play Othello to the ancient concept of the Four Noble Truths: craving worldly pleasures only leads one to suffer. The Four Noble Truths provide a conceptual framework to Buddhist principles; they contain the essence of Buddhist teachings. Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha deals with Siddhartha’s spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Every step along Siddhartha’s journey incorporates a concept from each of the Four Noble Truths.
In the book, Siddhartha written by Herman Hesse, the topic of self-realization and gaining self-knowledge is explored. Ralph Waldo Emerson states that “[who] would be a man must be a nonconformist [...] Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind […] with consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall.” Here, Emerson states that in order to be a man, one must break away from generally accepted beliefs and practices. Society is not optimal to cultivate the foundation to finding one’s self. Participation in society inhibits individual growth because it confuses one of their true values, wastes time, and clouds success and determination.
The first teacher that Siddhartha had was the Samanas. Siddhartha followed their path for a few years, and learned much from them. He had accomplished the eightfold path and the four noble truths in a short time. Although he had learned much he came to a decision to leave the Samanas. Siddhartha was grateful for they’re teachings, but in the end he believed he could have learned everything that they had taught him on his own.
Siddhartha, written by Herman Hesse, is a novel about a man's progression towards his goal to center his life with a combination of peace and balance. Many of the displayed philosophies can be applied to today's world. Through my reading, I noticed many similarities between my life and Siddhartha's. First, Siddhartha felt a need for independence, that to truly be happy with his success, he must attain his achievements in his own way, and not others. Even though, he feels he must acquire this by himself, he tries to be as removed from his human side as possible. Only later does he learn that individuality and freedom from necessity must be united to procure his objectives and free him from his imperfections. Second, Siddhartha discovers that things and riches do not bring happiness. They are only temporary. No matter the extent of wealth a person has this never satisfies the insatiable need for possessions. Lastly, Siddhartha found that balance is the key to peace and happiness. Although a simplistic teaching, it is very complex to learn and apply. In my life, I can relate to his path and lessons, because I feel the same struggles and battles with attaining serenity.
Analysis: Siddhartha believes he may be able to learn to become enlightened by the Buddha. Again, this shows how dedicated he is to his goal.
Throughout the novel, Siddhartha is both internally and externally separated from society. While Siddhartha searches of enlightenment, he assimilates into multiple groups, but separates himself internally from others within the group. As a Brahmin’s son, Siddhartha was surrounded by educated, wealthy, and strong spiritual followers. Despite this, Siddhartha was singled out as exceptional, this carries on as he becomes a Samana and the beginning of his stay in the village. It is this separation that creates and strengthens Siddhartha’s greatest vice, his ego. Throughout the book, Siddhartha tries to rid himself of his attachments; yet, the way in which he views the society around him ensures his attachment to his own ego. Midway through
With high expectations from his father, Siddhartha was disinterested in his perfectly manicured life, and realized that life’s former pleasures had lost their excitement. Wisdom, being a personal attainment of knowledge, only found through the self, is something that can only be guided. This is the largest struggle in modern society. It is impossible to find an individualized path when the opinions of others impede ones thoughts. Attachments in materials and ego become an anchor in ones life when we follow others, not allowing for a person path to be uncovered.
Describe your understanding of the social work profession and its core values. How have you incorporated social work values in your human service experiences and interactions with others? What significant relationships and life experiences have you had in giving or receiving help that have motivated you to enter the field of social work? What personal qualities equip you for the social work profession? Discuss your experiences and feelings about the working with populations different from your own.
Understanding who we are as individuals can be a struggle for people throughout life. It can be difficult to comprehend who we are and why we exist. There are daily outside influences that help create who we are and what our values are. Values play a significant role in our lives. They shape the choices we make and reveal a big part of our identity to the world. Some values may be more important than others, but they still manage to influence our lives in one way or another, whether we know it or not. Values can range from a tangible item to an idea that has influenced us to stand by and remember those values. The values we hold with the highest importance act as a guide and help us prioritize our purpose and goals in our daily life. My family has taught me a list of values and traits that have helped me become a well-rounded individual. I value my family more than anything because most of my core inner values have started from their teachings at one point or another. My top values that I have developed from my family are dedication, honesty, and wisdom. I will discuss who I am in terms of the important values that shape my personal belief system and decision making framework that, in essence, describes the direction of my life.
My personal vision of the future is not something I have taken a significant amount of time to ponder in the past. I have general ideas of where I see myself both personally and professionally in future but have not identified specific steps to get there or pondered why I want to be in that situation. When taking on this somewhat daunting task of identifying my future self it is important to identify my driving values, philosophy, dreams, and my personal calling. Self-reflection on these characteristics and preferences are key to a developing a successful picture of the future.