There is perhaps no other subject tackled so incredibly in-depth than that of love. In an age of suppressing mankind’s own primal urges, love and attraction remain as two of the most basic human emotions and feelings. With multitudes of interpretations and experiences by literally every person on the planet, it’s safe to say that love is a complicated and ambiguous subject matter. That being said, a question of whether love brings people further towards or further away from enlightenment can be asked, and there is no definite answer. In Herman Hesse’s, Siddhartha, Siddhartha Gautama exhibits both answers, as not only is his relationship with Kamala very complex, the way he interacts with all the people he is close with can be examined. …show more content…
The whole point of why Siddhartha requests to see her in the first place is to learn the more passionate aspects of loving somebody. “You are the best lover," she said thoughtfully, "I ever saw. You're stronger than others, more supple, more willing. You've learned my art well, Siddhartha. At some time, when I'll be older, I'd want to bear your child. And yet, my dear, you've remained a Samana, and yet you do not love me, you love nobody. Isn't it so?” (Hesse 59). Kamala has a peculiar way of using the word “art” when describing what she does for people, including Siddhartha. The fact that she uses “art” instead of commenting on the bond between the two of them points, points to the fact that what Siddhartha and Kamala had was completely superficial. Siddhartha went to Kamala out of a desire to “learn” how to love, granted in a way of complete physicality, but nonetheless out of desire. In present times, Kamala could be related in profession to that of an escort. Typically called upon by people in a higher economic standing, but one thing that remains the same between Kamala’s work and that of an escort is just that; it’s work, a job. Kamala and the escorts don’t do it to get closer to the person they’re with, to form a closer bond, they do it because, one, it makes money, but two, and more importantly for this essay, they do it to fulfill the passions and desires of the …show more content…
Agápe is an unconditional love for another person, and a prime example of that with Siddhartha is the bond he has with his son. Outside the novel, it’s easy to tell who is in that state of agápe, whether it exemplified through their spouse, children, etc. It’s extremely apparent to see who genuinely cares about the one they’re close to. It’s especially common with one’s children, as with Siddhartha; “Rich and happy, he had called himself, when the boy had come to him. Since time had passed on in the meantime, and the boy remained a stranger and in a gloomy disposition, since he displayed a proud and stubbornly disobedient heart, did not want to do any work, did not pay his respect to the old men, stole from Vasudeva's fruit-trees, then Siddhartha began to understand that his son had not brought him happiness and peace, but suffering and worry. But he loved him, and he preferred the suffering and worries of love over happiness and joy without the boy,” (Hesse 96). There’s obviously a very large and distinct difference between an unconditional love, and one of desire, agápe versus éros. Comparing the two relationships Siddhartha has with Kamala and his son, Siddhartha prefers the suffering and worries that come with his son, he doesn’t care whether or not it brings complete joy and happiness to his life, he just wants to love his son. But with Kamala, if there was suffering or worries while they were doing what they did,
Throughout the novel, Siddhartha’s experiences with love change dramatically. The effects of love also differ greatly at different points in the story. On one hand, Siddhartha’s love for his son appears to stand in the way of his quest for enlightenment. Also, Siddhartha eventually begins to question the love that his father and mother showed him. Although he is grateful for their love, and admires them because of it, “Siddhartha had started to nurse discontent in himself, he had started to feel that the love of his father and the love of his mother, and also the love of his friend, Govinda, would not bring him joy for ever and ever.” Siddhartha is not saying that love is a bad thing, but rather that it should not be confused with happiness and fulfillment. On the other hand, Siddhartha also comes to believe that he cannot experience true enlightenment without having love for the whole world. He says, “I needed lust, the desire for possessions, vanity, and needed the most shameful despair, in order to learn how to give up all resistance, in order to learn how to love the world.” Here, Siddhartha is connecting his love for the world with perfection and unity. By learning to love all of creation, he will advance further down his path to fulfillment. Love and perfection, he explains, go hand in hand and cannot ever be
Early on, Siddhartha realizes that he isn’t happy. Hesse writes, “Siddhartha started to nurse discontent in himself… the love of his friend, Govinda, would not bring him joy” (23). His confusion results in him isolating himself from those who care about him the most. Later on, Siddhartha further isolates himself. Govinda says, “You’re mocking me.
In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
For Siddhartha, he “had begun to feel that the love of his father and mother, and also the love of his friend Govinda, would not always make him happy, give him peace, satisfy and suffice him. He had begun to suspect that his worthy father and his other teachers, the wise Brahmins, had already passed on to him the bulk and best of their wisdom [but] his soul was not at peace.” (Hesse 3). Siddhartha has all the love he needs in life, yet he has a true desire to understand the world around him.
Siddhartha is a much respected son of a Brahmin who lives with his father in ancient India. Everyone in their town expects Siddhartha to act like his father and become successful. Although he lives a very high quality life, Siddhartha is dissatisfied and along with his best friend Govinda- wants nothing more than to join the group of wandering ascetics called Samana’s. This group starves themselves, travels almost naked and must beg for the food they survive on. This group of people believes that to achieve enlightenment and self-actualization: body image, health, physical and material desires must be thrown away. Although this is the life Siddhartha wished for himself, he soon discovers that it is not the right choice for him. Near desolation, Siddhartha happens upon a river where he hears a strange sound. This sound signifies the beginning of the life he was born to live – the beginning of his true self. Hesse uses many literary devices to assure Siddhartha’s goal of self-actualization and creates a proper path for that success.
...is wound was healing, his pain was dispersing; his Self had merged into unity" (111). He now understood that all things are in harmony, heading towards the same goal and he therefore knew he had no reason to mourn over his son. Siddhartha had then completed his search for inner direction and attained Nirvana through experiences of the mind, body, and spirit.
The beautiful courtesan, Kamala, taught Siddhartha the importance of love along with the pleasures of it. While in the town of Samsara, he was introduced to a life of luxuries by her. She taught him how to please a woman and how to keep her satisfied. He also learned how to gamble and the art of running a business from her friends. Although Siddhartha felt moments of joy, nothing fulfilled the longing in his soul. Over the years, one of the more important lessons he gained from Kamala was that he could have this life of pleasurable things and yet still yearn for a deeper meaning in his heart.
His "wounds" heal, losing the attachment he had for his son. Siddhartha merges into Unity ; he attains his ultimate goal.
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.
Siddhartha was a proactive, self-sufficient young man. He quickly absorbed the Brahmin’s doctrine and decided he wanted to learn even more; he had to become a Samana. Of course, in order to make such a step he needed his father’s permission. When he first requested, his father rejected the idea and said he should not speak it again. However, Siddhartha persisted. Respecting his father’s words, he stood patiently and waited for his request to be granted. His father asked him why he was waiting. Siddhartha responded, “You know why.” He continued on saying he would wait until he died. His father said, “And you would rather die than obey your father...
The second step of Siddhartha's journey is realizing that although he has knowledge, knowledge is not enough without experience. Experience can be gained through practicing knowledge. Also he realizes that thought and sense must be used together to find the way. He meets with Kamala whose beauty and intellegence overwhelms him. Kamala's observation and sensitiveness help Siddhartha to develop his sense of love. To paid for her lectur, he has his "think, wait, and fast"(chapter 5, page 46). With Kamala's help in another lecture, he gains the combination of the simplicity and intelegence.
Siddhartha, in Herman Hesse's novel, Siddhartha, is a young, beautiful, and intelligent Brahmin, a member of the highest and most spiritual castes of the Hindu religion, and has studied the teachings and rituals of his religion with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Inevitably, with his tremendous yearning for the truth and desire to discover the Atman within himself he leaves his birthplace to join the Samanas. With the Samanas he seeks to release himself from the cycle of life by extreme self-denial but leaves the Samanas after three years to go to Gotama Buddha. Siddhartha is impressed by the blissful man but decides to lead his own path. He sleeps in the ferryman's hut and crosses the river where he encounters Kamala, a beautiful courtesan, who teaches him how to love. He is disgusted with himself and leaves the materialistic life and he comes to the river again. He goes to Vasudeva, the ferryman he met the first time crossing the river. They become great friends and both listen and learn from the river. He sees Kamala again but unfortunately, she dies and leaves little Siddhartha with the ferrymen. He now experience for the first time in his life true love. His son runs away and Siddhartha follows him but he realizes he cannot bring him back. He learns from the river that time does not exist, everything is united, and the way to peace is through love. Siddhartha undergoes an archetypal quest to achieve spiritual transcendence. During his journey, he both embraces and rejects asceticism and materialism only to ultimately achieve philosophical wisdom "by the river".
...dhartha and learn from what he sees without being taught. Theodore Ziolkowski notes that characters of Hesse have transformed from trying to escape their problems more toward trying to resolve their inner vision. Siddhartha and Govinda are both. The two characters try to escape their suffering by trying to learn how to deal with pain by exposing themselves to immense amounts of it while they are with the Samanas. However, they realize that this approach will not help the problem: human suffering exists as emotional as well as physical pain. They must learn how to separate themselves from this suffering, not hide from it; that is Nirvana. Their paths separate because Siddhartha's adventures are based on those of an independent man who will try to teach himself, whereas Govinda's are based on those of a dependent man who prefers to learn by example.
...at the key to happiness is an equality of self, knowledge and love. Without these key ingredients the path for harmony becomes twisted and unmanageable. With Siddhartha's wise findings and example, it is much easier to reach the destination of balance. From Siddhartha's philosophies, the most consequential lesson I acquired is not to draw boundaries or label. In Siddhartha's progression, he falters twice, and then attains his goal. He overcame all obstacles, with perseverance, and his life can truly be defined as a legacy. Siddhartha's journey broke a cultural barrier for me and taught me a valuable lesson in acceptance. Not only did Siddhartha's determination cause metamorphoses in his own part, but gave me hope for progress and the achievement of my goals, through implementing his fundamental principles and all that I have previously acquired.
In Siddhartha the main character, Siddhartha, is only at peace with himself when he is the poorest. Siddhartha’s namesake means one who has achieves their goal. This is part of the web of symbolism left by the author to demonstrate that wealth does not necessarily bring one joy, and that it may even destroy one’s self. This is cooperated by Siddhartha’s numerous self destructive behaviors in the city which occur after the acquisition of his fortune. It is only after Siddhartha becomes a lowly ferryman, that he displays the smile.