Siddhartha and The Razor’s Edge

Siddhartha and The Razor’s Edge

The book Siddhartha and the movie The Razor’s Edge are two similar yet different stories. Each these two works explore man’s search for truth, self, and life’s true meaning. The main characters of these stories are very different people, yet they are in search of similar goals. The main character of Siddhartha is Siddhartha. The main character of The Razor’s Edge is Larry Darryl. Larry and Siddhartha go through several stages of their lives, which range from rich to poor and back again.

Siddhartha was a Brahmin’s son, of the upper class in India. He is loved throughout his community. He is revered by all that knows him. He spends his day in meditation and thought. He brings joy to all, but in his heart & soul he isn’t happy. He feels that he can learn any more from the wise men of his village because he has acquired all of their knowledge and they don’t know everything. Most importantly they do not know Atman. A group of Samanas enters his village and intrigues him. He decides to leave his village to become a Samana. He tells his best friend Govinda and he decides to come too, but first Siddhartha must tell his father. He goes one day to tell his father, but his father won’t allow it. Siddhartha stands in his father all night until his father lets him go. When Siddhartha and Govinda join they began to learn their “tricks.” Siddhartha lived without possessions or a home. He learned to fast, think, and wait. He began exiting his body through meditation and entering objects and animals. Soon he realizes that he must leave because they are only learning to escape pain (Self), and they can’t teach him any more. When he and Govinda leave Govinda tells Siddhartha of Gotama (the enlightened one) and they go to see him. When Govinda leaves he tells the leader of the Samanas and he becomes angered. Siddhartha hypnotizes (a trick that he learned from the Samanas) the leader and he allows them to leave. They find Gotama and all of his followers in Jetavana grove. They are taken by his enlightened aura. After hearing him speak Govinda swears allegiance to Gotama. Siddhartha takes everything that Gotama says to heart, but realizes that he must follow his own path. Siddhartha begins to look at the world differently. He isn’t concerned with the other realm he begins to focus on the world as it is. ...

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... you live your life there is no earthly reward, he then goes back to America.

Each story is it’s own yet the same. Larry wants to feel fulfilled in life and he is searching for a way to do so. Siddhartha wants to become enlightened. Each trekked through India searching for answers. Larry and Siddhartha were both of the upper class. Both men were loved by all who came into contact with them. They both forged special relationships with women living unholy lives. Each walked out on their respective lives in search of truth. Both men reduced their living standards by freewill at one point in their lives. Certain teachers/guides have helped them find enlightenment. Each man learned and practiced a form of meditation. The two men were very similar and were after similar goals, they just took different paths.

The Razor’s Edge and Siddhartha are two works that take you on life journeys. I really didn’t see any similarities the first time I saw the movie, but the next time I watched it I really noticed the similarities. In the end they both found enlightenment in some way. Larry realized there were no rewards in life and Siddhartha became Buddha.