The Quest for Self Discovery in Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha
“Then he [Siddhartha] suddenly saw clearly that he was leading a strange life, that he was doing many things that were only a game, that he was quite cheerful and sometimes experienced pleasure, but that real life was flowing past him and did not touch him. Like a player who plays with his ball, he played with his business, with the people around him, watched them, derived amusement from them; but with his heart, with his real nature, he was not there” (Hesse 57-58).
Siddhartha journeys through a backward discovery of the Self. He begins life as a handsome Brahmin’s son, admired and loved by family and friends. This life does not satisfy him, so he continues his search for the Self. He becomes a poor ascetic who relinquishes the material comforts of life. After many years, Siddhartha discovers that he cannot understand the Self by denying the Self. He awakens his senses by indulging in life’s pleasures. Soon, however, he becomes dependent on riches to give him happiness. The Self is buried underneath a burden of possessions. Success has only blocked his journey. Siddhartha travels to a peaceful riverbank and listens to the sounds of the water. The Self is quietly hidden in the voice of the river. The holy Om is bound to the Self and the waters in an indistinct pattern of perfection. Time lapses as Siddhartha recognizes the river as both the cause and culmination of his journey.
Siddhartha’s entire life is a quest for the Self. He is led down many paths before he discovers the essence of true happiness and contentment. On his journey, he is blinded by superficial pleasures. He is tempted to believe that he has discovered the Self, but he must continue his sear...
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...isode. Instead of resigning my mind to automatic pilot, I can turn the TV off. With one interruption unplugged, I’m tempted to check my e-mail or blare my favorite music, but I must leave behind these frivolities. When I follow through on my initial efforts, I can always create a rare moment for myself. It takes dedication and perseverance to willingly remove myself from life’s distractions; yet, when I conquer my tendency toward possessions, I find that the subsequent harmony is extremely rewarding.
Siddhartha journeyed his entire life to discover the Self when he could have uncovered the Self anywhere. Sometimes Siddhartha neglected to open his eyes. As I travel on life’s path, I must remember to be present to the moment, lest I too forget to remain vigilant.
Work Cited
Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1951.
Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha” is one of spiritual renewal and self discovery. The novel revolves around the life of one man named Siddhartha, who leaves his home and all earthly possessions in an attempt to find spiritual enlightenment. The novel contains many themes, including the relationship between wisdom and knowledge, spirituality, man’s relationship to the natural world, time, love, and satisfaction. To portray these themes, Hesse employs many different rhetorical devices, particularly diction, symbolism, and point of view. These devices allow us, as a reader, to reevaluate our lives and seek fulfillment in the same way that Siddhartha did.
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.
In this final chapter of part 1 Siddhartha reviews all of his experiences up to that point and comes to conclusions that will shape his future. Firstly he has renounced all teachers. He then pondered, what would those teachers teach him along the way and what answers would he hope to learn of the nature of Self. Siddhartha now jumps head first in to the world of the living. He spends the night with a wise but silent ferryman and dreams of suckling on a woman’s bosom. He then cro...
Eventually, Siddhartha decides to attempt the teachings of Buddha. However, this lifestyle leaves him unsatisfied as well. Even though Siddhartha decides not to follow the teachings of Buddha, he says, "I have seen one man, one man only, before whom I must lower my eyes. I will never lower my eyes before any other man. No o...
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.
Siddhartha’s followed many paths in his life. Each of his paths led him to another lesson or teaching that furthered his quest for his spiritual destination. He experienced all aspects of life, from rich to poor, lonely to companionship, stranger to lover and from guest to friend. By going through those path changes, his emotions and mind were put to the test and succeeded. The paths and four different types of living made his spiritual journey a successful one and that is why he reached the highest of ‘wholeness and oneness’ feeling he did.
During this period-the realm of the mind, Siddhartha actively sets about letting the self die, escaping his Self. This attempt reaches its most concentrated form during his stay with the ascetic Samanas, during which he discards all material possessions and tries further to flee his own body and control his other needs. This is shown when he says, "He killed his senses, he killed his memory, he slipped out of his Self in a thousand different forms." S...
Siddhartha grew up near a river as a Brahmin, though he gives his offerings spiritually, he becomes unsatisfied with the life that he is living. His life is too simple for him. “He brought joy to all,...But Siddhartha did not bring joy to himself.”
When Siddhartha was about 29 he saw a series of images that opened his eyes to the preciousness of human life. He saw an ill man, an elderly man, a dead body and a holy man. These images inspired him to try and reach enlightenment (“Buddha” Reynolds). Siddhartha had many questions about life outside the palace, which led him on many explorations. His journeys led him to leave the palace to live a life of abstinence (Editors of Biography.com). For six years Siddhartha lived a life of fasting, meditation. Five religious people followed him in his ways of life (Editors of Biography.com). When none of these things helped him reach enlightenment, he fasted more vigorously. One day, a bowl of rice was offered to him by a little girl, he soon realized that none of his previous attempts were working so he ate the rice and abandoned that way of life (Editors of
The start to Siddhartha’s suspenseful journey was when he was a fairly young boy.That was when he had one of his most important awakenings, realizing that his religion wasn’t enough to truly feed his spirit and mind, and give him the peace he was desiring. “And among the wise men that he knew and whose teachings he enjoyed, there was not one who had entirely reached it-- the heavenly world--not one who had completely quenched his eternal thirst” (8). He began to feel that no amount of religious knowledge, sacrifices, or prayers could be as important as being in complete peace with one’s mind and heart. The importance of this psychological aspect of Siddhartha’s journey can be shown with, “These were Siddhartha’s thoughts; this was his thirst, his sorrow” (8). This quote expresses just how important it was for Hesse to let the reader into Siddhartha’s mind, because there is much to be learned about him through his thoughts. This was also the first major step in Siddhartha’s journey, so the internal conflict begins to build excitement as the reader anticipates what will happen next on his quest for enlightenment.
In “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha is put to the test to find inner enlightenment while trying to discover himself. He must work through the hardships and overcome loosing himself along the way.
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.
...e chased his son. Siddhartha is soon reminded by the river of how he left his own father. He continues to listen to the river and he beings to see people from different walks of life. These images soon flow together, and begin to make a single sound, Om. Siddhartha realizes that the earth is intertwined and now is spiritually complete.
goal to try to accomplish that accurately makes sense. And stick to whatever goal I set and not
This paper examines the factors that led to the climate change and environmental threat particularly air pollution and also identifies the roles of the Chinese government in resolving the environmental crisis. Every single day, globalization is keeping moving forward and makes human unpredictable what will happen in the future include human security. As in the case of climate change, as the same thing occurred to human security threats because they related each other. The rapid in industrialization, the gradually growth of economics and the globalization in China contributing to the factors of environmental crisis and climate change to their society. Consequently, these transformations gave the negative impact on human security which is in economically, domestically, agriculturally and the most important thing is the health of human. Therefore, those issues will be challenges to the policy makers of the Chinese government to identify the suitable policy to implement and also find a way to confront these issues as a responds to the resolving the environmental crisis and climate change.