Sidhartha by Hesse
I read this first time in 2002. My friend Nanarun Dasgupta introduced me to two different books. One was Sidhartha and the other was illusion. Both left a deep mark on my psyche. I have read illusions now over 5 different times and it was only the third time I reread Sidhartha.
The story has 4 main sections. First he leaves his father's place to become a Sammana. Then he moves in with kamaswami to see first hand the samsara. The third part is when he moves in with Vasudeva the ferryman and the last part is when he has become old and his old friend Govinda meets him again.
Sidhartha begins as a strong teenager who is eager to find out the truth. He is determined and leaves home never to return back. With Samanas he learns a lot of things and the three things that he boast are: Control over hunger, have patience and third the ability to think.
After being disillusioned of Samana's way of achieving enlightenment he says a very unsettling thing to his friend Govinda that all that he learned with Samana is that he could have learnt by throwing himself in to Samsara. The Samana's way is to escape your senses but it still is an escape it's no different than indulging yourself in gambling, fornication, eating delicious food to numb your senses at this point Sidhartha has just met Gotoma. While his buddy Govinda takes refuge in gotama's teaching. Sidhartha wants to go alone and see samsara for himself. He is very confident at this time and proud of himself and his Samnic achievements.
The three things that he is proud of serve him very well. He wins the faith of Kamaswami and excels in business. Unlike Kamaswami to him business is just a game and he is not emotionally into it and that's the reason for his success. He wins Kamala over despite being uncouthed and filthy in appearance. He can think and impresses her with her poem and become a protege of Kamala and ultimately her lover however he is still detached.
In third part we have Sidharta being cloyed of Samsara decides on abounding it and go back on everything and started living with Vasudeva. Vasudeva is a humble boats man who believes in river and has learned everything from listening to the river. It's been a while the news of Gotoma about to die has got everyone wanting to pay their last tribute. Even Kamala wants to see her. She has now become old and has given up her pleasure garden to monks decided to go visit Gotama. An unfortunate event saw her being bitten by a snake close to river where Sidhartha and Vasudeva are living. They try to nurse her back but it's too late. Kamala was just able to introduce her son to Sidhartha before she leaves for her final abode. The proud Sidhartha is now fully enmeshed in the samsaric ways of life. He wants his son to love him. He is no longer helping Vasudeva and all his thoughts and action are geared to earn love from his son who feels trapped living with two old blokes. The harder Sidhartha tries the greater is his fall. In the end his son ends up absconding from his place the way he himself did when he was at his age. Sidhartha goes after him to town to look for him inspire of knowing that it will be impossible to find him. He was later rescued by Vasudeva who teaches him to listen to the river and when Sidhartha finally gets it Vasudeva leaves him for the forest.
In last part he is confronted with Gotama who had taken refuge in Gotama's teaching much earlier is still not satisfied because he fails to see that all things are connected. He finally gets a glimpse of the reality when he was invited to kiss Sidharta's wizened forehead.
Now question is what does this book is trying to convey. First ofcourse is its lot different to just blindly follow a teaching than to experience it yourself. The reason Sidhartha wants to get out of this cycle of life and rebirth is because he realizes that life is just a game every time you are born you are just starting a new game. After all if it's just a game than why should people become so serious about it and finally why should we keep playing this repetitive game. Once you have mastered it, there is no more challenges and it's boring. All our achievements and desires die with each game. So it's just a waste of time and boring to do the same thing over and over again.
The story has 4 main sections. First he leaves his father's place to become a Sammana. Then he moves in with kamaswami to see first hand the samsara. The third part is when he moves in with Vasudeva the ferryman and the last part is when he has become old and his old friend Govinda meets him again.
Sidhartha begins as a strong teenager who is eager to find out the truth. He is determined and leaves home never to return back. With Samanas he learns a lot of things and the three things that he boast are: Control over hunger, have patience and third the ability to think.
After being disillusioned of Samana's way of achieving enlightenment he says a very unsettling thing to his friend Govinda that all that he learned with Samana is that he could have learnt by throwing himself in to Samsara. The Samana's way is to escape your senses but it still is an escape it's no different than indulging yourself in gambling, fornication, eating delicious food to numb your senses at this point Sidhartha has just met Gotoma. While his buddy Govinda takes refuge in gotama's teaching. Sidhartha wants to go alone and see samsara for himself. He is very confident at this time and proud of himself and his Samnic achievements.
The three things that he is proud of serve him very well. He wins the faith of Kamaswami and excels in business. Unlike Kamaswami to him business is just a game and he is not emotionally into it and that's the reason for his success. He wins Kamala over despite being uncouthed and filthy in appearance. He can think and impresses her with her poem and become a protege of Kamala and ultimately her lover however he is still detached.
In third part we have Sidharta being cloyed of Samsara decides on abounding it and go back on everything and started living with Vasudeva. Vasudeva is a humble boats man who believes in river and has learned everything from listening to the river. It's been a while the news of Gotoma about to die has got everyone wanting to pay their last tribute. Even Kamala wants to see her. She has now become old and has given up her pleasure garden to monks decided to go visit Gotama. An unfortunate event saw her being bitten by a snake close to river where Sidhartha and Vasudeva are living. They try to nurse her back but it's too late. Kamala was just able to introduce her son to Sidhartha before she leaves for her final abode. The proud Sidhartha is now fully enmeshed in the samsaric ways of life. He wants his son to love him. He is no longer helping Vasudeva and all his thoughts and action are geared to earn love from his son who feels trapped living with two old blokes. The harder Sidhartha tries the greater is his fall. In the end his son ends up absconding from his place the way he himself did when he was at his age. Sidhartha goes after him to town to look for him inspire of knowing that it will be impossible to find him. He was later rescued by Vasudeva who teaches him to listen to the river and when Sidhartha finally gets it Vasudeva leaves him for the forest.
In last part he is confronted with Gotama who had taken refuge in Gotama's teaching much earlier is still not satisfied because he fails to see that all things are connected. He finally gets a glimpse of the reality when he was invited to kiss Sidharta's wizened forehead.
Now question is what does this book is trying to convey. First ofcourse is its lot different to just blindly follow a teaching than to experience it yourself. The reason Sidhartha wants to get out of this cycle of life and rebirth is because he realizes that life is just a game every time you are born you are just starting a new game. After all if it's just a game than why should people become so serious about it and finally why should we keep playing this repetitive game. Once you have mastered it, there is no more challenges and it's boring. All our achievements and desires die with each game. So it's just a waste of time and boring to do the same thing over and over again.
posted by Sumant at 5:13 AM
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