SIDDHARTHA

"The true profession of a man is to find himself."

--Siddhartha

Hermann Hesse tells a story of a young, accomplished Brahmin, Siddhartha, who defies his father's tradition in favor of wandering India in search of enlightenment. Its many motifs include the outcast from society; rejection of authority; communion with nature; and the idea of an immanent God. When Siddhartha, searches for enlightenment, he learns from many teachers: the Samanas, the all-knowing Gotama the Buddha, Kamala, and Vasudeva the simple ferryman. Siddhartha wears many "hats." When he joins the Samanas, the wandering ascetics, he quickly surpasses them in their own discipline. He learns, among other things, how to "think, wait and fast." His spiritual quest leads him to the feet of Gautama the Buddha. His skeptical intellect rejects even the Buddha's doctrine, the Buddha's wisdom is not good enough for him. He goes in to the city and for fun engages in business. Siddhartha is looks down on others for being so dependent on the worldly pleasures. One day he becomes just like them, greedy and tired. He becomes completely absorbed in daily life and its problems. He eats meat, drinks alcohol, gambles and sleeps with women. His lifestyle wears him down until he is old and tired. He is attached to the worldly goods, material riches, and sensual pleasures. Siddhartha feels that he must return to the spiritual life, he is so involved in his problems, habits and vices. Their examples do not satisfy him, he must find out for himself what he is searching for. When he abandons all his worldly possessions and returns to the forest by the river, he spontaneously starts repeating "Om" in his dream. When he wakes up, he is a born again. Even though he regains his spirituality, he remains divided. He meets Kamala after years of separation, he also meets a young boy, his son, for the first time. Having to face the rejection of his son's love is extremely difficult, but once Siddhartha abandons control over his son, just as his own father once blessed his departure, he resolves his lifelong internal conflict. The river is where Siddhartha begins to understand himself and his place in the universe. Finally, he achieves the enlightened state of mind in which he can say to his lifelong friend: "The world, Govinda, is perfect at every moment." Siddhartha, the seeker who rejected all doctrines, finally finds what he was looking for.

WEBPAGE MADE BY: BEN GUTHRIE

http://www.festivale.webcentral.com.av/filmrvu/9803frva.htm

http://www.edepot.com/budintro.html

http://www.spiritonline.com/buddhism/life.html

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/buddhism/sidd.htm