No matter who you are and what your status is in the world there will always be something you desire that you can’t have, it’s about being happy with what you are given, or taking action and getting what you desire. Temptation goes along with that in a sense of it being someone or something you want, usually there is a reason you don’t have it or a reason why you shouldn’t have it. Both of these rolls take place in The Ramayana and Siddhartha. In the book Siddhartha, he is born into the brahman class but finds himself unhappy and takes his own path to happiness. Along the path he becomes an affluent man by learning how to become a merchant. He becomes a successful businessman and begins the life of luxury. In living the life of luxury
Joseph Campbell who is an American scholar identifies The Hero's Journey as a pattern of narratives that appear in the drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. In the film "Into the Wild" produced by Sean Penn, Christopher Johnson embarks on the hero's journey on the quest to rid the materialistic world and to seek adventure. In the novel Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse, the main character Siddhartha embarks on the hero's journey to achieve Nirvana. In the film "Into the Wild" and the novel Siddhartha, aspects of the Hero's Journey that most emphasize the motivation behind their journey to achieve their goals are the call to adventure, crossing the first threshold and belly of the whale
Although Siddhartha felt dissatisfied with his stay with the Samanas, in reflection there were a lot of things that he took from his experience with them. He mastered the art of self-denial and many ways of losing the Self, which was very important. He became patient enough to wait for anything and learned to live without food or any other necessities. Siddhartha makes his first significant step towards attaining Nirvana when he leaves the Brahmins to live with the Samanas. Although he could never truly attain Nirvana with the Samanas, the major step is that he began to question his method to attain enlightenment.
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.
I believe that Vasudeva was a guide to Siddhartha more than he was a teacher to him. There are several reasons for my assertion.
It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men. Great men are leaders. They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society. Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men. Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres. But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man. When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common. This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas: conception and birth. In these two areas, one finds that the Buddha and Jesus share many similarities.
Siddhartha's path lead him through constant re-evaluations, keeping him focused on himself. He began as the son of a wealthy Brahmin, sheltered from the real world and any experience with it, but having the best education he could obtain. He began his life at home, as a thinker, possessing wisdom and thoughts he had yet to earn through experience.
...n, and all of the enjoyments and lavishes. He becomes entrapped in Samsara, the physical world, characterized by repeated cycles of birth, but finally breaks out of it after twenty years and returns to the river. At the river he joins the simple life of Vasudeva, according to Carl Yung would be considered the wise old man archetype, and for the next twenty years he listens and learns from the river. The river is no longer the divider between the material and spiritual worlds but now it symbolizes a unity in which past, present, and future, all people and their experiences, all features of life flow together. Siddhartha comes to realize that there is no conflict between the spiritual and the material, that all human occurrences are to be accepted, and that the only difference between the ordinary people and the sages is that the sages understand this unity.
To reach the knowledge that he desired, Siddhartha must follow the samana way. “ The flesh disappeared from his legs and cheeks” (Hesse 13). The samanas lived a very poor life without the necessary objects( food, house, money, etc.). Due to this Siddhartha wanting more knowledge followed the ways of the samanas and was almost fully starved if he didn’t beg for his food. Santiago was prepared to live to the fullest but he soon realized it wasn’t like that. “He was no longer a shepherd, and he had nothing, not even the money to return and start everything over” (Coelho 41). Santiago was robbed of his fortune that he had made the past year working with the crystal merchant. He was left penniless and had to recover from this and everything over. Life does not come easy which is something that Santiago and Siddhartha learned along the way.
Many people say that being knowledgeable is the same as being wise; however, in Hermann Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, knowledge is differentiated from wisdom. Siddhartha, the protagonist, is the knowledgeable son of Brahmins, whose thirst for enlightenment forces him to step towards an unknown journey. Govinda is Siddhartha’s best friend who accompanies Siddhartha because he believes in Siddhartha’s knowledge. The Buddha, the enlightened founder of Buddhism, plays an important role in Siddhartha’s journey. After meeting the Buddha, Siddhartha realizes that no one can show him the path to enlightenment because wisdom can be only found through experience. Therefore, he leaves Govinda and begins to discover the world himself. The more he experiences,
The Dhammapada speaks a universal truth, that “desire is unquenchable,” and explains that “he who wishes to awake, consumes his desires joyfully” (Chapter 14). These statements prove similar to the four noble truths, that to live is to suffer, and desire causes suffering; therefore, one cannot avoid temptation because it is ubiquitous. When explaining the outcomes of “craving pleasure or nursing pain,” the Buddha articulates that “there is only sorrow” (Chapter 16). Desire clearly only causes difficulty when attempting to achieve Nirvana, and the Dhammapada seeks to convey the importance of clearing the mind and purifying one’s thoughts. Continuing to contrast lust and happiness, the Buddha explains that “there is pleasure and there is bliss, forgo the first to possess the second” (Chapter 21). One cannot have genuine jubilation while yearnings and allurements cloud the mind. Expressed throughout Buddhist teachings and a main religious text, the action of overpowering desire and lewd thoughts proves a crucial step in eventually reaching
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.
Siddhartha, a member of the wealthy Brahmin Caste, is unhappy due to his inability to achieve nirvana. Siddhartha appears to be perfect, possessing the good luck, charm, and intelligence. This is what all Brahmins wish to possess. The young Brahmin cannot be taught anymore by the Brahmin teachings and rituals, and this makes him discontent. Siddhartha believes that knowledge is required to attain Nirvana and he feels that he is held down by his material possessions.
Siddhartha starting out as a Brahmin left him at a disadvantage when searching for Nirvana. He realizes the many gods that they worship are of no value because the only true god is Atman. He searches for a way to concentrate on this one god, and eventually attain Nirvana. In these thoughts he also comes to the conclusion that the lifestyle he has is a distraction. His possesions, his feelings, his beliefs are all a distraction which leads him to his conclusion to join the Samanas.
The epic hero’s journeys hold the hopes for future of ordinary people’s lives. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in approximately 2000 B.C.E which is highly enriched with Ancient Mesopotamian religions, and The Ramayana was written by ancient Indians in around 1800 B.C.E. The stories were written in two different parts of the world. However, these two stories etched great evidence that show people from generation to generation that different cultures and religions are interconnected; they share ideas with each other. Both Gilgamesh and Rama traveled long journeys in these tales. These epic journeys played a role in the creation of different archetypes. We can clearly see that these two tales share similarities between these archetypes. Although
...es us how to free our minds from these negative desires. In order to free our bodies from karma attached to us. We have to realize the purpose of our lives and what we have to do in order to please God. Finally, in the Book of Job, Job eventually lets his desire take over his mind and turn down his trust in God. Desire is a feeling that’s naturally in human beings and if an individual can rid themselves of the negative desires. It will ultimately benefit that individual but in the Book of Job, The Letter of Abelard and Heloise, and The Bhagavad-Gita. Desire is presented not only as a bad thing but a desire can ultimately ruin our life.