Siddhartha Research Paper

The Difference

Having a teacher explain a theory or a concept to one might be convenient for the time being, but in reality one must go out and discover their own wisdom on this concept. Dealing with Siddhartha, he states that knowledge can in fact be demonstrated but wisdom occurs when one goes out and experiences. Gotama, who is said to have achieved Nirvana, which is defined as a “transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth, representing the final goal of Buddhism” (web). Gotama now instructs the Eightfold Path to his supporters and in this case, Siddhartha and Govinda, who is Siddhartha best friend, encounters

Discovering that Siddhartha did not accept the teachings, Siddhartha still in fact wished Govinda “to travel the path to the end. May you find salvation”(Hesse 24). Shortly after Siddhartha and Govina disagreed with one another, SIddhartha made his way upon Gotama, the Illustrious One, to communicate his thought as to why he opposes with Gotama knowledge. SIddhartha then states to Gotama ,”You have done so by your own seeking, in your own way, through thought, through meditation, through knowledge, through mediation. You have learned nothing through teachings”(Hesse 27) implying that no individual can discover redemption through teachings. Subsequently, Siddhartha comprehends the fact that after listening to Gotama teachings that he must find his own way but stating, “not to seek another and better doctrine, I know there is none, but to leave all doctrines and all teachers and to reach my goal alone- or die”(Hesse 28). By figuring out why Siddhartha must reach his goal alone implies that he comes to recognize the dissimilarity between knowledge and wisdom which in this case, Gotama exemplifies knowledge and Siddhartha exemplifies