Siddhartha - 1922/1951
Siddhartha (1922/1951) is a novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style in 1922. It was published in the U.S. in English in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s.
The word Siddhartha is made up of two words in Sanskrit language, siddha (achieved) + artha (what was searched for), which together means "he who has found meaning (of existence)" or "he who has attained his goals". In fact, the Buddha's own name, before his renunciation, was Siddhartha Gautama, Prince of Kapilavastu. In this book, the Buddha is referred to as "Gotama".
In the novel, Siddhartha, a young man, leaves his family for a contemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.
I am not too sure how much I can add as an analysis of this book. I suppose I was most taken by the fact that it was written in the 1920s so it seemed radically ahead of its time in terms of mental attitude towards spirituality, sexuality, and internationalism. If one considers that this is Germany under the Weimar Republic, the level of surprise goes down somewhat. Also given the exposure of the author to religion and his own struggles, the life and world changing events of the first World War, and global industrialization cutting the traditional societal and community ties, it seems even more understandable why the motivation for this book occurred. It is an observance on the stages of life, particularly Western life, in the cloak of traditional Eastern teachings/myths. Siddartha's spiritual quests and searches for fulfillment mirroring the Western ideal of (at least male) life cycles was poignant. I am not sure how much the translation effects the tone but I can't imagine it is much.
ReplyDeleteAt the heart of the work, the answer that life experience, positive and negative, is the only way to a full, content life is hard to argue with. Simple lesson that we still haven't learned.
Just finished the book, which evidently mirrors the author’s life in many ways. I look forward to hearing your take on fit into time and place in 20’s Germany, something I’m ignorant of. It is clear to see how it became a bible of the Beatnik search and turn to Buddhist/Hindu mysticism, including our music idols of the time.
ReplyDeleteThere was a point in the later attempts to express the teaching when it became heavy to me and left the lyricism of the language. I suppose it reflects the lesson that the secret doesn’t come from doctrine but from listening to the river of life. We gain the wisdom we seek slowly through each person and experience that touches us. It is possible to become stuck, as Siddhartha did in each stage, if we don’t choose to stay open to growth. As much as we desire to pass on what we’ve learned to our prodigy, the lessons are ours alone, and each of us must make our own journey. That often makes me question whether my finding answers has value...what good were the lessons if I can’t pass them to help my children? Siddhartha illustrates that each path is unique to the individual following it and he must walk it in his own time.
I find it interesting the idea that everything contains its opposite, thus making a whole. What isn’t addressed is the balance between the poles. We seem to fluctuate as our norm, yet if we could achieve perfect balance, perhaps we would find Nirvana. Maybe we can at least find hope in the trying.
I am not sure how much I can do justice to the 20's in Germany but it is an interesting time. It is actually really similar to the Taisho era in Japan during the same time frame. Funny how that worked. After the defeat in WWI, the German monarchy more or less ceased to be and a new government was elected with a strong constitutional structure. Though it would cause a financial collapse and open the doors for National Socialism post 1929, the new government set up financial structures to ease unemployment and address war reparations through deals made with American financial companies. As things were booming here, so was the new German government able to bring about stability and recovery there. With the stability and constitutional rule, a flowering of culture, free thought, art, writing, etc. followed. Non-German ideas such as Eastern religion and American films were consumed en masse. This would give the Nazis another shouting point down the road as they felt Germans were loosing pride in being German. But there was an ability, and interest, and an audience for non-German ideas during the decade in which Hesse wrote Siddhartha. It was a time of upheaval and change as well. The new USSR had a powerful impact on Germany and the ultra rights began their agitation. This was the era when Hitler was imprisoned for his attempted coup and wrote, "Mein Kampf." Lots of financial speculation as well despite the relative easing of pressures of unemployment. So it makes sense that there would be room for more worldly influences in German culture as well as an audience looking for answers, enlightenment, and salvation. In a nut shell.
ReplyDeleteTo my point about the book following the phases of life such as childhood (Brahman - education and family), adolescence (ascetics - rebellion), growing in adulthood (meeting the Buddha, epiphany and life direction), love, making a living ( Kamala and merchant life), mid-life crisis (dissatisfaction with state of things, forgetting youthful goals), contentment (ferryman, river), etc. The introduction of his son and the test of his happiness as a result is a repeat of the cycle he himself went through on a smaller scale. He admits as much when thinking of his own father when he comes to terms with that circle. To tie with your point about the river of life, nirvana is not possible (with exception of the Buddha) it seems unless one goes through the phases of life, experiences love, loss, learns from mistakes, takes chances, and generally lives. It was perhaps a reaction from Hesse to the happy, go luck, get rich quick, candle in the wind roaring 20's in Germany and his warning that those pursuits/type of happiness would not last for the German people or Germany. They had to learn from WWI, take their lumps, and focus on the road, not the moment.
I feel it does speak to family relationships or the role of the parent/teacher to the student/child. Buddha does remain in the text throughout as having provided the blueprint for Siddhartha's happiness. He loses his way, tries his own path, forgets his roots, and then comes back to it but the revelation and image of Nirvana as brought forth by Buddha runs through the middle of it all. By rediscovering the knowledge he gained from Buddha, even if that knowledge as he was responsible for his own direction and path, he showed that the passing down of teachings was important. The passing down of knowledge and wisdom served as the structure, the base for Siddhartha to make his own choices.
I too enjoyed the embracing of the positive and negative to form the whole experience. The balance is in accepting both perhaps. Maybe it isn't about anything in between as the hardest part is not only seeing both sides of the coin but being ok with it. But as you said and as the book states, the trying is what makes it possible. We just need to listen to the river.