Siddhartha
The Past Will Always Stay With You
Siddhartha written by Herman Hesse is an inspiring novel about a young Indian’s travels to achieve his goal. Siddhartha’s previous learning affects him in both positive and negative aspects on his long journey to reach enlightenment. Enlightenment in the Indian culture means to reach total knowledge on life and the afterlife. Siddhartha’s journey as a Brahmin, a Samana, being rich and greedy, and living in the hut as a river man brought him great wisdom and helped him achieve total enlightenment. Siddhartha spent his teenage years as a Brahmin living in a small Indian town. Townspeople in Siddhartha’s community all believed he would reach enlightenment in his life. Siddhartha however wasn’t happy as a Brahmin “Siddhartha felt that he had learned all the elders and teachers had to offer to him.” (pg. 4) The young Brahmin had been taught to have a goal of enlightenment and Siddhartha knew that he could not reach it through being a Brahmin so he made the decision to leave the community. Although Siddhartha was no longer a Brahmin he was still very proud of once being one, “I often told them stories of being a Brahmin and for that they had great respect for me as I did them.” (pg. 53) Siddhartha having the experience as being a Brahmin wasn’t viewed as being a waste of his time, it was viewed as him having many experiences and it gave him respect from many different types of people. Being a Brahmin was only the first step in his journey, but it affected him his whole life. Having Brahmin backgrounds gave Siddhartha an advantage of wisdom and respect. Being a Samana meant Siddhartha had to empty his heart of any feelings, and own no possessions. Samanas believed in being at one with your inner soul, to have no feelings for things that were not worth your time, “When we went through the town streets to beg for food we paid no attention to the prostitutes on the side of the road, the mothers with their kids, or the men
Siddhartha written by Herman Hesse is an inspiring novel about a young Indian’s travels to achieve his goal. Siddhartha’s previous learning affects him in both positive and negative aspects on his long journey to reach enlightenment. Enlightenment in the Indian culture means to reach total knowledge on life and the afterlife. Siddhartha’s journey as a Brahmin, a Samana, being rich and greedy, and living in the hut as a river man brought him great wisdom and helped him achieve total enlightenment. Siddhartha spent his teenage years as a Brahmin living in a small Indian town. Townspeople in Siddhartha’s community all believed he would reach enlightenment in his life. Siddhartha however wasn’t happy as a Brahmin “Siddhartha felt that he had learned all the elders and teachers had to offer to him.” (pg. 4) The young Brahmin had been taught to have a goal of enlightenment and Siddhartha knew that he could not reach it through being a Brahmin so he made the decision to leave the community. Although Siddhartha was no longer a Brahmin he was still very proud of once being one, “I often told them stories of being a Brahmin and for that they had great respect for me as I did them.” (pg. 53) Siddhartha having the experience as being a Brahmin wasn’t viewed as being a waste of his time, it was viewed as him having many experiences and it gave him respect from many different types of people. Being a Brahmin was only the first step in his journey, but it affected him his whole life. Having Brahmin backgrounds gave Siddhartha an advantage of wisdom and respect. Being a Samana meant Siddhartha had to empty his heart of any feelings, and own no possessions. Samanas believed in being at one with your inner soul, to have no feelings for things that were not worth your time, “When we went through the town streets to beg for food we paid no attention to the prostitutes on the side of the road, the mothers with their kids, or the men