Compare The Different Paths To Enlightenment In Siddhartha

We live in a society where many believe that money can buy happiness. However, that’s not true in this case for Sidhartha and Chris McCandless. The novel “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse a brahmin’s son who along with his best friend Govinda grew up in a town where they follow the teachings of a brahmin. Siddhartha brings joy to his community however, he is not fully happy with his life. He and his friend Govinda decided to leave the village and learned different teachings.

I believe that Siddhārtha 's quest to find enlightenment falls under the category of noble action, sacred call, and desire. The craving of achieving a regular life had been something he thought of often as a young adolescent. As legend states he was sheltered his entire life from the truth 's and harsh realities of life by his father. Maybe Siddhārtha Gautama wanted to find his own way because of what his father is trying to keep from him. Each of us has innate desire to understand the purpose of our existence.

As Siddhartha finally finds his enlightenment after a long years of searching, the historical Buddha’s also finds his enlightenment. After his negative experience with the self-denial of the world and the body, he suddenly comes to a realization that one must live life the way he or she is destined to live. He also believes that a teaching or religion can only help guide a person to the right path; but it is the person’s decision to find his or her own enlightenment on their own. “He did not force His followers to be slaves either to His teachings or to Himself, but granted complete freedom of thought and admonished His followers to accept His words not merely out of regard for Him but after subjecting them a thorough examination…”12 This set of teaching is compelling to me because the historical Buddha learns that one must live life their own way in order to find their own peace and happiness.

In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, the main character's path to enlightenment goes through a series of obstacles and is in constant adaptation to Siddhartha's current situation. After coming to the realization about how he is not content with his spiritual and physical life, Siddhartha leaves his family behind and seeks the path to eternal enlightenment. To Siddhartha's realization, he experiences divergent situations that could potentially lead him to enlightenment. There were various factors in which disparate aspects led to the different building of Siddhartha’s character and potential path to enlightenment. The Samanas, were widely responsible for many of the ideas and predetermined mindset that Siddhartha continued.

Siddhartha feels warm toward the people who he transports across the river. Although he grew wiser and wiser, he still felt wounded by his son. One day he decides to go back and look for his son but remembers that he himself did exactly the same thing his son is doing to him to his father. He hears the river laugh at his repetition of life’s pattern. He returns and tells Vasudeva about his experience at the location where Vasudeva found him.

Each individual embarks on his or her own hero’s journey in life, some finding peace and enlightenment while others suffer greatly. In Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha, the author slowly shows Siddhartha’s path towards finding the self and enlightenment through conflict and resolution. Finding himself is difficult, but once he does, Siddhartha is released from sorrow and depression, which finally enables him to reach enlightenment and peace. Hesse portrays Siddhartha’s spiritual hero’s journey by using unique conflicts to reveal his true self through independence, mindfulness, and responsibility.

Siddhartha walked miles away from the city and knew that there is no going back from this point. He thought that he had lived for many years uptil now and had faced all difficulties and happiness in his life. He was completely depressed and fed up with his wealthy life and thought that there is nothing else in the world that can give him happiness. He reached at the bank of river where he met a ferryman during his childhood. He leaned against a coconut tree along the bank.

The river is a central symbol in Siddhartha, representing unity and the eternity of all things in the universe. At times of great transition in his life, such as when he leaves the Samanas, and later when he abandons his wealth, Siddhartha returns to the river. Eventually, as Siddhartha studies the river and comes to recognize it metaphorically for all that it represents about existence and time, he is able to attain enlightenment. What does a river stand for? What does it symbolize?

I) Introduction A) State the topic sentence 1) Not many People are enlightened but the journey of Siddhartha can be connected to Jill Bolte Taylor’s journey 2) The journey to enlightenment is very unique like Siddhartha and Jill Bolte Taylor’s journey B) Connect Siddhartha’s Journey to enlightenment to Jill Bolte Taylor’s Journey 1) Explain the way they both achieved it 2) Relate the hemispheres of the brain to Siddhartha C) Give examples of both 1) Siddhartha gained it through many years of searching but Jill Bolte Taylor found it through a life threatening incident 2) Both Siddhartha and Jill Bolte Taylor have experienced times in euphoria and that is when the right hemisphere of the brain is in full control D) Thesis statement 1) Both

Two phases of Starvation. - In the slide, the two pictures are meant to represent the before and after Siddhartha realized that, as he said, “When a man is worn out by hunger, thirst, and fatigue, his mind unwell with fatigue, How will he, who is not tranquil, attain the fruit that the mind alone can attain?” (Life of Buddha, 363). I thought it was important to include both pictures because they help us to understand the Buddha’s Middle Path, a path that led him to Nirvana without starving to death –being an ascetic- or indulging himself in pleasures.

You can use a quote that uses “you.” Just say, George Bernard Shaw said, “Life isn’t about…” 25/25 George Bernard Shaw said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” In Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, the main protagonist, Siddhartha, searches his whole life for inner peace and understanding of what his life’s purpose is. He walks the shoes of many different people on the earth and follows teachings from different mentors only to realise that to find true contentment he has to travel his own path.