This may seemed to many as a high school homework assignment since it has to do with Siddhartha but I'm actually glad to announce I don't attend such an institution anymore. I have simply become a reader of Hesse's works and I am re-reading Siddhartha slowly this time, since in high school I was just looking for the answers the teacher posted in order to get a good grade in the class.
As I was reading Siddhartha's first encounter and dialogue with Gotama I became completely puzzled. I was amazed that Gotama was able to understand Sid at all. This is what Sid told Gotama after listening to his doctrine.
Siddhartha: “One thing, oh most venerable one, I have admired in
your teachings most of all. Everything in your teachings is perfectly
clear, is proven; you are presenting the world as a perfect chain, a
chain which is never and nowhere broken, an eternal chain the links of
which are causes and effects. Never before, this has been seen so
clearly; never before, this has been presented so irrefutably; truly,
the heart of every Brahman has to beat stronger with love, once he has
seen the world through your teachings perfectly connected, without gaps,
clear as a crystal, not depending on chance, not depending on gods.
Whether it may be good or bad, whether living according to it would be
suffering or joy, I do not wish to discuss, possibly this is not
essential–but the uniformity of the world, that everything which
happens is connected, that the great and the small things are all
encompassed by the same forces of time, by the same law of causes, of
coming into being and of dying, this is what shines brightly out of your
exalted teachings, oh perfected one.But according to your very own teachings, this unity and necessary sequence of all things is
nevertheless broken in one place, through a small gap, this world of
unity is invaded by something alien, something new, something which had
not been there before, and which cannot be demonstrated and cannot be
proven: these are your teachings of overcoming the world, of salvation.
But with this small gap, with this small breach, the entire eternal and
uniform law of the world is breaking apart again and becomes void.
Please forgive me for expressing this objection.”
What in the world is Siddhartha talking about? What does he mean by everything is connected in a chain of cause and effect? And I do not understand the flaw that he supposedly found in Gotama’s doctrine? Do I need to understand buddhism in order to understand all of this?
I hope someone could explain this to me in simplistic terms.
Edher, I haven’t read Hesse in 30+ years. What I understand of him is the eternal search for truth and how we are all an link in the chain of life, but life is never predictable. I may be off, but this is how I understood him when 13 or 14 years old.
[quote=“aspacia”]
Edher, I haven’t read Hesse in 30+ years. What I understand of him is the eternal search for truth and how we are all an link in the chain of life, but life is never predictable. I may be off, but this is how I understood him when 13 or 14 years old.
With regards,
aspacia [/quote
Saludos Aspacia,
Thank you for your opinion, but what exactly do you mean by the "chain of life." What is this chain of life to you? I would highly appriciate it if you could be a little more literal and actually explain all the figurative language he uses. Furthermore, what is this truth that you mention? Do you mean the meaning of life? The right way to live life? It seems to me that you said exactly the same thing just with simpler words. I hope I don't sound too defiant, if I do, I blame it on the wine. lol. Cheers.
I have just last week started looking at Hesse and the book that I decided to begin with was Steppenwolf (which was wonderful and worth a discussion in its own right). I’m about to start Siddhartha and if you would be patient I would be VERY interested in discussing it with you when I’m finished. Give me a couple of days! I think Hesse is a breakthrough and it’s so good to hear his name here - my English education has given me no previous contact with him and I’m sure that I have missed out.
It's great to hear from other Hesse readers out there. So far I have read Demian and Siddhartha. I started reading Steppenwolf and I thought the beginning was captivating, but as I continued to read it felt a bit wordy. And then I decided to read Hesse's note about his book near the front pages of the book, and in it he insinuates a recommendation to read that book when one reaches his fifties, and I completely understand because I had a tough time relating to the character since I am barely at the dawn of this my third decade of life. I think I need a little more experience in life to truly enjoy Steppenwolf. Nonetheless, I was left with an urge to visit the Steppes of Central Asia. lol.
However, Demian I loved, there was just a bit of an invalid analogy that I have already discuss in this forum but everything else I loved. Heck, I read it twice in English and once in Spanish in order to avoid missing out on any of his ideas. I only do that with philosophers I truly admire, so far just Nietzsche, Hesse and Plato.
I'm anxious to read your thoughts on Siddhartha, AlGeorge.
Sorry I was unclear. If memory serves Hesse was revealing that we are all interconnected in some way. This could easily mean humanity and the connection with nature as well. I may be off, it has been 30 years, but most of his writings revolved around lost individuals in search for themselves and then realizing this interconnectiveness.
Ah, I am discussing the characters search for truth. To me, truth is an ambigous term, I prefer proven facts. After a period of time, I felt if I was rereading the same book, albeit with different characters in search of how to live, what is the best way to live, and they generally conclude that life really is about the simple pleasures that surround us.
No, you were not defiant, and I was unclear. I am far from expert regarding Hesse.
