Note: To fully understand and appreciate Siddhartha, it may be helpful for you to explore concepts like spiritual enlightenment, self-reflection, and even some of the more specific ideas and beliefs of Buddhism. Words like brahmin, ascetics, samanas, nirvana, and om, are very culturally specific and warrant some understanding while trying to make meaning and relevance out of this text. It would be in your best interest to note these words as you come across them in the text and do some quick, informal research on these topics.
Siddhartha explores the path to spiritual enlightenment. In the novel, Siddhartha encounters several people who aid him in one way or another toward achieving enlightenment. Can you discuss at least one important person on Siddhartha's journey who aids in his self-discovery? Be specific as to how that individual helps Siddhartha. Also, in your own life, have there been specific people who have helped you discover important realizations about yourself? Be sure to use false names when writing about real people.
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Gotama the Buddha is one person who aids Siddhartha in self-discovery. Siddhartha encounters Gotama, the Illustrious One, early in his journey, while his friend Govinda is still travelling by his side. Gotama takes Govinda away from Siddhartha, indirectly, by attracting Govinda to his teachings, allowing Siddhartha to continue his journey of discovery alone and more freely. Siddhartha learns from Gotama, just by listening, about the unity of the world and the chain of eternity. In addition, Gotama shares some of his wisdom with Siddhartha before Siddhartha continues on his way. This includes the belief that opinions mean nothing and that to be a follower is the right path for many people though it may not be for Siddhartha. Also, Siddhartha realizes that he must seek an awakening on his own and that he cannot learn it from Gotama. Because of his perfection, Gotama becomes Siddhartha’s idol and Siddhartha forever remembers his smile and peace of heart. Siddhartha also never forgets about the eternity of life.
ReplyDeleteOne person who helped me to learn something about myself was a teacher from elementary school. She told us that some people are leaders and some people are followers. Then she gave us the chance to work in groups, once as a leader, and once as a follower. From this activity, I learned how to work with others towards a goal. Most importantly, I learned that following was not too bad, but that I much preferred being a leader. And this knowledge has stuck with me since elementary school, guiding me to take charge in group projects and apply for club leadership positions.
First of all, I just want to say that I loved this book in spite of pre-reading misconceptions.
ReplyDeleteI think Kamala taught Siddhartha the most out of all the people he met on his journey. Throughout his early life, Siddhartha was superior to "ordinary people" even though he himself was a human being. He knew that his Self was the key to enlightenment, however, before his life as a rich man he believed he had to destroy his Self. Siddhartha's life as a rich man with Kamala changed his views. Kamala taught Siddhartha about material things and love - two things which he had had no use for in his past life of Self destruction. Instead of seeing the follies of the human race, Siddhartha began to commit these follies himself. Because of this, Siddhartha could no longer feel superior to the rest of the human race and he began to embrace this fact. Kamala showed Siddhartha how to recognize and accept his true self as a human being before he could embrace his Self as an enlightened man.
It's a little thing, but one of my oboe teachers taught me how I learn. She taught me that I learn from example and from the stick more than I do from the carrot. For example, I was once told, "Your tuning note is terrible. Unless you fix it, I'm giving the job to someone else." So I did. I played my tuning A one hundred times (I am not lying), and the next day, it was perfect. I haven't figured out what this says about me as a person yet, but I suppose I might someday.
Vasudeva helped Siddhartha along his travels quite a bit. Siddhartha, looking for enlightnement, needed a little help to get from place to place. Siddhartha would not have found his enlightenment, unless he came across Vasudeva. Vasudeva alowed Siddhartha to get down the river, to continue looking for his enlightenment. After Siddhartha continued his journey, he came back to share his life with Vasudeva. It was then when Siddhartha discovered himself and the peace of a ferryman. He became one with nature and he got closer to himself. Because of Vasudeva, Siddhartha found himself.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, I joined horseback riding. My instructor was a nice lady, but she would yell at us if she needed to. It was her horses and our lives that could have been at stake, and she nor did anyone else want to take a chance of something horrible happening. After a trail ride, I instantly knew that horseback riding would keep me at one with nature. My instructor kept me and the other students in line, and so did her horses, believe it or not. If some brat was being a brat, she would put them on a very good horse, but enough to scare them so they wouldn't be a brat anymore. From the first ride to the last, it had been seven years, and I feel more serene and if I hadn't joined horseback riding, I don't think I would be where I am today.
Siddhartha's son is one of the final road blocks on Siddhartha’s path to enlightenment. Siddhartha must accept the loss of his beloved son who despised his father and the lifestyle he choose for himself outside the city. Blinded by love, the desperate father tries to create a joyful life for his stubborn son, until he runs away. The importance of this encounter lies with the fact that up until this point, Siddhartha had always been well liked and respected by the other’s on his journey like Kamala, Govinda, and Vasudeva and even before his journey when he was growing up. Through his son, Siddhartha comes to terms with the bitter wound of unfriendly good-byes, similar to when he left his father and never returned. In order for Siddhartha to achieve enlightenment, he had to release himself from the love he had for his son. While on the river, he sees his reflection, and “[his] face resembled that of another person…the face of his father, the Brahmin. He remembered how once, as a youth, he had compelled his father to let him go and join the ascetics, how he had taken leave of him, how he had gone and never returned. Had not his father also suffered the same pain the he was now suffering for his son? Had not his father died long ago, alone, without having seen his son again? Did he not expect the same fate? Was it not a comedy, a strange and stupid thing, the repetition, this course of events in a fateful circle?” (107). Upon the realization of this evident sorrow, Siddhartha is left at peace as he accepts the mirrored pain that other fathers and sons experience.
ReplyDeleteMy four best friends have very important roles in shaping who I am. I have known 3 of them for 6 years and 1 for 11 years. As arbitrary as this metaphor is, they are like the Grand River in my crazy Lansing to Detroit Michigan life, no matter where I am, they are never far and will always bring me home. By this I mean, that through all the challenges in my life, I know that I have them to lean back on and that they will hold me accountable to my beliefs, ethics, and goals and will support me as I would them. Without them, I would be a loose cannon on 96 East and West with shaky values and weak opinions. I wouldn’t have been exposed to the joys of faith, academics, literature, film, athletics, cuisine, and a million other things without them.
Also, for anyone who has read or familiar with Hamlet, are you seeing some similarities? I have found a few such as the loyal friend characters Govinda and Horatio, The idea of Self destruction and Siddhartha’s wish to cease to exist and Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” monologue, and the quote I put in this post and a line Claudius tells Hamlet when he’s grieving the loss of his father.
Let me know what you think.
I believe that Gotama, the Illustrious One, helps aid Siddhartha on his journey to enlightenment. Siddhartha and his friend Govinda seek out Gotama to hear his teachings. After they have listened to him Govinda decides that he will continue to follow Gotama and become a Monk like the rest of the other followers. To him, he found his answer in Gotama's teachings and feels that he is making the right choice. Siddhartha is sad to see his best friend and follower leave his side but he understands that he has not found his answer yet and will continue in search of it. After hearing the Buddha's teachings Siddhartha realizes that only he himself will be able to find enlightenment and figure it out for himself. Without Gotama, Siddhartha might not have ever figured this out.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has always been a key individual in asking me the important questions I should know about myself. She never lets me get off easy and always pushes for me to figure out what it is that I want and where i see myself going. She has been a key influence in showing me what it takes to achieve goals and what I will have to do to be successful. I have discovered that I don't exactly know what I want, but i sure need to figure it out!!
The one character that truly led Siddhartha to have peace within himself is Vasudeva, the ferryman. He is the guide that was the final leg of the journey to Siddhartha’s enlightenment. His serenity and energy radiated onto others, including Siddhartha. It was this ferryman who saved Siddhartha from a miserable life and even from a suicidal death. Vasudeva taught Siddhartha how to listen to the river and how what that river is speaking reflects in one’s self. Any of Siddhartha’s doubts or questions could be answered by the river. Eventually Siddhartha reached enlightenment, a peaceful smile appeared on his face, and unfortunately, it was time for Vasudeva to leave him.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was an interesting fact: Vasudeva is a name for Krishna, a powerful god in the Hindu trinity.
In general, when I work with certain classmates in groups during school, they make me realize the leadership qualities and the responsibility I have within me, and that I do get things done, and on time. Other than that, I cannot really pinpoint a certain person who has made me discover a realization about myself.
I agree with Alexis in Vasudeva being especially important in guiding Siddhartha's journey. He was the reborn Siddhartha's first teacher, and was able to teach without needing to be followed (which was mostly likely just as refreshing to Siddhartha as hearing "Om" when he was so close to death). Vasudeva's main goal was to teach reflecting in one's self, for which he turned to the river, and taught Siddhartha to do the same.
ReplyDeleteVasudeva has that "all-knowing" sense about him because of his vast wisdom, as well as his experiences with the diverse types of people who used his ferry to cross the river. Knowing how many individual personalities and backgrounds the countless travelers had had, and knowing that Vasudeva lives alone, it's safe to assume that he has been able to truly understand who he is. I say this because he would have had the ability to learn of different ways of life through taking people across the water, and could also reflect peacefully on them in his home and fields. Because Vasudeva had already learned to search within, he was capable of passing on that same wisdom to Siddhartha.
In a way, I would consider myself to be like Vasudeva in the way of learning through observation and reflecting on myself when it comes to social situations, morals, and ways of thinking. I feel many people have shaped little parts of my way of thinking, instead of a few distinct people, and all of those parts fit together and form my mind.
I think that everyone who came into Siddhartha’s life had some impact on him, though some much more than others. When it comes down to it, it was Siddhartha who essentially caused the change in himself. Many of the characters—Govinda, Vasudeva, Kamala—all acted as a sort of catalyst for his spiritual growth, but it was Siddhartha himself who actually took what he learned from his many experiences and used it to grow. He could have chosen to ignore everyone’s advice and teachings, and he would be the exact same person as when he began. In essence, it does not matter what you are give nearly as much as it matters what you do with it. He puts it best at the end of the novel: “‘Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish’” (115). There are just some things that one needs to experience and figure out for themselves .
ReplyDeleteI think everyone in my life has shaped me in some way or another. There are not any individual who stand out above the rest. Likewise, I cannot recall any huge revelations in my life where I suddenly learned more about myself. Every day I am discovering new things, and I am sure it will continue like that throughout my entire life.
Vasudeva has a huge impact in Siddhartha's journey to enlightenment. He shows Siddhartha the right way to live simply, unlike the Samanas. By using the river as his teacher, Siddhartha sees that everything is connected. This is a fact that Vasudeva has known for a while, and it is his key to peace. Without Vasudeva's guidance Siddhartha would not know how to deal with the absence of his son. Vasudeva shows him that everyone must follow their own will, just as Siddhartha did. He understands that young Siddhartha will go on his own path and takes up a "what will be, will be" attitude. By strengthening Siddhartha's belief that simplicity makes the world more beautiful, Siddhartha can achieve enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteMy siblings have had a huge impact on the way I am today. Although I have a pretty though outer shell, I know that I can be myself with my younger brother. I don't have to put up any walls. I realized that he is actually very insightful and caring, which is hard to find in most 14- year- old kids. My older sister helped me realize I can challenge myself and go the extra mile. Without her proactive attitude, I would not have the heart to push myself in school or life. My brother and sister have molded me into the caring and hard-working person I am.
Siddhartha has many people along his journey that impact him. Govinda, Gotama, Kamala, Vasudeva, his son, and even his father all played a part in Siddhartha’s self-discovery. Each person helped him in a different way, all leading to his enlightenment. However, I believe that Siddhartha ultimately caused the change in himself. His experiences lead him to the person he is at the end of the book. He chooses to leave his father and home. He chooses to leave his friend Govinda. He chooses to leave Kamala and his riches. When he is hanging over the river, pondering suicide, no one is there to teach or influence him and yet he changes his mind. He caused the change in himself. Vasudeva is there to aid him, just as others had been with Siddhartha through various parts of his life, but it is up to Siddhartha to take in his surroundings and experiences and make something of them. Siddhartha knows from the beginning of the story that he has the power within him, he just had to figure out how to unlock it himself.
ReplyDeleteIn my life, I have had many people move in and out of my life. I have been influenced by a number of people. Each person has affected me in a different way. Together, in addition to what I learn and experience on my own, I have become the person I am today.
Personally, I believe that everyone Siddhartha met had a large impact on his discovery to his final experience of enlightenment. If Siddhartha had never left to go to the forest to become a Samana he would have never heard the teachings of the Illustrious One and would have never made the decision to leave and try and find his own path to enlightenment. Along the way he meets people that affect him significantly in different ways. For instance, Kamala shows Siddhartha love, lust, and cleverness. Kamaswami teaches Siddhartha greed, anger and business. All of these characters impact Siddhartha, they help him grow and these experiences awaken his senses and his true self. However, one man truly helps Siddhartha and allows him to discover enlightenment, that man is Vasudeva. All though he is a simple ferryman, he shows Siddhartha that everything has a purpose in this world and to love everything. Vasudeva shows Siddhartha the river, and tells him that he must learn from it. Siddhartha recognizes that the river is always present, it is flowing and changing but yet it is always the same. It is this theory that leads him to his path of enlightenment. This discovery would have never been made without the kind guidance from Vasudeva.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone in my life has made a large impact on who I am today. My parents would always say, "The people that you know the least about may be the ones that teach you the most." I am a firm believer in this. For instance, when I was younger there was an old woman struggling with her groceries and a young man came up to her and offered his help. From that I learned courteously and kindness. Its small instances like this that can teach us things that our teachers and colleagues can't. There are some things you cannot be taught, you have to go out there and experience things on your own, just as Siddhartha did.
Katie my dear, I must agree with you. And maybe say some of the same stuff....
ReplyDeleteI believe that though he wasn't the most important, Siddhartha's son was key to finding peace. His son taught him what I feel is the most important lesson in life: empathy. He was able to truly empathize with his father when he went through much of the same with his son; dissatisfaction at a life like his father's, craving to leave, and his father not wanting him to. Not only does this teach him empathy, but it is also the first time he takes a look at his past. Before, it was always the next thing; what should he do next? Where should he go? What new methods can he learn? This time, however, he took from his past, learned from it, and I think that was key.
Ironically enough, one of my greatest teachers taught by example--of how not to do things. As horrible as that sounds, I grew up with this person (shall we call him Chandler?) and he ALWAYS got in trouble. Chandler made mistakes so I wouldn't have to. I learned from his mistakes, and it's why I don't do drugs, and I strive to get as much out of life as possible. I see how certain things have made him unhappy, and I avoid them. Some might say that doesn't really count, that I never really learn unless I make mistakes myself, but I feel like my ability to sympatize strongly with Chandler almost makes them my own. If he was punished, I would cry; if he burned another bridge with another person, I would feel his panic at finding a new person to help him. So, by leading by example, I feel Chandler has made me a big part of who I am.
I believe that each person Siddhartha met along his journey helped him discover a piece of himself, but the person that stuck out the most to me was the ferryman, Vasudeva. Vasudeva seemed to be the most at one with the world and seemed to be somewhat "whole" with himself. He teaches Siddhartha that to be happy with everyone and everything you first have to be happy with yourself, a teaching that I found exceptionally enlightening. Vasudeva helps Siddhartha find himself and find the answers he's looking for in nature, through the river. To me, Vasudeva seems down to earth and leads a simple life which I think was just the thing Siddhartha needed.
ReplyDeleteAll my life I convinced myself that I got the math and science genes in my family and my sister got the art and music genes. I convinced myself that I couldn't do creative writing, that I was no good at drawing or painting, and that since my sister was the practically professional singer in the family there was no way I could sing at all. In highschool, I was finally required by the school to take an art class, which I did reluctantly. My teacher seemed to take a special interest in my pieces and encouraged me to try new and different things. It was not only ecxiting to hear someone tell me I was creative and good at art, but it also came with a wonderfully calming feeling of creating something beautiful that I could be proud of. I'm not saying that now I'm an artistic enthusiast, but thanks to my art teacher I no longer think there are things that I can't do.
I have to agree with Lia in that Siddhartha had many important teachers who guided him to reach spiritual enlightenment but, I also believed that Vasudeva was one of if not the most important. It reminds me of that old quote "If the student is ready than the teacher will appear". That's how I felt about Vasudeva. He entered Siddharthas life at a time when Siddhartha had hit rock bottom. Siddhartha had become mezmerized by riches and gambling forgetting all he had learned from the Samanas. Siddhartha can see that Vasudeva is special and has a type of inner peace and wisdom that Siddhartha wants. Vasudeva agrees to teach him the ways of a ferry man and shows Siddhartha how to listen to the river. However Siddhartha is the one who discovers that the river is a metaphor for the unity and timelessness of life. This is what makes Vasudeva a great teacher, he is very patient in his teaching of Siddhartha, waiting for him to discover things on his own. Siddhartha's reaching of enlightenment however should be accredited to all of his life experiences and events. Vasudeva just helps Siddhartha connect the dots and truly combine all his teachings to one big realization.
ReplyDeleteIn my life someone who has made me realize something about myself is my soccer coach. Soccer helps me discover things about myself all the time.It's as much a mental game as it is physical. It also carries over into my every day life. From running a lot I learn that yeah it's not the funnest thing but, it pays off in the long run just like school or homework. I also learned to never give up, and how to provlem solve in a group scenario. My soccer coach, or any kind of coach in general reminds me of Vasudeva because it's not so much him that does all the teaching, he just puts you into situations where he know's what he wants you to learn but he wants you to figure it out yourself.
In my opinion, I think that Siddhartha learned the most from Vasudeva, the ferryman. Vasudeva is the last teacher that Siddhartha encounters on his journey. When he went with the Samanas, they taught him to destroy himself, to feel nothing, to achieve enlightenment. Gotama, the Buddha, gave Siddhartha wisdom. The problem with these teachers was that Siddhartha thought he was superior to them. He felt that they couldn’t teach him anything new to him. When he met Kamala, she taught him enjoy life and accept being an equal to everyone else. He was taught how to love not only people, but materialistic things. However, after a certain point, Siddhartha felt nothing for that life so he left. Siddhartha comes along to the river as a broken man. With the help of Vasudeva, Siddhartha learns how to listen to the river, to listen to the river’s wisdom. In the end he was able to listen to all the different voices of the river, the childish ones, the weeping ones, and the manly ones. “…when he did not bind his soul to any one particular voice and absorb it in his Self, but heard them all, the whole, the unity; then the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om – perfection.”(p. 111). At this moment, Siddhartha achieved enlightenment. So although the river was the ultimate teacher, Vasudeva was the one who taught Siddhartha to have patience with the river, appreciate its’ beauty, and to learn its’ cycle.
ReplyDeleteIn my life, my gymnastics coach taught me that I have a different work ethic than most girls. I was not the most talented gymnast out there, but my coach pushed and pushed me to be the best I could. I learned how to take the most turns, how to work the hardest, and to make the most out of my practices. In the end, I won states. He helped me realize that in order for me to succeed, I have to ignore everyone around me, and focus on just me.
One of the People who helped Siddhartha on his way to self discovery was Kamala, the courtesan. Through her, Siddhartha learns the ways of love, and becomes able more able to relate to 'average people'. Kamala teaches him some of the physical aspects of love and relationships. When she does this, Siddhartha loses the drive he originally had for peace and perfect happiness. Without his time with Kamala, Siddhartha would never have lost himself; and if he had never lost himself, then he would not be able to find himself and his happiness in the end.
ReplyDeleteA group of kids at my old church did the same for me. Yes, I was at church, but these kids I was hanging around were not christians, and they started to erode many of my beliefs and morals. Something I did not even realize was happening. I found myself swearing more, caring less about things I should care about more, and had a different focus on my life than the one I really wanted to have. And because of the time that I had with them where I was changed by them, I was able to come back with a stronger faith, and a stronger stand on what I believe, and who I will let influence me. Because of that time, when I let my friends influence me in the negative, and am now stronger to resist that same occurance in my life now.
As Kamala eventually made Siddhartha stronger and surer of himself, so did those kids at church make me stronger in myself, and God.
I would say the ferryman, Vasudeva, was the person that had the greatest impact on Siddhartha and his journey towards enlightenment. Vasudeva never thrust ideas and opinions at Siddhartha, nor did he rudely judge him. He allowed Siddhartha time and he gave Siddhartha guidance by teaching him to trust and to listen to the river. Through the patience and guidance of Vasudeva and the river Siddhartha was able to find peace and be content with himself and finally be happy. He was able to reach enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteI actually just wrote a college application essay similar to this topic. But what I concluded was that several people in my life have helped me discover myself and make realizations about myself. I have helped support family, friends, and random unfamiliar people through various struggles and I think they have all taught me something about myself.
While I believe the most progress was made during his time with Vasudeva, I think the most important individual in Siddhartha's self discovery was Gotama, the Illustrious One. Through meeting him, and observing his teachings and ways, Siddhartha changes his game-plan. All his life he had looked to others for answers, he looked to teachers who didn't know what he wanted to know. Upon meeting Gotama, he realized there is no instruction book towards reaching Nirvana. The road to enlightenment cannot be taught. Once he knew this, he was able to pursue it as an individual. If he had never made this self realization, he would've followed Gotama until the end of his days, most likely never reaching Nirvana.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life, as anyone does, I have had other people affect who I am. Affecting me most, is those people who reach me on a deep enough level where I am surprised at the person I am. The epiphany is often good, but often bad as well. Altogether, I believe the surprises and realizations of self people bring are good, because they help me grow as a person.
Vasudeva was the person who helped Siddhartha the most in his journey to enlightenment. Unlike the other people he met who tried to teach him the way to enlightenment ( such as the Brahmins, Samanas, Gotama, and Kamala), Vasudeva did not try to teach Siddhartha wisdom, but instructed him to listen to the river to recieve guidance and wisdom. This aspect is important because it reinforces the theme that one can find enlightenment and realize the unity of life through nature and themselves. Vasudeva also helped Siddhartha by listening to him attentively, which made Siddhartha appreciate having a friend that he could depend on. Vasudeva supported Siddhartha through his last challenge before his enlightenment, the struggle between Siddhartha and his son. Vasudeva told Siddhartha to let his son go because he did not like living away from the city, but Siddhartha wanted to protect him from the sins of the world, or samsara. Vasudeva that Siddhartha could not protect his son from samsara and his fate, so it would be best to let him discover the world for himself. However, Siddhartha couldn't accept this and couldn't give up his son. Young Siddhartha ran away and Vasudeva brought Siddhartha back after Siddhartha went looking for Vasudeva. Siddhartha was sad about what happened with his son for a while and Vasudeva told him to listen to the river to find wisdom. As Siddhartha studied the river, he could hear all the voices of life and realized that all things in life are unified and add up to perfection. Siddhartha reached enlightenment at this moment.
ReplyDeleteMany people in my life, including my parents, friends, and some teachers, have influenced who I am today and have helped me discover realizations about myself. I cannot think of a specific person who has influenced me the most, but my parents have always been some of the most influential people in my life.
There are many different people that Siddhartha learned from throughout his journey. He learned different and valuable lessons from each of his teachers. However, I think that Vasudeva turned out to be his most important teacher. Siddhartha was drawn to Vasudeva because of the inner peace that he radiated. Vasudeva accepted Siddartha to work along his side as a ferryman. He taught Siddhartha to listen to the river. Vasudeva was extremely patient towards Siddhartha and waited for him to realize that nothing could teach him how to reach enlightenment. Siddhartha had to find it within himself to reach this goal. The river helped guide him by giving him wisdom. As Siddhartha grew spiritually, he learned more secrets from the river. Near the end Vasudeva helped Siddhartha realize that he needed to let his son go. The river reminded him that Siddhartha did this to his own father when he left to join the Samanas. After this point Vasudeva encouraged him to listen to the river to find more of its secrets and wisdom. Siddhartha reached enlightenment after doing this.
ReplyDeleteA person who has influenced me is my assistant hockey coach. He was a great hockey player who played at a high level and on the junior red wings. Everyone thought he would make it to the pros. Unfortunately he was paralyzed in an accident and is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of this life. However, he does not let this handicap hinder his ability to live a great life. He pushes everyone to do their best and has made me realize that no obstacle is to big to overcome.
Katelyn Scott
I believe that many people helped Siddhartha in different ways along his journey, but Vasudeva was the one who helped him achieve enlightenment. Siddhartha met people like Gotama, Kamala, and Govinda, who also had a major influence along his journey. Vasudeva was a simple ferryman who lived his quiet life. Vasudeva used what he had learned from the river to teach Siddhartha to listen to the river. Siddhartha was a clueless mess when he found Vasudeva, as he had lived with nothing and as a rich man, and still had not achieved enlightenment. Vasudeva helped him regain himself and strive for enlightenment. Vasudeva was not flashy by any means, but he was the one who finally broke the seal and allowed Siddhartha to finally feel enlightened. Vasudeva was the final punch that fulfilled Siddhartha's goal in life. Vasudeva left after Siddhartha finally achieved enlightenment, so it is almost like it was meant to be, or Vasudeva knew this was his purpose as a ferryman. Vasudeva moved on in his life, and Siddhartha took his role as the ferryman who, in being one with the river, has the role of teaching various passerbys, including Govinda. While I believe all four of these figures played major roles in the journey, I believe Siddhartha learned the most about himself from Vasudeva.
ReplyDeleteI have many people who have helped me realize who I am today. My family has always been there for me by helping me every step of my journey. They push me to work hard and tell me that the outcome will be fulfilling. I always listen to them and try my best, working hard every step of the way. Their support is a huge contributing factor to my success in my daily endeavors. Without them, I probably wouldn’t be who I am today, and I’m so blessed to have them.
I think that Siddhartha was helped most, not by the people with whom he encountered although they showed him the way. I feel that Siddhartha took the teachings and found enlightenment looking inward. The epiphanies he experiences about the world and its beauty and how he had changed from living with the rich were all based on personal evaluation. I do think however the person that had the most influence on him would be the ferryman, Vasudeva so I agree with Jack Ball. He did not preach to Siddhartha but rather used the river to show what no one person could ever explain.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my life there have been many people that have had an influence on me. My parents of course steer me in the right direction daily and influence me to make good decisions. However, actions speak louder than words and for me to see something taught has a greater impact. For this I look to my sisters. Close to my own age, they have influenced me to be the person I am. Looking at them forces me to examine myself and my life, a great way to learn. I am certainly blessed to have such a great family.
I believe that Buddha aided Siddhartha the most in his self discovery. Siddhartha realized that Buddha could only teach you about life. Siddhartha knew that the only way you can truly learn was to experience that for himself. If he had not encountered Buddha, he would have not come to the realization. Thence, he went on his journey. Siddhartha experienced many things that helped him come to his self discovery. Therefore, I believe Buddha was the one who influenced him the most.
ReplyDeleteThere are many people in my life who have helped me make self discoveries. Many of my teachers help me realize that I am a smart person and that should not be put to waste. The biggest discovery I had made from my parents and friends is that when I am mad I should not spend time being angry, but put that energy in some other activity. I found out that when I am mad I should not do reckless things, instead I run or study or watch a movie. The people around me have help with this self discovery and I believe it is the best thing I have found out about myself.
i think that Vasudeva played the biggest role in Siddartha's Spiritual enlightenment because he really showed Siddartha that to become one with everything around you, you must listen and understand everything around you, he does this by listening to the river, learning from it, taking its lessons about time and place and accepting them because they are the utmost truth. i personally am very into zen meditation and buddhism and this book for me was extremely interesting because of the way that siddartha doesn't jump to conclusions about the world around him, he takes it for exactly what it is, he doesn't just see a river, he sees a teacher, and his father and mother in that river, he sees his very life force in that river, he sees that body, spirt, time and life, itself is that river, it is constantly flowing and changing every second, yet at the very core, it is always the same.
ReplyDeleteIn my life there have been people very close to me that have really guided me towards believing in buddhism and zen meditation and because of that i have come to realize many things, that at any-moment our lives may end, so i live the way i want to and do what i want to to enjoy every-moment as it comes to me, also that everything in our world is connected, like siddartha says to Govinda near the end of the novel, when he describes how the rocks are rocks, yet so much more, and that he loves them for being rocks, and for being everything else, for being the tree,s and water and his food, all different yet all one in the same, and members of my close family have shown me and opened my mind to the teachings of buddhism and of zen meditation, and though i definitely do not know as much as i like, i still consider them my own because they deal so much with the mind and body being part of everything around you, not separate like many people believe.
For most of the book, Siddartha follows the righteous, intellectual path. With the Brahmin, he follows a strict regimen of preyers and sacrifices in search of enlightenment. With the Samana ascetics, he gave up physical stimulus to lose the Self. But when he met Kamaswami, he saw the other side of the coin. Kamaswami showed him how 'the other 80 percent live' so to speak. Its true that Kamaswami introduced Siddartha to avarice, and petty thoughts, but it allowed him to be taught by Kamala, who gave him his son, through whom he learned the ultimate lesson, that we have to let go of what we love. It also showed him the value of what he had learned, and removed his arrogance about other people. (not the best but, its what i got)
ReplyDeleteAlthough Vasudeva, Govinda, Kamala, Gotama and many others directly enlightened Siddhartha, I see Kamaswami and the other childish, worrisome village people as influencing and enlightening him very prominently. Much of the young man's experience and insight come from what he sees and dislikes in other people, doctrines and ways of life. He was disdainful of these foolish people who were "always in love with themselves, their children, with honor or money, with plans or hope...He only learned the unpleasant things from them which he despised."(p.62). Finally, when he became engulfed in the misery of Kamaswami's ways he recognized the folly in himself and all in all was one step closer to enlightenment in his true person. In my life, I was largely influenced by a seventh grade teacher who gave me hope always and taught our class that in order to be loved and accepted, you must love and accept others. Most importantly, this teacher taught her lessons by example and was a powerful leader as well as a role model for our entire class.
ReplyDeleteOne person that greatly helps Siddhartha on his journey to self-discovery is Kamala. Siddhartha meets Kamala after breaking away from the Samanas and meeting Gotama the Buddha. He is immediately struck by her beauty and wants to learn about love from her. She agrees to teach him, but first he must find a job and become rich. Siddhartha does all of this to please her, and his years of materialism begin. Kamala is the first person that Siddhartha has ever had a relationship with that was not based on spiritual values. She teaches him about love, money, and having possessions, things that Siddhartha does not really know about. Eventually, Siddhartha realizes that this wealthy life is not what will help him reach enlightenment, and he leaves Kamala and the city. However, if he had never experienced that sort of life and the relationship he had with Kamala, he probably would never have achieved enlightenment. He needed to learn about how businessmen work and how the average person goes about their lives to realize that that way of life was never going to satisfy his quest. If Kamala had not helped him to discover that, he would never have been truly happy.
ReplyDeleteOne person that has helped me discover specific realizations about myself is my trumpet teacher. I would rather quietly play my trumpet in the background, but she has shown me that even if I can play the highest notes, I have different musical talents that contribute to the group just as much, and I could even play a solo wonderfully if I wanted to. Just by hanging out with her, I have unconsciously become a louder player (not too loud though).
One person in particular helps Siddhartha both discover himself, and understand more about other people. This is his son, (the young) Siddhartha. Though his son is snotty and selfish, he actually does much for Siddhartha's self-discovery. (The older) Siddhartha is overcome with a love of his son, and it is very difficult for him to discipline his son, because he loves him so much. When his son decides to run away, and go back to his home village, Siddhartha pursues him. It is very difficult for Siddhartha to let his son go, but with the help of his friend Vasudeva, he is able to let his son go away. This helps Siddhartha understand himself. He realizes that he is no different from any other human. Though sometimes, love is irrational, it is what makes us human. The novel says, "But now, since his son was there, he, Siddhartha, had become completely like on of the people, through sorrow, through loving. He was madly in love, a fool because of love," (99.) After he lets his son go, it is very difficult for Siddhartha. The book says the pain caused from his son is like a "wound". It took a long time for the wound to heal, but while it heals, Siddhartha learns a lot about himself. He is able to relate much better to people in their hardships and stuggles in life, and he no longer looks down on them like he previously did.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life, I constantly have great people who help me understand myself. My mom is great at helping me realize my faults, but she also praises me for my accomplishments and tries to keep me on the right track. My cousin "Mildred" also helps me to understand myself and helps me stay well-rounded.
(Hi it's Krista Kruszewski)
ReplyDeleteI believe that Vasudeva was the person most important on the road to Siddhartha's enlightenment. The Brahmins taught routine, the Samanas taught self-destruction, Gotama taught about his own journey, Kamala and Kamaswami taught the value of material items and finally young Siddhartha taught him patience and loss. Vasudeva on the other hand didn't try to teach Siddhartha per say. Instead, he gave him a path that led away from his almost suicide to his enlightenment. Vasudeva listens instead of talking and preaching which I personally think is the reason for his impact on Siddhartha. Siddhartha always said how he didn't want to listen to teachings but find his "Self" on his own. Vasudeva never pushed anything on Siddhartha like others did but instead introduced him to the river which became the last leg of his trip into enlightenment which presumes true when Siddhartha tells Govinda, "... I just love the stone and the river and all these things that we see and from which we can learn" (117). Siddhartha utters these words in the last chapter of the book trying to help Govinda reach the same enlightenment that Vasudeva helped Siddhartha have.
My boyfriend Derek has taught me to have a kinder heart. I've changed so much since I was the "I think I'm super awesome" freshman. For over two years now, he's been helping me look at the world in a simpler way and I like who I am now much more than the stuck up teenager that I was. He has made me realize more things about myself that I even knew about myself (very cliché, i know!).
The path to spiritual enlightenment took Siddartha many places all while learning from all kinds of faces. The single most influential figure in his pilgrimage, in my opinion, is Kamala the courtesan. At first it appears that she did not help Siddartha whatsoever and in some ways it could be argued that she hurt Siddartha spiritually. However, both directly and indirectly, I believe she was the most help. Kamala helped Siddartha realize that the world of riches and indulgence that she lived in was not the world for him. He had always been told this, but never experienced it. This experience confirmed his prior beliefs for him. Kamala was also the link between Siddartha and the merchant Kamaswami. Always striving for more money and worrying about every obstacle in the way, Kawaswami represented the “ordinary people” as a whole. After realizing that this way of life was not for him, Siddartha fled the city and eventually came across Vasudeva who was the prominent figure in helping Siddartha reach his goal. By helping Siddartha realize that the life of riches was not for him, affirming his prior beliefs, and essentially chasing him away to Vasudeva, Kamala was the most influential person in the pilgrimage of Siddartha.
ReplyDeleteFriends and family have always been the most important mentors in my life. The closeness of my relationship with them all allows them to be completely honest with me about anything. Sometimes when you are so close to something, you are unable to see what is truly going on. The outside perspective of friends and family is invaluable under those circumstances because they are not going to sugarcoat something or tell you what you want to hear. They are going to give it to you straight because they truly care about you. This outside guidance is something I am extremely thankful for because in the end, it does help you realize things about yourself that maybe you were not willing to admit or accept before.
Vasudeva was extremely helpful on Siddartha's journey to self-discovery. Vasudeva allowed Siddartha to live with him and eat his food. He taught Siddartha how to look after the boat and how to make oars and baskets. By allowing Siddartha to be by the river, Vasudeva became the most important person in his life. Vasudeva taught Siddartha to listen to the river with his entire soul. Vasudeva also showed Siddartha that life was still worth living. The river was like life itself, it represents life's voice. The river has a thousand different voices. When you listen to each individual voice you only hear one emotion per voice. However, when you listen to the voices collectively, you hear Om. The holy and peaceful word that contains the voices of all living creatures, of all emotions. Siddartha found peace and happiness from the river. From listening to the river's voices, Siddartha discovered himself. A large portion of Sidddartha's self-discovery was thanks to Vasudeva, the one who knew how inspirational the river was and the one who acquainted Siddartha with the river.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in sixth grade, my science teacher made an observation about me which helped me to discover an important characteristic of mine. We were working on a group project and my group was having a problem. I said something positive so we could fix our problem and finish with the activity. My teacher happened to be walking by when I was speaking. He told me that I always look at the cup half full instead of half empty. This helped me realize that I always try to be positive. There's no point getting upset when things aren't going your way. It's best to think positive, that way your problem doesn't seem like such a big deal. My teacher helped me realize that's the type of person I am.
Katelynn Corbett
Well I thought I was all very original until I got to Andrea Parker's blog (I love you Andrea!) because I agree with what she has said about how out of all the people in Siddhartha's life, HE was the one that helped himself the most. He started out in life as a Brahmin, he was the most clever, the most handsome, and he had everything he could ever want...except nirvana. He was the one driving force throughout his entire life who kept pushing him onwards through each life so that he could finally reach his goal at the end of the road. Of course nearly all of the characters in this book each taught Siddhartha their individual messages, but in the end, it was Siddhartha that was able to combine them all into one: OM.
ReplyDeleteThe one person who has always held a mirror up for me to look into is my father. Sometimes I will have a bad day or be in a tough situation, and he is always there to put things into perspective. Is this problem really that bad? Is it life changing? Will it even matter in a day? Most of the time the answers to those questions is no. He has always told me that as long as I learn the correct way to behave and conduct myself, then I can do as I please when I'm older, because then I will at least know that I'm doing something wrong rather than being ignorant to that fact. That may not make much sense, but to me, it really helps because it makes setting my personal standards that much more important to me.
Okay well obviously I only read the first sentence of Andrea's comment haha!
ReplyDeleteWell I personally feel that Vasudeva helped aid Siddhartha on his journey through self-discovery. I believe this because througout the entire novel Siddhartha was never actually at peace with himself and his thoughts until he met Vasudeva. Siddhartha achieves enlightenment because of his friendship with Vasudeva. He has this serenity and wisdom about him, which he claims is from listening to the river. When he encourages Siddhartha to do the same, Siddhartha is able to experience the feelings and tranquility as Vasudeva does.
ReplyDeleteMy two best friends have helped me discover important realizations about myself I did not think I would of been able to figure out alone. They truely have brought out the best in me during any situation, and they are the ones who I seek advice and comfort in times of need. We share smiles, tears, laughter and stories. They are the ones who reassure me that everything is going to be fine.
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ReplyDeleteVasudeva was one of the many people who helped Siddhartha on his path to self-discovery. Before Siddhartha met Vasudeva, he was never happy with any group such as the Sumanas and Buddhists. Even when he decides to forget it all and live in the material world, he is not happy. It isn't until he's brought himself to Vasudeva and learns from the river he finds inner peace. I do think everybody in Siddhartha's life did lead him to enlightenment, however, I think Vasudeva gave him the biggest push.
ReplyDeleteIn my life I'd have to say my friends and family have helped me discover realizations about myself. I have one specific friend who I've known a very long time. She and I are total opposites but when we're together we learn a lot about ourselves. My family always supports me, no matter what I choose to do. When I am down they help pick me back up and bring me towards the right track.
I believe that Vasudeva helps aids Siddhartha in his self-discovery. Vasudeva showed Siddhartha the ways of the river and how it represents the flow of human life. Siddhartha learns from the river the cycle of life and one day hears the river say, om. Siddharta learns to be at peace with himself when he becomes the new ferryman. If he was not the ferryman he may have never been able to see Govinda again and reach total enlightment.
ReplyDeleteIn my life my sister has helped me realize things about myself. She always tells me the truth about my actions and it is good to know things that you do in your life and how they can affect others. For example, I never knew that I acted like a know-it-all until she told me one day. I realized this as one of my tragic flaws, and ever since then I try to think of others opinions and what they think is correct.
Siddhartha's self is one of the influential people who helps Siddhartha along his path to Spiritual Enlightenment. The Samanas taught Siddhartha to separate himself from his self but Siddhartha chooses to embrace it and in so choosing, he discovers paths that no other monk, Brahmin, or Samana ever discovered. Siddhartha experiences the path of a ascetic, a merchant, a gambler, a courtesan, and even a ferryman. Together these experiences help provide Siddhartha with enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteAs for the person that has helped me realize the most about myself, it would have to be my lacrosse coach. He has two degrees from Georgetown, one in aeronautical engineering and the other in law, and another degree from University of Denver or Colorado. But you know what he does for a day job? He manages a Starbucks and coaches lacrosse clinics. He showed me that it doesn't matter where you go or what you do, so long as you move forward and find something for the time being that you enjoy. Eventually you will find your life's calling.
Siddhartha has many people who influence his journey to peace, one of them being his father. Siddhartha learns from his father to desire to find peace with the world. He is taught by the Brahmin about the Buddhist faith which they share. His father has the understanding enough to bless Siddhartha’s joining of the Samanas, even though in his heart he desires his son to stay. Siddhartha would never have gone on his journey to peace if not for his father’s full understanding and agreement.
ReplyDeleteOne person who has led me to personal realizations in my life is my own father. He has pointed out to me my strengths, such as mathematics, and advised me on how to overcome certain weaknesses I have had in school and elsewhere. It has been through many of his comments and suggestions that I have come to realize my true potential and utilized my talents.
Govinda plays a key role in aiding Siddhartha achieve enlightenment. Not only is he with Siddhartha in the beginning, but also he is by Siddhartha’s side in his last moments. When Siddhartha first makes the decision to leave his family and join the Samanas, Govinda is right behind him every step of the way. Govinda is the perfect model for a loyal and trustworthy friend, and his devotion gives Siddhartha the strength he needs to continue on his spiritual journey. Although the two take separate paths after meeting Gotama, they have other surprise meetings throughout the novel. The first is after Siddhartha left for the river after living in materialistic unhappiness. Waking up next to the river, Siddhartha finds Govinda close by, which gives him a hopeful outlook on life. He miraculously feels refreshed and continues working toward enlightenment. In the end of the novel, Siddhartha’s life reaches an end and just before he dies, he shares the secret to enlightenment with Govinda as a sort of repayment for his loyalty.
ReplyDeleteIn my life, my mom has helped me make important realizations about myself. Like Govinda, she is always at my side when I need her most. When I am down or feeling like I can’t go on, she gives me advice or encourages me to be the best that I am.
Kamala helps Siddhartha achieve enlightenment throughout the book. He encounters her in the village after he leaves to find his own journey. He comes to her in his dirty clothes and as a low class person and is changed by her. As she helps him earn money and be able to afford his own belongings, he is able to look past the simple things and truly look at himself. Even though he eventually leaves her, she acts as a huge opening for him to find out more about himself. Also the son he bears with her makes him even more important in the world and he is able to realize his self enlightenment. The person who really has helped me is my mom. She has taught me what is truly important and this has allowed me to focus on things that make me happy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Kamala, the courtesan he meets in town, helps Siddartha in his search for enlightenment. He is drawn to her because of her beauty and after their first encounter, he begins changing who he is for her. She directs him to a wealthy merchant, Kamaswami, who gives him clothes and shoes and helps him make money. At first, he thinks he is superior to these people because all they really care about is materialistic things like nice clothes and money, but as the years pass he starts to become one of them. In his past, he never had wanted these materialistic things or love, but being with Kamala changed his views. In order to continue on his journey for inner peace, he had to experience with these types of things and Kamala helped him realize and accept that fact.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in my life has helped me discover an important realization about myself. There isn’t one certain person who has helped me discover this more than others because each person helps me realize a different thing.
Vasudeva was the last and in my opinion the most helpful toward Siddhartha's goal of spiritual enlightenment. Vasudeva helped Siddhartha understand the flow of life through listening and watching the river. Vasudeva taught him to love everything in the world, even if it was as simple as a rock. Also, Vasudeva set a good example of how to act and Siddhartha retained many of Vasudeva's traits such as serenity, energy for life, and the ability to listen well. Not only did Vasudeva teach Siddhartha about others, he helped Siddhartha find out who he was inside. Vasudeva barely said anything because he mostly listened to the river and told Siddhartha that he should do the same. After Vasudeva helped guide Siddhartha onto his path to enlightenment Vasudeva left Siddhartha to find things out for himself and Vasudeva only said something if he felt Siddhartha needed some guiding. However, Vasudeva knew that only Siddhartha could choose to walk his own path and that Vasudeva couldn't make him walk it.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say my dad has helped me discover who I truly am inside and I don't mean every part of who I am or even any specific traits, just in general the type of person I am. He's always pushing me because he knows I can handle it and that I need it. Any lack on his part makes me push him to strive to his full potential. We help each other by pushing each other when the other needs it the most. I believe I would be lost without him.
I loved this book inside and out, I would have definitely read it without being told to because of how deeply moving it was to me.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is Vasudeva that helped Siddhartha the most because he was the one that helped Siddhartha piece the lessons he had learned from everyone else together. Vasudeva taught showed Siddhartha a way to live without the self denial of the Samanas , the extravagance of the merchants, the predictable life of the monks of Gotama, and without the attachments to Kamala and their son. Vasudeva also shows Siddhartha how to find peace in his life by listening to the Om of the river and how to go with the flow in life by recognizing that everything is connected.
ReplyDeleteI have been writing and deleting a lot of things on this line because I'm not quite sure of who to mention as the person who has really helped me realize things in my life. To be honest everyone has influenced me a lot in my life just like Siddhartha. But I would say that one of my teachers helped me to look at things objectively and from all views instead of just my own.
I believe that everyone Siddhartha meets helps him in some way on his path to spiritual enlightenment. However, in my opinion, the most important of these people he meets is Kamala. With Kamala, Siddhartha is able to lose himself, and indulge his senses. He becomes apart of the 'game' of gambling and business. After many years of his on going relationship with Kamala, he begins to grow old, and becomes depressed.He even almost commits suicide, but thankfully wakes up with a better perspective. He was able to learn from his past experiences, and he begins life afresh by going to live with the ferryman, Vasudeva. Without Kamala, he wouldn't have had the experiences that he was able to grow from, and reach inner peace.
ReplyDeleteThe entire purpose of the novel Siddhartha is to chronicle the path taken by the character Siddhartha to reach enlightenment. During his journey, Siddhartha meets and learns from many "holy men," and finds that none of them truly offer what seems to him to be a path to enlightenment. Therefore, since none of the teachings Siddhartha experienced on his journey greatly aided him in his search for enlightenment, it makes sense to me that the credit for helping Siddhartha in his search should go to the ferryman Vasudeva, who helped Siddhartha to realize that enlightenment cannot be taught, only learned. Although Vasudeva does serve as a mentor figure to Siddhartha, he does not directly teach Siddhartha anything, instead encouraging Siddhartha to teach himself through meditation and contemplation of the great river.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I personally have never experienced anything as significant as Siddhartha's experiences with Vasudeva, I, too, have had people in my life who have taught me important lessons about the world and myself. When I was younger, I was incredibly shy, to the point where I rarely spoke to people with whom I was not well acquainted. Then, in middle school, I had a teacher named Mr. Smith. In his class, It was required that I do many speeches and presentations. I was terrified at first, but slowly, over the course of the year, I became more and more comfortable with public speaking, and less and less shy. I firmly believe that much of the reason that I am who I am today is because of the experiences I had in Mr. Smith's class.
Kelsey Wisser
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Siddhartha learned from everyone he encountered, but he learned the most from Vasudeva, the ferryman. While the Samanas and Gotama tried to teach Siddhartha how to reach enlightenment, and Kamala taught him how to love, the ferryman knew that Siddhartha had to find it on his own. When talking to Govinda at the end Siddhartha said, “knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it,” (115) and this Vasudeva understood. Vasudeva told Siddhartha he had to study and listen to the river, and by doing this Siddhartha was able to reach enlightenment. So even though ultimately it was the river how taught Siddhartha, it was Vasudeva’s guidance that led him to finding enlightenment.
Up until Sophomore year I was never involved in my church, in fact going to church was more so a punishment than anything. However, the old youth minister at my church taught me what it means to truly love God and have a good relationship with him. She got me involved in volunteer work and my church in general. Discovering my relationship with God taught me what I enjoy and so much about my self.
There are several people who guide Siddhartha through his journey towards spiritual enlightenment. In my opinion, the most significant of these people is the ferryman, Vasudeva. Although Vasudeva does not have much to say, he carries a peaceful and humble sense about him. Siddhartha admires his ability to listen, and it is Vasudeva who inspires him to master the art of listening to the river which speaks to him. The first time Siddhartha encounters the ferryman, he is traveling as a dusty Samana, who has no possessions. However, when they meet again, Siddhartha is dressed in fine clothes, just having escaped from his wealthy life. At first, Vasudeva does not recognize him. He listens to Siddhartha’s story, and learns that Siddhartha is looking to break free from his riches, and get back on the right path towards self-discovery. Vasudeva was the most influential figure in helping Siddhartha to do so, as he helps cleanse his soul, and even saves him from ending his life. Once Vasudeva helps Siddhartha achieve tranquility, he continues on his own path.
ReplyDeleteLike Siddhartha, I have been influenced my numerous people throughout my life. Some people come and go, but there are always those who stick with me the whole way. These people are my family. My family constantly motivates me. They do not let me settle for anything less than my best, especially in areas such as school. Their constant love and support has helped me to realize that I can do anything I set my mind to!
Siddhartha was welcomed by many people on his journey to self enlightenment, but what I took away from the novel was that Siddhartha did not in fact learn from any one of these people. Siddhartha believed that he could not be taught the ways to self enlightenment, but he could only learn from himself through experiences he came upon during his journey. There is one person, that in my opinion is a slight exception, and that person being Vasudeva. Without Vasudeva, Siddhartha would not have been pointed down the right path. I agree with Tommy when I say that Vasudeva, the ferryman aided Siddhartha not by teaching him, but by helping him come to this realization: that self enlightenment cannot be taught, only learned. Vasudeva taught him to listen to the river, and by listening to the river, Siddhartha gained knowledge and learned ways of enlightenment for himself.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is the one person who unknowingly helped me discover realizations about myself. When I was younger I was shy and quiet. Conversations I had with others consisted of only a few words. My friend on the other hand, was loud and outgoing and over the years she taught me to open up. With her help, I have realized that being outgoing and having the ability to step outside of my comfort zone has made me who I am today. Without this discovery I could very well be the shy little girl I was ten years ago.
Siddhartha meets many very different and unique people along his path to enlightenment, yet the only person who truly gets him there is himself. The Samanas try to achieve nirvana through physical means, and Siddhartha is forced to realize that this path will not work for him. He then has to think through the Buddha's teachings and realize that they are contradictory and will also not get him to his final goal. Kamala entices Siddhartha into the material world, but his own dreams wakes him up to the reality of his situation. As he flees, he meets Vasudeva, who has Siddhartha learn from the river on his own. When the young Siddhartha comes and then leaves, the old Siddhartha realizes what love is, and how to heal himself of this wound. If these situations had been presented to another person, the outcome would undoubtedly be completely different. It was Siddhartha alone who used his own mind and soul to learn from each experience in life and piece them together until he finally achieved enlightenment.
ReplyDeletePersonally, there are several people who help me to realize things about myself each and everyday. These include my family and certain people from my church. Family has a way of being brutally honest, and they help you to realize your faults and how to overcome them. The people at my church demonstrate how to hold yourself to certain standards, and to think things through before you do something or say something that you may regret later. They show me through their own actions how to embrace everyone equally and to think about how one's actions may affect another person before going through with it.
Though Vasudeva seemed to do the least work, he was equally as influential as every other character within Siddhartha's journey. Vasudeva's habit of encouraging Siddhartha to listen to what nature has to offer impacted him greater than any direct teachings could have. You can preach a lesson to someone multiple times, but that doesn't mean they are ever going to absorb the information. Each person comes to realizations at their own pace and by their own methods. Vasudeva encouraged Siddartha to listen to the river, but he took it a step further. Siddartha took lessons from all parts of nature, making it a personal experience. The beauty of their friendship is the silent guidance which allowed Siddhartha to find himself.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though I take a lesson from every person I meet, but there is one friend in particular who has inspired me significantly. Here I'll call her Lucy :] I only went to school with Lucy for a year, but I continue to turn to her for advice and support. Checking her thoughts and actions is admirable, but the humble manner in which she does it is what inspires me. She doesn't compare her own words and actions to those of others, but instead parallels her choices with how she believes her family and God would have her act. Out of the many things I've learned from her, this is one of the most important: to race only against yourself.
Mary Wojtala
ReplyDeleteI think that every person that aided Siddhartha helped him on his journey to enlightenment, but I think the biggest contributer was Siddhartha himself. He had to experience everything he experienced in order to see the true meaning of Self. He had to become a Samana, and lose all meaning of Self, and he had to learn to love possessions with Kamala so that who could die inside, and be reborn again. Vasudeva taught him to learn from the river. The river taught him that time was an illusion. Little Siddhartha taught him to love, and to lose. In the end though, Siddhartha reached enlightenment on his own. He even told Govinda that it was something that could not be taught by a teacher, but had to be found on one’s own.
A lot of people have shaped my life in little ways, but nothing specifically stands out. I don’t think that one person can really make you discover something about yourself that you didn’t already know.
I think that the person who has the greatest influence Siddhartha on his journey of self-discovery is Vasudeva. Siddhartha first meets Vasudeva when he is crossing the river with Govinda, and meets him again after he realizes that Buddhism will not give him the answers that he is looking for. Vasudeva saves Siddhartha from drowning himself in the river, and turns his life around. Vasudeva is not a very philosophical man, but he instead finds his wisdom from the river. He encourages Siddhartha too, to learn from the river. For awhile, Siddhartha stares at the river but doesn't feel anything. Siddhartha finally learns from both Vasudeva and the river that not all questions can be answered, and that there is a beauty in the unknown.
ReplyDeleteOne person who has had a great influence on my life is my best friend's mom. We are extremely close, and sometimes I go over to my friend's house just to see her mom. Her life hasn't always been easy, but I have never seen her not smiling. She has taught me to always find the good in every situation.
On Siddhartha’s journey to enlightenment an important person that he meets is Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the ferryman that Siddhartha meets early on and befriends later. Instead of being a teacher to Siddhartha, Vasudeva pushes Siddhartha to learn from the river. He wants Siddhartha to find enlightenment within himself. The river is the key to Vasudeva’s own enlightenment and he helps Siddhartha learn how to listen to the river and soak up all the wisdom it possesses. Of the many people Siddhartha learns from, Vasudeva gives him the final key to reach his optimal goal. Without Vasudeva’s friendship and help, Siddhartha would never have finally reached Nirvana.
ReplyDeletePersonally, many members of my family have helped me to discover important realizations about myself. Growing up, my family was always there to teach me knew things, help me out and mold me into the person I am today. Not a single person has had a greater influence on me than others have, but as a whole, my family has helped me realize who I am as a person.
Along his journey, I believe many people helped Siddhartha. Ultimately, in my opinion, I think that Vasudeva had the greatest impact. Vasudeva is ferryman who is closely linked to the water. He used the river to help Siddhartha have a better understanding about this happiness. I agree with the many others who said that Vasudeva aided Siddhartha not by teaching him, but by helping him come to a realization. Siddartha finds out that self enlightenment cannot be taught, only learned. Vasudeva reached his inner peace and was very content with himself. Siddhartha also realized that this is what he was looking for. He finally understood through Vasudeva that you cannot find an answer to everything. You just need to live life, and live it to fullest. Vasudeva was very important, as well as influential to Siddhartha.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in life you can learn something from just about everyone. There have definitely been many people who have helped me become a better person. My family has to be one of the biggest influences on me. They strive to make the best that I can be and be true to myself. They only want the best for me and are truly supportive of everything that I do. Sports and my coaches are also another huge influence on who I am today. Playing soccer and basketball allows me to develop a great work ethic and learn responsibilty. My coaches are constantly motivating me and pushing me to do my best.
Vasudeva has a very important role in Siddhartha's journey to enlightenment. Vasudeva tells Siddhartha to use a river to show him the secret to life, in which he sees that everything is connected. This is a fact that Vasudeva has known for a while, yet he cannot explain it to Siddhartha, he must discover it for himself. Without Vasudeva's guidance Siddhartha would not know how to deal with his sons decision to leave him. Vasudeva shows him that everyone must make their own decisions, just as Siddhartha did. By strengthening Siddhartha's belief that simplicity makes the world more beautiful, Siddhartha can achieve enlightenment. In my life, my family has helped me discover important things about myself. They are always honest and I never feel like they are saying things to me just to make me feel better. My family understands that what i want to hear is the truth about myself, so if it is something bad i can fix it, not a lie because they did not hurt my feelings.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think the most important person for Siddhartha on his way to enlightenment was Vasudeva. He was not enforcing his views on him or judging him, he just gave guidance. There was no this is how it should be done now it he was able to show him the path but he wasn’t going to hold his hand the entire way. He just told Siddhartha to listen to the river and by doing that he would receive the wisdom and guidance.
ReplyDeleteIn my life there are many people who have shown me the right path and most of them are in my family or are my friends. These people are not taking me step by step, but they have taught me the basics and now I am expected to discover the rest on my own, but I can always go back for help if need.
One important person in Siddhartha's journey to self-discovery was his son. Although Siddhartha only knew him for a short period, I think his son made the biggest impact. This is because he loved his son unconditionally as he had never, "lost his heart to anybody so completely..so much, so blindly, so painfully, so hopelessly and yet so happily" (99). Therefore, because that love was so strong, it gave Siddhartha that sense of purpose he'd been looking for. He finally felt like he had something in his life worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteThe most important person in Siddhartha's journey towards self-discovery is Vasudeva the ferryman. He was the one who helped Siddhartha learn to listen to the river. By listening to the river, Siddhartha is able to piece together all of his past experiences and achieve enlightenment. Without Vasudeva's wisdom, Siddhartha would not have gone on the right path towards his self-discovery.
ReplyDeleteThe people who have helped me discover things about myself are my family and friends. They have helped me through tough times and they always are there to help guide me and support me.
I think Siddhartha's son is the one individual who ultimately helps Siddhartha reach his self-discovery. Throughout the story Siddhartha is always the one to leave people in his life behind, so he never really knows what it feels like to be left by someone you have feelings for. His son is the first character to make him realize what it feels like to be left behind. Siddartha grieves of the feeling of not knowing where his son is on life journey. However this is the even that leads Siddhartha to have a revelation. He realizes After this Siddhartha has a revelation about the circle of life being timeless, and that all things are connected in one way or another. He then realizes the hypocrisy of his grieving since he once did the same thing to his own father. Siddhartha is able to come to his self-discovery through knowing that he made it through life’s journey and through the circle of life his son will too, so he becomes content with life.
ReplyDeleteThere is one person that has helped me become the person I am. They helped me become comfortable with who I am. This realization helped me quite a bit with moving schools. A new high school is not the easiest thing to be thrown into, so knowing that it is okay to be yourself, and that there will be people to accept your for who you are, helped me feel more relaxed about making new friends. I appreciate the many other ways this person has influenced my life as well.
I believe the one who helped Siddhartha the most on his path to Enlightenment was Gotama, The Illustrious One. Siddhartha hears the teachings of The Illustrious One early in the novel while he and Govinda are still traveling together. While listening to Gotama's lessons on reaching enlightenment Siddhartha is captivated and awed. He does however encounter a problem while pondering the lesson. As he confronts the Buddha about this problem Siddhartha realizes something important about his path to enlightenment: it is something that he cannot be taught, he must find his own path to achieve his goal. From this point on in the novel Siddhartha receives no more direct teaching on how to reach Nirvana. Even the ferryman Vasuveda doesn’t tell Siddhartha how to reach enlightenment, he only shows Siddhartha how to listen to the river, and while listening to the river Siddhartha finally reaches Nirvana on his own.
ReplyDeleteI have a group of five very close personal friends; they have all been friends since their days at Maltby Middle School, however when I became friends with them during my sophomore year I came to a very important realization. I realized that it doesn’t matter what other people think of me. As long as I’m happy I can do whatever I want, regardless of how people judge me. If it hadn’t been for these five people I would still to this day be concerned with how the world sees me.
The one big person that helps Siddhartha to enlightenment is his very own son. Siddhartha gets his son after his lover is killed and to find out he has a son is wonderful news. Siddhartha finds in his heart an uncconditional love for his child, that no matter what he did, young Siddhartha would always be loved. Young Siddhartha helped old Siddhartha to enlightenment by making him realize that some things are out of your controll and that eventually you have to let go of someone if you want them to become who they want to be. Old Siddhartha realizes that if his father had never let him go that he would not be where he is today.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life i have had many people help me to realize things about my life. One good friend helped me to realize that even if you want whats best for yourself, if you care about another person, you will put there best intrests before your own even if you dont like the decision you have to make.
Although many people helped Siddhartha during his adventure, I believe one person helped him the most. During Siddhartha’s journey he encountered a woman named Kamala. She taught him about passion and helped him acquire a job from Kamaswami. However, these things are not why she helped him towards his goal of self enlightenmight. The reason she aids Siddhartha is because she has a son with him. The relationship he forms with his son helps him realize why love is a strong emotion. It helps him realize that love is important and needed in life, as later tells Govinda. This is how Kamala aided him in his journey.
ReplyDeleteCan you discuss at least one important person on Siddhartha's journey who aids in his self-discovery? Be specific as to how that individual helps Siddhartha. Also, in your own life, have there been specific people who have helped you discover important realizations about yourself?
ReplyDeleteThe Ferry Man aided Siddhartha greatly on his journey to self enlightenment. The boatman helped Siddhartha learn how to patient. He taught him to love the little things. He taught him how to listen to all the voices in the river. And most importantly he taught him that there is only the present, you can’t live in the past or the future, you can only live in the now. My mom has really helped me discover things about myself. She never forced me to do anything I really didn’t want to do as a child so I was able to discover for myself what I loved.
Many people helped Siddhartha along his journey to find Nirvana. The person who i thought helped Siddhartha the most was Kamala. Kamala taught Siddhartha all about love and passion. She helped him get a job from Kamaswami as a merchant where he became rich and had everything. But still, Siddhartha wasn't happy because he still couldn't feel love or be emotional like all the normal people. When Kamala and Siddhartha have a son together, i believe that through his son is when Siddhartha finally realizes how to love. He realized how important love is which really helped him on his journey to enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteUggh... least favorite read of the summer. I specifically hate these types of stories. If you want to really know why, ask me later, but I won't be reading any more in the future.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, one helpful person in this story was Gotama. He made Siddhartha realize that he couldn't learn any more from a teacher. The thought process was something like this: Gotama, Gotama, he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can! And he couldn't teach Siddhartha about Nirvana.
Many people have been in my life, and all of them have helped shape me into who I am, but none of them really brought about a life change, sorry. Regardless, many thanks to my parents for all their work raising me.
I believe Kamala aids Siddhartha the most in his journey of self-discovery. Throughout Siddhartha's journey, he tries various religious practices to find his inner-self, and through these practices, Siddhartha's world is completely transformed. However, Siddhartha decides to continue transforming his world when he meets Kamala. Kamala teaches Siddhartha the art of love and how to live a wealthy life. Through Kamala's teachings, Siddhartha discovers that love, wealth, and possessions cannot satisfy him and that there is more to life than those petty things. He needed to live the life of a wealthy lover for many years with Kamala before realizing all of these things are not important in finding one's inner-self and that he cannot be content in living a selfish life.
ReplyDeleteMy youth pastor has taught me a lot about myself. He is never afraid to step on my toes and tell me the truth about my actions. The most important thing he made me realize was that a leader cannot have a bad attitude about things. In order to be a strong leader, we always have to keep a positive attitude.
Each teacher that Siddhartha had throughout his life taught him a very valuable lesson that helped him achieve enlightenment. The person who I believed helped the most was Vasudeva. When Siddhartha came to Vasudeva, he had learned many things about how to attain inner peace. Each of these things however were fragmented, and Siddhartha had still not learned how to connect them. Vasudeva showed him that through the river, and a life of simplicity he could achieve inner peace. He taught Siddhartha to listen, and realize the connectedness of the world around him, which is central to enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteIn my life, there are a few close friends that have helped be become the person I am today. They taught me that life is not always about what other people think of you. They taught me that being yourself gives you much more happiness then trying to be someone you're not. As a result of their friendship I have opened up and truly discovered who I am. I hope that those people know who they are, because they have shaped the person I am.
Gotoma (Buddha) in my opinion, was the most important person Siddhartha encountered on his way to self discovery. It was the turning point for Siddhartha, in that he realized what he was trying to achieve. Up until that point he sought teacher and their teachings in hope to understand the world and how all creation and life worked, never thinking how he played into that. He was becoming so engrossed with finding the secrets of the world that he never found the secrets to his innerself. Meeting the Buddah opened his eyes and it was that the real search for self discovery began. Siddhartha had never loved a man more in that moment but in his teachings he left out how he became enlightened and then realized it was something he had to do alone without teachers.
ReplyDeleteOf all the people Siddhartha encountered on his journey to salvation, Vasudeva is by far the most influential. The ferryman was enlightened, wise, and welcoming. Vasudeva taught Siddhartha everything he had forgotten when he lived his materialistic life in the city. Most importantly, he taught him of the river. The river's majesty is what enlightened Siddhartha. Siddhartha came to Vasudeva like a child, and after Vasudeva left, he became an enlightened man.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend has always been amazing when it comes to encouraging me. I tell him everything and he makes me feel invincible. I've learned that truely eberything is possible if you're willing to fight for it. You can't just let people step on you, you have the right to be who you are.
I believe that Vasudeva is a person on Siddhartha's journey who aids in his self discovery the most. This is because after Siddhartha realizes that his life is in turmoil and he is no longer happy living life as a rich man he leaves the city and gives it up. His journey from there ended up taking him back to the ferryman, who he had once met many years ago. Vasudeva, the ferryman is very wise and teaches him about the river and how it will talk if you listen. He listens to Siddhartha's troubles and is there for him. When Siddhartha is in Vasudeva's company he becomes his old self again. Also he understands what wisdom is and begins to possess it. When the ferryman first met Siddhartha he had said that he would see him again because life has a way of bringing things back around and he was correct. He straightened Siddhartha out and multiple times in the book Siddhartha even says, "I am happy, I am rich and happy." Even though he was living a ferryman's life, he was rich in wisdom, in nature, and in friendship. Here Siddhartha discovers who he is and what he was meant for, even though he is old and life is getting shorter for him, Vasudeva helps Siddhartha find what he is looking for on his journey.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life, many people have contributed to me realizing who I am, however a pair of people that really stick out are my grandparents. They helped me by always letting me know that I can succeed in whatever I do. This that means a lot because sometimes life can get you down and its awesome to know that you have people like them cheering you on, and this lets me know that I can do whatever I want as long as I put my best effort forth. This has helped to shape me into who i am today.
Throughout the novel, there were several characters that Siddhartha encountered that helped hi achieve spiritual enlightenment. Some of these characters were Vasudeva, Gotama, Govinda, Kamala, and Kamaswami. However, the character that I believe most helped Siddhartha was Vasudeva, the ferryman. Siddhartha lives with Vasudeva later in his life along the river, where he learns many things from Vasudeva. Even though Vasudeva does not speak a lot, he offers Siddhartha love, companionship, and empathy. He is very wise and is at peace with himself, which is Siddhartha's ultimate goal in life. The river in which he lives by and works on brings him peace and joy. His way of life are able to guide and support Siddhartha on his path to enlightenment. This also helped Siddhartha realize what is important in his life that he had forgotteen when he was living a materialistic life. It is the river in which Vasudeva lives on that also brings Siddhartha to enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteMy family and friends have been very important to me throughout my life and have helped shape me into the person I am today. they are always there to offer me support whenever I need it. They show me what is important to me in my life and what morals I want to live by. Plus we always have a good time together!!
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ReplyDeleteOne important person on Siddhartha's journey who aids in his self-discovery is Vasudeva, the enlightened ferryman. I think it is fair to say that Siddhartha achieves enlightenment only because of his relationship with Vasudeva. Vasudeva directly guides Siddhartha on his quest and teaches him to learn from the river and its infinite wisdom. Unlike Gotama, Vasudeva does not teach Siddhartha a complicated philosophical belief system but gives him the skills to learn for himself. Vasudeva is an excellent listener that gives Siddhartha the opportunity to reason situations internally. He continually directs Siddhartha to the river when he is enduring doubts and struggles.
ReplyDeleteMy youth pastor has helped me discover important realizations about myself. He has continuously challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and take risks. The most significant realizations I have discovered have been when I am outside of my comfort zone. As Christopher McCandless said, "The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences." The most important thing he has helped me realize is that there is absolutely no worth in gaining the world, yet forfeiting your soul. The eternal state of our souls far outweighs that of the limited state of our physical bodies.
I think the most influential person to Siddhartha was, as many have already said, Vasudeva. He was such a kind person and didn't jugde Siddhartha, rather offered to help and guide him. He was quite but as they say, "actions speak louder than words."
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is not until he meets Vasudeva that Siddhartha feels truly enlightened and I think that it was Vasudeva more than the others he met on his journey, who helped him accomplish this.
In my life, people like my parents and close friends guide me to being the person I am today. They always love and support me, and we learn from each other and our experiences together are ones I would never change or regret because they are what make me, me :)
Siddhartha had alot of help, unknowingly, from alot of different people on his path to enlightenment. I personally believe that the person who helped him reach it the most was Govinda. Govinda and Siddhartha were always close friends, yet Govinda seemed to be more simple, while Siddhartha seemed to always be wanting more. Govinda and Siddartha eventually left eachother, when Siddhartha thought found himself close to enlightenment. Govinda followed the Buddhist way, while Siddhartha tried to forge his own path. I feel like Govinda's naivety led him to follow the ways of others, especially after Siddhartha left him. Siddhartha came back to his religion after too much of a reckless life, and found himself at one with a river, around where he originally left Govinda. The fact that Govinda was so much of an impressionable mind made Siddartha's harder to control. Siddartha, doing the oppostie of his best friend was corrupted, and found himself in an awful life. It is then that he realizes the way an enlightened one lives, it is then that he becomes enlightened, when he realizes that materials brought him misery. Therefore, the fact that he left Govinda, and rejected complacency, he found enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteI have found, as well, that humanity in general has made me realize alot about myself. The evil acts of humanity make me realize what I don't want to be, while the loving side of humanity reveal to me how one should act. I also feel that the strong reliance on religion, that many people have, has made me realize that religion isn't my path. I feel as though religion is too much of a form of mind control, meant for some, but not for me, so religion has helped me realize that I'm not one from the crowd. I've also realized, from countless examples, that being yourself is important, that if you're not yourself, and you can't be someone else, you're nobody. Being yourself is the most important aspect of humanity.
In my reading, I felt the person who taught Siddhartha the most was his son, and I agree with all those who have stated so before me. Throughout Siddhartha's entire life he had strived for escape, permanant escape. His son is what made him understand that escape was not happiness, but love. Under the bond of parenthood, his love grows greater everyday, and even though his son may not treat him with respect causing him grief, Siddhartha has yet to become truely miserable. His friend Vasudeva recognizes this, "You have suffered, Siddhatha, yet I see that sadness has not entered your heart"(page 94). And through this accepting love does Siddhartha then understand that love is the key to his happiness.
ReplyDeleteIn my life, I have been influenced by my sister. My attitude toward work had been poor when it came to school. I now try to follow her example in her fierce efforts she puts forth every moment of her days. She has allowed me to develop a wonderful work ethic for the things that I love. I still have not mastered what I am not interested in. This, I believe will take some time. But, when I do put forth the effort I have seen the results which occur. This is the drive which may keep me diligent. My sister has shown me that it is worth while.
During Siddhartha’s long and tedious journey, I believe Vasudeva to have been his most valuable teacher. In a sense, it is contradictory that he teaches Siddhartha the most because he says so little. Throughout the novel, Siddhartha attempts to learn from the paths that others have created to achieve enlightenment. However, he discovers that only through personal experience will he ever attain inner peace. Therefore, Vasudeva’s vague advice allows Siddhartha to discover for himself the path to enlightenment. With Vasudeva’s gentle guidance, he is able to show Siddhartha how to search within to find the peace he desperately yet patiently seeks. His wisdom and knowledge of the river and its unity is essential to the completion of Siddhartha’s journey.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Siddhartha, I feel as if experience has guided me to discovering many important realizations about myself. The world around me, the people I encounter, and the events that shape my life have taught me more than the personal beliefs and teachings of another person ever could.
I think that the most influential person in Siddhartha's journy would definatally be Vasudeva because not only did he guide Siddhartha but he helped him sort through all the lessons that he had learned from the past. Before Siddhartha begain to work and live with Vasudeva, he was so lost and felt so low that he contemplated suicide. However Vasudeva came along and taught him how to appreciate life and more importantly how to truly become enlightened.
ReplyDeleteOne person who has really helped me in my life is a relation of mine. He taught me to be dedicated, on how to really buckle down and consentrat on something at the moment because as he put it "If you cant see the value of putting one hundered percent into it then you should walk away and find something that is worth puting one hundred percent into."
I think the person who helped Siddhartha the most on his journey of self-discovery was Vasudeva. He provides the role of a mentor, but gently guides Siddhartha into making his own discoveries, as opposed to shoving them down his throat. Vasudeva is the one who introduces Siddhartha into the spirituality of the river and just how it applies to life. Eventually, Siddhartha finds enlightenment through the river that Vasudeva showed him. More so, once Siddhartha has found peace, Vasudeva takes off for the forest to go into Nirvana.
ReplyDeleteI have had many people help me as I’m trying to figure out who I am, and there’s honestly too many to name. My math teacher freshmen year was definitely one of those people who helped to shape my life though.
First off I just want to say how much I absolutely LOVED this book. It really helped me learn how to reflect on my own life, and grow as a person both spiritually and intellectually. So in a way this one aid that has helped me find inner peace, much in the same way the river helped Siddhartha reach spiritual Enlightenment. I have a feeling a lot of people have chosen the ferryman helped guide Siddhartha to inner peace because he showed him the river, but the whole reason Siddhartha went to the river in the first place is because of Gotama. It is because he disagreed with Gotama’s teachings that he left his friend Govinda in order to continue his journey alone. He then of course stumbles upon the river, which he learns to listen, that all life flows together, and finally that there is no such thing as time. If Siddhartha had agreed with The Perfect One that wisdom could be taught, he would have stayed and asked to become a Buddha and a follower. So I think Gotama was the first of the many very important people in Siddhartha’s life that helped him reach nirvana.
ReplyDeleteI personally thought one of the biggest lessons to be learned in Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, is that there are consequences for one’s wrongdoings. This idea was expressed throughout the story. Doing the right thing and strictly following the clan’s many customs is highly stressed. Okonkwo is exiled for seven years for only accidently killing a fellow clansman during a ceremony. Obviously murder should not be taken lightly, but seven years?-seems pretty harsh to me. But Okonkwo takes his punishment like a man, which I find very honorable. Also, when he beats his youngest wife, Ojigo, he must sacrifice a female goat, a hen, some cloth, and 100 cowries in repentance to the shrine of Ani. He also does this immediately. In today’s world this does not seem to be the case. We hear all the time through the media about celebrities being charged with this crime or that crime. However, they never seem to have to serve their full time. Paris Hilton, for example, was originally sentenced to 45 days in jail, and after only serving 23, she was released to her home. Yet another celebrity, Lindsay Lohan, was sentenced to 90 days in jail. After only serving 14, she was released to rehab. With these stories constantly in our face, it’s no wonder why our generation is having such a hard time with facing punishment. We need to learn that when we do something wrong, we WILL be punished, and we WILL have to face our consequences. End of story.
ReplyDeletesorry didn't mean to post the previous comment on here!
ReplyDeleteTo begin, I would like to say that I loved this novel, and out of the four this is probably my favorite. Now on to the stuff that's important. As many have stated, our good friend Siddhartha comes across many people in his journey to spiritual enlightenment that aid him in achieving this goal. Now I have seen many people mentioning the same people: Gotama, Vasudeva, etc. I would like to play devil's advocate, so to speak, and say that Kamaswami, the vain and greedy merchant from the city, helped Siddhartha on his journey of self-discovery. I say this because Kamaswami showed Siddhartha the opposite of what he wanted. I feel that in order for Siddhartha to grasp the unity of all things, he needed to experiance all things, including the miserable life he lived in the city as a rich merchant. This is able to give Siddhartha some perspective in life, and we notice that he becomes even more zealous in his search for peace after he leaves the city. This is because he now knows what not to be.
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, I have had many people help me see who I really am. One person in particular is a certain teacher who I have had for many years. We shall know him as Spider Man. I have known Spider Man for many years. You should also know that I have a passion for music. However, before I met Spider Man, I rarely paid any attention to the music world. Now, after 6 great years, I have wrapped myself in music everyday of my life.
Siddhartha has many people that aid him in his quest for spiritual enlightenment, and I believe that Gotama is probably the most prominent. He helps Siddhartha realize that spiritual enlightenment can not be taught, but must be learned. This is important because before this, Siddhartha had been trying to learn his way to enlightenment from many different sources, with no success. It is not until his talk with Gotama that he realizes that he must find enlightenment within himself.
ReplyDeleteAs for people that have helped me on my journey, but i'm goining to have to throw this one to my parents. They've definitley helped me grow into the person that i want to be. They've helped me become independant and to think for myself. I don't want this to be mushy, but i can't thank them enough!!!
Siddhartha met many people along his journey towards enlightenment that helped him with his goals. I think that Gotama had the biggest influence on Siddhartha. Gotama was the first man he had seen who had reached Nirvana. He just glowed with peace and enlightenment. Although Gotama was this great man Siddhartha realized that he could not devote himself to the Buddha and his teachings. He learned that one has to find their own way to enlightenment and not from teachings. He saw that tons of people learned from the teachings of Gotama, but none of them would reach Nirvana. So i think the Buddha had the most impact on Siddhartha because he changed his path on how to reach enlightenment, even though Siddhartha reached Nirvana after staying with Vasudeva.
ReplyDeleteMy friends and family have led me to make realizations about myself. They have helped me become who i am today. I like who i am and thanks those people who have helped me become who i am as a person.
I am going to preface this with a question: What did Herman Hesse, a Swiss-German, know of ancient India and Buddhism? Siddhartha's father aided him on his journey of self-discovery. Because his father did not immediately agree to let him go, Siddhartha stood motionless all night. That takes extreme determination, and I'm sure he examined his desire over and over that night, wondering if it was really what he wanted to do. Eventually, his father gave in, and by that point, Siddhartha would have been entirely fixed on this course of action and have no doubts. If he had not been so determined, he probably would have given up searching for Nirvana years before he attained it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the person in my life, normally I hate these introspective questions, because I honestly have no idea, but for once I know the answer to this one. There is a person, we'll call her Gertrude because no one is named that, I knew in elementary school, and then reconnected with freshman year. She has become one of my greatest friends, mostly because I feel free to be myself around her. Freshman year, I was really shy and unsure of myself, because I had been home-schooled and it was traumatic re-entering the world of a million people. But with Gertrude, I didn't feel so shy. She had already experienced my obnoxiousness years earlier, and now was becoming a friend again. We can talk about anything together without fear of how it may be judged, because we truly accept each other for who we are.
One important person on Siddhartha's journey who aids in his self discovery is the ferryman, Vasudeva. The ferryman's house on the river is Siddhartha's final stop on his long journey to find inner peace. Most of the people that he came across taught him valuable lessons, but Vasudeva helped him put all the lessons together, as well as introduce him to the river and the spirituality that it posseses. He is the one who allows Siddhartha to finally reach the state of contentness that he had been longing for his whole life.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who has helped me realize something about myself is my hockey coach. We had to run the mile in a certain time and I am not good at running the mile, so I thought there was no way I could finish in the time limit. What he taught me is that when you doubt yourself, the chances of you succeeding are way less than if you believe in yourself. The first time I ran it I had it in my mind that I would never make it in time and I was about a minute and a half over the time. When I re-tested, I decided I would just push myself and told myself that it was possible to do it and I finished with 10 seconds to spare. Now I know that I have to believe in myself if I want to accomplish something.
Vasudeva plays the most helpful role in the achievement of Siddhartha's enlightenment. Siddhartha learns many different views of happiness from a variety of people, but as a middle aged man he finds himself disgusted by the materialistic, sinful life he has been wrapped in and flees, unknowingly leaving his mistress pregnant.
ReplyDeleteWhen he reaches the river, Vasudeva welcomes him into his home and proceeds to quietly demonstrate the peace he has found in the whispering river.
Siddhartha seems to have reached his goal from observing Vasudeva and appreciating the river, as well as the world, but Siddhartha Jr. along with Siddhartha's father are needed to connect the dots.
Siddhartha learns to let his son go because he knows he put his father through the same painful decision, he must let him see the world as he wants, and this release of control is one the final moments of his enlightenment.
Realizations I have come to are frequently sparked by my own experiences or discoveries. I spend much time observing those I am surrounded by, while contemplating the cause and effect of the past to the present, after which I may come to conclusions.
The person who I believe influences Siddhartha the most would have to be the ferryman Vasudeva. Vasudeva shows the ways of the river and the peace through nature. He is a very calm and respectable person. There are many voices of the river and Siddhartha was able to listen and learn much from the river. He too became a ferryman and found peace in this. By visiting Vasudeva, Siddhartha found himself. That was the main step into finding enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who has influenced me would most likely be my jv soccer coach and my freshman basketball coach. They both taught me to be confident and that hard work pays off in the end. They are the two people whose judgment I respect and I trust. They were both so honest and would tell me if I was having a bad game. That let me know that they cared and wanted me to improve and be the best I could be. I really appreciate them as coaches and respect them.