Siddhartha and Govinda decide to go see Gotoma, AKA the Buddha, as he is known by many as the greatest teacher. While Siddhartha believes Gotoma's teachings are veridical, he feels that bec oming a student again will not help him attain nirvana. Meanwhile, Govinda has become enamored with the teachings of the Buddha and has decided to become a student. This leads to a poignant moment when Siddhartha and Govinda go their separate ways.
Siddhartha realizes what he thinks are some errors in his previous thinking. For one, to become self-actualized, one cannot eschew the self, but must embrace it and explore it. Second, one must be ones own spiritual guide. In other words, the teachings of others cannot explain oneself.
Analysis
So far this story makes an interesting novel. From what I've made it through, Siddhartha has found a method he thinks will help achieve nirvana, but has not applied that method yet. It sounds like he is preparing to go into "the wilderness" by himself to try to look deeply into himself.
I can't help be a little cynical about this. I'm not an expert on the conditions of someone like Siddhartha in his country in his time. It seems to me there is a parallel with upper class adolescents in the U.S. who take extended vacations to "find themselves" because their more basic needs are so easily met. Why is it that poor people never have trouble finding themselves? They just go to work everyday, or in some cases beg everyday. Its hard to commit yourself to working everyday if your economic status does not demand it, but it seems to me that that's how one finds oneself. I think Siddhartha just needs a challenging and fulfilling occupation. Maybe that kind of occupation did not exist in his time, in which case he should invent the television so he'll have something to do to kill time.
Posted by mill1991 at June 20, 2004 12:09 PM
Here are a few quotes I like so far, which didn't really fit into the above.
1) After Siddhartha tells Govinda that he feels they are going in circles, Govinda replies, "We are not going in circles; we are going upwards. The path is a spiral."
2) After Siddhartha and Govinda leave the Samanas, Govinda says, "In truth, if you had stayed there, you would have soon leraned how to walk on water." I just think thats funny, like thats lesson 10 or something.
Thanks for the comments on Siddhartha. I read it many years ago, but it's grown fuzzy in my mind and I'd like to pick it up again. What a perfect opportunity!
While I personally distain the notion of a spiritual advisor altogether, I think Siddhartha's on the right path in thinking that someone else cannot help him to actualize his own potential. Poor Govinda.
Posted by: Jenny at June 21, 2004 2:57 PMIn response to your analysis, I would have to say you are somewhat correct. I am an upper-middle class canadian citizen and have been on a constant search to find myself, but if I had not led such a privilleged lifestyle I cannot say I would have had this desire. I have been very religious since the age of 12 yet that "religiousness" was primarily motivated by fear. Since then I have realized the importance of finding my own path and am on a journey sort of like Siddarthra's. Now my dad and I were once talking about spirituality and he said "There's a theory; look at it as a set of platforms. The first platform is survival, a man must take care of this need first, if he does not he cannot focus on anything else. Once he has secured his survival (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) he is able to focus on attaining comfort and pleasure; if he does not have this he does not even think of seeking "spiritual" things because he still desires to experience the gratification the world has to offer. But once he has experienced this to a certain degree he is able to realize that there may be more than that. That life is more than food, clothes, money, cars, women, pleasure. At that point, is when one will start to go out on a journey to find themselves.
Posted by: Nate at July 20, 2006 10:07 PM