Siddhartha Essay

Tyler Lund

Pd. 1

5/12/14

Siddhartha essay

Finding Bliss

In the novel Siddhartha, Herman Hesse describes Siddhartha’s journey for enlightenment.  In analyzing the story, it becomes evident that the book is an example of the Hero’s Journey as described by Joseph Campbell.  Through the adventures of the main character Siddhartha, the reader can understand the cycles of the Journey, and see the resemblance of other important literary texts.  From the very beginning of the story, one can see the experience and importance of the journey and the impact to the character.  Siddhartha goes through the many of the cycles such as the call to adventure, the abyss, and finally the reward.  As a traditional hero he is able to achieve his goal only after the cycles are complete.

In the beginning of the book Siddhartha lives through the first threshold, and it helps him get started on his journey.  First, he gets the call to action. One can see that when Siddhartha is thinking of his own destiny, and what he will become, that is his call to action. “Often he spoke to himself from a Chandogya-Upanishad the words: ‘Truly, the name of the Brahman is satya—verily, he who knows such a thing, will enter the heavenly world every day.’ Often, it seemed near, the heavenly world, but never he had reached it completely, never he had quenched the ultimate thirst. And among all the wise and wisest men, he knew and whose instructions he had received, among all of them there was no one, who had reached it completely, the heavenly world, who had quenched it completely, the eternal thirst” (Hesse chapter 1). Here, Siddhartha has contemplated what he will be doing if he stays with his Father and becomes a Brahman. Siddhartha then decides that he will lead his own life and become a Samana. Siddhartha has now started his adventure and taken the call to action which leads him to leave his home to try and find enlightenment.  He believes this may be his destiny.  Siddhartha then shortly after experiences the refusal of the call. Here Siddhartha is talking with his Father and his Father does not want him to go. “’With your permission, my Father. I came to tell you that it is my longing to leave your house tomorrow and go to the ascetics. My desire is to become a Samana. May my Father not oppose this?’ The Brahman fell silent, and remained silent for so long that the stars in the small window wandered and changed their relative positions, 'ere the silence was broken. Silent and motionless stood the son with his arms folded, silent and motionless sat the Father on the mat, and the stars traced their paths in the sky” (Hesse chapter 1). Siddhartha is not the one refusing the call; instead it is his Father refusing his call. His Father is scared he will lose his son and is trying to get Siddhartha to stay. This shows that the Siddhartha experiences the refusal of the call but is willing to take many risks and try to complete the adventure to find Nirvana. The next part of the Hero’s Journey that Siddhartha goes through is supernatural aid. Here Siddhartha has talked with Buddha and decides not to learn from him, or to follow him, but he does receive something from Buddha that helps in on his journey, “I am deprived by the Buddha, thought Siddhartha, I am deprived, and even more he has given to me. He has deprived me of my friend, the one who had believed in me and now believes in him, who had been my shadow and is now Gotama’s shadow. But he has given me Siddhartha, myself” (Hesse chapter 3). Siddhartha has received the help from Buddha to learn on his own. Buddha showed Siddhartha his true self and by Siddhartha knowing his true self he will be able to learn from himself and teach himself rather than having a mentor. As one looks at the story of Siddhartha and the Hero’s Journey one can see that Siddhartha goes through all of the first threshold and more as the story progresses.

                As one thinks about the story of Siddhartha one can see that there are many events in the story that show the second threshold of the Hero’s Journey. The next part of the cycle that Siddhartha goes through is the road of trials. Here Siddhartha is fasting and is going through some physical and mental pain. “He fasted for fifteen days. He fasted for twenty-eight days. The flesh waned from his thighs and cheeks. Feverish dreams flickered from his enlarged eyes, long nails grew slowly on his parched fingers and a dry, shaggy beard grew on his chin. His glance turned to icy when he encountered women; his mouth twitched with contempt, when he walked through a city of nicely dressed people” (Hesse chapter 2). One can see that Siddhartha is going through both mental and physical pain and suffering to try and reach his goal. He is putting himself through tests and trials to get a greater look on life and to understand the suffering and pain of life. After this Siddhartha then goes into the next cycle which is the meeting of the goddess. One can see this when Siddhartha first sees Kamala. “Siddhartha saw how beautiful she was, and his heart rejoiced. He bowed deeply, when the sedan-chair came closer, and straightening up again, he looked at the fair, charming face, read for a moment in the smart eyes with the high arcs above, breathed in a slight fragrance, he did not know. With a smile, the beautiful women nodded for a moment and disappeared into the grove, and then the servant as well” (Hesse chapter 5). Siddhartha is immediately fascinated by Kamala and in the book she is the richest and most powerful women character. One can see that because of these traits and because of Siddhartha’s fascination with her that she is the goddess. Kamala is also part of the next cycle of the hero’s journey. The next part of the cycle is the temptation from the true path which is also with Kamala. Siddhartha joins the Kamaswami and puts his true goals on hold because he wants Kamala to like him. ““Things are working out well,” she called out to him. ‘They are expecting you at Kamaswami’s, he is the richest merchant of the city. If he’ll like you, he’ll accept you into his service. Be smart, brown Samana. I had others tell him about you. Be polite towards him, he is very powerful. But don’t be too modest! I do not want you to become his servant, you shall become his equal, or else I won’t be satisfied with you. Kamaswami is starting to get old and lazy. If he’ll like you, he’ll entrust you with a lot’” (Hesse chapter 5). Siddhartha has gotten news that he will be doing business with the Kamaswami. This is the temptation from the true path because he is no longer looking to find Nirvana. He is now put that true goal on hold and is trying instead to impress Kamala. These three parts of the story – fasting, meeting the goddess, and being tempted from the path, are ways the reader sees Siddhartha experiencing the second threshold of the Hero’s Journey.

As the story progresses, Siddhartha moves into the third threshold of the Hero’s Journey which contains the most difficult parts of his path. The next part of the hero cycle that Siddhartha goes through is the abyss. Here Siddhartha has just left the Kamaswami and is at a river contemplating suicide. ” Passionately he wished to know nothing about himself anymore, to have rest, to be dead. If there only was a lightning-bolt to strike him dead! If there only was a tiger a devour him! If there only was a wine, a poison which would numb his senses, bring him forgetfulness and sleep, and no awakening from that! Was there still any kind of filth, he had not soiled himself with, a sin or foolish act he had not committed, a dreariness of the soul he had not brought upon himself” (Hesse chapter 8). Siddhartha is at his lowest point in the book and is wishing he was dead. He is thinking about what he is doing with his life and is very confused. This is the abyss because it is where the reader believes the hero will not return and where the character is very close to death but escapes. After Siddhartha is out of the abyss he is re-visited by his ferryman who will become his first mentor. The ferryman introduces himself as Vasudeva. “For a long time, the ferryman looked at the stranger, searching. ‘Now I recognize you,’ he finally said. ‘At one time, you’ve slept in my hut, this was a long time ago, possibly more than twenty years ago, and you’ve been ferried across the river by me, and we parted like good friends. Haven’t you’ve been a Samana? I can’t think of your name any more.’ ‘My name is Siddhartha, and I was a Samana, when you’ve last seen me.’ ‘So be welcome, Siddhartha. My name is Vasudeva. You will, so I hope, be my guest today as well and sleep in my hut, and tell me, where you’re coming from and why these beautiful clothes are such a nuisance to you’” (Hesse chapter 9).  After Siddhartha and Vasudeva talk they become friends and Vasudeva helps him on his way to reach Nirvana through another cycle of the road of trials. One can see how Vasudeva is his mentor by looking at all the things he teaches Siddhartha and all the things he tells him. The relationship that these two characters share, how they both learn things from one another, and how to reach their goals are all important elements in the journey. The next cycle Siddhartha goes through is one of the last cycles. This is the cycle of the reward. Some say Siddhartha dies in this passage or stops being, but nevertheless Siddhartha achieves his goal and reaches Nirvana. “Not knowing any more whether time existed, whether the vision had lasted a second or a hundred years, not knowing any more whether there existed a Siddhartha, a Gotama, a me and a you, feeling in his innermost self as if he had been wounded by a divine arrow, the injury of which tasted sweet, being enchanted and dissolved in his innermost self, Govinda still stood for a little while bent over Siddhartha's quiet face, which he had just kissed, which had just been the scene of all manifestations, all transformations, all existence. The face was unchanged, after under its surface the depth of the thousand oldness had closed up again, he smiled silently, smiled quietly and softly, perhaps very benevolently, perhaps very mockingly, precisely as he used to smile, the exalted one”(Hesse chapter 12). Siddhartha is experiencing Nirvana and has achieved enlightenment which means he is in his most peaceful state. One can see that this is the reward for Siddhartha because it has been his goal the entire time and all of the cycles lead up to this point. As one looks at the book one can see that Siddhartha did go through many of the stages of the Hero’s Journey and eventually completed his goal.

When looking at some of the most influential literary texts in history, people see that the Hero’s Journey is an important aspect of the human experience when reading many books, stories and religious texts. The Hero’s Journey connects many stories from different times or different places. Even though this connection might be unintentional for some authors it is still a very prevalent part of literature. Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha shows that even a modern take on ancient religious literature has examples of the Hero’s Journey from famous literature from all across the world and all across time.