Siddhartha: Reflection and Analysis

Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse’s most famous novel, tells the story of Siddhartha, the son of a rich Brahmin priest. In search of truth, he becomes a wandering samana or ascetic as a young boy, a rich man in his middle years, and finally a ferryman in the twilight years of his life. He lives each of the four Hindu goals of life: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. But more than this, I feel that Hesse tries in some way to demystify some of the key doctrines of Hinduism and Buddhism – Atman/Brahman; Moksha, Vedantic jnana and karma-yoga; dyana leading to Samadhi; and Samsara and Dukka.

In Hindu religion, one of the most important doctrines is that of the Atman or Great Self. And as I reflect on the novel, I think that the whole of Siddhartha’s journey to enlightenment hinges on this doctrine of the Atman, found in the imagery of the following quote about the river, taken from the chapter entitled “Ferryman”.

…today he saw one of the river’s secrets, one that gripped his soul. He saw that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; it was always the same and yet every moment it was new. Who could understand, conceive this? He did not understand it; he was only aware of a dim suspicion, a faint memory, [and] divine voices. (Hesse, 102)

For it is at this very moment that Siddhartha returns to his ‘faith’ and, as it were, sees again, if only dimly, the Atman or the Great Self. After this ‘epiphany’, the river becomes, for Siddhartha, both mandala and mantra, in as much as it aids in taking him out of himself in meditation – dyana on the Atman. The river ‘speaks’ to him, for him, and in him, as Hesse writes, “…the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om – perfection”. I see in this metaphor of the river, the Atman, at once transcendent¹ and eminent – “the unity of all things” (136). It is in the river, in the Atman, that Siddhartha comes to realize the ‘supreme truth’ that time is not real, but simply an illusion, which merely seems to separate us from all eternity, suffering from bliss, and evil from good. (143)

Aside from this major Hindu doctrine, Hesse also deals momentarily with the other doctrines and practices which I listed in the first paragraph. What is interesting to me is how each of these is manifested in the personal religiosity of Siddhartha, which mixes Hindu and Mahayana² Buddhist traditions. This mixing of religious views shows the principle of dynamic syncretism which was prevalent in Hinduism at the time of the historical Gotama (Gautama). At the forefront of Siddhartha’s religious practices is the idea of jnana, as he is continually calling himself a “seeker of truth”. In his childhood even, he begins to question the teachings of the Brahmins, saying of his father, “Was Atman then not within him? Was not then the source within his own heart? One must find the source within one’s own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking – a detour, error” (7). In this quote is also found the root of his personal faith, which is that the source of peace – the path to ‘enlightenment’ is within oneself. However, it is not until the end of the novel that Siddhartha actualizes this belief. Through the first two parts of his life, both as samana and as lover & rich-man, he seeks the ‘Truth’ through teachers and their teachings, whether ascetics, Kamala, or Kamaswami. But again, it is only in the river (Atman) that he achieves ‘enlightenment’ and his lifelong seeking is answered.

Having reached ‘enlightenment’ Siddhartha returns from Nirvana and leads a life of karma-yoga as the ferryman, passively participating in the world while actively withdrawn in meditation/dyana on the river – on the Atman. Even then he is drawn back to Dukka or suffering caused by his desire to be with his son. However, after years spent listening to the river – to the Atman, Siddhartha ‘releases’ his son and gradually actualizes the belief he has held ever since he was a child that “One must find the source within one’s own Self, one must possess it” (7). And in the end, having become one Self with the ‘river’ and holding true to the words he speaks to the Illustrious One that wisdom cannot be communicated with words, he communicates with a kiss, the supreme truth of Atman to his friend Govinda. (47 & 149-152)

As a final reflection and insight of sorts, I find, as Siddhartha has found, that one must ultimately find oneself in one’s own self. While others may add to the insights we have a about ourselves, it is only from within that we can truly know who and what we are. Only I and God can know who I truly am. It is thus that each man’s path to ‘enlightenment’ will be different and will possibly take his entire life.

Works Cited

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Auckland: Bantam Books, 1971.

Footnotes

1 as used by Emmanuel Kant’s philosophical system to describe that which exceeds the limits of experience

2 the Theravada tradition holds to the doctrine of Anatta (no-self) and is conservative in its practices and thus not in accord with the Siddhartha of this novel