Herman Hesse- Siddhartha

      Siddhartha curiosity to find himself and to acquire more knowledge and wisdom apart from the one that he was able to receive from his father and others teacher. He knows that there is more to life than self sacrifice, meditation, self-discipline, serenity or self-control  He understand that,"the traditional ways of uncovering meaning will not lead one there, and it can only be learned through experience it cannot be taught." When he joined the Buddha, he still cannot achieve this aim. He later went into the city, where he encounter sexual experiences, with the beautiful lady, Kamala. He went to work with a Merchant, where he was able to observe people with different behavior and character with amusement and sometimes disgust. Initially, he never believe that he could behave like any one of them, until he realizes that he was acting excessively like them. He lost all his previous knowledge and self-control. He felt empty and disgusted of himself and try to commit suicide.
       Later he realizes that as beautiful as this world is, there is limitation and time for everything. He learn his lesson and try to combine his past with  his present and made amends. Finally, he was able to choose the type of life that he wants from all his experiences.


The passage;
           "This behavior escalates and eventually Siddhartha loses all trace of his previous spiritual           enlightenment and sinks into the worst excesses of the world around him. This marks a very powerful theme which tends to characterize almost all religion and philosophy: the corrupting tendencies of the sensual world around us. Things have come full circle from the world of Beauty that Siddhartha was celebrating previously, now the sensual world around him is seen as a negative, and a poisonous influence on him. But which is more real? That the physical world is the world of sensual beauty or the physical world is corrupting and distracting?"

     I think this passage is about how human being get corrupted by their society or people around them. It is like a saying that, "when you are in Rome , you behave like a Roman." Most people get distracted from their main course/dream in life by getting absurd with material things and social life. They lust over money, property, positions, or love, but at the end they realizes that this is not who they really want to become. Most of us believe that if we have enough money, our trouble and fears will disappear, without knowing that everything has its own up and down. The rich and wealthy people have their own problem that money can never solve. The world is corrupt and distracting and we are leaving in it, it is what we made of it that really counts, good or bad. 





1) Siddhartha left his father to seek more knowledge, wisdom and to find his own path or inner most self.     He believed that the only way he can learn is to experience life on one's accord.  

3) No, if Siddhartha never lived with Kamala and the people in the City he would not have reached enlightenment faster. He encounter sexual experiences, love, lust, greediness and he saw mankind going through life in a childlike or animal-like manner.

5) I can evaluate Siddhartha philosophy of detachment as somebody who did not allow anything to distract him from the existing value of life that he had learned. He observe people going through life in different manner which amuses him. He takes life less serious, self-control and self-sufficient.

6)  The style of Siddhartha contrast with social reality in Germany at this time. At the beginning, when he  was detached from his surrounding  or society and in his own serenity, in Germany, there was war, corruption, death, starvation,selfishness, and instability in the economy. 
Later he enjoyed the same lust, greed, selfishness, luxury, and love that people were enjoying. Then, at the end, he realizes that everything is vanity upon vanity, and does not satisfy your inner self.

10) Siddhartha decided not to follow Buddha because it does not contain the mystery of what the exalted one has experienced for himself. He believe that,someone cannot achieve salvation through teaching or learning, but experience it himself. He want to throw himself into the physical world around him.