Re-encounter With Yourself

This chapter is called "By the River". I think it is one of the most important chapters in the whole book because it is when the old Siddhartha dies or is replaced by a new Siddhartha that emerges after a short nap. It starts in a way that for me was very shocking, Siddhartha´s thoughts of suicide, " He is standing in front of the river questioning his purpose and the reasons to continue moving forward. There was only one way to escape his life full of suffering" (pg 71) I didn't see this coming from Siddhartha. It showed me that he is weak and gives up on himself. He should know that he cant escape his problems and the cycles that he is getting into, he has to deal with them.

After, he starts meditating with the Om, which leads him to realize that he has a purpose in life and everything falls back together for Siddhartha. It was like a rebirth for him. He remembers everything he has been through with Kamala. With her he had 3 possessions that were fasting, waiting and thinking, and he insisted that that was enough. But after a while he got carried away and fell into a wrong cycle of pleasure and desire. "He had exchanged them for the most wretched things, for the transitory, for the pleasures of the senses, for high living and riches. He had gone along a strange path. And now, it seemed that he had indeed become an ordinary person."(Pg 77)

This chapter is about reflection and in the end he is glad to have lived everything life put in his way. He had to have all of these experiences to have a new start with a new perception of life to choose a better path, "Even though the path has no sense and repeats it self many times he will follow it where ever it takes him"(Pg 78).

Vocabulary
Ennui (pg 70)
-Lack of interest

Oblivion (pg 70)
-The state of forgetting

Ardent (Pg 80)
-Intense feeling

Siddhartha vs Batman

In this part of the book I can see a cycle that Siddhartha is falling into, as I said in one of my previous blog entries. The cycle that he is falling into consists of changing constantly his way of living. I can see that he is never going to be happy with his life because for a moment he is and then he gets bored and looks for happiness or at least mental and spiritual stability some where else. I am starting to think that even though he fears falling into this cycle and is never pleased with what he has, he will never break this pattern, he will always live this way.

I can relate Siddhartha with Batman. In one way they are similar, they both in one part of their lifes or stories are unsure of the direction of their lifes and what will their future be like. Like Siddhartha, Batman looks for a mentor to tell him what to do or which way is right. This is kind of the same thing Siddhartha does when he is searching for the Illuminated one or when he is part of the Samanas. They both doubt of them selves questioning if they are doing the right thing.



Scornfully "...he had always watched them a little scornfully..." (Pg 62)
-Contempt someone in rejection

Disdain "...with a slightly mocking disdain..." (Pg 62)
-Be unworthy of something

Covetousness " The world had finally caught him; pleasure, covetousness..." (Pg 63)
-Greedy

Learning Everyday

In this part of the book, that is called "Amongst the People", there is really not a lot of action or changes in the story. What happens mostly through the whole chapter is that we see Siddhartha learning from Kamala and  Kamaswami the merchant. One thing that Kamaswami and Siddhartha discuss is the relationship of having possessions and being in need. "I possess nothing, if that is what you mean. I am certainly without possessions but of my own free will, so I am not in need." this is what Siddhartha says to Kamaswami on page 52. I agree in this with Siddhartha, now a days our whole world revolves around money and people are willing to do anything to have more of it. They are not free, they are slaves of their own life and everyday they get more enslaved by going to work only to get more money. Only a few people live their life the right way by doing what they really want in life, not what gets them the most expensive things.

Something ironic that I notice is that Kamala is controlling and manipulating Siddhartha to get what she wants. He always says that he is free from desires and is in charge of his own life, but when he faces Kamala he gets week and do what he is told. If he has such a clear opinion about life and what he wants to get out of it or at least he is aware of what he has, why is he doing the opposite of what he says?

Endeavored "The rules of which he endeavored to learn well..." (Pg 53)
-Make an effort

Satiation " So that no feeling of satiation or desolation arises nor the horrid feeling of misusing or having been misused." (Pg 54)
-To satisfy to the fullest

Desolation " So that no feeling of satiation or desolation arises nor the horrid feeling of misusing or having been misused." (Pg 54)
-Devastation

Scolding "Nothing was ever achieved by scolding." (Pg 55)
-Claming angrily

Follies "pleasures and follies were more unkown and remote from him than the moon." (Pg 56)
-Being foolish

Onlooker "...to enjoy and live their lives instead of only being there as an onlooker." (Pg 58)
-Spectator, witness

Supple "You are stronger than others, more supple, more willing." (Pg 59)
-Characterized by ability to adapt in mental action
  

New Life

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All By Himself

My prediction from my last blog so far is wrong, I thought Siddhartha would come back to the Illuminated one and his teachings but he hasn't. He is still reflecting on his life and who he is and wants to be. " I am no longer what I was, I am no longer ascetic, no longer a priest, no longer a Brahmin." (Pg 33). He decides that he will not look back and return to his house or return to the Illuminated One and Govinda, he will move on by himself.

New Important Vocabulary:
Scorned ("...who scorned diversity, who sought unity." Pg 32)
-To contempt with despise.


Secluded (" Even the most secluded hermit..." Pg 33)
-Withdrawn from social activity.

Keep This Path?

As I read this part of the book I had a question on my mind. It was: Will Siddhartha relate to the teachings of the Buddha, or will he stop learning from him and following him and look for something else?

As I kept reading, I discovered that he got tired of Buddha and his teachings and wants to go away in search for something else: He is leaving Govinda behind. When he is talking to the Illuminated one he gets surprised of his reaction towards him leaving. Instead of being mad at him, Buddha says that its his choice to leave or stay, he wouldn't persuade him into anything, " I hope you are not mistaken with your reasoning," said the Illustrious One slowly. " May you reach your goal!" (Pg 28).

Now I have a prediction for the rest of the story. Since Siddhartha realizes that the philosophy of the Buddhas teachings is not pressure someone into something, but instead let them decide freely on their future, he may come back. I think this will happen because Siddhartha is trying to escape from the cycles in life. But with the Illuminated one he sees that he is in charge of his own life and with these teachings he may look at his life in a different perspective.

New important vocabulary:
Abode ("Near the town was Gotama´s favorite abode.." pg 20)
-A place to stay or live, a home.


Demeanor ("...two Samanas recognized him only by his complete peacefulness of demeanor,..." pg 22)
-Conduct, Behavior.


Conviction ("...will Govinda ever take a step without me, from his own conviction?"pg 24)
-A fixed or firm belief.


Equanimity ("The Buddhas eyes were lowered, his unfathomable face expressed complete equanimity." pg 28)
-Being mentally or emotionally stable.