Siddhartha: Search for Truth - Essay Example

Siddhartha’s Search for Truth The of the Siddhartha’s Search for Truth Who am I? What is my destiny? These questions are asked by every person sooner or later on a journey of self-knowing, and quest for truth and freedom. It is essential to know yourself on the way of discovering the entity of the world, for a man is a part of the greater whole, that is, the nature, the macrocosm. The need of self-cognition is driven by the desire of revealing to a human being his essence and the real purpose in the world, namely: a creator of his own good fortune. Moreover, it is the only way by which a man may find himself and return what is lost. As a matter of fact, the path of self-changing, as a way of gaining truth, is the path of self-improvement, happiness, and freedom. It is the highest purpose of life, or the life itself. In this respect, a bright example of the same experience is the life of Brahman’s son Siddhartha from homonymic allegorical novel of Hermann Hesse, who has dedicated his life to the search of life truth, as the way of enlightenment and awakening. To begin with it must be said that the novel itself serves as guidance for life analysis by everyone, as it shows its whole hollowness without striving for the highest priority of our existence. As we can see, the main theme of “Siddhartha” is search for truth, as that source and effect, which gives reason for being and fills it with deep meaning. The main thing in life is to give up carnal desires, which turn it into suffering. This is the only way a person can reach Nirvana, that is, freedom, bliss, self-knowledge, and enlightenment. Thus, a soul as the eternal and intangible primary substance appears to be the central concept of human’s breath. Gaining of freedom becomes possible only by living in harmony with heart hopes, as in, the pursuance of perception of the universal order through the knowing of its small part, interfolded in the human body, and bearing the name of soul. Siddhartha comes through the way of his changing from a simple young man, tired of just the same continual and boring life mechanisms, to an enlightened man, who reaches the truth by the experience of his own life, as it is his desire and the primary reason not to follow Buddha but to search his own way. He has pulled through many events, as well as flown through himself many people of different views. Still Siddhartha holds true to the ideal of life truth as the highest purpose of people’s existence on the Earth. And as a result, passing through hardship he gains freedom, the freedom from the bustle of the world in the union with nature, which main mentor appears to be a river. It is the river that runs like a golden thread through the whole story. Even Siddhartha’s father before his leaving home in search of truth says that all returns, like a river. “… He saw other faces, many, a long sequence, a flowing river of faces, of hundreds, of thousands, which all came and disappeared, and yet all seemed to be there simultaneously, which all constantly changed and renewed themselves, and which were still all Siddhartha” (Hesse). Further, a good many times the river as the bearer of wisdom and truth, by the mouth of the key personalities of Siddhartha’s destiny says that the point is present, and that the true world order is hidden in it. But it takes lifelong period for Siddhartha to understand what the truth is. Almost throughout the entire novel the soul of Siddhartha is overwhelmed with sadness, anxiety and laceration, for he cant find freedom for his soul and reach Nadaville. Getting know nature in its different aspects, Siddhartha’s soul moves from one creature to another, gaining new knowledge on the way of awakening. The spirit of the man in its turn as the highest degree of the human’s being, pulls and leads Siddhartha to the truth without letting him to go astray. As we can see, even during the relationship of Siddhartha and Kamala, in the days of love knowledge as a constituent of the truth of human life, in particular, and world order, in general, the spirit does not allow Siddhartha to forget his true destination, his purpose, his desire, and pushes him for further cognition of himself and gaining of freedom. So Siddhartha’s highest goal becomes approached due to his knowledge of the world truth through the way of self-cognition as a part of the Universe. As it is mentioned at the beginning of assignment, the story of Siddhartha’s experience is extremely didactic and useful for people’s practice. In fact, it finds its reflection in my own background, that is, throughout my life I am learning that some time you have to change your ways and do not settle for less. Surely, every person at a certain stage of his or her life (and most likely, it can happen more than once) faces with understanding that in some way something is going wrong, as it at least doesn’t give visible result. Still, what is more important, is that you lose life satisfaction, and a slight grief steels into your soul, which can later develop into something much more horrific and spoiling your days. At such moments, personally I undertake attempts of self-searching, analyzing my previous experience and the reasons for the lack of moral pleasure. Actually, I understand that there is no desire or need to be grateful for small favors, and you have to keynote on impossible to achieve the possible. It is natural that the thing is not in material wealth as the ultimate goal of life. The question is in achieving of the very truth that Siddhartha has been searching for, and which, I believe, is striven by every person on earth. The difference is just in the fact that the concept of truth may differ in every individual case. Nevertheless, my strong belief is that one way or another the truth comes down to inward peace, a state of inspiration, and Nirvana. And there are no other words, by which one can describe the state when you live in harmony with the soul, and do everything for its satisfaction. So my life can serve as a kind of reproduction Siddhartha’s story with a short specification, that I have not yet reached the need of meditation, as a way of gaining the truth. Anyway, I am in my constant changing, for my being to become a better, truthful one with its highest goal on the top. All things considered, “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse is one of extremely useful and burning novels for every time, as the issue of searching for truth and self-cognition continues to be relevant. Furthermore, it can serve as guidance for improving of life for many people who have come to the deadlock of their mental freedom, or for ones who just begin their way for Nirvana. References Hesse, H. Siddhartha, 237. Retrieved 20 Apr. from: http://www.readanybook.com/online/565072 Read More