Enlightenment and Self-Discovery in Siddhartha Essay

Spiritual Enlightenment and Self-Discovery

The theme of spiritual enlightenment prevails above any other theme found in this novel. Spiritual understanding is the only thing Siddhartha pines for in the duration of the novel. All of the characters in Siddhartha gain spiritual enlightenment in some form. Self-discovery goes along with spiritual understanding. The spiritual understanding is within yourself, therefore you must discovery what is in yourself before you can achieve spiritual enlightenment.

In Siddhartha, a passionate search for what is true is necessary for living peacefully and harmoniously with the world. Siddhartha and Govinda search for the truth of the worldwide comprehension of life, or Nirvana. Siddhartha and Govinda both desire to be aware of their lives through religion, do this by obtaining Nirvana, and realize that Nirvana is indeed possible. Even though Nirvana guides to a flawless connection with the human race and is accordingly an end aspiration that each person wishes to reach, Siddhartha and Govinda are different in this sense because of what they both are prepared to do in pursuit for this truth. In Siddharthas case, the moment he realized that one direction could lead to an end, he promptly changes his path. He is prepared to leave behind the course of the Brahmins for the course of the Samanas, to forsakes the Samanas for Gotama, and then to leave the spiritual instructors and seek in the material world with Kamaswami and Kamala. He does not give up his search and in its place keeps going to go along with any path grows to be available if he has obviously not yet obtained Nirvana.

Govinda is definitely not as compliant in his search for Nirvana. In his search, he limits himself to the religious world and continues in his need for instruction. Although Siddhartha is prepared to not follow any religion and desert all his training, Govinda is prepared to search for the truth but only if it coincides with the Hindu and Buddhist teachings and is delivered to him by an instructor. Therefore, Govinda is not able to find the truth right around him, because he is restricted by his certainty that truth will come in the form his instructors tell him. This difference between Siddharthas merciless quest and Govindas restricted search is why Govinda can only achieve enlightenment through Siddhartha, while Siddhartha is capable of finding the truth by himself.

During the novel, Siddhartha chases Nirvana in a different way, and even though at first his strategies are forceful and intentional, he finally discovers that a more oblique method produces better rewards. At first, both Siddhartha and Govinda seek Nirvana forcefully and openly. Govinda stays devoted to the persistent practicing of Buddhist teachings that are supposed to bring one enlightenment, but Siddhartha finally deserts these practices and instead counts on his instinct for direction. Siddhartha shows that by concentrating only on attaining Nirvana, Govinda did not notice the hints provided for him along his way that should have showed him the right direction. Therefore, Govinda tries much too hard for enlightenment. Siddhartha eventually knows that because the spirit of enlightenment always exists inside of us and is alive in the world all the time, regulatory paths only guide us farther away from ourselves and from the insight we search for. A veiled method is much more likely to absorb all fundamentals of the world and is obviously better able to give the needed distance from which to see the harmony of the world.

The concept of Om, which symbolizes the harmony and unity of everything, shows important moments of realization for Siddhartha, his ability to finally understand Om is his opening into enlightenment, but along his path, he thinks of the idea multiple times, each time making a change inside him. He first meets Om in his teaching to become a Brahmin. He recognizes that contrary to what he was taught Om should mean, not one person around him has fully attained a comprehension of Om in their life. People who recite the word intellectually encircle him, but their actual lives do not show the enlightenment that actually comes from totally embracing the essence of Om. Siddhartha hears Om once again while he is standing next to the river and thinking about committing suicide, realizing that life is imperishable, he must learn to just be, not force himself upon certain paths. Basically, he is trying to become one with Om, which he knows as being all around him, instead of a continuous quest for a thinking that accesses it on a thinking level. Towards the end of the novel, he listens to the river and becomes more aware of how complex Om is and exactly how it involves time. When he eventually fully understands the word and knows that everything exists at the same exact moment, all options are real and correct, and time itself does not mean anything, he finally achieves enlightenment.

In the end of the novel, both Siddhartha and Govinda reach the sought after enlightenment. They learned how they could be one with the earth. They also learned how to attain Nirvana. The concept of Om is another thing they both learned through the course of the novel.

Works Cited

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. Trans. Sherab Chdzin Kohn.Boston: Shambala Publications, Inc., 2000.