Has anyone read 'Siddhartha' by Herman Hesse? The man decides NOT to follow Buddha!!

zenmyste

I watched the MOVIE last night. (based on the booked)

And many people think its a buddhist book when in fact the main character called 'siddhartha' decides that Buddha cant help him. He thinks the buddhas way isnt right for him.

What is your opinion on this?

Do you believe Buddhas path is the 'ONE and ONLY' path. or ''could'' there be MORE ways to Liberation/inner peace..?

vinlyn

I have not read that book.

I do not personally find it logical that only the Buddhist path is the font of all wisdom.

Takuan

Though he decides not to follow the Buddha, he still learns dharma. At least that's the gist of the story.

vinlyn

Which to me makes sense. Find wisdom where it exists. I think there are a number of "great schools on knowledge and wisdom", Buddhism being one...and a very thorough one. But sometimes you finds bits of wisdom in small doses outside of a school of knowledge or wisdom.

Dakini

I read the book in highschool, but I don't remember the part where the lead character decides the Buddha can't help him. Sounds like I need to re-read the book. So what path does the protagonist end up choosing, and does it work for him?

(This is a great Buddhist Bookclub topic! We used to have a bookclub here, OP. Briefly.)

Jeffrey

@Dakini, we never discovered the trick of having a sustained reading in the book club. I think we got through several chapters one time.

Hesse has a lot of spiritual books he was my favorite author for awhile. I didn't rememeber Siddhartha either. Narciss and goldmund (goldmouth), was my favorite.

Dakini

@Dakini, we never discovered the trick of having a sustained reading in the book club. I think we got through several chapters one time.

Part of the problem (aside from members who would come and go, and drop out in the middle) was that the books we chose ended up not really clicking, at least for me. It's almost as if I have to read a bunch of books in advance to know if I can relate to them and be able to discuss them, before suggesting them for the club. Kind of tricky.

(Sorry for brief digression, OP.)

RichardH

Do you believe Buddhas path is the 'ONE and ONLY' path. or ''could'' there be MORE ways to Liberation/inner peace..?

Apparently Buddhism is not the only path, because there are many religious paths..

You are asking if it is a zero-sum game...


There are Buddhist nationalists in some parts of the world.. chauvinists.. and scripture thumping fanatics.. just like any religion.


However, the Buddhist practice I have been taught, just by way of practice, drops that kind of thinking. It is completely misguided.


Buddhism is a human creation... it started 2500 years ago and has evolved as it moved through different cultures and times. Its efficacy has been proven time and again as advertised. I can attest to it. But this does not require that other ways be wrong... that kind of binary thinking is wacky. It is a big world. There is room for everything.



btw. read Hesse long ago.

chanratt

Do you believe Buddhas path is the 'ONE and ONLY' path. or ''could'' there be MORE ways to Liberation/inner peace..?

Apparently Buddhism is not the only path, because there are many religious paths..

You are asking if it is a zero-sum game...


There are Buddhist nationalists in some parts of the world.. chauvinists.. and scripture thumping fanatics.. just like any religion.


However, the Buddhist practice I have been taught, just by way of practice, drops that kind of thinking. It is completely misguided.


Buddhism is a human creation... it started 2500 years ago and has evolved as it moved through different cultures and times. Its efficacy has been proven time and again as advertised. I can attest to it. But this does not require that other ways be wrong... that kind of binary thinking is wacky. It is a big world. There is room for everything.



btw. read Hesse long ago.

Buddhism gets in the way of Buddhism. I have that on my bookshelf. Thinking of reading it.

zenff

Ralph Freedman mentions how Hesse commented in a letter "[my] Siddhartha does not, in the end, learn true wisdom from any teacher, but from a river that roars in a funny way and from a kindly old fool who always smiles and is secretly a saint."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)

It's been some time, but now I remember how the story ends. Thanks.
I think Siddhartha (in the story) is taking his eyes off the finger in order to finally see the moon.
We have to see for ourselves. That's the point of the story, maybe.

DairyLama

Do you believe Buddhas path is the 'ONE and ONLY' path.

Yes, Buddhism is the dogs bollocks.

sndymorn

I believe that amoung the above responses has already come your answer.

still_learning

I remember that it was confusing to me that the main character's name is the same as Buddha's. Why did Hesse name the main character that? Some kind of symbolism I guess? Weird.

zenmyste

I remember that it was confusing to me that the main character's name is the same as Buddha's. Why did Hesse name the main character that? Some kind of symbolism I guess? Weird.

Maybe to Promote the book better. In hope of a guarantee sell. very clever if you ask me.
(who knows though)

Dakini

I remember that it was confusing to me that the main character's name is the same as Buddha's. Why did Hesse name the main character that? Some kind of symbolism I guess? Weird.

Maybe to Promote the book better. In hope of a guarantee sell. very clever if you ask me.
(who knows though)

This is a good theory. The book came out in the 60's, right? During the counter-culture movement, and during an upsurge in interest in Eastern religions and all things exotic. Also, rejection of materialism and organized religion was big, people leaving home to "find themselves" was a big part of the counter-culture back then.

Also, we need to bear in mind that the author doesn't always choose the title of the book. The publisher often does, for marketing reasons. Zenmyste may have hit the nail on the head.