Finding Enlightenment In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha

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In 1922, the famous author Hermann Hesse wrote a novel about a rich young Brahmin named Siddhartha who tries to find enlightenment and peace for himself. Siddhartha is a respected man whom everyone admires, especially his best friend Govinda, but he grows tired of following in his father’s footstep and believes that he has no more to learn from his current teachers. In this novel, Siddhartha tries to find enlightenment by leaving his hometown with Govinda to find Gotama, a Samana who has reached enlightenment. Once he meets Gotama, he realizes enlightenment cannot be taught to him, but he must experience the cycle of samsara and suffer to be able to find overall peace. He attempts to use his vast knowledge to meet his needs through fasting, waiting, and thinking, but his wisdom is not enough. He experiences many challenges in order to find enlightenment, and he encounters many teachers who bring him through cycles of samsara, love, and wisdom on his way. …show more content…
Hesse characterizes the Buddha as abundantly peaceful as he writes, “his peaceful downward glance, his peaceful downward-hanging hand, and every finger of his hand spoke of peace…” (27). Once Siddhartha hears the teachings of the Buddha, he explains to Gotama that he cannot follow him any longer because Gotama has nothing to teach him. He rejects the Buddha’s teachings, but through his interactions with him, he learns that enlightenment cannot be reached by simply listening to those who have achieved it. Siddhartha must experience all that life has to offer before he can obtain full-peace. Govinda and Siddhartha separate because Siddhartha wants to have his own experiences, and as Govinda goes to follow the Buddha on his own, Siddhartha goes off to find an unexpected
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