Assignment 2

5 Questions and Answers

 1. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?

Siddhartha leaves his father because he was not satisfied with the Brahmans and his teachers. He wanted to reach to the self, the Atman but no one would know how to reach it. So he wanted to become a Samana( ascetics) and find blissfulness.

 3. If Siddhartha never lived with Kamala and the people in the city would he have reached Enlightenment faster?

I don’t think Siddhartha would have reached to Enlightenment faster, if he never lived with Kamala and the people in the city. Living with Kamala and with the people in the city made him lost his spirit, unlearned thinking again, forgot oneness and became from a thinker to childlike person. When he realizes what he has become, he panics and through despair, sinking down to the most foolish thoughts of suicide, he experiences divine grace and he was able to find his Atman again. But if he had not had all this experience he would still be in search of the Enlightenment as he had too much knowledge with him which had prevented him from getting it.

4. What is the significance of river?

River has played an important role in learning and understanding the life and reaching to blissfulness for Siddhartha. In this story, river represents the voice of life, voice of what exists and of what is eternally taking shape. It also helps Siddhartha to be patience, be a good listener and able to listen what the river is telling him.

 5. How would you evaluate Siddhartha/Hesse’s philosophy of detachment?

I do agree that humans are attached to money, power, relationships and so on. As a result they are struggling and fighting with each other in order to achieve those things and are unable to get out from that narrow world and see the wiser perspective. So I agree and feel logic in being detachment from “Sansara” would prevent people from focusing on the small things and will be able to gain better knowledge, gain peace and happiness in life. In addition, it shows that the world or “Sansara” and people’s fight for power is nothing but just the illusion and life cannot be happy from that. Also, I believe that the philosophy of detachment helps to know your Atman or yourself better rather through various teaching.

 8. What is the identity of Vasudeva?

Vasudeva represents as a God who has changed his appearance as a human being- a ferryman, Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the name of the father of Lord Krishna according to Hindu religion, so he is portraying his role as a father figure and he guides Siddhartha to achieve the Enlightenment or blissfulness through the medium of river.