Siddhartha: Siddhartha: Amongst the PeopleAmongst the People

FeracoFeraco

Search for Human PotentialSearch for Human Potential

4 October 20124 October 2012

““Amongst the People” is Amongst the People” is ironically named: Siddhartha ironically named: Siddhartha isis among them, but he never allows among them, but he never allows himself to be part of them (even as himself to be part of them (even as he increasingly becomes one of he increasingly becomes one of them, he remains steadfastly in them, he remains steadfastly in denial).denial).

It begins with a description of It begins with a description of Kamaswami that fits well with what Kamaswami that fits well with what Kamala has said about him: he’s the Kamala has said about him: he’s the picture of decaying wealth, graying picture of decaying wealth, graying hair paired with clever eyes.hair paired with clever eyes.

He’s confused by Siddhartha’s He’s confused by Siddhartha’s statement about not being in need; statement about not being in need; as a creature of desire, Kamaswami as a creature of desire, Kamaswami literally cannot comprehend such a literally cannot comprehend such a thing.thing.

““How will you live if you are How will you live if you are without possessions?”without possessions?”

This gives Kamaswami and This gives Kamaswami and Siddhartha the chance to learn about Siddhartha the chance to learn about one another via a dialogue about the one another via a dialogue about the giving and taking that’s omnipresent giving and taking that’s omnipresent in human life.in human life.

Once again, Kamaswami cannot Once again, Kamaswami cannot understand how Siddhartha lives as understand how Siddhartha lives as he does, for he doesn’t believe he does, for he doesn’t believe Siddhartha has anything to offer if Siddhartha has anything to offer if he can only use his skills (rather he can only use his skills (rather than possessions) in an exchange.than possessions) in an exchange.

The language of exchange is The language of exchange is really the only language Kamaswami really the only language Kamaswami speaks.speaks.

Once Siddhartha convinces him Once Siddhartha convinces him that his skills that his skills areare useful in an useful in an exchange, Kamaswami respects him exchange, Kamaswami respects him – particularly once he learns – particularly once he learns Siddhartha can write.Siddhartha can write.

Both Both whatwhat Siddhartha writes and Siddhartha writes and thatthat Siddhartha writes prove Siddhartha writes prove important.important.

His saying – “Writing is good, His saying – “Writing is good, thinking is better. Cleverness is thinking is better. Cleverness is good, patience is better” – has good, patience is better” – has poignancy when we consider where poignancy when we consider where he ends up, trapped by his own he ends up, trapped by his own “cleverness” and attention to the “cleverness” and attention to the bottom line.bottom line.

Moreover, the fact that Moreover, the fact that Siddhartha can read, write, and Siddhartha can read, write, and speak is speak is veryvery noteworthy. noteworthy.

Once we acquire language, we Once we acquire language, we lose the ability to think without lose the ability to think without words – to come up with thoughts words – to come up with thoughts that no words can describe.that no words can describe.

Indeed, our thoughts express Indeed, our thoughts express themselves in sensory terms.themselves in sensory terms.

Thus our thoughts become part Thus our thoughts become part of our reality, and our command of of our reality, and our command of language therefore dictates the language therefore dictates the depth of the reality we perceive depth of the reality we perceive (maya!).(maya!).

Kamala’s reality is therefore Kamala’s reality is therefore incomplete – she cannot read or incomplete – she cannot read or write, and by lacking language, she write, and by lacking language, she lacks connection to the world…she lacks connection to the world…she lacks reality.lacks reality.

The less you understand about The less you understand about the veil, the harder it proves to the veil, the harder it proves to pierce.pierce.

This is why Siddhartha chooses This is why Siddhartha chooses to study the Self rather than hide to study the Self rather than hide from it, and why our bodhisattvas from it, and why our bodhisattvas finally reach enlightenment.finally reach enlightenment.

Once Siddhartha is accepted into Once Siddhartha is accepted into Kamaswami’s service, he retains some of Kamaswami’s service, he retains some of his old habits; he doesn’t become entirely his old habits; he doesn’t become entirely like the man for another chapter/decade like the man for another chapter/decade or so.or so.

““Kamaswami conducted his business Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion, but with care and often with passion, but Siddhartha regarded it all as a game, the Siddhartha regarded it all as a game, the rules of which he endeavored to learn rules of which he endeavored to learn well, but did not stir his heart.”well, but did not stir his heart.”

His approach to business frustrates His approach to business frustrates and even infuriates the old merchant, for and even infuriates the old merchant, for the younger man’s lackadaisical approach the younger man’s lackadaisical approach to profit and loss increases the elder to profit and loss increases the elder man’s risk.man’s risk.

Siddhartha, on the other hand, seems Siddhartha, on the other hand, seems interested in making human connections – interested in making human connections – a noble (and, for Kamaswami, novel) a noble (and, for Kamaswami, novel) sentiment, but one we quickly see isn’t sentiment, but one we quickly see isn’t entirely accurate.entirely accurate.

““Siddhartha’s sympathy and curiosity Siddhartha’s sympathy and curiosity lay only with people, whose work, lay only with people, whose work, troubles, pleasures, and follies were more troubles, pleasures, and follies were more unknown and remote from him than the unknown and remote from him than the moon. Although he found it so easy to moon. Although he found it so easy to speak to everyone, to live with everyone, speak to everyone, to live with everyone, to learn from everyone, he was very to learn from everyone, he was very conscious of the fact that there was conscious of the fact that there was something which separated him from something which separated him from them…”them…”

However, he increasingly However, he increasingly devotes himself to Kamala, which is devotes himself to Kamala, which is in keeping with his single-minded in keeping with his single-minded approach to his pursuits.approach to his pursuits.

He even convinces himself that He even convinces himself that Kamala understands him better than Kamala understands him better than Govinda did.Govinda did.

““He spent wonderful hours with He spent wonderful hours with the clever, beautiful courtesan and the clever, beautiful courtesan and became her pupil, her lover, her became her pupil, her lover, her friend. Here with Kamala lay the friend. Here with Kamala lay the value and meaning of his present value and meaning of his present life, not in Kamaswami’s business.”life, not in Kamaswami’s business.”

In other words, the embodiment In other words, the embodiment of desire understands him better of desire understands him better than the searcher.than the searcher.

His conversation with her about His conversation with her about leaves and stars is sad, in a way.leaves and stars is sad, in a way.

Even though Hesse only says it Even though Hesse only says it outright at the end, the tone of outright at the end, the tone of Siddhartha’s dialogue is weary and Siddhartha’s dialogue is weary and regretful, the pitch of a man who regretful, the pitch of a man who knows he’s letting his life slip away knows he’s letting his life slip away yet refuses to stop it.yet refuses to stop it.

The seeds of Siddhartha’s fall The seeds of Siddhartha’s fall are sown here:are sown here:

……He occupied his thoughts with all this game He occupied his thoughts with all this game and the passion with which all men play it, as much and the passion with which all men play it, as much as he had previously occupied his thoughts with as he had previously occupied his thoughts with the gods and Brahman. At times he heard within the gods and Brahman. At times he heard within him a soft, gentle voice, which reminded him him a soft, gentle voice, which reminded him quietly, complained quietly, so that he could hardly quietly, complained quietly, so that he could hardly hear it. Then he suddenly saw clearly that he was hear it. Then he suddenly saw clearly that he was leading a strange life, that he was doing many leading a strange life, that he was doing many thing that were only a game, that he was quite thing that were only a game, that he was quite cheerful and sometimes experienced pleasure, but cheerful and sometimes experienced pleasure, but that real life was flowing past him and did not that real life was flowing past him and did not touch him. Like a player who plays with his ball, he touch him. Like a player who plays with his ball, he played with his business, with the people around played with his business, with the people around him, watched them, derived amusement from him, watched them, derived amusement from them; but with his heart, with his real nature, he them; but with his heart, with his real nature, he was not there. His real self wandered elsewhere, was not there. His real self wandered elsewhere, far away, wandered on and on invisibly and had far away, wandered on and on invisibly and had nothing to do with his life. He was sometimes nothing to do with his life. He was sometimes afraid of these thoughts and wished that he could afraid of these thoughts and wished that he could also share their childish daily affairs with intensity, also share their childish daily affairs with intensity, truly to take part in them, to enjoy and live their truly to take part in them, to enjoy and live their lives instead of only being there as an onlooker.lives instead of only being there as an onlooker.

There’s a reason he ends the There’s a reason he ends the chapter by confessing he cannot chapter by confessing he cannot love: “Ordinary people can – that is love: “Ordinary people can – that is their secret.”their secret.”

Rather than becoming Rather than becoming extraordinary, Siddhartha finds extraordinary, Siddhartha finds himself envious of the aggressively himself envious of the aggressively ordinary.ordinary.

And thus we hit the book’s And thus we hit the book’s midpoint, standing at the precipice midpoint, standing at the precipice of something more…of something more…