Authority Of Siddhartha

1501 Words7 Pages

Authority plays a large role in Siddhartha’s journey to finding enlightenment. Siddhartha becomes unhappy and questions the religion he has known his whole life. He begins to dream vividly and lie awake at night overthinking how to confront his feelings. Feeling that there is no more knowledge to be learned from his father, “Siddhartha had begun to feel that the love of his father and mother, and also the love of his friend Govinda, would not always make him happy, give him peace, satisfy and suffice him. He had begun to suspect that his worthy father and his other teachers, the wise Brahmins, had already passed on to him the bulk and best of their wisdom but his soul was not at peace." (3). Siddhartha set off on his own path to enlightenment. Siddhartha’s father, a wise Brahmin wasn’t keen on his only son leaving the legacy that had been laid out for him. His father believed that Brahmins knew everything and had experienced everything. Siddhartha couldn’t come to understand, “was there value in knowing everything if one did not know the one and only thing, the single most important thing, the only thing that matters?” (7). Siddhartha disagreed with his father’s beliefs, and responded to his father not allowing …show more content…

He begins to work for Kamaswami, but struggles because being merchant went against everything he has been working towards his entire life. Guilt accompanies leaving behind beliefs that we have followed our whole lives. This was the case with Siddhartha. He used the money he had earned to indulge in activities that are not good for him like gambling and drinking. Like many people who aren’t content with life, Siddhartha broke down and went to a dark place. When thinking of committing suicide, he found himself gazing into the river when suddenly it seems that it is speaking to him. This led him to Vasudeva – a ferryman he encountered earlier in the