Religion In Herman Hesse's Siddhartha

Time is like a river; some say that both have a beginning and end to it, while others think it constantly streams together. Many think the first, while few the latter, but both aren’t proven. The only proof that the world has for it, is faith. People believe in many things such as the afterlife, humanity, or in a religion. In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, the main character, Siddhartha, goes through most of his life believing in Karma. He has faith that Nirvana is real and believes in Karma. Karma is the actions a person goes throughout his/her life, either good or bad, to decide whether that person can meet nirvana, which is eternal peace in a perfect state of happiness. In this story, Siddhartha follows his Karma on his quest for total

When he was younger, he was at first a Brahman’s son, then later a Samana, and even later a rich merchant. Siddhartha never stuck with a certain group of people that he identified as. In fact, when he felt ‘awakened’ for the first time, “This thought also came to him: I am no longer what I was, I am no longer an ascetic, no longer a priest, no longer a Brahman.” (Hesse 40). Once Siddhartha had finally awakened, he realized that all of his life, he was labeled with titles such as a Samana or a Brahmin’s son. In order to control his Self, he realized that he had to become a man with no titles, a man with no labels, and only be Siddhartha. Unlike his childhood friend, Govinda, Siddhartha followed his own destiny, and not someone else. For the first time, Siddhartha felt reborn, as a new man, and was going to take on the world in a whole different direction. He was on a mission for his own sake, and that path taken was Karma. He even left his best friend for the unknown simply because he felt that it was his path to take, and should allow fate to take him wherever it decides on. The instance even happens again, after Siddhartha was contemplating his life in his mid-forties. Thinking to himself when the last time he had genuinely felt joy, Siddhartha “had felt in his heart: ‘A path lies before which you are called to follow. The gods await you.’ . . . he had thought: Onwards,

In his youth, he grew up as a Brahman’s son, who was also handsome, clever and very intelligent. However, as this was pleasing to his parents and Govinda, Siddhartha himself was dissatisfied. He soon came to realize shortly after a group of three ascetics came to his village that no matter how good his life as a Brahman’s son was, suffering is still a part of existence. This is the first Noble Truth as well as the first of the truths Siddhartha learn. Within the first 10 pages of the novel, Hesse writes that “it was the beginning. Siddhartha was going his own way; his destiny was beginning to unfold itself,” (Hesse 9). Since then, he was convinced to venture away from his home and follow his Karma. By the end of the chapter he and Govinda made a trip out into the forest to become Samanas. He continues on with his quest, and eventually, stumbles into realizing all four Noble Truths. This meant that from that point forwards, Siddhartha would strive to seek peace. During this quest, he later realizes that not only existence is suffering, but also suffering arises from desire, suffering ends when desire ends and that finally the way to end suffering is to follow the Eightfold