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Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha LANGUAGE IN INDIA Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow Volume 10 : 3 March 2010 ISSN 1930-2940 Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D. Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D. Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D. B. A. Sharada, Ph.D. A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D. Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D. K. Karunakaran, Ph.D. Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D. Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha - A Dualist Spiritual Journey S. B. Bhambar, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. The Eastern Connection The Nobel Prize winner German poet and novelist Hermann Hesse‟s Siddhartha depicts the duality of spirit and nature, body verses mind and the individual‟s spiritual search outside the restrictions of the society. Flesh and spirit are two conflicting components in all of Hesse‟s novels. His novel Siddhartha is about the Enlightenment of the East, the glory of Atman, the self and self-realization without mixing in Western thought. India was one of the most influential conditioning factors in Hesse‟s childhood. He was deeply affected by the spirituality of India, as he himself mentions: “From the time I was a child I breathed in and absorbed the spiritual side of India just as deeply as Christianity” (Zilkowski, 1965: 147). His Siddhartha is the manifestation of it. Henry and Garland Mary observe “In Siddhartha Hesse gives poetic expression to Indian philosophy‟‟ (Henry, 1976:381). Thus, the whole book has symbolic undertone that provides the novel its final meaning. Symbolic Images The provision of symbolic or metaphorical images within a work of art is essentially a matter of invention or of technique. Hesse has used certain symbols and images to convey his vision of spirituality. In Siddhartha through the journey of Siddhartha a whole range of the philosophy and thought of the East is subtly explored as a way of life, as a breath of existence by Hesse. Through the journey of Siddhartha Hesse makes us Language in India www.languageinindia.com 141 10 : 3 March 2010 S. B. Bhambar, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Hermann Hesse‟s Siddhartha – A Dualist Spiritual Journey have an over-view of both the cultural and religious codes of our land. Symbolism in one form or another has been used by nearly every great novelist and poet. According to W.H. Alden, “A Symbol is felt to be much more before any possible meaning is consciously recognized, i.e. an object or event which is felt to be more important than reason can immediately explain” (Auden, 1950: 21). This is true with Hesse. The true success of Hesse‟s symbolic presentation of ideas is that it stimulates the unconscious or sub-conscious apprehension of ideas. It takes us to different heights and depths of meanings. A Transcendental Vision In Siddhartha Hesse presents a transcendental vision where Siddhartha‟s journey acquires a symbolic undertone and the spiritual quest theme culminates into a transcendental experience which is quite difficult to communicate in ordinary words. Hesse, an eminent personality in the sphere of German literature had an innate zeal to help ordinary people move towards some awareness of the depths of spiritual development which forms the central symbolic theme of the novel Siddhartha. In spite of living among adverse conditions and various kinds of temptations Siddhartha ultimately reaches his goal of self-realization. As already mentioned earlier this process of self-realization or spiritual fulfillment is quite difficult to convey in ordinary words. Hesse has turned to nature symbolism to communicate the same. This lends the novel a deep spiritual vision. Hesse projects it through the use the symbols and images. The major symbols used by Hesse are namely water, river, and the symbolic names of characters as well as other similar devices. Spiritual Conflicts and Self-realization The self-realization of Siddhartha becomes possible only after intense spiritual conflicts and moral awareness. Many obstacles and distractions come in the way of Siddhartha‟s spiritual journey, which are dispelled finally. Siddhartha attains spiritual liberation and balance of mind only after self-examination, self-exploration and heart- searching, which is very similar to the Hindu belief as explained in Patanijali‟s Yoga-sutras. His Siddhartha, thus, shows the influence of Indian thought and sensibility. Henry and Garland Mary express the same view: “In Siddhartha Hesse gives poetic expression to Indian philosophy‟‟ (Henry, 1976:381). Thus the whole book has symbolic undertone that provides the novel its final meaning. Symbolism of the title Siddhartha First of all it is necessary to make it clear that the title of the novel Siddhartha itself is symbolic. Gautam Buddha‟s original name before becoming enlightened was Siddhartha, but the protagonist Siddhartha depicted in the novel is not the great prophet Goutama, the Language in India www.languageinindia.com 142 10 : 3 March 2010 S. B. Bhambar, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Hermann Hesse‟s Siddhartha – A Dualist Spiritual Journey Buddha. He is a type of Buddhist Everyman. But the title itself determines the character of the novel. There is no doubt that Hesse has intentionally given the title Siddhartha to the novel. Thus the protagonist Siddhartha emerges as a „Buddha image‟ in the novel. The title itself is symbolic of the search for the fundamental truth of life, the Reality embedded in the complex fabric of existence. Through the spiritual journey of Siddhartha a whole range of the philosophy and thought of the East is subtly explored as a way life, as a breath of existence. In the novel Siddhartha is presented as an intellectual pilgrim in the quest for reality, the quest for truth, the search for the eternal verities implicit in India‟s great spiritual heritage. The life journey of Gautma Buddha, the great and that of Siddhartha, the hero of the novel, are remarkably identical. Siddhartha, thus dramatically re-enacts the spiritual adventure of Gautma, the Buddha in his quest for truth. Hindu Stages of Life Paul Edwards observes “In Hinduism, the high caste Hindu‟s life is divided into four periods first, he is a pupil or student, second, a householder and family man, third, he begins to relinquish his family ties, to be become a vanaprastha, (literally “forest dweller”) finally he becomes a sannyasin, devoting himself entirely to the spiritual quest‟‟ (Edwards , 1976 : 4) In Hindu way of life these four stages are called the four ashrams- Brahamchary ashram, Grahastha ashram, Vanprastha ashram and finally Sansyans ashram. Adopting Hindu Stages for the Evolution of Buddha In the novel Hesse has symbolically presented the different stages of Siddhartha‟s spiritual development by the various roles he takes on; wanderer, husband and merchant, and hermit. These stages represent brahmacharya (bachelorhood) grahastha (house- holder), vanprastha (detached life) and sannyasa (life of renunciation) through which Siddhartha first attains his identity with perfection, fit to attain salvation. He passes from his egoistic identity through a series of failures, loses it and attains the ideal spiritual identity in selfless service (nishkamkarma). It is the process of surrendering the personal ego to the almighty spirit that is something central in the Hindu philosophy. After surrendering the personal ego the man is supposed to dedicate the rest of his life to the service of the society because man cannot abandon any action. Significantly enough, Hesse has indicated clearly that the two major characters of the novel namely Lord Gautam Buddha, the great and Vasudeva have already gone through the four stages of life (four ashrams), and have surrendered their personal egos to the Language in India www.languageinindia.com 143 10 : 3 March 2010 S. B. Bhambar, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Hermann Hesse‟s Siddhartha – A Dualist Spiritual Journey almighty spirit. Yet vasudeva continues to work as a ferryman because of the necessity of karma but his karma is a nishkama (selfless dedicated service to society). Merging of the Personal Ego with the Spirit Hesse has significantly and very skillfully depicted this symbolism of the four ashrams and merging of the personal ego with the spirit in the novel. Siddhartha with his niskamkarma (performing actions, without any desire for the fruits) transforms into yogi following the ways of Vasudeva. Thus in the novel Vasudeva‟s selfless service is symbolically shown to be equally valuable way for self-realization similar to the various ways shown by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita. Striving for the Higher Values of Life Since the childhood, Siddhartha strives for the higher values of life. It is really true that “things exist in their essence even before they are materially realized and named‟‟ (Desai, 1995: ix). His striving for higher values of life itself symbolizes his spiritual quest. The lines “he had begun to feel the seeds of discontent within him [- - -] his soul was not at peace” (5), and, he wanted “to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow to let his self die. [- - -] to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience the pure thought” (12), show his striving for higher values of life. The Role and Process of the Unity of All Things One cannot have the spiritual fulfillment unless his ego merges into “the unity of all things” (110). To have the spiritual experience one should have to surrender his self, and become merely a part of everything else. In this context Roy observes “Spiritual exploration leads to the struggle of the soul to purify it and transcend the temporal and seek the Eternal. He does not reject life or the world; he rather loves both because in them he observes the immanence of God” (Roy, 1979: 247). Hesse has intentionally presented Siddhartha as an egoistic boy. As a boy the egoistic Siddhartha feels that theoretical knowledge of scriptures or mere verbosity of Vedanta would not lead one toward God or self realization.
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