Enlightenment In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha Essay Example

Often in literature, there are characters that need guidance from others to help them reach a goal or dream. In Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, the protagonist Siddhartha desires to reach enlightenment. While living in his own home as the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha feels that the rituals are not satisfying enough and decides to venture on a journey to reach enlightenment. Throughout his journey, Siddhartha meets multiple individuals that give him guidance to reach his goal. Consequently, while reaching enlightenment is an individual achievement, Siddhartha would not have been able to achieve it without the assistance of Govinda, Kamala, and Vasudeva throughout his journey.

To Start, Siddhartha’s first mentor from beginning to end is Govinda. From the beginning of their childhoods, living both as sons of Brahmans, Govinda truly admires Siddhartha. When Govinda notices that Siddhartha has so much potential, Hesse writes “He would not become a common Brahman, not a lazy official in charge of offerings; not a greedy merchant with magic spells; not a vain, vacuous speaker; not a mean, deceitful priest; and also not a decent, stupid sheep in the herd of the many” (Hesse 4).  Govinda knows that Siddhartha will become great and do significant things with his life and constantly pushes Siddhartha to do better. He recognizes how much Siddhartha can achieve and wishes to continue with him on every step of his journey. When Siddhartha continues on his path with the Samanas because he is dissatisfied with the teachings of the Brahammans, Govinda decides to follow as well. During this journey, however, Govinda and Siddhartha decide to part in different ways because Siddhartha realizes the importance of looking within rather than learning from teachers. When they go on different paths this is not the end of their friendship as they later meet up again. After Siddhartha wakes up from a deep sleep in the forest, Govinda states, “It is not good to be sleeping in such places, where snakes often are and the animals of the forest have their paths…I sought to wake you up, oh sir, and since I saw that your sleep was very deep, I stayed behind from my group and sat with you” (Hesse 57). Although he does not know it, Govinda decides to watch over Siddhartha while he is sleeping and protect him from literally anything. Not only does Govinda help Siddhartha realize the importance of looking within, he literally saves Siddhartha’s life. Ergo, Govinda helps keep Siddhartha on the right path, while also being the savior of his life. 

Furthermore, Kamala and Young Siddhartha contribute to Siddhartha’s progress by teaching him love and introducing him to the material world. At first glance of Kamala, Siddhartha is starstruck by her beauty. Kamala introduces Siddhartha to a variety of new things, such as love, which helps him understand the world around him. When Siddhartha decides to visit Kamala for the first time, Hesse notes “Kamala kissed him, and with a deep astonishment, Siddhartha felt how she taught him, how wise she was, how she controlled him, rejected him, lured him” (Hesse 37). Right now Kamala is teaching Siddhartha the importance of love and what it means to be loved. Siddhartha never truly understood what loves is and now he is getting an understanding of it. Not only does Kamala teach Siddhartha about love, but she also shows him worldly pleasures that he has never experienced before in his entire life.  While at first Siddhartha abhors this type of this behavior, it allows him to turn into a new person that is holier and more venerated. Siddhartha is now able to understand the lives of the “Child-like” people.  He now is able to see the world for what it truly is and knows how to avoid certain tendencies. Furthermore, to even better emphasize the importance of love, Kamala leaves Siddhartha with a son of his own. His son reminds Siddhartha of his own youth. Just as Siddhartha left his home to satisfy his desires, so to did his son. This leaves Siddhartha devastated, but also shows him how his father felt when Siddhartha left him. When Vasudeva explains to Siddhartha that his son needs to live based on his personal motives, Siddhartha says “Won’t he become exuberant, won’t he lose himself to pleasure and power, won’t he repeat all of his father’s mistakes, won’t he perhaps get entirely lost in Sansara” (Hesse 76).  Even though Siddhartha might not know this, he is truly in love with his son. He cares about what Young Siddhartha does and wishes to stay with his son wherever he goes. Both Kamala and Young Siddhartha allow Siddhartha to regress and focus on the true path to enlightenment, by allowing him to resist all distractions. 

Lastly, with Siddhartha close to enlightenment from the help of Govinda, Kamala, and her son, Vasudeva offers the final touches Siddhartha requires by helping him understand the river.  Vasudeva is an enlightened ferryman who listens to Siddhartha rather than forcing his opinions on him. When Siddhartha is learning about the importance of the river, Vasudeva expresses, “You will learn it,” spoke Vasudeva, “but not from me. The river has taught me to listen, from it you will learn it as well. It knows everything, the river, everything can be learned from it” (Hesse 67). Different from other ‘teachers’ on Siddhartha’s journey, Vasudeva puts all the importance on guiding Siddhartha on the wisdom of the river, rather than on himself. He is teaching Siddhartha to find the deeper meaning in things.  Also, Vasudeva recognizes that Siddhartha must learn from the river and the wisdom it has to offer in order to progress to enlightenment. After Siddhartha recognizes the importance of Vasuedeva’s lessons and emphasis on the river, Hesse writes, “In this hour, Siddhartha stopped fighting his fate, stopped suffering. On his face flourished the cheerfulness of a knowledge, which is no longer opposed by any will, which knows perfection” (Hesse 86). Right before this experience with Vasudeva, Siddhartha embodies a smile that is similar to Buddha’s, showing his achievement of blissfulness with the help of Vasudeva. Siddhartha finally takes everything Vasudeva has taught him and uses it to reach enlightenment. Siddhartha understands the teachings of the river and is able to apply them to his own life.  Thus, Vasudeva is Siddhartha's best and last guide in reaching enlightenment. 

All in all, without the aid of Govinda, Kamala, and Vasudeva as guides, Siddhartha’s goal of enlightenment would not have been possible. Hesse’s emphasis on Govinda’s motivation towards Siddhartha, Kamala’s lessons on love and the material world, and Vasudeva’s teachings make it apparent that without these individuals Siddhartha would not have been able to reach enlightenment. They not only allowed him to reach enlightenment but rather allowed him to see the real view of the world and the significance of life. Though Siddhartha does in turn reach enlightenment, Herman Hesse reveals that teamwork is a necessity for any endeavor, even an individual one.