Me, Myself, and I

This past week we started reading and analyzing the story of Siddhartha. I have been looking forward to reading this book all year, as Buddhism and the story of Siddhartha have always interested me. When I was a little younger I went on a trip to India, and in an attempt to educate me before arriving my mother had me read a red book about the life of the Buddha, starting out from when he was young Siddhartha in a palace with luxurious everything. He went for a ride (or a walk or something unusual for him) outside of the palace gates when he saw a procession of people mourning over a dead person. He had never experienced sadness, sickness, or death, and therefore was very intrigued and shocked at how the world wasn't as perfect as it had been made out to be. This is not the same story as the one translated by Herman Hesse we are reading in class, however having a slight connection to the overall concept makes me appreciate Siddhartha that much more.


Siddartha's view on life is quite different than what was the norm for his peers (as in the Samanas), although he did not realize what he wanted from the very beginning. He had the incredible tolerance and patience to become a Samana, and excelled at everything his teachers taught him. He kept wanting more, to learn new things, and that is when I formed my opinion that he was arrogant. Siddhartha realized what he wanted to do was find one's Self, and hey; the more power to him! But he told off the Buddha rather harshly and with an air of cockiness and I did not like how he talked to the Buddha, especially when the Buddha was only trying to help him realize his arrogance before it led to his fall. I think it's very understandable that Siddhartha would want to find his own way, yet I believe he is becoming over-confident in himself. It is very intriguing to see if Siddhartha follows the hero's path and in the near future falls.