Uniting Mind, Body, and Spirit in Hermann Hesses Siddhartha Essay

Uniting Mind, Body, and Spirit in Hermann Hesses Siddhartha Each of us has innate desire to fancy the purpose of our existence. As Hermann Hesse illustrates in his tonic Siddhartha, the journey to wisdom may be difficult. Organized religion helps umteen to find meaning in life but it does not assuagement careful introspection. An important message of Siddhartha is that to strive enlightenment one must(prenominal) unite the experiences of mind, body, and life history. In the first part of the book, Siddhartha is consumed by his thirst for knowledge. He joined the samanas and listened to the teachings of the Buddha in attempt to discern the true way to Nirvana. though he perfected the arts of meditation and self-denial, he realized that no teachings could show him the way to sexual peace. While with the ascetics only a tierce of his need was accomplished. Siddhartha said, You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody fi nds salvation through teachings (27). His experiences with the samanas and Gotama were essential to his inner journey because they teach him that he cannot be taught, however this knowledge completely would not deliver him to enlightenment. Siddhartha had taken the first step in his quest but without the discovery of the body and spirit, his knowledge was useless in attaining Nirvana. The punt part of the book describes Siddharthas indulgences of the body. The narrator stated, How many long years he had spent without any lofty goal, without any thirst, without any exaltation, content with gloomy pleasures yet never re on the wholey satisfied (67). Though at the duration he did not realize it, Siddhartha had to experience the lowliness of a material... ...is wound was healing, his anguish was dispersing his Self had merged into unity (111). He now understood that all things are in harmony, heading towards the same goal and he therefore knew he had no reason to mourn over his son. Siddhartha had then absolute his search for inner direction and attained Nirvana through experiences of the mind, body, and spirit. When the experiences of mind, body, and spirit are united inner direction is found and meaning is give to life. Herman Hesse documents specifically the Buddhist inner journey but this path is relevant to all faiths. He implies that we must all acknowledge the unity of everything and understand how we belong to it. Our inner journey is very personal but our goals to achieve complete love and compassion are one and the same. Work Cited Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. capital of Delaware Publications, 1998.