Siddhartha - The Body
(Note: This post was originally written in June 2013)
As I was giving the "Brains, Brawn & Bravado" workshop to the Parker Writers Group (thanks for having me, PWG!) this past weekend, I realized something. Siddhartha's transformation mirrors that of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Both start their transformation journey with a mind character, then encounter a body character, and finally encounter a spirit character. Where Scrooge's transformation takes an entire night, however, Siddhartha's takes a lifetime.
After shedding the burden of intellectualism, Siddhartha's eyes are opened to a whole new way of seeing the world.
All this, colored and in a thousand forms, had always been there...but in previous times, all this had been nothing to Siddhartha but a fleeting and illusive veil before his eyes...
For the first time in his life, Siddhartha allowed himself to experience the beauty of the world, and that beauty was personified in Kamala, a courtesan, whom he sees for the first time in a garden, sitting in a sedan chair carried by four people.
...he saw a bright, sweet, very clever face...bright mouth like a freshly cut fig, artful eyebrows...dark eyes...hands were firm and smooth.
Siddhartha has already encountered a young woman in the forest and has experienced lust for the first time, but he was timid and unsure. Shadows of his intellectual self still remain. He doesn't know what to do and needs a teacher. When he sees Kamala, he immediately realizes she has the knowledge and experience to be that teacher. Kamala, on the other hand, says Siddhartha is "not yet good enough" to be her student. She then lists what it takes to be "good enough."
"...must have clothes, fine clothes, and shoes, fine shoes, and plenty of money...and presents for Kamala."
Kamala eventually accepts Siddhartha, teaches him the "art of love," and ultimately has a child by him.
In order for Siddhartha to obtain all the things she requires, Kamala sends him to a local merchant, Kamaswami. Kamaswami teaches Siddhartha about conducting business and living a life of luxury, which leads Siddhartha down the path to Samsara - evil, sin, self-indulgence.
It {business} was useful in order to bring him money for Kamala, and it brought him more than he really needed.
Kamaswami seems to be in a constant state of worry. Once, when a business transaction fell through, Kamaswami chastised Siddhartha for staying in the town for so long once he learned he would not be able to conduct business. He explains it like this:
"Now, if I had been Kamaswami, I should have departed immediately, feeling very annoyed when I saw I was unable to make a purchase, and time and money would have indeed been lost."
After many years of experiencing Samsara, Siddhartha decides he must escape, even if it means killing himself.
...the life he had lived for many years was past, tasted and drained to a degree of nausea...He was deeply entangled in Samsara; he had drawn nausea and death to himself from all sides.
Just when Siddhartha is ready to give up on ever achieving spiritual piece, he hears something in the river and meets one more character who helps him complete his journey to inner peace.
As I was giving the "Brains, Brawn & Bravado" workshop to the Parker Writers Group (thanks for having me, PWG!) this past weekend, I realized something. Siddhartha's transformation mirrors that of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Both start their transformation journey with a mind character, then encounter a body character, and finally encounter a spirit character. Where Scrooge's transformation takes an entire night, however, Siddhartha's takes a lifetime.
Body Character I: Kamala
After shedding the burden of intellectualism, Siddhartha's eyes are opened to a whole new way of seeing the world.
All this, colored and in a thousand forms, had always been there...but in previous times, all this had been nothing to Siddhartha but a fleeting and illusive veil before his eyes...
For the first time in his life, Siddhartha allowed himself to experience the beauty of the world, and that beauty was personified in Kamala, a courtesan, whom he sees for the first time in a garden, sitting in a sedan chair carried by four people.
...he saw a bright, sweet, very clever face...bright mouth like a freshly cut fig, artful eyebrows...dark eyes...hands were firm and smooth.
Siddhartha has already encountered a young woman in the forest and has experienced lust for the first time, but he was timid and unsure. Shadows of his intellectual self still remain. He doesn't know what to do and needs a teacher. When he sees Kamala, he immediately realizes she has the knowledge and experience to be that teacher. Kamala, on the other hand, says Siddhartha is "not yet good enough" to be her student. She then lists what it takes to be "good enough."
"...must have clothes, fine clothes, and shoes, fine shoes, and plenty of money...and presents for Kamala."
Kamala eventually accepts Siddhartha, teaches him the "art of love," and ultimately has a child by him.
Body Character II: Kamaswami
In order for Siddhartha to obtain all the things she requires, Kamala sends him to a local merchant, Kamaswami. Kamaswami teaches Siddhartha about conducting business and living a life of luxury, which leads Siddhartha down the path to Samsara - evil, sin, self-indulgence.
It {business} was useful in order to bring him money for Kamala, and it brought him more than he really needed.
Kamaswami seems to be in a constant state of worry. Once, when a business transaction fell through, Kamaswami chastised Siddhartha for staying in the town for so long once he learned he would not be able to conduct business. He explains it like this:
"Now, if I had been Kamaswami, I should have departed immediately, feeling very annoyed when I saw I was unable to make a purchase, and time and money would have indeed been lost."
After many years of experiencing Samsara, Siddhartha decides he must escape, even if it means killing himself.
...the life he had lived for many years was past, tasted and drained to a degree of nausea...He was deeply entangled in Samsara; he had drawn nausea and death to himself from all sides.
Just when Siddhartha is ready to give up on ever achieving spiritual piece, he hears something in the river and meets one more character who helps him complete his journey to inner peace.
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