Siddhartha - The Mind
Siddhartha is the story of a man's spiritual journey to
enlightenment and the trials and tribulations he encounters along the
way. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha begins his life studying the
scriptures and quickly becomes a highly esteemed holy man. Intellectual
pursuits, however, do not lead him to enlightenment, so he decides to
live in the ways of the world. This only takes him farther from the
enlightenment he seeks. Finally, he discovers peace and accepts all that
has happened to him as steps along that path.
In this series of posts, I will show the characters who define each of the stages through which Siddhartha must pass to achieve his enlightenment, starting with the mind character.
Siddhartha, as a young Brahmin, stands apart from his peers. He is far and above the most learned of the holy men; he knows all the scriptures and can perform all the sacrifices.
...above all, he loved his intellect, his fine ardent thoughts...
Govinda follows Siddhartha reverently and praises his knowledge. When Siddhartha decides to join the ascetic Samanas in order to expand his knowledge, Govinda readily joins him on the journey. His reasoning is:
"We have learned and are still learning."
After traveling with the Samanas, Siddhartha and Govinda hear about a new teacher, Gotama, who is called the Illustrious One or the Buddha. They leave the Samanas and join the followers of Gotama in order to see what new doctrine can be had that would lead to enlightenment.
Siddhartha soon discovers that doctrine and knowledge are not enough. If it were, the followers of Gotama would surely have experienced enlightenment. This is where Siddhartha and Govinda part ways. Siddhartha leaves the path of intellectualism to seek enlightenment, while Govinda remains in service to Gotama.
Later in life, after Siddhartha finds peace and enlightenment, he meets Govinda, again. Govinda is still seeking a doctrine, a "rulebook," that will lead to his own enlightenment.
"Have you a doctrine, belief, or knowledge which you uphold, which helps you to live and do right?"
When Siddhartha tries to explain how he achieved enlightenment from a spiritual perspective, Govinda is confused.
"Tell me one word, my esteemed friend, tell me something I can conceive, something I can understand."
In the end, Govinda never fully understands the complete mind, body, and spirit transformation and must simply accept it. He is compelled to "bow low" in humble adoration.
In this series of posts, I will show the characters who define each of the stages through which Siddhartha must pass to achieve his enlightenment, starting with the mind character.
The Mind Character: Govinda
Siddhartha, as a young Brahmin, stands apart from his peers. He is far and above the most learned of the holy men; he knows all the scriptures and can perform all the sacrifices.
...above all, he loved his intellect, his fine ardent thoughts...
Govinda follows Siddhartha reverently and praises his knowledge. When Siddhartha decides to join the ascetic Samanas in order to expand his knowledge, Govinda readily joins him on the journey. His reasoning is:
"We have learned and are still learning."
After traveling with the Samanas, Siddhartha and Govinda hear about a new teacher, Gotama, who is called the Illustrious One or the Buddha. They leave the Samanas and join the followers of Gotama in order to see what new doctrine can be had that would lead to enlightenment.
Siddhartha soon discovers that doctrine and knowledge are not enough. If it were, the followers of Gotama would surely have experienced enlightenment. This is where Siddhartha and Govinda part ways. Siddhartha leaves the path of intellectualism to seek enlightenment, while Govinda remains in service to Gotama.
Later in life, after Siddhartha finds peace and enlightenment, he meets Govinda, again. Govinda is still seeking a doctrine, a "rulebook," that will lead to his own enlightenment.
"Have you a doctrine, belief, or knowledge which you uphold, which helps you to live and do right?"
When Siddhartha tries to explain how he achieved enlightenment from a spiritual perspective, Govinda is confused.
"Tell me one word, my esteemed friend, tell me something I can conceive, something I can understand."
In the end, Govinda never fully understands the complete mind, body, and spirit transformation and must simply accept it. He is compelled to "bow low" in humble adoration.
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