Section 4

Section 4 i find it the most important and the one that teaches the most. After Kamala's death, Siddhartha tries his best to bond with his son. He is still sad because of his mother, he doesn't understand what happened and how it will ever be fine. Siddhartha wants to teach his son most of his knowledge, so he as his father, can understand things. But he is reminded that he could never pass his knowledge though his son had to experience it all. He had to experience to be able to understand everything Siddhartha understood. The son runs away through the river. Siddhartha and Vesudeva try to find him but they can't. Siddhartha goes to the town but gives up, because he knows he will never find him. SIddhartha feels hurt and sad for waht his son did. He keeps on learning from the river and Vesudeva, who know is seen holy and as a god to Siddhartha. One day Versudeva tells Siddhartha he need to listen to river, he hears all the voices togteher and feel an eternal peace and unity to the world. Siddhartha had finally achieved enlightenment. Versudeva confesses he wants to leave and wander through the world, so he can find his own inner peace. He leaves Siddhartha as the ferryman, and disappears into the forest. Govinda is still a monk, but he has been notified that there was a very wise and holy ferryman. He goes and visits this ferryman without knowing it was Siddhartha. They discuss and he finally knows it was his good friend. Before Govinda leaves, Siddhartha asks him to kiss him in the forehead. WHen this happens Govinda watches Siddhartha's entire live through his eyes, all the faces, the suffering and happiness. When he steps back he feels a need to worship and venerate Siddhartha.

This section can give the reader many emotions. Siddhartha finally found illumination an a perfect balance between his life and the whole universe. He found what he was looking for, and could share it with his dearest friend Govinda. But the end of the book also gave me a lot of questions. What happens to Govinda after this experience? Will he try to achieve illumination? What will happen to Siddhartha? How come people learn from him, if he couldn't teach his knowledge? The end of the book made me a little emotional. Govinda felt the need to look up to Siddhartha, I feel the same for my big brother. Without him I would never be the person I am right now. I would had never fallen into the path of Buddhism, or see things as I see them right now. I would feel part of the society that know rules the world. Without my brother I believe I wouldn't feel as proud of myself and my actions as I am now.

Section 3

This section answered a lot of questions that were in my head. It explained a lot of Siddhartha's life and what he was going through. Siddhartha learned to be a business man, but saw his job as a game, for he was not interested in wealth. He saw normal problems in other people he found insignificant to life. He still had his ideal of a Samana. Kamala his lover, made him feel understood like no body else could. They shared a kind of love that was no common, but they both knew they could never love each other the way other could love. After a year of being a merchant Siddhartha starts to gamble, and his ideal start to fade. He has a strange dream in which he realizes and feels all his goodness is gone. He decides to leave his treasures and seek for the peaceful life he had. He doesn't say goodbye to Kamala, he just disappears, and without knowing Kamala is pregnant with his child. Siddhartha comes to the thought of suicide, he feels lonely, and depressed. While wondering through the forest, Siddhartha arrived to the river he had once passed, and reunites with Vasudeva, the ferryman he had met years before. He stays with him and learns from the river, and regains that peace he had once had within him. Govinda and Siddhartha come back together and talk, but Govinda is still a monk. He leaves Siddhartha, which know know that Gotama is sick and will eventually die. Kamala starts to follow the Buddha's steps with her son, and while trying to find him, she is bitten by a snake. Kamala is helped by Vasudeva and Siddhartha. Kamala is dies, and Siddhartha is left with his son.

This section made me think a lot because there are a lot of things that were left hanging. What will happen to Siddhartha and his son? Will Siddhartha reunite with govinda and Gotama once again? Will he stay with Vasudeva and keep on learning from the river? When will he become illuminated? All this questions came right to my mind when I read this couple of chapters. I felt in disagreement when Siddhartha thinks he had to suffer to achieve happiness and knowledge. Why would you have to suffer to achieve happiness, greatness or knowledge? Not everyone has to follow those steps. I certainly believe this is false, and why would you have to experience richness or wealth to understand they are not important. Those two ideals or believes make no sense to me. I believe that with effort you can do anything with out suffering or experiencing things.

Siddhartha blogposts I and II

Blogpost I : Section 1

I really can connect with this book, because of my beliefs, I like the way the author explains the story. I as Siddhartha in the section follow the teachings, and try to find a way to "illumination". I try to follow his steps, not to become the next Buddha, but the way he saw life and learn how to appreciate every second of it. I believe as the Bible the story of Siddhartha has many perspectives and many ways to interpret it. I believe this because this version of the story add things I had never seen before, and lacks of other things. But still I think it is because of the author telling the story. I haven't gone from my house to seek for knowledge, but I have attended classes and retreats. In this retreats I have heard the teachings of Buddha and many other illustrious men and women. This teachings help other beginners like me to start their path to live the life they are seeking for. I have really learned a lot of this "classes"like Buddha learned from the Samanas and the elders. What will happen to Sidhhartha now that he started his journey? Will he find what he is looking for? Will he motivate people to follow his teachings?

Blogpost II: Section 2

The more I read this book the more I find it similar to other books of the Buddha. For example the book "El Budacrita" is a book about the life of Buddha, in spanish. They are similar because the words they use and the story is mostly the same, except some little details, as I said due to perspective. I also read another book long ago I don't remember the name that was practically the same to this one we are reading. This book reminds me of the movie "Spirited Away" they have totally different topics, but I made a rare connection. In the movie Chihiro (the main character) enters a world of fantasy, in which she has to work and win her parent back. They have been converted into pigs. But I connect to the movie because as Buddha, Chihiro looks by herself how to get out of this strange dream. She keeps with her beliefs, but tries to look at them in another way. When she starts to understand the fantasy world, is like Buddha understanding he doesn't want to follow anyones teachings.