Essay on "Siddhartha Asceticism Played a Major Role"

Essay 4 pages (1285 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Siddhartha

Asceticism played a major role in the psychological, social, and spiritual evolution of Siddhartha, the titular protagonist in Herman Hesse's novel. Modeled partly after the historical Gautama Buddha, Siddhartha begins his quest for enlightenment by following in the Brahmin footsteps of his fathers and forefathers. Finding little satisfaction in the rites and traditions of Brahmanism, Siddhartha starts to study the ways of the Samanas. The Samanas are forest-dwelling ascetics, rejecting all types of material comforts including sex, material goods, and any food except that which is required for the survival of the body. The Samanas beg for food and demand a rigorously disciplined lifestyle that Siddhartha finds relatively easy to follow. His experience with the Samanas does not yield lasting spiritual fruits, however, and Siddhartha becomes involved in the emerging Buddhist movement. The Gotama Buddha teaches a middle path between embracing all life and rejecting material desires but Siddhartha still fails to find the enlightenment he seeks. Finally, Siddhartha rejects asceticism itself to embark on a self-made independent journey of the soul. Instead of asceticism, Siddhartha embraces unabashed materialism and sensuality. Siddhartha ultimately achieves his goal of enlightenment after spending many years with Vasudeva the ferryman and learning how to find peace by observing the river. His wisdom becomes Siddharrtha's own middle path between the unnecessary stringency of asceticism and the meaninglessness in a materialistic existence.

Asceticism is a universal component of religious quests. Few religions are devoid of at least some type of ascetic tradition, either posed as a way of life or as a temporary means to achieve liberation. The religions of India, like the religions of the Fertile Crescent, boast rich traditions of self-abnegation. Miles points out the role of asceticism in benefiting the "whole person." Siddhartha, before he joined the group of Samanas in the forest knew that asceticism was one of the universal features of religious practice. Although not as strident as the Samanas in their integration of asceticism into daily life, the Brahmans nevertheless did advocate a lifestyle free from excess material attachments. The Brahman lifestyle incorporated a rigorous set of ablutions and meditation practices: "He already knew how to speak the Om silently, the word of words, to speak it silently into himself while inhaling, to speak it silently out of himself while exhaling, with all the concentration of his soul, the forehead surrounded by the glow of the clear-thinking spirit," (Chapter One). However, the Brahman lifestyle and its attendant practices failed to offer Siddhartha lasting spiritual satisfaction.

The Samanas would not seem to offer a young man much to satisfy his soul, either. Described as "ascetics on a pilgrimage, three skinny, withered men, neither old nor young, with dusty and bloody shoulders, almost naked, scorched by the sun, surrounded by loneliness, strangers and enemies to the world, strangers and lank jackals in the realm of humans," the Samanas did present Siddhartha with a new, novel spiritual practice (Chapter One). Interestingly, Siddhartha already seemed to possess the self-discipline that becoming an ascetic would require. For instance, he convinced his father to offer approval for his move by standing still for hours through the night. He was not put off by the emaciated appearance of the Samanas. Siddhartha had already used informal means of self-abnegation and self-discipline to achieve his goals as the son of a Brahman. Asceticism was like a natural part of Siddhartha's life.

As a result Siddhartha's asceticism came relatively easy to him when he finally did join the Samanas. Siddhartha's dissatisfaction with the Samana lifestyle at least in part stems from his not having to work hard enough to gain the fruits that asceticism does offer: it is possible that asceticism is meaningful only insofar as it is coupled with emotional fervor and effort (Cort 2002). Asceticism is significant for training the seeker's mind away from material attachments; a seeker already… READ MORE

How to Reference "Siddhartha Asceticism Played a Major Role" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Role of Private Investment on Economic Development in Iraq Literature Review

Role of Private Investment on Economic Development in Iraq

Private investment in developing countries

An overview on early Empirical studies

In 1980s, the developing countries encountered some increment in their… read more

Literature Review 40 pages (14411 words) Sources: 45 Topic: Economics / Finance / Banking

---

Proteins Play a Special Role Term Paper

Proteins play a special role in our lives, since they represent one of the basic irreplaceable components required for a productive existance of a human body. They participate in all… read more

Term Paper 2 pages (718 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Anatomy / Physiology

---

Role of Religion in the Arab-Israeli Conflict Term Paper

Religion/Israel

L. Jones

Role of Religion in the Arab-Israeli Conflict

After the end of the Second World War, one of the most important and pivotal events that would go on… read more

Term Paper 9 pages (2790 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Religion / God / Theology

---

Roles and Functions of CMHC Impacts Research Paper

Roles and Functions of CMHC

IMPACTS of PUBLIC POLICIES on the ROLES and RESPONSIBILITIES of CMHCs

ROLES and RESPONSIBILITIES of CMHCs WHILE PROVIDING SERVICES to DIVERSED CLIENTS

DIFFERENTIATED INTERVENTIONS

THE… read more

Research Paper 5 pages (2064 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Psychology / Behavior / Psychiatry

---

African Nationalism Played a Significant Role Term Paper

African nationalism played a significant role in the resistance against foreign domination and had been a major influence in the lives of Africans throughout much of the continent. It is… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (940 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: African History / Africa

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>