SIDDAHARTA

To read Herman Hesse (Nobel Prize of Literature/1946) allegorical novel : Siddaharta (1922), produces in the psyche of a learned reader, a great de profundis. With simple language -but endowed with great mastery- Hesse recreates the first part of the book describing the desires of the adolescent Siddaharta to find wisdom and an inner God, with help of Vedic teachings, fasting, meditation and renunciation. It is also the history of a sincere friendship between Siddaharta and his faithful friend Govinda, of the abandonment of the paternal house to follow some ascetics pilgrims (samanas), when perceiving that the love of his family won't make him happy a lifetime. Desirous of reaching high thoughts, Siddaharta tries to arrive to the Atman (God of everything), being his road the whole world. With samanas, he doesn't feel heat, neither thirst absorbing during his pilgrimage, the essences of rocks, of herons, of jackal, of snakes, moving away from his self. Nevertheless after some years, Siddaharta doubts, he distrusts of doctrines, sensing that walking through fundamentalist asceticism he and many didn't reach the nirvana.

Until after to see and to listen the same Buddha, he understood that he looked for the redemption of the self, after penetrating in but deep of oneself. The secret is the inexplicable thing, what one cannot say. The self is not the body neither thinking, but reflections and wisdom. The first source of wisdom is oneself. From the Buddha that took him at the end of the wisdom he listened his reflections on the pain and how reducing it, the conquering of the world after understanding the causes of suffering, the necessity to arrive alone to the goal, not trying to explain the world, since this it is a logical consequence of all the things.

When Govinda abandons him after uniting to the samanas, Siddaharta understands that the lost of his faithful friend will allow him to be rediscovered himself. He understands that the earthly world is alive, one that should be read because it is beautiful and that one must be adapted to walk over there in an infantile way.

In the intermediate part of the book Siddaharta falls in love with the beautiful Kamala. He makes love with her and he becomes human. Being recriminated to be poor he is not upset, because he is not in a real state of misery. He devoted then to the sensual pleasure, to get money, power and fame. Before it humans were strange to him. Now he is fascinated by human’s goals, always full of plans and hopes. But when some day went him bad in business he became bad, understanding that his sensual life is nonsense. Being Kamala in pregnancy of his son, Siddaharta abandons her. Giving up everything he finds Govinda in a ship without recognizing him. Soon after, they talked and became friends again. On return to his house he knows their 11 year-old son, the same one that behaves as a thief and spoiled boy. After failing in his desires of rehabilitating him, he finishes abandoning him, since he understands that he should not get tied up to his son. Due to circumstances he crosses the river several times observing that the boatman ages in peace, because he learned how to listen in silence (wisdom that doesn't oppose to any will). The boatman has learned of the sway of the river that fixes his eye in what looks for without amusing, a way in which thinking finishes being free, open and without any end.

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The wisdom of an erudite is simplicity, that of a saint savant is not communicable, because when speaking of something of worth, it is falsified.

SIDDAHARTA

Leer la novela alegórica de Herman Hesse (Premio Nobel de Literatura/1946) :Siddaharta (1922), produce en la psiquis de un lector medianamente culto, un de profundis sin igual. Con lenguaje sencillo y emotivo -pero dotado de gran maestria- Hesse recrea la primera parte del libro describiendo los afanes del adolescente Siddaharta por encontrar sabiduría y al Dios interior, con ayuda de enseñanzas védicas, el ayuno, la meditación y la renunciación. Es también la historia de la amistad sincera entre Siddaharta y su fiel amigo Govinda, del abandono de la casa paterna para seguir a unos ascetas, peregrinos meditantes (samanas), al percibir que el amor de su familia no lo hará feliz toda la vida. Deseoso de alcanzar altos pensamientos, Siddaharta intenta llegar al Atman (Dios de todo), siendo su camino el mundo entero. Con los samanas, no siente calor ni sed, absorbiendo durante su peregrinación las esencias de las rocas, de las garzas, del chacal, de la serpiente, alejándose de su yo. No obstante tras algunos años Siddaharta duda, desconfia de las doctrinas, intuyendo que por el camino del ascetismo fundamentalista muchos no alcanzaran el nirvana.

Hasta que después de ver y escuchar al mismo Buda, entiende que este busca la redención del yó tras penetrar en lo mas profundo de uno mismo. El secreto es lo inexplicable, lo que no se puede decir. El yo no es el cuerpo ni el pensar, sino las reflexiones y sabiduría. La primera fuente es uno mismo. Del Buda que lo llevará al final de la sabiduría escucha sus reflexiones sobre el dolor y como reducirlo, la superación del mundo tras entender las causas del sufrimiento, la necesidad de llegar solo a la meta, de no intentar explicar el mundo, ya que este es consecuencia lógica de todas las cosas.

Mas tarde cuando Govinda lo abandona uniéndose a los samanas, entiende que la perdida de su fiel amigo le permitirá reencontrarse con si mismo. Entiende que el mundo terrenal está vivo, que debe leerlo porque es bello y que es adecuado caminar por allí, de modo infantil.

En la parte intermedia del libro Siddaharta se enamora de la bella cortesana Kamala. Hace el amor con ella y se hace humano. Siendo recriminado por ser pobre no se turba. Habiendo el mismo querido ser pobre no esta en la miseria. Se dedica entonces al placer sensual, a obtener dinero, poder y fama. Antes, los humanos le eran extraños. Hoy le fascinan las metas de ellos, siempre llenos de planes y esperanzas. Empero cierto dia, cuando le fué mal en los negocios entiende que esta vida sensual es sosa y sin sentido. Antes que Kamala dé a luz un hijo suyo, Siddaharta la abandona. Renunciando a todo encuentra a Govinda en un barco sin que este lo reconozca. Poco después, se amistan y conversan. De regreso a casa conoce a su hijo de 11 años, el mismo que se comporta como niño mimado y ladrón. Tras fracasar en sus deseos de rehabilitarlo, termina abandonándolo, ya que entiende que no debe atarse a el. Debido a las circunstancias cruza el rio varias veces observando que el barquero envejece en paz, porque aprendió a escuchar (sabiduria que no se opone a ninguna voluntad). El barquero ha aprendido del vaivén del rio, que fija su ojo en lo que busca sin distraerse, un afán en el que el pensar termina siendo libre, abierto y sin ningún fin. La sabiduría de un erudito es simpleza, la de un sabio no es comunicable, porque al hablar de algo de valor, se le falsifica.