The prompts are below.
A few definitions. I don't need you to memorize these--the sense of the meaning comes through in context pretty well--but in case they are helpful, here are some definitions of some possibly unfamiliar terms:
--Brahma: the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe.[1]
Atman:--each being's inborn potential to become and the future status as a Buddha--a philosophical term used within Hinduism and Vedanta to identify the soul. It is one's true self (hence generally translated into English as 'Self') beyond identification with the phenomenal reality of worldly existence.
Satya: truth ( in a capital T sense) or the pursuit of truth
1. What is most admirable about Siddhartha?
2. Do you think Siddhartha is being too extreme?
3. What do you think Siddharths's father would like Siddhartha to become, and how does Siddhartha's desire to become a Samana differ from his father's desire?
4. Would you say that anyone at Walnut Hill has a desire or way of looking at things that Siddhartha' seems to so far? Don't name names; just discuss.
5. Can you find a connection between Siddhartha's way of being religious and the way a Christian, Jewish, or Moslem person might be religious--or is it a completely different way of being religious? Explain.
13 comments:
Ka Yeon Nam
Question 1
What is most admirable about Siddhartha?
I think that the the most admirable thing about Siddhartha is his knowledge.
"Joy leaped in his father's heart about the son, the intelligent boy, thirsty for knowledge; and he saw him growing up to be a great sage and priest, a prince amoung the Brahmins."
Siddhartha has a great intellegence that lets him learn and know about the world. His family admires him and his dad is very thrilled and happy to have him as his son, like others who are close to him.
Also I think that his indurance is one that can be admired.
"And he came again an hour later, and came again two hours later, peered throgh the small window and saw Siddhartha standing..."
Siddhartha stands outside, waiting for his father to tell him what he wants to hear, not moving.
Sang Eun
1. What is most admirable about Siddhartha?
"Siddhartha had started nursing discontent within himself. He had started feeling that his father's love, and his mother's love, and also his friend Govinda's love would not make him happy forever and always, not please him, gratify him, satisfy him."
The most admirable thing about Siddhartha is that even though he is young, he has realized important things already. For example, he realized that love from others won't make him happy forever and the most important thing that was missing was that he wasn't happy within himself. Because he found out these things, he decides to leave his parents and house, and become Samana. Considering his age, he is quite young to leave his parents to achieve his goal. I think that he is mature at his age.
Heather Rhee
Q
2. Do you think Siddhartha is being too extreme?
A
Siddhartha wanted to join ascetics and become a samana. (I still don't know what samana is but I think it is another way to describe saint)
He asked to his father to give him a permission to make this happen. However, Brahmin, his father, didn't wanted him to leave. He rejected the request and got mad at his son.
Siddhartha didn't said anything in front of his father and didn't blamed is father at all. However, he still waited his father to get a permission. He standed and waited his father quietly. His legs were trembling but his gaze and his face was stern.
As a result, his father allows him to leave.
Standing still without eating and sleeping for an entire day is a hard, harmful, unhealthy thing to do. However, Siddhartha did it in order to make Brahmin to change his mind.
This action is definitely an extreme action to do. However, in this case, I think it was not that extreme. It just seemed right and understanable for me.
When people really wants something they usually try everything to achieve their goals. For example, when I was preparing for a painting exam to get in an art school in Korea, I almost did the same thing with Siddhartha. For 6 months, I spended my whole day at the studio. From 7a.m. to 4.a.m,I just painted without thinking anything. Sometimes I didn't had food and sometimes I didn't went back to home to get some sleep.
My case is not the only case. There are a lot of people who works extremly hard to gain the things they want.
Thus, to me, eventhough I know that he really did a hard thing, it was not that extreme because of the fact that he had a reason for that action.
Answer to #2:
"Mute and motionless, the son stood with crossed arms; mute and motionless, the father sat on the mat... he came again an hour later, and came again two hours later... Will you keep standing and waiting until the day becomes noon, becomes evening?"
Siddhartha is probably being too extreme here. Although it is true that Siddhartha has been directed (somewhat) to join the samanas, his devotion is incredible. Could you imagine yourself being so devoted to something, that you would stay standing in persistence, for twelve hours or more?
This type of devotion I would consider extreme. All the same, this shows me that Siddhartha is very set on his choices, and very steadfast. In other words, he knows what he is doing, and will persist using passive methods, until the "job" is done.
Can you find a connection between Siddhartha's way of being religious and the way a Christian, Jewish, or Moslem person might be religious--or is it a completely different way of being religious? Explain.
There are two things that popped otu at me. These are,on pages 5 and 6: "Was it not Atman, he, the Only One, the All-One?" and "True, many verses in the holy books, especially in the Upanishads of Sama-Veda, spoke about the innermost and ultimate--glorious verses."
The first quote relates to Christian, Jewish, and Moslemians beliefs because they all believe in one singular, all-powerful God.
The second quote relates to them all also because they all have a holy book(s) that they reference in their religions. The books talk about the things that God did and the things that porfits did that wee the best and worst thigns possible. They hold the ultimate information for the religion they pertain to.
2. Do you think Siddhartha is being too extreme?
I do believe Siddhartha is being too extreme. Siddhartha is a man who is looked upon as a role model to most people, including his friend Govinda, and is loved by many. They all look to Siddartha as a man who does not follow a regular Brahim but had other plans for his life. They loved him for his intelligence and his beliefs and change that he would bring. Although, they all looked to him as a strong believer of change, Siddartha was not happy with their love. He thought that it wasn't enough to make him happy. He soon develops the hope and ideal of becoming a samana. He didn't understand the Atman and where they existed or if they even existed and becoming a samana, he thought was the solution to his happiness. Since he desired to be a samana so much, since he didn't believe in the Atman, he discussed it with his friend Govinda, he would later follow whatever his decision.
Since Siddartha is a kind and mature gentelman, he respectfully asked his father. And his father having strong hopes and longings for Siddartha, he did not agree with this absurd idea. Siddartha had a very strong wanting to become a samana. He then stood there all night in the same spot with his arms crossed, waiting for the answer of yes. He stood there willing to die, never sleeping or eating, only to get the answer of yes.
I believe this is very extreme. Although it does have to do with religion and his future, he was willing to die for the answer of yes. I do not understand why he could not have just become a samana without his father's permission. This might be because of his religion. Although I do not think he was that extreme as he did not attack his father or anything violent to the extent to get the answer yes. He stood there not harming or bothering his father awaiting for the answer yes. However, I view the actions of standing there until death an extreme behavior of Siddartha.
2. Do you think Siddhartha is being too extreme?
I do not think he is being too extreme. He had lived his life the way his parents wanted him to have instead of him wanting it. He realizes nothing makes him happy. His parents and Govinda being nice does not make him so happy. So he decides to join samanas for his own this time. He deserves to do what he wants now.
Sung Kun Kim
1. What is most admirable about Siddhartha?
- Siddhartha is a son of Brahmin, gets love from everyone for his intelligence, appearance, and even for his movement. These values that Siddhartha has could be admirable. But the most admirable part of Siddhartha for me was his passion. Siddhartha asks his father if he could be away from home and become a samana. When his father disagrees, he just stands in front of the house not moving an inch. He does this for a whole night until his father realizes that Siddhartha's mind has already left home. His father agrees and Siddhartha makes his way with his friend. I found this part very interesting and envious. Siddhartha used an extreme way of persuading his father but was very effective. He is a person who does anything to get what he really wants. I was kind of jealous of this kind of passion, which I sort of don't have. So I think that the most admirable part of Siddhartha is his passion for anything he wants.
1. What is most admirable about Siddhartha?
I think that the most admirable thing about Siddartha is his dedication to his work. Siddartha is extremely invloved in his religion and he knows exactly what he wants to do and what he wants to become. Even in the beginning he asks his father to go and become a samana, and his father refuses, but Siddartha stands there all night until he gets what he wants. He comes with a very strong personality and knows how to manipulate people. He spends his whole life meditating and practicing his faith and that to me says a lot about himself and how dedicated he is. If he is this dedicated at a young age, then this shows that he most likely will be in the future.
Yeena Sung
5. Can you find a connection between Siddhartha's way of being religious and the way a Christian, Jewish, or Moslem person might be religious--or is it a completely different way of being religious? Explain.
I think Siddartha’s way of being religious is a bit similar to Christianity or other religions, in a way that they have to think about their problems and repent about what they’ve done wrong and ask for mercy or forgiveness.
4. Would you say that anyone at Walnut Hill has a desire or way of looking at things that Siddhartha' seems to so far? Don't name names; just discuss.
Yes, there is one person i know who is very much like Siddartha in a sense. Her family is filled with practical people with practical jobs and she is the only one really who has her heart set on the arts. Nothing was wrong with that until she decided she wanted to follow her passion of the arts to adult hood and maybe a career and then her family got worried she was making a bad desition and at first told her no to walnuthill. When they said no she decided to be fantastic in the next 2 shows she would be in and she worked her butt off and drilled the characters into her heart. She then invited her whole family and after seeing the shows they decided maybe it would be ok. This is very much like Siddartha in the sense of being determined. In the book Siddartha prooves his determination by standing still through the night. My friend proved her determination by working hard at the plays. Both parents where just worrying about the childrens lives and future's but when they reallized the child had already decided with or without their blessing they new their child was better off with.
2. Do you think Siddhartha is being too extreme?
I do personally think Siddhartha is being a tad to extreme with all he did but there's boundaries one can't cross about opinions about another indivual's life.
However, I do admire Siddhartha's determination to stick to whatever he wants to do and his commitment to achieving what he wants. If Siddhartha wants to become a Samana, his family should let him if they really love him.
Though I believe Siddhartha should be content with the good life he has, if Siddhartha believes he's doing the right thing by running off and becoming Samana then he should.
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