I found a draft of a post written during my time in India that I thought I would finally publish. However, instead, I have taken a portion listed below, to start a discussion and introspection. Siddhartha – the quest for Nirvana - was an interesting read and this post was written as I read it; sitting pool side in India, exploring a new world and yet fearful of eviction from a hotel room I was not paying for.
I’ve begun to read Siddhartha – the epic journey of a man’s attempt to find tranquility (nirvana) in his life. What he discovers in his journeying is that it is not the teachings of the holy men, nor the teaching of Buddha – the being who has transcended this life and founded ultimate nirvana himself – that can give him his insight into bliss. It is only through patience, and self-discovery that his insights can come; can he rid himself of suffering, of pain, of hunger, of worldly distresses.
I have just followed Siddhartha’s path through life in Herman Hesses’ novels. Hesse, attempting to examine the spirituality of India, did so not as a fellow Hindu or Buddhist but as a Westerner raised in Christian Germany. His path is intriguing, and the focus of much of Siddhartha’s journey on requisite patience which can drive a man, especially a Western man, crazy. I find myself now trying to find inner strength enough to wait, to be patient; comfortable in not knowing precisely what I will be doing tomorrow, next week, or next month.
There are countless dualities which continue to define the nature of man. Good and bad; Evil and Holy. The Aztecs saw the duality in their Jaguar Gods of Night and Day. The Yin and Yang served the same purpose and definition in the East. In the West, Heaven and Hell, Angel and Demon, Craven and Courageous all define that same dichotomy within which all men and women are seen. Perhaps we need it to be this way, the Night and Day relationship so ingrained in our psyche that it characterizes our vision and understanding of the world.
Of great importance to me, is that diametrically opposed view that symbolizes East and West – another duality that continues to define the way we see the World. Black and White, East and West, Them and Us. These are the terms we continue to see the world, the international system built upon those dualities that transcend generations and yet remain compartmentalized by Geo-political boundary.
China and Russia are backing Iran. International economic blocs are uniting along these geo-political boundaries that have nothing to do with interest but everything to with mentality. It is again the West vs. East as it was during the Cold War. Hu Jintao and Medvedev backing Ahmadinejad. Iran + Russia + China = WIN?. If we continue to approach these same nations, these same cultures, these same leaders with the mentality of Westerner’s as did Herman Hesse approach the wanderings of an ascetic; Can we truly be able to move beyond thinking of dualities to develop a unification? Is duality so ingrained within all people that it is impossible to overcome for peace and prosperity.
Ultimately the teachings of Gautma require patience, inevitability, and self-acceptance to move beyond pain, suffering, and condemnation. How do we become comfortable letting the “Others” develop while we wait and see? I wonder….
HGMW
Filed under: Philosophy in an Age without Philosophers
