Siddhartha and the quest

We have been reading Herman Hesse's great novel, Siddhartha for the last week in World Literature. Hesse's account of the quest for enlightenment loosely parallels both the journey of Gotama Buddha as well as Hesse's own wanderings. In the story, the central figure leaves his life as a Brahmin's son and journeys with the ascetics, then enters into a life directed by materialism and passion. After twenty years of such a hollow existence, he leaves to find his place by the river. He comes to an understanding of time and the duality of life. He learns to listen and feels the power of connecting to all that surrounds him. This novel is an easy sell to high school seniors, who often are feeling the pull of choice. Seniors see the future both with rose-colored glasses and the lens of uncertainty. They even often see the journey as a right or wrong series of choices. One of the messages that Hesse drives throughout the novel is that living in an attentive, conscious state brings clarity and peace. Instead of the automatic pilot we can switch on in our conversations and relationships, Hesse advocates remaining awake and alert to all the voices which surround us. I wish that for my seniors.