Thomas Wiesner Ospina
December 8, 2008
The Tao of Siddhartha
I decided to compare Taoism to the book Siddhartha by Herman Hesse because Siddhartha was trying to find the meaning of his existence or, in other words, he was trying to find his Tao.
· Tao is a way, a path or a route.
· Taoism is NOT a set of ideals to be attained but rather a functional reality that is encountered on a daily basis
· Through working in harmony with life’s circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others may perceive as negative into something positive
· “Lots of people talk to animals but not many listen and THAT is the problem”
· Siddhartha is the name of a boy whose life in India during the time of the Buddha (6th century BC) is described in the book of the same name written by the German author Herman Hesse in 1922. I think Siddhartha’s life experiences relate to Tao.
· Siddhartha means “one who has found meaning of existence” and it is this desire that motivates him to leave his home in search of the reasons for which he exists. If he is able to understand why he exists, he will have achieved wisdom which will help him understand and manage the experiences of life. And it is these experiences which he goes looking for in the world so that the more he experiences the more he understands.
· He joins a group of people whose life style is characterized by abstinence, abstinence from sex and from alcohol something I have heard of at CNG from very early on because of my brother’s Consentidos program. Through this abstinence he finds strength in knowing that
o he can fast,
o he can wait, and
o he can think.
· If Tao is a path or a route, I find that Siddhartha’s path or route to enlightenment was, at first, unknown to him. Then, as he grew and lived through different experiences he was able to find the meaning of his life so that the experiences themselves were the ones that helped him understand why he was on the planet. His Tao was experience through will-power. From his experience as a father he learned empathy, from his experience as a friend he learned loyalty. The experience of being a father taught him to love. So, the more he experienced, the more he learned.
· Finding his route (Tao) allowed him to be at peace with his life and with his surroundings. It gave him harmony. It also gave him the strength of character to face the challenges and shortcomings of life.
· In essence all human beings are trying to find their Tao, in order to live in harmony with themselves and find a meaning to their lives.
December 8, 2008
The Tao of Siddhartha
I decided to compare Taoism to the book Siddhartha by Herman Hesse because Siddhartha was trying to find the meaning of his existence or, in other words, he was trying to find his Tao.
· Tao is a way, a path or a route.
· Taoism is NOT a set of ideals to be attained but rather a functional reality that is encountered on a daily basis
· Through working in harmony with life’s circumstances, Taoist understanding changes what others may perceive as negative into something positive
· “Lots of people talk to animals but not many listen and THAT is the problem”
· Siddhartha is the name of a boy whose life in India during the time of the Buddha (6th century BC) is described in the book of the same name written by the German author Herman Hesse in 1922. I think Siddhartha’s life experiences relate to Tao.
· Siddhartha means “one who has found meaning of existence” and it is this desire that motivates him to leave his home in search of the reasons for which he exists. If he is able to understand why he exists, he will have achieved wisdom which will help him understand and manage the experiences of life. And it is these experiences which he goes looking for in the world so that the more he experiences the more he understands.
· He joins a group of people whose life style is characterized by abstinence, abstinence from sex and from alcohol something I have heard of at CNG from very early on because of my brother’s Consentidos program. Through this abstinence he finds strength in knowing that
o he can fast,
o he can wait, and
o he can think.
· If Tao is a path or a route, I find that Siddhartha’s path or route to enlightenment was, at first, unknown to him. Then, as he grew and lived through different experiences he was able to find the meaning of his life so that the experiences themselves were the ones that helped him understand why he was on the planet. His Tao was experience through will-power. From his experience as a father he learned empathy, from his experience as a friend he learned loyalty. The experience of being a father taught him to love. So, the more he experienced, the more he learned.
· Finding his route (Tao) allowed him to be at peace with his life and with his surroundings. It gave him harmony. It also gave him the strength of character to face the challenges and shortcomings of life.
· In essence all human beings are trying to find their Tao, in order to live in harmony with themselves and find a meaning to their lives.
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