Sidartha Reading Blog #1

In this blog I will connect Siddartha's restlessness for knowledge with a series I watched as a kid it is called Avatar. Siddhartha at the beginning is described as a great man who has achieved high levels of spirituality. The book also mentions Govinda at the beginning, Govinda is Siddhartha's best friend and he swore to himself that he would follow Siddartha in the path of enlightenment. Siddhartha lived in his father's house with the Brahmins. Everyone was happy and proud of him, except himself. He decides to go and join the Sammanas his father doesn’t allow him. He then remains still all night until his father allows him. He joins the Samanas and his friend Govinda follows him. With the Samanas he doesn’t learn what he wanted so he decides to also leave and the elder Samana doesn’t allow him so he hypnotizes him. Then he goes in search of Gotama or the Buddha from that time to hear his teachings. He doesn’t like his teachings so he decides to learn by himself, but Govinda did like his teachings so he committed himself to the Buddha.

My intention in the first paragraph wasn't to summarize the first section but to show Siddhartha's restlessness for knowledge even if it meant abandoning his best friend. As I already said I Connect this part of the book with a TV series Avatar. The series was about a kid who represented a monk that could control the four elements (Water, Earth, Fire, Air). He was the only one in the world who could do it, so he had a great responsibility. But the reason I connect Siddhartha with this series is that the kid always wanted to be better at mastering the elements and always looked for someone that could train him better than he was, for example: when after learning the basics of water bending he goes to Katara the best water bender in the world to be trained. After Katara she goes to Toph an earth bender to learn from her. After Toph she goes to Zuko a fire bender.

In the end just like Siddhartha he discovers that the best way to learn is by himself, so he starts meditating. Siddhartha is basically doing the same seeking for illumination he goes always one step higher until he discovers that the best way to learn is by himself.