Amongst the People Feraco Search for Human Potential 17 October 2011

Amongst the PeopleAmongst the People

FeracoFeraco

Search for Human PotentialSearch for Human Potential

17 October 201117 October 2011

““Amongst the People” is ironically Amongst the People” is ironically named: Siddhartha named: Siddhartha isis among them, among them, but he never allows himself to be but he never allows himself to be part of them (even as he increasingly part of them (even as he increasingly becomes one of them, he remains becomes one of them, he remains steadfastly in denial)steadfastly in denial)

It begins with a description of It begins with a description of Kamaswami that fits well with what Kamaswami that fits well with what Kamala has said about him: he’s the Kamala has said about him: he’s the picture of decaying wealth, graying picture of decaying wealth, graying hair paired with clever eyeshair paired with clever eyes

SiddharthaSiddhartha

SiddharthaSiddhartha He’s confused by Siddhartha’s He’s confused by Siddhartha’s

statement about not being in need; statement about not being in need; as a creature of desire, Kamaswami as a creature of desire, Kamaswami literally cannot comprehend such a literally cannot comprehend such a thingthing

““How will you live if you are without How will you live if you are without possessions?”possessions?”

This gives Kamaswami and This gives Kamaswami and Siddhartha the chance to learn about Siddhartha the chance to learn about one another via a dialogue about the one another via a dialogue about the giving and taking that’s omnipresent giving and taking that’s omnipresent in human lifein human life

Once again, Kamaswami cannot Once again, Kamaswami cannot understand how Siddhartha lives as he understand how Siddhartha lives as he does, for he doesn’t believe Siddhartha does, for he doesn’t believe Siddhartha has anything to offer if he can only use his has anything to offer if he can only use his skills (rather than possessions) in an skills (rather than possessions) in an exchangeexchange

The language of exchange is really the The language of exchange is really the only language Kamaswami speaksonly language Kamaswami speaks

Once Siddhartha convinces him that his Once Siddhartha convinces him that his skills skills areare useful in an exchange, useful in an exchange, Kamaswami respects him – particularly Kamaswami respects him – particularly once he learns Siddhartha can writeonce he learns Siddhartha can write


Both Both whatwhat Siddhartha writes and Siddhartha writes and thatthat Siddhartha writes prove Siddhartha writes prove importantimportant

His saying – “Writing is good, His saying – “Writing is good, thinking is better. Cleverness is thinking is better. Cleverness is good, patience is better” – has good, patience is better” – has poignancy when we consider where poignancy when we consider where he ends up, trapped by his own he ends up, trapped by his own “cleverness” and attention to the “cleverness” and attention to the bottom linebottom line

Moreover, the fact that Siddhartha Moreover, the fact that Siddhartha can read, write, and speak is can read, write, and speak is veryvery noteworthynoteworthy


Once we acquire language, we lose Once we acquire language, we lose the ability to think without words – the ability to think without words – to come up with thoughts that no to come up with thoughts that no words can describewords can describe

Indeed, our thoughts express Indeed, our thoughts express themselves in sensory termsthemselves in sensory terms

Thus our thoughts become part of Thus our thoughts become part of our reality, and our command of our reality, and our command of language therefore dictates the language therefore dictates the depth of the reality we perceive depth of the reality we perceive (maya!)(maya!)


Kamala’s reality is therefore Kamala’s reality is therefore incomplete – she cannot read or incomplete – she cannot read or write, and by lacking language, she write, and by lacking language, she lacks connection to the world…she lacks connection to the world…she lacks realitylacks reality

The less you understand about the The less you understand about the veil, the harder it proves to pierceveil, the harder it proves to pierce

This is why Siddhartha chooses to This is why Siddhartha chooses to study the Self rather than hide from study the Self rather than hide from it, and why our bodhisattvas finally it, and why our bodhisattvas finally reach enlightenmentreach enlightenment


Once Siddhartha is accepted into Once Siddhartha is accepted into Kamaswami’s service, he retains some of Kamaswami’s service, he retains some of his old habits; he doesn’t become entirely his old habits; he doesn’t become entirely like the man for another chapter/decade like the man for another chapter/decade or soor so

““Kamaswami conducted his business with Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion, but care and often with passion, but Siddhartha regarded it all as a game, the Siddhartha regarded it all as a game, the rules of which he endeavored to learn rules of which he endeavored to learn well, but did not stir his heart.”well, but did not stir his heart.”

His approach to business frustrates and His approach to business frustrates and even infuriates the old merchant, for the even infuriates the old merchant, for the younger man’s lackadaisical approach to younger man’s lackadaisical approach to profit and loss increases the elder man’s profit and loss increases the elder man’s riskrisk


Siddhartha, on the other hand, seems Siddhartha, on the other hand, seems interested in making human connections – interested in making human connections – a noble (and, for Kamaswami, novel) a noble (and, for Kamaswami, novel) sentiment, but one we quickly see isn’t sentiment, but one we quickly see isn’t entirely accurateentirely accurate

““Siddhartha’s sympathy and curiosity lay Siddhartha’s sympathy and curiosity lay only with people, whose work, troubles, only with people, whose work, troubles, pleasures, and follies were more unknown pleasures, and follies were more unknown and remote from him than the moon. and remote from him than the moon. Although he found it so easy to speak to Although he found it so easy to speak to everyone, to live with everyone, to learn everyone, to live with everyone, to learn from everyone, he was very conscious of from everyone, he was very conscious of the fact that there was something which the fact that there was something which separated him from them…”separated him from them…”


However, he increasingly devotes himself However, he increasingly devotes himself to Kamala, which is in keeping with his to Kamala, which is in keeping with his single-minded approach to his pursuitssingle-minded approach to his pursuits He even convinces himself that Kamala He even convinces himself that Kamala

understands him better than Govinda didunderstands him better than Govinda did

““He spent wonderful hours with the He spent wonderful hours with the clever, beautiful courtesan and became clever, beautiful courtesan and became her pupil, her lover, her friend. Here with her pupil, her lover, her friend. Here with Kamala lay the value and meaning of his Kamala lay the value and meaning of his present life, not in Kamaswami’s present life, not in Kamaswami’s business.”business.”


In other words, the embodiment of In other words, the embodiment of desire understands him better than desire understands him better than the searcherthe searcher

His conversation with her about His conversation with her about leaves and stars is sad, in a wayleaves and stars is sad, in a way

Even though Hesse only says it Even though Hesse only says it outright at the end, the tone of outright at the end, the tone of Siddhartha’s dialogue is weary and Siddhartha’s dialogue is weary and regretful, the pitch of a man who regretful, the pitch of a man who knows he’s letting his life slip away knows he’s letting his life slip away yet refuses to stop ityet refuses to stop it

The seeds of Siddhartha’s fall are The seeds of Siddhartha’s fall are sown heresown here


……He occupied his thoughts with all this game and the He occupied his thoughts with all this game and the passion with which all men play it, as much as he had passion with which all men play it, as much as he had previously occupied his thoughts with the gods and previously occupied his thoughts with the gods and Brahman. At times he heard within him a soft, gentle Brahman. At times he heard within him a soft, gentle voice, which reminded him quietly, complained voice, which reminded him quietly, complained quietly, so that he could hardly hear it. Then he quietly, so that he could hardly hear it. Then he suddenly saw clearly that he was leading a strange suddenly saw clearly that he was leading a strange life, that he was doing many thing that were only a life, that he was doing many thing that were only a game, that he was quite cheerful and sometimes game, that he was quite cheerful and sometimes experienced pleasure, but that real life was flowing experienced pleasure, but that real life was flowing past him and did not touch him. Like a player who past him and did not touch him. Like a player who plays with his ball, he played with his business, with plays with his ball, he played with his business, with the people around him, watched them, derived the people around him, watched them, derived amusement from them; but with his heart, with his amusement from them; but with his heart, with his real nature, he was not there. His real self wandered real nature, he was not there. His real self wandered elsewhere, far away, wandered on and on invisibly elsewhere, far away, wandered on and on invisibly and had nothing to do with his life. He was sometimes and had nothing to do with his life. He was sometimes afraid of these thoughts and wished that he could afraid of these thoughts and wished that he could also share their childish daily affairs with intensity, also share their childish daily affairs with intensity, truly to take part in them, to enjoy and live their lives truly to take part in them, to enjoy and live their lives instead of only being there as an onlooker.instead of only being there as an onlooker.

There’s a reason he ends the chapter There’s a reason he ends the chapter by confessing he cannot love: by confessing he cannot love: “Ordinary people can – that is their “Ordinary people can – that is their secret.”secret.”

Rather than becoming extraordinary, Rather than becoming extraordinary, Siddhartha finds himself envious of Siddhartha finds himself envious of the aggressively ordinarythe aggressively ordinary

And thus we hit the book’s midpoint, And thus we hit the book’s midpoint, standing at the precipice of standing at the precipice of something moresomething more


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Amongst the People Feraco Search for Human Potential 17 October 2011