Siddhartha Chapters 7-12 Study Guides – Flashcards
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Does Siddhartha have a bad life? What is good about it?
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Not necessarily. He has many things that other people don't have and he had lots of opportunities.
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What had Siddhartha learned "amongst the people"?
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There is a cycle of emotions that pass you and you can get caught up in worldly things. He had learned how to do things all normal people do.
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What happened when the property finally became chain and a burden?
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He becomes depressed because he realized that these possessions had brought him down to the level of an average person.
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How does his dice playing echo his real life?
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He keeps gambling for more- in his life he has gotten very caught up with possessions.
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What was his Kamala dream about?
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Sex and death are similar in a way. He realized that sex and lust fade with old age and death comes around.
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What was the Bird dream about? What does it mean?
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A songbird that always sang died. This bird represents his goals of reaching enlightenment and his holiness. Now that he had gotten wrapped up in possessions, these goals and holiness died. He throws the bird on the street.
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Why does he feel dead?
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He lost sight of his goal.
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Why is it important that Kamala is pregnant? Why out of that last trip?
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Siddhartha will have a son. It was bad because she would never see him again, yet she keeps his child.
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Why does Siddhartha wish to kill himself?
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He feels like he's wasted a lot of his life and has only lost his way to enlightenment.
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What is the tone of this section? Is it entirely serious?
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It's somewhat dark and serious. Even in this seriousness there is still hope within it.
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What sound does he hear? How does he react?
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He hears the sound "om" from within. He is confused about the sound, and then he thinks about it and falls into sleep.
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How is he different when he wakes up? Who is sitting with him?
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He is rejuvenated and upbeat again. Govinda is sitting with him.
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What does Siddhartha start lecturing his friend about?
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That appearance is irrelevant to spirituality.
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What does Siddhartha learn from the Ferryman?
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The art of listening.
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How are the skills he is learning now important to him for life?
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They will help him learn from people and things around him
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What do people say about Siddhartha and the Ferryman?
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That they were silently wise but could teach you about the river
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How are they becoming alike? Is this a good thing?
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They are both understanding themselves better through each other and the river. This is a good thing because it's helping Siddhartha reach enlightenment.
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Describe the events surrounding Kamala's meeting Siddhartha again.
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Kamala is going to see the dying Buddha with her son and stops to rest. She's by the river and gets bit by a snake. The ferryman takes her to his hut and when she regains consciousness she sees Siddhartha.
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How has Siddhartha changed since their last meeting? How has Kamala changed?
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Kamala is no longer an escort and is now religious. She's dressed in plain clothes, like Siddhartha. They've both returned to a quieter, simpler life.
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What happens to Kamala? How does this affect Siddhartha?
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Kamala dies. Siddhartha must now take care of his son, and his son leaves him like he left his own father. He sees she has found peace and finds some himself.
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What about Siddhartha would make him a lousy father?
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He is too concerned about Nirvana to properly raise a son
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How does young Siddhartha take advantage of the father?
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He knows Siddhartha won't punish him and constantly asks more from him even though Siddhartha is poor.
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What does he try and do for his son? Why won't it work?
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He tries to win him over with patience and love but the child is not used to living a poor life.
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Why doesn't he punish the boy?
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He doesn't have the act of punishing within him.
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Why is the river laughing? How has Siddhartha gotten "his own"?
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Because he is now burdened with something for the first time in a while and it's his own doing.
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How can love be "Samsara"?
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It's a human passion and not spiritual. Love is part of the self and can be found in any reincarnation.
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Why does the son hate the father?
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The son hates the father because he wants to punish him- he is too nice and too poor.
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Why did he break the oar?
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He was angry with his father and wanted to spite him. He did not want Siddhartha or the ferryman to follow him.
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In losing his son, what might Siddhartha have gained?
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Siddhartha might have gained knowledge. Things are the way they are and you should just let them happen.
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What "wound" does Siddhartha have? What is the different light that he sees people in?
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His loss of his son. He sees people with their children and envies them.
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What has been his biggest change since becoming a ferryman? As a result, how does the tone of the book change?
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The way he thinks. The book showed him getting caught up in desire and envy and straying from wisdom, but now he speaks of holy things and about life and the river.
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What does the river do when Siddhartha goes to see his son? Whose reflection does he see?
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The river laughs at him. Then, he sees his father's reflection in the river.
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Siddhartha and Vasudeva listen very, very closely to the river. What do they hear? Why is everything interconnected?
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Siddhartha and Vasudeva hear all the voices of everyone Siddhartha has ever known. They all make up his world and they all make up the Om.
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Where does Vasudeva go?
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Vasudeva passes away and reaches enlightenment.
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Why is there still restlessness in Govinda's heart?
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He's always followed the rules of the monks but never really felt like he had accomplished anything from it.
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What is wrong with seeking, according to Siddhartha?
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When you seek too much you cannot find.
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Why doesn't Siddhartha have a doctrine? How can wisdom not be communicable? Can you communicate knowledge?
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He doesn't believe in doctrines or teachers. They don't allow you to find wisdom because wisdom cannot be communicated, only learned on your own. Knowledge, however, can be communicated.
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What is the symbolism of the stone?
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Reincarnation.
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How can Nirvana and Samsara be the same?
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Reincarnation will lead anything to Nirvana because after a certain amount of reincarnations, something or someone will eventually reach Nirvana.
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What does Govinda see Siddhartha do? What does this show about Siddhartha's final change?
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Govinda sees Siddhartha's past lives. He had reached englightment and broke the reincarnation cycle. He became the Buddha and attained Nirvana.
