Alex Clark: Outside Source 2: Siddhartha

One of my favorite books in the entire world is Siddhartha. I feel as though many concepts in that book can be related to the topics of this course. Siddhartha is about the journey through life of a man named Siddhartha, the actions he chooses, the rises and falls he experiences, and the lessons he learns. Siddhartha is in search of spirituality and meaning. He goes through a cycle of spirituality, where he become almost unnatural, able to survive on less than any normal man could by feeding off of himself and his beliefs. He also encounters materialism, amassing a wealth beyond belief and falling into the sins of the world. The most significant part of this book comes in the form of a character, a ferryman. This man radiates an inner peace that Siddhartha finally recognizes and seeks. He is told to achieve it from studying the river. After much time in contemplation, Siddhartha begins to truly learn from the river, and he eventually becomes more spiritually enlightened than he ever believed possible. He contemplates life and death, the meaning of all things, the unity of life, and he hears Om. This spiritual journey takes Siddhartha through nature, through communitas and liminality, through pain and sorrow, through sacred place, and to eventual enlightenment.