Siddhartha

     "He saw mankind going through life in a child like or animal like manner, which he loved and also despised at the same time. He saw them toiling, saw them suffering, and becoming gray for the sake of things which seemed to him to entirely unworthy of this price, for money, for little pleasures, for being slightly honoured, he saw them scolding and insulting each other, he saw them complaining about pain at which a Samana would only smile, and suffering because of deprivations which a Samana would not feel."

      This passage discusses the changes that Siddhartha was experiencing once he fell in love. He abandoned his people and set off on a journey of his own to find his true meaning, his true purpose, his true calling. Upon arriving to this new place he met and fell in love with Karmala who opens his eyes to a whole different world. She and the people of her land exposes Siddhartha to a life of the unexpected. The feeling that overcomes him when he looks at the people around him that are suffering,and going through and showing such emotions toward material things. He cannot begin to understand these feelings for he was not taught this way. He envied these people and hated them at the same time for allowing themselves to feel what he could not understand. He later goes on to write that life experiences is something that cannot be put into words it just something that you go through. He wanted very much to feel what they felt but he knew he could not, they knew he could not. It was something about him that made him stand apart from the others. He knew this, but understanding it he could not.

     The reason for choosing this passage is because of the similarities it shares in today present time. Many of us are struggling or worrying about the treasures of this world. How we can survive in a crisis of economic deficiency. How we can manage to get ahead, without the bitterness or anger or the tormenting that one may feel, because there not in a place that they want to be. How many people today complain about their job or the lack of employment. The society that we live in today is a constant reminder of what Siddhartha experience while staying with Karmala. I'm not saying that everyone is like this but there comes a point were we do come across people that feel this way or expresses their anger and disappointment about what position they hold now in their life. There journey is great and the battle may be hard but in the long run the same way that Siddhartha found his way out eventually so will we.